Troubleshoot Windows

Author: shantanu

How to : Enable Local Administrator Account in Windows 8.1
This post is a collection of steps on How to enable local administrator account in Windows 8.1 . The same steps can be followed in Windows 8 as well. Windows 8 / 8.1 by default has the local Administrator account disabled. Follow the steps below to enable the local ( built-in) administrator account in Windows 8.
- Follow this article to List Local users MMC
- Now, Right Click the User Account that says Administrator
- Click on Properties
- Now, here, Uncheck the box that says Account is disabled
- Click on Apply
- Click on Ok
- Your Built-in ( Local ) administrator account is now active
- You can choose to set a password for the same by:
- Right Clicking the Administrator account
- Click on Set password
If you face a problem with the steps mentioned above or need assistance with a certain step, please use comments section to post your query
October 31, 2013
Review : Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate | Giveaway
5/ 5stars

Video conversion started back in the days when portable video players were introduced. People belonging to the 80’s era know that when different form factors of video players came to the market, came with it the need for format & resolution conversion. VCD, DVD, WMV, 3gp, AVI, MPG etc. are amongst many popular video formats out there. As the technology progressed, different devices such as smartphones & tablets & multimedia players came into existence. For a user like me, who likes to have a number of gadgets, a video converter is an application of great utility. I always have a need to convert from & to QuickTime, Windows Media & RMVB. Most of my home videos were WMV & mpg format & I always have a need to play all my videos on my iPad & my Windows Phone. Same goes with playing them on my PC and my sister’s iPhone. Platform dependency was make my life a bit hard.

I tried a number of video convertors & the results were all but unsatisfactory. Suddenly a friend recommended me the Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate (http://www.wondershare.com/pro/video-converter-ultimate.html ). I tried the application before buying & I have to admit that it works better than any Video / Audio converter I have used till date. It has a better conversion rate & as suggested by the website, it does convert almost 30 times faster than a few other converters I tested.

Below is the Review : Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate | Giveaway inside

Wondershare Video Convertor Ultimate supports a number of input & output formats that it supports for conversion. You can convert Audio, Video & Images by using this application. Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate can be installed on Windows 8/7/Vista/XP & also on Mac OS X 10.6, 10.7 or 10.8 Mountain Lion.

Let’s cover each aspect from installation to conclusion one by one:

Installation:

Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate came in a small web downloader package & Installation on my medium bandwidth connection took around 2 minutes. It was fairly easy & did not give me any headaches. Now, I am very sardonic about my Video Players. All my life I have used the Windows Media Player & Media Player Classic, but this Video Convertor came with a Wondershare VIdeo Player & I was more than impressed by the overall user interface & usability of this player. It has all the combined / good features of my favourite players & performed even better than in all the key aspect of multimedia playback.

First Impression:

Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate has a very eye soothing User Interface. Every Button & menu is well located & within minutes you get a hang of what you are doing. Its a familiar application & feels like you are using it for ages. The conversion quality & speed is excellent. Its like a All in one A/V studio at your fingertips.

Conversion Formats & Devices
- Supports 158 Video conversion formats
- Supports editing of video on the fly
- You can Burn CD/DVD & even save ISO files (burn to ISO ) directly from the converter itself.
- Supports direct Video download, that means that you can simply click on download
- To enable the video download feature simply let the Wondershare Video Converter ultimate Enable the Video Download plugin
- Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate supports a number of device specific output formats, that lets you convert any(supported input format) video
Features & Interface
- The initial screen on the Wondershare Video Converter ultimate is your dashboard that you can use to do every task associated with this application
- If you wish you convert, either drag & drop files or click on the add files Button.
- If you have a DVD that you need to convert, simply click on Load DVD & browse for the DVD path
- At the bottom you can choose the storage folder where all the converted videos are saved for future usage.
- If you have a lot of small videos and wish to make a combined video, simply click on the Merge all videos into one file file checkbox at the bottom right corner & Click on convert
- You can select a output format based on your Device or file format
- Just Click the dropdown menu on the Output Format menu on the right hand side of the dashboard
- If you wish to edit the video that you are converting, simply click the edit button in front of the video
- Now, after you click on edit, you are presented with some great options. You can add subtitles to the video if you wish, or crop the video, add a watermark or add an effect of your liking. After you are finished, just click on Ok & choose the destination that you wish to save the video to.
- The Burn Suite within this Converter application is equally amazing, you can choose the converted files ( Audio, Video, Images )
- Select a Template
- Select a DVD label
- Choose the Quality of the Videos
- & choose the aspect ratio
- Click on burn & you are done
Conclusion & Rating

Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate is an application that packs almost every feature that a user looks for. It can download, convert to your favourite format or device & even burn a DVD or save an ISO file with your content. It is fast, faster than any video converter application that I have used till date & it offers a great Wondershare Video Player that is among the best players that I have used. Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate can be installed on both Windows & Mac. I would give this application 5 Star rating.

Giveaway

If you wish to get your hands on this amazing Video converter, share this post on Facebook and twitter & post a comment with the link to your Facebook / twitter post in the comment section of this post to stand a chance to Win a License of Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate.

* 10 days until the Giveaway closes. Send in your entry now.
September 23, 2013
How to : List Local users MMC in Windows 8, 8.1
This post is a step by step on How to list local users MMC in Windows 8 | 8.1 .Microsoft Management Console (MMC), is a built-in extensible common presentation service for management applications. MMC snap-ins are commonly used by Microsoft or other third party programs to interact with host integration services within the operating system. MMC can be used to add /remove snap-ins according to the need of the administrator. Some of the most common management consoles in Windows Operating system are gpedit.msc & rsop.msc ( Resultant Set of Policy )

Below are the steps to List Local users & Groups in Microsoft Management Console (MMC):
- Press Windows Logo Key + X
- Press A ( This will open command prompt with elevated privileges | Administrator mode )
- Now, within the command prompt type MMC & press enter
- Now, within the File Menu on the top left corner
- Click on Add/Remove Snap-in…
- Locate & select Local Users and Groups
- Click on Add
- Click OK
- A New Windows will pop open
- Here, Select Local Computer
- Click on Finish
- Press OK
- Now, a new entry named Local Users and Groups (Local) Can be seen
- Here, if you notice are listed all the users in your system.
- Now, Click on File
- Click on Save
- Give a name to this management console, so that you can use it later
If you need further help or face an issue implementing any of the above mentioned steps, feel free to drop a line to me & I will try to help out.
September 17, 2013
Fix : Windows 7 Installation Stop error 0x80FE0000 | 0x80FF0000
This post will help you Fix Windows 7 Installation Stop error / BSOD 0x80FE0000 | 0x80FF0000. Below are the steps to fix blue screen error 0x80FF0000 | 0x80FE0000 while installing Windows 7 | Vista with a message Could not set the offline locale information

You might get this blue screen error for some of the possible reasons listed below :
- Corrupted Hard Disk Drive with possible bad sectors
- Windows Installation Disk problem
- BIOS setting problem
- You tried Installing Windows in a Logical Drive instead of Primary partition
Before you continue reading this post, I suggest you read this article to know more about blue screen errors and possible steps to resolve them.

Below are a few different methods to fix this stop error:

Method 1 : Windows Installation Disk problem
- If you are installing Windows Vista | 7 from a DVD, make sure that your DVD is not scratched or has any visible signs of damage
- If you have an ISO file ( Disc Image ), you can use it to make a Installation USB drive to Install Windows
- For How to make a USB installation drive Follow this link
- After creating the USB Installation, try to install Windows again
- If you still face an issue, go down to Method 2
Method 2 : Check your Hard Disk Drive ( hdd ) for errors
- Boot from Windows 7 | Vista Installation DVD / USB
- Press Shift + F10
- or,
- Click on Repair your computer
- Click Next
- Click on Command Prompt
- Now, if this your hard disk has multiple partitions, go to the partition you are trying to install Windows in.
- now, type chkdsk x:/f – ( X being your drive letter, example : C: , D: )
Method 3 : Making Sure that you are not Installing Windows to a Logical Drive
- Follow method 2 to open command prompt
- In Command Prompt, type diskpart and press enter
- Type List Disk (note down your disk number in case you have multiple hard disk drives installed in your PC )
- Type Select Disk 0 (Replace 0 with the number of your drive. Example : Disk 0, Disk 1, Disk 2 )
- Type List Partition
- This should list all the partitions on your hard disk drive
- Just make sure that the partition you are trying to install Windows on is not a Logical Drive (It must be a primary partition )
Method 4 : Cleaning Your partition | DATA Backup Must before continuing

Note : This method will clean all partitions on your hard disk. Before continuing, make sure you backup your data.
- Follow Method 2 to open command prompt
- Type Diskpart and press enter
- Type List Disk (note down your disk number in case you have multiple hard disk drives installed in your PC )
- Type Select Disk 0 (Replace 0 with the number of your drive. Example : Disk 0, Disk 1, Disk 2 )
- Type Clean ( This will delete all partitions on your drive )
- Now, type create partition primary & press Enter
- Type format fs=ntfs
- Note: This is a full format and will take some time to complete depending on the size of your disk
- After the format is complete, try installing Windows again
Method 5 : Check BIOS settings
- Boot into the BIOS ( press DEL, F2, F10 ) ( refer your system documentation for details )
- Locate options saying SATA Mode & set it to AHCI
- Remember, The option to change the SATA type might vary depending on your BIOS make and system model. You just have to set the drive to AHCI, if available.
If you still face an issue, please use the comment section to post your problem & I will try to help you
September 14, 2013
How to Install Windows Live mail / essentials in Windows 8 | POP Support
This post is a How to Install Windows live mail desktop ( essentials ) in Windows 8 |POP support. Many of you have written to me saying that they are really sad that Windows 8 mail app does not support POP ( Post office Protocol ) & you wish to use POP as your email settings. And many email providers does not support / charge extra for IMAP.In Windows 7 days, I used to install Windows Live Essentials for Windows Live mail, messenger, photo gallery, live writer and some other sets of essentials programs. This post helps you do exactly that. Just follow the steps mentioned below :
- Go to http://get.live.com
- Click on Download Now
- After the Download Completes, Run the program
- Click on Choose the programs you want to Install
- Select Windows Live Mail & uncheck every other box ( Unless you need those extra applications )
- Click on Install
- Let the process Finish
- It might take a while, depending on your Internet connection speed.
- Now,
- You can use the POP3 type email settings with Windows Live Mail in Windows 8, Without using the Default Windows 8 mail app.
If you have any queries or comments, please feel free to use the comment section
September 9, 2013
Fix : Windows 8 Installation error : Product key not verified : Check installation Media
Fix : Windows 8 couldn’t verify the product key , Check installation media. This post fixes the Windows 8 Installation error where setup says “ We couldn’t verify the product key,. Please check your installation media” . Below is the screenshot of the error i received while trying to install Windows 8. This post applies to Windows 8.1 as well. This guide will help you when you are sure that you are using correct product key for your Windows 8 | 8.1 installation, and you are receiving an unexpected error. Below are a few fixes that helped me and should help you :

Tip 1 : Check Installation Media
- If it’s a DVD, make sure it is not scratched and inserted properly
- If its a USB drive and you used the Microsoft USB DVD Tool to make it:
  
  Check the ISO file you used to make this installation media
  
  Try to remake the media using the USB tool
  
  or
  
  Try using the same tool to burn a DVD if you can
  
  Make sure that you have enough space on the USB drive that you are using to Install Windows.
  
  Also, make sure that the USB drive is inserted properly into the USB port.
  
  Make sure that you insert your USB drive directly into the system and not through a external USB hub
Tip 2 :USB 3.0
- If your system supports USB 3.0, it is possible that for some reason the setup is not able to read it properly.
- Try Inserting your USB drive into a USB 2.0 port.
Tip 3 : Change BIOS settings for USB
- At the time of system start up
- Press DEL, F2, F10 or refer your system documentation for the key binding assigned to boot into the BIOS
- Locate the options for USB and make sure USB Legacy support is turned on
- Secondly, if there is an emulation setting for USB, set it to CD/DVD
- and,
- Make sure it is not set to hard disk
If you still face an issue, please use the comment section and I will try and help you further
September 7, 2013
Fix : Stop error / BSOD 0x0000009F | 0x000000FE Windows 7, Vista (AMD specific)
This post helps in fixing a AMD chipset based issue in Windows 7 or Windows Vista with stop error ( blue screen ) 0x0000009F or 0x000000FE. Both these error codes can be associated with some other problems too. But this problem being AMD chipset or specifically with some AMD EHCI drivers, that when put on standby or left Idle can crash your system with error codes mentioned above.

There are two very simple methods to fix this issue:

Method 1 : Microsoft Fixit ( Automated Fix )
- Click on the picture above to open the Fix it link
- Download the fix and run it
- Restart your Computer
Method 2 : Turning off some power management features
- Go to the start menu ( you can also use Run ( windows logo key + R )
- type in devmgmt.msc & press enter
- This will open device manager
- Now, expand the section that says Universal Serial Bus Controllers
- Right Click USB root hub
- Click on properties
- Click on power management tab
- uncheck Allow the Computer to turn off this device to save power
- Press Ok
- Restart your computer
- Check your system for problem
- If you still face a problem, please use the comment section and I will try to help you
September 6, 2013
How to create Shutdown & Restart buttons on Desktop / Start Screen | Windows 8
Step by step tutorial on how to create shutdown & restart buttons on desktop / start screen in Windows 8. Windows 8.1 is on it’s way & it will be introducing some new features that will help the user make the most of this new operating system from Microsoft. But, till the time it is made available to the general public, performing shutdown & restart operations can be made more easy by following the steps below to create the power buttons on desktop and start screen in Windows 8.
- Go to the Desktop
- Right Click
- Click on New
- Click on Shortcut
- Now, for Shutdown button
  
  type shutdown.exe -s -t 00
- for Restart button
  
  type shutdown.exe -r -t 00
- Click Next
- Type in Shutdown or Restart for your button type
- Click on Finish
- Now,
- To add your button to the start screen :
- Right Click the shortcut on your desktop
- Click on Pin to Start
You can also give it a Nice Icon to match a Power button
- Right Click the Shortcut button you created on desktop
- Click on Properties
- Click on Change ICON
- Select the Icon that resembles a power button
- Click OK
That’ it.

Have a question that comes to mind ? use the comments section to ask.
September 5, 2013
Fix : Stop 0x0000009F: Driver power state failure in Windows 8 | 7
This post will help you fix stop error : Driver_power_state_failure in Windows 8 | 7. This particular Blue screen error is also known with a bug check code 9for 0x0000009f, below are the steps to fix it. The most common cause of this error is out of date driver software of your installed hardware. Another cause is out of date BIOS or a recent change in hardware | Software. DRIVER_STATE_POWER_FAILURE is a blue screen error that occurs when there is a change in power state, i.e. when you shutdown, restart or put your computer to sleep, hibernation etc. So, while this process is running all of the hardware installed in your computer are directed to change their power state to lose power ( to shutdown ), but when there is a fault in a particular device driver, the corresponding device does not respond as Windows wants it to and hence you face this STOP error.

Here are a few ways that you can fix this BSOD:

Method 1 : Updating Driver Software
- Go to Windows update ( type Update in start screen or Start menu )
- Open the Update application
- Now, Click on check for updates
- Click on optional updates section & select any and all hardware device driver updates
- After the installation is complete, restart your computer.
Alternatively,
- You can go to your Motherboard / System / Independent Hardware manufacturer’s support website
- Search for any driver updates that they might be offering and install them.
Method 2 : Using Driver Verifier

Before starting this procedure, it is recommended that you create a system restore point, so that you can fall back on it if something goes wrong.

This process will help you pin point the exact driver that might be causing this blue screen error. Remember, if the Driver verifier find an issue your computer might throw a BSOD again. That is why we made a system restore point, so that we can simply run system repair and get the computer to it’s previous state.
- Go to the start menu ( Windows 7 ) & Start screen ( Windows 8)
- Type Verifier and press Enter
- Click on Create custom settings (for code developers)
- Click Next
- Select individual settings from a full list
- Next
- Check these boxes from the list
  
  Special Pool
  
  Pool Tracking
  
  Force IRQL Checking
  
  Deadlock Detection
  
  Security Checks (Windows 7)
  
  Concurrency Stress Test (Windows 8)
  
  DDI compliance checking (Windows 8)
  
  Miscellaneous Checks
- Click on Select driver names from a list
- Click on Provider tab.
- Check every driver that is not by Microsoft
- Click on Finish
- Restart your computer
- It is highly recommended that you run this verifier for at least 24-36 hours
For more information on Driver Verifier you can look at this support article by Microsoft

Method 3 : Updating BIOS

Updating your Computer’s BIOS is a critical process and need a fair bit of understanding on your part. It is always recommended that your only update your BIOS if highly necessary. Over the years motherboard / Computer manufacturers have made it easier for any user to update the BIOS, but still, it is a difficult process and if not done correctly, can brick your system and make it unusable. So, if you choose to update your BIOS, please do it at your own risk.
- To Update your BIOS
- Go to your Motherboard / Computer Manufacturer’s support website
- Carefully locate your Motherboard / Computer make model and ver. and when 100% sure that you are at the right place, download the latest BIOS files
- Carefully read the documentation associated / provided by the manufacturer on how to update BIOS
- Before updating your BIOS, make sure that your computer, if a laptop / portable computer is at least 75% charged and if its a desktop computer, make sure that you have a stable backup power supply in case of a power loss.
- Use the updater / or the software / options provided by your Motherboard / Computer manufacturer
If you still face an issue, please write to us using the comments section.
August 31, 2013
Fix : Stop error 0x0000010e / 0x000000C1 BSOD in Windows 7, Vista
This post will help you fix an issue with your Windows 7 or Windows Vista computer, where you receive a blue screen error 0x0000010E or 0x000000C1. Both these errors might display some other parameters along with them. A sample error message would look like :

Stop 0x0000010E(xxxxxx, xxxxxx, xxxxxx, xxxxxx)
VIDEO_MEMORY_MANAGEMENT_INTERNAL

or

Stop 0x000000C1 (xxxxx,xxxxx,xxxxx,xxxxx)
SPECIAL_POOL_DETECTED_MEMORY_CORRUPTION

The earlier one most common to Windows 7 and the later one to Windows Vista. Both of these error can be caused by quite a few reasons, but the most common ones and their solutions are listed below, so, Fix : Stop error 0x0000010e / 0x000000C1 BSOD in Windows 7, Vista

Method 1 : Display Adapter / Video driver issue

This Problem is most common with computers that have hybrid display engine ( using two graphic cards in a heterogeneous GPU configuration ) mixing on-board and dedicated card for power saving and performance, accordingly.
- Download the latest display adapter drivers from your computer / motherboard / graphic adapter manufacturer’s support website.
- If your computer uses a hybrid display configuration, make sure you download both the display adapter’s drivers.
- Go to Control Panel
- Select Classic / Small icons / large icons from the view by menu on the top right corner
- Locate and open Programs and features
- Locate your display adapter drivers ( some example include AMD Catalyst Control Centre, NVidia Control Panel)
- Uninstall the drivers there (If you are not sure of what you are doing, please do not do it, instead contact a professional to help you out )
- Now, Also look for other display adapter drivers ( Example : Intel, SIS, Via )
- Uninstall them as well.
- Restart your computer
- Now, Install the driver(s) that your downloaded.
Method 2 : Hotfix by Microsoft

New : Hotfix by Microsoft ( Windows 7 )

Microsoft has released a hotfix to fix this particular issue. Please download and install the same using this link

Hotfix by Microsoft ( Windows Vista )

Microsoft has released a hotfix for this issue with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Use this link to download and install the hotfix

Method 3 : Upgrading Memory

This issue can also occur in situations where you are rendering memory intensive tasks and your system has low memory configuration to meet the demand. In this situation, upgrading your memory is a good way to retain system stability.

Check your memory for errors
- Go to the start menu
- Type Memory diagnostic
- Run the tool
- It will check your RAM for errors next time you restart / start your computer and display a detailed report once you login
August 5, 2013