Category: Windows 8

This post is a step by step guide with screenshots explaining the process to add multiple keyboard inputs in Windows 8. With this guide you can easily select from the listed languages and use that language for input. This also adds an option to your taskbar that enables on the fly switching of the language you want to use. I have written this post to install Hindi language Input, but you can follow the same steps to Install the language of your choice ( from the list given therein )

• Go to the start screen and type Control Panel
• Click on Control Panel to open it
• Now, Select All control panel Items ( change View to small icons )
• Locate and open Language from the listed options

• Click on Add a Language

• From the listed options, select the language of your choice
• Press OK ( in this guide I have selected Hindi, as my language of Choice )

• Now, You can easily use this language for input into any Text input and formatting application, such as Microsoft Word etc.
• Take a look at your Taskbar ( right bottom corner, near the clock )
• You should see ENG of similar Language short code displayed there
• Click on it to reveal the Language bar and click on your language of Choice to start using it

Note: Please feel free to ask any questions or give your suggestions, by using the Comment section

This how to guide will help you create a custom “refresh Image” in Windows 8. Refresh your PC is a great feature in Windows 8, which helps you reset your system to a predefined system image. By default, this image restores your computer to a comparably new installation state, but you can create a custom image, based on your current PC settings ( a stable state to fall back on ). This also helps retain all your installed applications and settings. Follow the steps below, to create a “custom refresh” image, that creates a exact image of your system, based on your current settings and installed programs, making it easy for you to use “ refresh your PC “ feature in Windows 8.

• Press Windows Logo Key + X
• Click on Command Prompt (Admin)

• Type recimg.exe /createimage C:\RefreshImage
• Press Enter

Now,

This process will take about 45 minutes to complete, and in the end you should see a CustomRefresh.wim file in C:\RefreshImage folder. Use this image to Refresh your PC anytime without loosing all the data.

This post will help you fix an issue with your Windows PC, where your computer might give a blue screen error with error code 0x0000007f ( unexpected_kernel_mode_trap ). This error can occur in Windows 8 , Windows 7, Vista and XP. Follow the steps below to fix this error. This error most commonly occurs when there is problem with the Installed hardware ( mainly RAM, Processor or Hard disk drive ).

Method 1

If you are using Windows 8, 7, Vista you can simply run Memory Diagnostics:

• Boot from the Windows DVD
• Click on Repair Your Computer
• Click on Windows Memory Diagnostics
• Check your RAM modules for errors ( change if necessary )

Method 2

• Start / Restart your computer and boot in to the BIOS by pressing the specified key ( DEL, F2, F10 in most cases )
• Load the BIOS defaults
• Press F10 to save and exit
• Also, make sure any software programs or scripts that you might have enabled to Over Clock your CPU is disabled
• Check if the problem is resolved

Method 3

• Press Windows Logo key + C
• Click on Power
• Now, press and Hold the Shift key
• & Click on Restart ( Windows will open the recovery options )
• Click on Troubleshoot
• Click Advanced options
• Click Automatic Repair
• Let the process Finish
• Restart your computer to check if the problem is solved

Method 4

• Run Windows update (control panel –> Windows update )
• & update your computer with all the recommended & optional ( driver updates )
• Also, make sure all your drivers, i.e. chipset, Display /Graphics  and AHCI ( storage drivers ) are up to date
• Remove / Disable any Antivirus / Security programs
• or
• Install the latest version
• Also, make sure that you are not using two antivirus programs at the same time

If the error still persists, please use the comment section to notify me and I will try my best to help out

After reading this post you will be able to fix an issue with your Windows 8 PC, where, when you resume your computer from hibernate power state you get a Blue screen error ( BSOD ) / Stop error with error code 0x000000A0. The sample of the error generated would look something like this :

STOP: 0x000000A0 (parameter1, parameter2, parameter3, parameter4)

Resolution : Method 1

• If you haven’t updated your computer in a while, it is recommended to run Windows update.
• To do that:
• Go to the start screen
• Type Windows Update
• Click on settings ( Right pane )
• Click on Windows Update
• ( refer screen shots below )

• Click on Check for updates

• Now, click on the we’ll install xx important update automatically

• Click on choose important updates to install, or install optional updates
• From the listed options select all the recommended updates and choose the optional updates as per your liking.
• Make sure that you select the 2822241 update package
• Check this link on Microsoft support site for more information

Method 2

• Make sure the computer is shutdown
• Start it and boot into BIOS by pressing the specified keyboard key ( DEL, F2 or F10 ) are some commonly used Keys
• Locate the Power options
• Make sure that S4 power state is enabled in your BIOS
• Press F10 ( save and exit )

Method 3

• Go to your Computer / motherboard manufacturer’s support website
• Download and install the latest power management program
• Laptops and desktops both have different power management programs, so make sure that you download the correct version
• Also, Download and install the latest SATA / AHCI driver.

Please use the comment section for further help or query

This post will help you fix an issue with your Windows PC, where you get an error “Server Execution failed” when trying to play a file in Windows media player. Typically this error occurs when you close Windows media player and immediately try to re-open another file and for some reason even after the Media player UI closes, the main program process is still active. This error might also occur if for reason the Windows media player network service is stopped or if there is a problem with your User account. Below mentioned are a few methods that should work for you according to the reason behind your error.

Troubleshoot Method 1

• Go to the Task Manager ( Right Click on Taskbar & click Task Manager) or go to run by pressing Windows logo key + R and type taskmgr

• Now, go to the processes tab ( windows 7 and earlier )
• Check for Windows Media Player
• If found, right click the process
• Click on End Task

• Check if media player opens correctly

Troubleshoot Method 2

• Open CMD ( Administrator )

• If you are using Windows 7:
• Open start menu and type CMD
• Right Click CMD & click on Run as Administrator
• If you are using Windows 8
• Press Windows Logo key + X
• Click on Command Prompt (admin)
• Now,
• type regsvr32 jscript.dll  and press enter
• press OK
• Type regsvr32 vbscript.dll and press enter
• Press OK on the dialog box

• Check if you Windows Media player is opening correctly

Troubleshoot Method 3 : Start / Correct the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service

• Open CMD ( Administrator ) ( Follow the procedure as provided in Method 2 )
• Type Services.msc
• Locate the service Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service

• Right Click the service and Click properties
• Now, Make sure the services is started
• Else, click on Start and set the startup type to Automatic ( delayed start )

• Click Apply and OK
• Check if your problem is solved

Troubleshoot Method 4 : Change User Account

• Make sure you are logged in as Administrator
• Type netplwiz in run ( windows logo key + r )
• Click on Add
• Follow the steps to create a new user account
• Log off & log on using the new account
• Check if the Media player is working correctly or not
• If it is working correctly with a new user account, you can either shift to the new account
• or
• Try Running:
• SFC /SCANNOW ( in run – Windows Logo key + R )
• Remember, that this process will take some time to complete

Troubleshoot Method 5

• Open CMD ( Administrator )

• If you are using Windows 7:
• Open start menu and type CMD
• Right Click CMD & click on Run as Administrator
• If you are using Windows 8
• Press Windows Logo key + X
• Click on Command Prompt (admin)
• Now, type:

• net localgroup “Administrators” “NT Authority\Local Service” /add
• Press Enter
• Now, Restart your computer to check if the problem is solved

Miscellaneous Tips

• If this is problem does not gets solved by step one and this is the first time you are facing this issue, the most advisable step is to use System Restore to restore your computer to an earlier time
• You can also try to uninstall and reinstall the Windows Media player:
• To do that:

• Go to Programs and Features in Control Panel
• Click on Turn Windows Features on or off
• Locate and uncheck Windows Media Player
• Click OK
• Restart your Computer and again go to the same screen to check Windows Media player to reinstall it

If you still face an issue, please use the comment section to tell me about the issue and I will try my best to help you out.

After reading this post you will be able to configure your Windows 8 PC to login without using a password for your Microsoft Account. This guide applies to the situation where you do not wish to enter your password every time that you login to your Windows 8 PC. Remember this guide is intended just to automate the login process and does not remove your password. Note: It is always advisable not to automate this process as this can cause privacy issues.

To do this:

• Press Windows logo key + R to open run
• Type control userpasswords2 & press Enter

• Now, From the list given there select your Microsoft Account
• Uncheck the checkbox “ Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer”
• Click Apply

• As soon as you click Apply, a new Window will open up asking you for your password
• Enter your Microsoft Account Password here & click ok

• Now, your Windows 8 PC will not ask you for your password the next time you login.

Note: In case you wish to disable this feature and enable that Windows 8 asks you for your password, just re-check the checkbox “ Users must enter a username and password to use this computer” & Click Apply.

This post will help you fix an issue where the upgrade to Windows 8 or even a clean installation of Windows 8 fails with or without error.Your Windows 8 installation might fail with error : Windows 8 Installation has failed. This can happen due to a number of reasons. Some of the possible solutions are mentioned herein that might help you solve this issue.

Scenario 1

Windows 8 Upgrade from previous Windows versions

Method 1 : Update Readiness Tool

• The first step should be to run the Windows 8 Update readiness tool. Click here to download . This will check if there are any update errors in your system and will fix them. This is one of the pre-installation steps that ensure a cleaner and stable windows 8 installation.

Method 2 : Security Software

• If you have any antivirus software installed in your system, if it advisable to either uninstall it or disable it for the time being. Note: make sure you save your Antivirus ( security software) activation information for future installation.

Method 3 : Clear your Temp folder:

• To do this, Go to run ( Windows logo key + R)
• Type in %temp% and press Enter
• Select all the files and folder inside the temp folder ( CTRL + A ) & Press Delete

Method 4: Hardware clean boot

• Go to the Device Manager ( Control Panel )
• Expand Display
• Right Click on your display adapter and click on disable

• Now, Do the same with your sound adapter & any network adapter installed in your system.

• Restart your computer and try installing Windows 8.

Method 5 : If the installation still fails:

• Perform a Software clean boot Click here to read the guide

Random Tips:

• Make sure you are using only one user account and no other account is logged on.
• You can also choose to delete other user accounts that you might not be using.
• Make sure your Computer updated fully. Run Windows Update to check.
• Remove any non-essential hardware devices attached to your computer ( Printer, scanner, external hard disk etc.)
• Make sure you have adequate hard disk space to upgrade to Windows 8
• Make sure you have enough RAM.

Scenario 2 : Clean Install of Windows

Check the Minimum requirements for Installing Windows 8

• Processor: 1 GHz or faster processor
• RAM: 1 GB (32-bit) |  2 GB (64-bit)
• Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) | 20 GB (64-bit)
• Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver

Check if your computer is Windows 8 Compatible

• Go to your Computer Manufacturer’s support website and check if the computer your are installing Windows 8 on is Windows 8 compatible or not.

Random Tips:

• Make sure the Media ( DVD / USB ) is working correctly
• Check your Hard disk drive for errors ( if this is a old hard disk drive and has partitions, it is advisable that you backup your data and delete all current partitions and creates new ones for Installing Windows 8 )
• If this is a laptop, Check and make sure you install Windows with Power Adapter plugged in
• If this is a desktop, check your SMPS ( PSU ) unit.

If the Windows 8 Installation still fails, you can use the comment section to notify me & I’ll try to solve your problem.

[Video Tip Inside] This post will help you in setting up a Microsoft Account in your Windows 8 PC. Microsoft account has a lot of benefits over the conventional local account. With Microsoft Account you can download and use applications from Microsoft store, you can also sync your settings across windows 8 based devices that have the same Microsoft account setup in them. By syncing your devices you can have the same look & feel of all your Windows 8 based devices whether it is a Desktop PC at home, work, your laptop or even a tablet.

Let’s checkout this video and then learn more about this:

Hope you liked the video, below is the step by step process that shows how to setup and sync a Microsoft account in Windows 8:

• Make sure that you are connected to the Internet
• Go to the start screen & type user account
• Click on settings from the right pane
• Click on create an account

• Now,
• Click on Add a user account

• Enter your Microsoft based email account here ( Hotmail, live. msn , outlook.com )
• Click on next
• If, You do not have a Microsoft Account,
• You can click on Sign up for a new account and enter you current email address to make that email address your Microsoft Account

• After entering the required information click on Next
• This process might take a few minutes to complete
• Click on Finish
• Now,
• Go to the start menu
• Click on your user name from the Top right corner
• Click on Sign out
• Sign in with your Microsoft Account

• After signing in,
• Go to the start screen
• Type users
• Select users from the listed options
• Here, Turn on Sync settings on this PC
• Change the other options according to your like and feel.

This post is a continuation of the video tip series on this website. Previously I explained the four other charms in Windows 8, i.e. Search, Share, Start & Devices Charm. Today this video tip explains the settings charm in Windows 8. Check out the video tip below and the continue reading the post:

The settings charm in Windows 8 helps you easily find & change the settings / options of the application that you are using. To explain a bit further I will compare this feature with the previous version of Windows. Previously you had to either look for settings within the application that you are using or you had to reach out to control panel to change settings.

Now, you just have to swipe in from right ( on a touch based device) or if you are using a keyboard  / mouse setup, you can mouse your mouse to the right hand side, click on settings charm & change the settings of the application on your screen without having to leave the current window.

These settings differ according to the application that you are using. It could be any application, it could be mail app, or music app or any other app. So start using this great feature.