Monthly Archives: February 2020

2020.02

How to Open Settings App Form Command Prompt, PowerShell or Run Dialog Box

There are multiple ways to open the Settings app in Windows 10. For example, you can open the Settings app with Win + I keyboard shortcut, by clicking on the settings icon within the Start Menu or Notification Center, by looking it up within the Start Menu, etc. Alternatively, you can also open the Settings app from Command Prompt, PowerShell or Run dialog box.

You may not open the Settings app from Command Prompt on a daily basis but it is very helpful when creating batch scripts, when other methods aren’t effective, to create custom shortcuts, etc.

The brand new Settings app in Windows 10 features its own URI schema. While using URI schema, you can’t only launch the Settings app it allows you to quickly navigate to a particular sections for that Settings app with only just one command.

Open Settings App from Command Prompt

1. To open the Settings app in the command prompt, look for “cmd” within the Start Menu and open it up.

2. In the Command Prompt window, type start ms-settings: and press Enter to spread out the Settings app.

3. To spread out a particular section of the Settings app type the target URI after the above mentioned command and press enter. For instance, if you want to open the Windows Update section, you have to enter start ms-settings:windowsupdate.

You can learn more about the Settings app URI schema out of this official documentation. The URI schema is extremely user-friendly with its plain English language. Moreover, you are able to launch just about any section of the Settings app while using URI schema.

Open Settings App from PowerShell

If you’re more of a PowerShell user then you can open the Settings app from PowerShell too. However, the command differs a little.

1. Open PowerShell by searching for it within the Start Menu.

2. Type Start-Process “ms-settings:” and press enter to open the Settings app.

3. If you wish to open a particular section, type the URI next to the colon and press Enter. For example, to open the Default Apps portion of the Settings app, you will have to execute Start-Process “ms-settings:defaultapps”.

Open Settings App from Run Dialog Box

Alternativly, you can open the Settings app from Run Dialog box.

1. First, open the Run dialog box by pressing Win +R.

2. Now, type ms-settings: and press Enter to spread out Settings.

As you can see, the Run command is extremely similar to the Command Prompt command, all you need to do is remove start. This is because the Run dialog box is by default configured to acknowledge the Settings URI schema.

Much like with Command Prompt and PowerShell, add some section URI after the colon to spread out the particular section. With my case, I’m open the network section using ms-settings:network.

Overall

As you can tell, you can easily open the Settings app from Command Prompt, PowerShell or Run Dialog box.

To put it simply, to spread out the Settings app from Command Prompt use start ms-settings:. To open the Settings app from PowerShell use Start-Process “ms-settings:”. To spread out the Settings app from Run Dialog box use ms-settings:.

To understand more about the Settings URI schema, follow ms-settings: URI scheme reference guide.

Do keep in mind that the above commands will not work on Windows 8 or 8.1.

2020.02

How to Remove CRC SHA Option from Context Menu in Windows 10

Much like me, if you are using 7-Zip to open and create ZIP files, you might be visiting a new option called “CRC SHA” within the right-click context menu. If you don’t like it, follow the below steps to get rid of CRC SHA in the context menu in Windows 10.

7-Zip is among the most useful tools for Windows. In fact, it’s among the first tools which i install after installing or reinstall Windows 10. Among the best things about 7-zip is it is free of charge and open-source. Of course, unlike the built-in ZIP functionality, 7-Zip can compress files for their smallest size.

Whenever you install 7-Zip, it adds quite a few context menu options. Those options include 7-Zip and CRC SHA. These options, consequently, have a hardly any other options to make your life easier. Just like it’s, I’ve not used at all the CRC SHA functionality. As such, it’s really a waste of context menu space. So, if you have not used at all the CRC SHA option, here’s how you can take it out of the context menu.

Remove CRC SHA from Context Menu

Thankfully, it’s not necessary to edit the registry or make changes to system files. 7-Zip gives you the choices to choose and choose what options you see within the context menu. So, it’s pretty simple to remove CRC SHA in the right-click context menu.

1. First, open 7-ZIP by trying to find “7-Zip File Manager” in the start menu.

2. Within the 7-Zip window, select “Tools -> Options” option. This is where all the 7-Zip settings are stored.

3. When the Options window has been opened, visit the “7-Zip” tab. Here, uncheck the CRC SHA checkbox and click on the “Apply” and “Ok” buttons in order to save changes.

4. That’s it. No reboot required. The CRC SHA choice is removed. Should you right-click on any folder or file, you will no longer begin to see the CRC SHA option.

If you ever want to re-enable the choice, just select the CRC SHA checkbox in step 4 and you are all set.

What is CRC SHA?

CRC SHA (Cyclic Redundancy Check, Secure Hash Algorithm) is generally used to check the integrity of a file. For instance, if you’ve downloaded a file from the web, you should use the CRC SHA feature to develop a hash code for that file. You can then compare the hash code in the developer with the hash generated by 7-Zip. If both hash codes are same then the file is not modified.

If the file content is modified in any way, even when it’s a teeny tiny change, the hash code is automatically changed. Once the hash code doesn’t match, you can be certain that the file is tampered with.

The good thing about this feature is that if you are sending confidential files then generating and adding the hash code is fairly helpful. Once received, another party can easily cross-check the hash code to ensure the file integrity.

That is all. It’s that simple to get rid of CRC SHA from the right-click context menu in Windows 10.

2020.02

How to Move hiberfil.sys File to Another Drive in Windows 10

For those who have a small Windows installation drive, just like a 60GB SSD, using the Hibernate feature can be very costly. Mainly due to the hiberfil.sys file using several GBs worth of space. To reclaim space, you are able to disable hibernation, reduce hiberfil.sys quality, or try to move hiberfil.sys to another drive in Windows 10.

Move hiberfil.sys File to a different Drive

Now, I know I titled the article as “How to Move” but the the truth is that you simply cannot simply slowly move the hiberfil.sys file in the boot partition to any other drive. It is rather simple as that.

Sure, I’ve seen some methods that use junctions or registry edits to forcefully alter the file path to slowly move the file. But, they just don’t work. At least, not reliably. Actually, I attempted a number of those methods with no success. At best, the hibernation didn’t work and at worst, the machine just crashed.

So, what I’m trying to say is that even though you found some magical way to change the hibernate file location, I won’t recommend it. It’s not worth the hassle and uncertainty.

Why Can’t You progress the hiberfil.sys File?

Without going overly technical, because of this ,.

Whenever you hibernate Windows, the machine state is kept in the hiberfil.sys file. This allows it to resume the machine in which you left off. As such, the hiberfil.sys file is required at the start of the boot process.

The thing is, the boot process is really a miniature file system and it has no idea on the mount points of various drives. When you alter the location of the hiberfil.sys file, it needs to know the location and mount drive. To do that, it needs access to the Windows Disk Management service that won’t be accessible until you boot up Windows.

Considering how complex hard drive configuration could possibly get, Windows just didn’t support hiberfil.sys placed in any other drive apart from the boot drive.

If you want to find out more, look at this TechNet article by among the Microsoft engineer’s.

Reduce hiberfil.sys Quality

While you can’t move the file, you can reduce the hiberfil.sys file size by up to 60%. For instance, if your hiberfil.sys file is about 10GB, you are able to reduce it around 4GB to 5GB with no performance penalty. As you can guess, this straightforward trick enables you to reclaim some lost space.

1. First, look for “Command Prompt” in the start menu and select the “Run as Administrator” option. You can also right-click on the Command Prompt result and choose the option too.

2. Within the Command Prompt window, execute the below command. By default, the command will lessen the quality by 70 percent of the original size. If you want to, you can increase or decrease the percentage as needed.

Important: Don’t go any lower than 50%.

Powercfg ¡§Ch ¡§Csize %70

Once you execute the command, your window will show the new quality of the hiberfil.sys file.

That is all.

2020.02

Download KB4512508 Installer Windows 10 18362.295 (Security Update)

Just as always, Microsoft released KB4512508 as part of the patch Tuesday. You can find the download links for KB4512508 update listed below.

KB4512508 is a security update. Mainly, the update brings security patches for Ie, Microsoft Edge Browser, Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows File System, etc. Being a security update, it does not contain any big feature improvements. As a result it is recommended that you put in KB4512508 update as soon as possible to stay protected from any potential vulnerabilities.

You can install the KB4512508 directly from the PC Settings app. Open laptop computer Settings app, go to “Update & Security -> Windows Update” and click on the “Check for updates” buttons. If the update is available for your machine, the system will automatically upload the update for you.

update

If you’ve paused the updates or Windows update is not employed by some reasons, make use of the download links below to download and install KB4512508 update. Once the update is installed, the build number will jump to 18362.295.

KB4512508 Direct Download Links

To create things easier for you, I found the direct download links for KB4512508 for both Windows 10 32-bit and 64-bit systems. Based on the body type, download the update using below links and install it like every other Windows software. After installing, restart the system and you’re simply all set.

If you would like KB4512508 download links for Windows Server or ARM64 based systems, visit the Microsoft update catalog web site to find the proper links. All you need to do is click on the Download button next to the appropriate version.

KB4512508 Change Log

This security update includes quality improvements. Key changes include:

Security updates to Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Wireless Networking, Windows Cryptography, Windows Datacenter Networking, Windows Virtualization, Windows Storage and Filesystems, the Microsoft JET Database Engine, Windows Linux, Windows Kernel, Windows Server, Windows MSXML, Ie, and Microsoft Edge.

That is it.

2020.02

Microsoft 365 Services Go Down, Xbox, Windows 10 Activation Also Affected

Several Microsoft 365 services transpired earlier today, also it appears that Xbox Live sign-ins will also be affected by the outage.

In other words, quite a few users attempting to register for their Xbox One consoles may not be able to perform it, and Microsoft says it’s already focusing on a fix.

At the time of writing, the Xbox Live Status page indicates that the core services will work fine, however it does confirm that some issues might be experienced with certain games like eFootball PES 2020 and want for Speed Heat.

However, Microsoft confirmed on Twitter that it was investigating difficulties with several Microsoft 365 services affecting both enterprises and consumers. Quite a few users can’t log in for their Microsoft accounts – everything appears to be running correctly here in Europe, when i was able to sign in to my account all right.

“We’re investigating reports of issues affecting multiple Microsoft 365 services. We’ll provide additional updates shortly,” Microsoft said a few hours ago. “We’ve identified a recent update that caused networking issues for multiple Microsoft 365 enterprise and consumer services. We’ve reverted the update and confirmed that services are recovering,” the organization said.

Windows 10 activation issues

Microsoft claims the Microsoft Account sign-in problems and also the outage hitting Microsoft 365 are not related whatsoever.

“We’re also troubleshooting a problem with Microsoft Service Account (MSA) sign-in for consumer services, which doesn’t seem to be related, and can provide more information shortly,” the company said on Twitter.

Furthermore, some users claimed they were unable to activate Windows 10 Home on new devices or produce a new Microsoft account.

While Microsoft says it’s already resolved these problems, you will find users still complaining of sign-in issues, so there’s a chance the fix is rolling out gradually and everything should return to normal soon for everyone.

2020.02

Microsoft Starts Rolling Out New Modern Icons for Windows 10

Microsoft is now rolling out a new colorful icon pack for Windows 10 users, and according to one report, insiders are the initial to have it.

The new icons happen to be spotted several times before as Microsoft conducted various tests, but what’s worthwhile to learn is the fact that they’re borrowed from Windows 10X and can represent the company’s choice continuing to move forward.

Windows 10X is really a new Windows 10 version specifically aimed at dual-screen and foldable devices as well as power Microsoft’s very own Surface Neo. But because when compared with Windows 10, the X-branded version comes not only having a significantly-improved UI based on a modern design, but also with a refreshed group of icons that’s now making its method to Windows 10.

More icons likely to come soon

The updated icons display in the Windows 10 Start menu, the taskbar, and also the splash screen, according to AL, and target apps such as the Calculator, Alarms, Mail and Calendar, Film And TV, and the voice recorder app.

Without a doubt, Microsoft will even release other icons to complete the whole pack makeover, but for now it appears everything happens in phases. In other words, while you may not get the refreshed icons at this time, the update should land on your device within the coming hours if you’re area of the Windows Insider program.

And of course, the software giant has remained tight-lipped on the actual rollout of the new icons, therefore we can’t tell for sure when production products are designed to get them. The only thing we are able to do right now is watch for Microsoft to push the go-ahead button for everybody.

The new icons are shipped to Windows 10 devices included in app updates from the Microsoft Store.

2020.02

Intel PROSet 21.40.5 and 21.70.0 Are Up for Grabs – Download and Apply today

Intel has rolled out new PROSet/Wireless driver updates, namely version 21.40.5 for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 platforms, in addition to version 21.70.0 suitable just for Windows 10 OSes, which highlight quite different changelogs.

Specifically speaking, the 21.40.5 release only includes functional and security updates for the supported os’s. Also, since Intel says this can be the last update for these platforms, it might be smart to install this version.

When it comes to the 21.70.0 update, these files will fix device throughput when connected to a 5 GHz network, remove a Windows Stop Errors (BSOD) caused by the Intel Wireless Driver, and ensure system wakes up when Magic Packet is received and Wake on WLAN is enabled.

Moreover, Intel seems to remove the error encountered when enabling Mobile hotspot in Windows Settings, fix Fan settings once the product is in airplane mode, corrects several issues seen when resuming from sleep, and includes the same functional and security improvements.

When it comes to supported hardware, this fresh update is to be applied on computers containing one of Intel’s Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165, 3168, 7265, 8260, or 8265 (+ Desktop Kit), or Dual Band Wireless-N 7265 adapters.

Finally, these versions are also suitable for Intel’s Tri-Band Wireless-AC 17265/18260/18265, Wireless-AC 9260/9461/9460, Wireless-N 7265, and the latest Wi-Fi 6 AX200 and AX201 devices.

Having said that, download Intel PROSet/Wireless Driver/Software 21.40.5 or download Intel PROSet/Wireless Driver/Software 21.70.0, use the update, and don’t forget to carry out a system reboot to ensure all changes take effect properly.

2020.02

Download KB4515530 Servicing Stack Update for Windows 10 version 1903

Like for all versions of Windows 10, Microsoft just released the servicing stack update KB4515530 for Windows 10 version 1903. You can find the download links for KB4515530 update’s offline installer listed below.

The servicing stack is a quality update that’s targeted at fixing the component(s) that is accountable for downloading and installing the Windows 10 updates. If you don’t install the servicing stack update, you might not have the ability to install the current or future cumulative updates.

As a result, our recommendation is that you put in the update as soon as possible.

You are able to install the update from laptop computer Settings app. Just open the PC Settings app, go to “Update & Security → Windows Update” and click on the “Check for updates” button. Windows will automatically download KB4515530 update together with any other updates that are required for successfully installing servicing stack update.

If you’ve paused the update or having problems using the Windows Update feature, you can manually download KB4515530 offline install for the machine and install it like any other software. This is particularly useful for offline machines.

Download KB4515530 Offline Installer

To make things simpler for you, I found the direct download links for KB4515530 for both Windows 10 32-bit and 64-bit systems. Based on the body type, download the update using below links and do the installation like every other Windows software. After installing, restart the system and you are all set.

If you would like KB4515530 download links for Windows Server or ARM64 based systems, visit the Microsoft update catalog web site to find the appropriate links. All you need to do is click the Download button near the appropriate version.

KB4515530 Changes

Addresses an uninstall problem with automated maintenance. If the Features when needed (FOD) feature includes a language satellite installed, the feature remains in an unusable state. Additionally, the released language pack content is not removed even when it is superseded.

That is it.

2020.02

How to View & Restore Deleted Notes in Onenote in Windows 10

If you’ve accidentally deleted a Onenote document or section, you can easily recover it. Follow these steps to view and restore delete Onenote notes in Windows 10.

Onenote is among the best note-taking application that can be used by almost anyone. Actually, it is my regular application to consider all sorts of notes and clipping interesting web articles. What makes Onenote the very best is it isn’t just totally free but has the best note organizing features.

All in all, if you are a regular Onenote user, it is only natural that you’ll delete several notes or perhaps complete parts of a specific notebook from time to time. Whenever you do that, you will see instances when you need to recover to view deleted notes. Thankfully, Onenote stores all of your deleted notes for some time to give you a chance to recover them. This feature saved my back more times than Let me admit.

So, if you are ever in the same situation, here’s how to view or recover deleted notes in Onenote in Windows 10.

Note: The below steps are only applicable to Onenote UWP app (download from Microsoft Store) in Windows 10. If you are using the old Onenote 2016 desktop version, check out the state doc.

Steps to revive Delete Onenote Notes

It is rather simple to recover deleted notes in Onenote. Tough the choice may be harder to find for brand new users, it is fairly simple. Stick to the steps and you ought to be good.

1. First, search for Onenote within the start menu and open it up. If you’ve pinned it towards the taskbar, you may also click it.

2. After opening Onenote, go to the “View” tab appearing on top navigation bar.

3. Next, click the “Deleted Notes” option appearing in the secondary navigation menu.

4. The above mentioned action will open the delete notes pane. Here, you will notice all of the individual notes and sections.

5. To restore a single note, right-click around the Note and choose “Restore to” option, select the notebook you’d like to restore the note to and click on the “Restore” button.

6. To revive a whole section, right-click on the section and select “Restore to” option, select the notebook you’d like to restore the section to and then click the “Restore” button.

Overall

That is it. You’ve restored the deleted notes in Onenote. When you are done, click the “Exit” button appearing around the top-right corner to exit the deleted notes pane.

Keep mind that Onenote is only going to keep the deleted notes for approximately 60 days from the day’s deletion. If you cannot call at your deleted note then in all probability, it is deleted permanently.

2020.02

I simply Tried Windows 10X And Everything Is sensible Now

In October 2019 when Microsoft announced Windows 10X, many believed this could become yet another failed operating system, that just about Windows RT.

Designed to power Microsoft’s push for dual-screen and foldable devices, Windows 10X continues to be in line with the core Windows 10 experience, therefore it really shouldn’t take too long until you learn how to use it.

However, the dual-screen form factor does introduce new capabilities, including support for moving one window in one screen to a different, and you may easily do that with only a drag and drop. Furthermore, if you drag a specific window just between the screens, it automatically expands to use the entire screen estate once the tablet mode is used (with both displays flat).

The experience overall is very straightforward and all situations are wherever you’d expect these to be. Of course, Windows 10X still needs further refinements here and there, but otherwise Microsoft’s new approach seems to be the correct one this time.

You will find Windows 10 features that make a lot more sense now on Windows 10X. And modern apps are among them.

If you launch an UWP app, such as the Weather app, it automatically expands to make use of an entire screen in a manner that feels very natural. Imagine you’re holding the device in hand and you’ll know how easy it is to use an application with all this behavior, especially with touch input.

Windows 10X includes Microsoft Edge pre-installed, so browsing the web may also be a native Windows experience. However, sites have to be optimized for the new form factors run by Windows 10 X, as currently a number of them aren’t rendered properly when only one screen is used. On the other hand, using the browser in full tablet mode is really as delight, and reading long stories and books is one thing you’ll love.

Windows 10X includes two different file managers because it will also support two different types of apps. First, you will find the current apps that I already told you about and which you can download from the Microsoft Store, exactly like you can at this time on Windows 10. After which, there are Win32 programs, which on Windows 10X will run in containers. With respect to the app you utilize, you’re supplied with a different file manager – a touch-optimized File Explorer can be used for UWP apps and also the classic File Explorer similar to the one in Windows 10 is aimed at Win32 programs.

This new OS version also comes with a simplified Start menu along with a redesigned action center, and not only both should be migrated to Windows 10 as well, they also align using the whole idea behind the objective of Windows 10X just perfectly. Everything seems to become correctly optimized for touch input, but simultaneously, with them having a mouse and keyboard shouldn’t be a challenge either – this is actually the brilliant thing about Windows 10X; the OS can adapt to whatever input you’re using, and this is the reason Microsoft insisted for touch support in Windows 10 for thus long.

It appears as though touch in Windows 10 would reach its maturity with the discharge of Windows 10X, so using a new device running this OS shouldn’t be considered a completely new experience for all those already familiar with Microsoft’s operating system.

Certainly, Windows 10X will continue to be improved when it is going live on the very first devices, and if Microsoft plays this card right, this may be the very first Windows version that users love from one end to another.