How to Fix Windows 10 Error 0x80072ee7

Error Code 0x80072ee7 - What is it?

Error Code 0x80072ee7 is an error code that is most commonly associated with Windows 10 and the use of the Windows Store. Several things can cause this error, which has been present as an error message in Windows 10 and all the way back through Windows 8.

Common symptoms include:

• An error message when you attempt to connect to the Windows Store.
• Inability to download or install purchases from the Windows Store.

Fortunately, there are several simple methods that can be used to attempt to resolve Error Code 0x80072ee7 on your Windows machine. These methods don’t require advanced computer knowledge or familiarity with high-level tools, so the average user should be able to complete them without help. However, if you feel like you need assistance in resolving Error Code 0x80072ee7, always contact a qualified Windows repair technician who can assist you.

Solution

Error Causes

There are four basic things that can cause Error Code 0x80072ee7 to appear on a Windows device. The first is that the connection to the Internet is limited in some manner, either due to a system or equipment error. Secondly, some parts of the update components could be missing. Next, an error within the DNS can be a cause. Finally, having any kind of compatibility errors on the machine (for example, between the antivirus software that you run and the Windows Update tool) can lead to the appearance of Error Code 0x80072ee7.

Further Information and Manual Repair

There are a few different methods that you can try in order to resolve the appearance of Error Code 0x80072ee7 on your Windows machine. These are fairly simple to complete, but if you do not feel confident in your ability to carry them out successfully, you may want to get in touch with a qualified computer repair technician to help you.

Here are the best methods to employ as you seek to resolve Error Code 0x80072ee7 on your Windows device:

Method One: Check Your Connection

Make sure that you are able to connect to the Internet by visiting several common sites like Google in order to ensure that your issue is not related to your Internet service provider or the equipment that you are using to access the Internet.

Method Two: Use an Alternative DNS

If you believe that your DNS connection may be the problem, you can change the specific DNS that you are using to one that is provided by Google. This can resolve any conflicts that may occur because of the IP address detected on your device. In order to do this, simply follow these steps:

• Step One: Go into your control panel and click on the option for “Network and Internet,” then select “Network and Sharing Center.” You’ll want to find the option to “change adapter settings,” which is normally located on the left bar of the navigation panel.
• Step Two: Find the connection method that you are employing (i.e. Wi-Fi network).
• Step Three: Right-click and find the connection properties menu. Under the TCP/IPV4 menu, click on the option to change your DNS numbers to manual entry and set your preferred DNS server to “8.8.8.8” and your alternate server to “8.8.4.4”.

Once these steps are complete, you can reattempt to connect to the Windows Store. You may need to restart your computer before connecting.

Method Three: Run the Fix It Tool from Windows

Microsoft has created a great tool that can automatically scan your computer for a number of common errors and attempt to fix them as they are encountered. This can be downloaded directly from the Windows site and can be used to try to fix not only Error Code 0x80072ee7 but also many other error messages that may pop up on your computer.

After you have run the Fix It tool, it is always a good idea to restart your computer to allow any changes that have been made to fully take effect.

Method Four: Use An Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 10 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

When trying to run Computer Management, or when running mmc.exe or compmgmt.msc from a command prompt you get the error that the application has been blocked for your protection then keep reading in order to solve the issue. This is a permission issue where if a regular user tries to run such system tools will result in saying that it has been blocked. Along with this, you may have a Group Policy issue. This can be fixed, but you will need admin permission to achieve it. It’s because when they are run from the command prompt with elevated privileges, it works.

1. Change Group Policy Settings

   If your account is an admin account, and you are still facing the issue, then change the group policy settings: Open Group Policy Settings by typing gpedit.msc in the run prompt followed by pressing ENTER Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Management Console > Restricted/Permitted snap-ins Locate Computer Management policy, and double click to open it Enable it, exit Group Policy. When Enabled: The snap-in is permitted and can be added into the Microsoft Management Console or run from the command line as a standalone console. When Disabled: The snap-in is prohibited and cannot be added into the Microsoft Management Console or run from the command line as a standalone console. An error message is displayed stating that the policy is prohibiting the use of this snap-in.

2. Temporarily disable UAC

   UAC is the user access control panel, and if you need to run the command right away, you can choose to disable it for some time. Click on the Start button, and then type UAC to find the User Account Control Settings. Click to open, and then slide down the notification setting at the bottom. It will temporarily allow launching the application as there is no check. However, make sure to switch to default once you are done.

If you are experiencing a Low Wi-Fi signal strength on your Windows 10 PC after you’ve updated or reinstalled it, read on as this post will guide you on what you can do to fix the problem. The way devices connect these days has evolved with our cognitive revolution. Various devices use some or other wireless technology to connect with other devices. However, all wireless technology has some kind of limitation when it comes to range and signal strength. From time to time, you might have faced several Wi-Fi issues. Low Wi-Fi signal strength usually happens after you update or reinstall your Windows 10 system. This issue can be identified easily by looking at the signal bars in the Wi-Fi icon or by measuring its strength. Since this problem is wide scope, there are tons of possibilities which is why this post covers the most generic situations that could help most users. Refer to the options given below to fix the low Wi-Fi signal strength of your Windows 10 PC.

Option 1 – Try running the Network Adapter Troubleshooter

If a few days ago the range and signal of the Wi-Fi was perfectly fine before you did an update or reinstall, it is possible that there were some changes made in the configuration as well. In most cases, the latest configuration that came with the update has not aligned the config in your computer or laptop. The easiest and simplest way to fix this is by using the Network Adapter Troubleshooter. How? Follow the steps below.

• Right-click on the Wi-Fi icon from the system tray to start troubleshooting.
• After that, select Troubleshoot problems. Note that it might take a while to run it but once it’s finished, it will show you all the problems with the network adapter.

Note: The Network Adapter Troubleshooter will also fix the issues in the background but there might be some issues that will require manual action. And if the troubleshooter wasn’t able to identify and fix the problem for you, proceed to the next given option below.

Option 2 – Try using the Device Manager

If the problem is related to hardware, you need to seek out the help of the Device Manager. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Pull up the Device Manager.
• Next, look for your Wi-Fi adapter under the Network Adapters.
• Once you found it, right-click on it and open Properties.
• After that, you will see all the actions related to drivers under the driver tab.
• You can either update or roll back the selected driver or you could also disable and re-enable it to see if the problem’s fixed.

Note: If updating the driver didn’t help, you might have to dig into the advanced settings. From this post on, it can get a bit complicated as there are terms that you might not understand as well as some configuration. To make it easier for you, you can search for your Wi-Fi adapter online and try following the instructions from there. And before you make any further changes to your computer’s settings, make sure that you create a system restore point first.

Option 3 – Try changing the Wi-Fi Roaming Sensitivity

If you want to enhance the Wi-Fi reception as well as the performance on your Windows 10 PC, you might want to change the Wi-Fi Roaming Sensitivity or Aggressiveness. Roaming Sensitivity is the rate at which your computer chooses and switches to the nearest available point of access which offers a better signal. It is based on the strength and quality of the Wi-Fi and not on the distance to the Wi-Fi point.

Option 4 – Try adjusting the Wi-Fi range

The issue could also be caused by the position of your computer with respect to the Wi-Fi router instead of your hardware or drivers. It could be that your physical location might be a factor for the low signal strength of your Wi-Fi so you might want to adjust the Wi-Fi range to fix the problem.

If you suddenly find the Windows Recovery Environment not working and you see an error message saying, “Could not find the recovery environment”, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can fix it. In times when you can’t boot into the Windows Recovery Environment, there could be several reasons behind it. However, have you ever wondered where exactly the Windows Recovery Environment is in your computer? Windows initially places the Windows RE Image file in the installation partition during Windows Setup so if you have installed Windows in the C drive, you can find the Windows RE at the C:/Windows/System32/Recovery or C:/Recovery folder. Keep in mind that this folder is hidden and later on, the system copies the image file into the recovery tools partition to make sure that one can boot into recovery if there are any issues with the drive partition. The “Could not find the recovery environment” error mostly occurs if the Windows Recovery Environment is disabled or if the “Winre.wim” file is corrupted. Thus, to fix this error, you need to refer to the given suggestions below.

Option 1 – Try to enable Windows Recovery Environment

• In the Windows Start Search, type “PowerShell” and from the search results that appear, right-click on Windows PowerShell and then select the “Run as administrator” option to open it with admin privileges.
• Next, type the “reagentc /info” command and tap Enter to execute it.
• After that, if the output states that Status is enabled, then you’re all set.
• Now type the “reagentc /enable” command and tap Enter to enable the Windows Recovery Environment. You will see a success message at the end signifying that Windows RE is available.

Option 2 – Try to fix the corrupted or missing “Winre.wim” file

If the Winre.wim file is either corrupted or missing, you need to get a new copy of this file from another computer where the Windows RE is working. Once you’re able to get a new copy of the Winre.wim file, you have to set the image path to a new location. For more details, refer to these steps:

• First, type “Powershell” in Windows Start Search and right-click on Windows PowerShell from the results, and select Run as administrator.
• Next, execute the given command below to change the path of the WIM file to the new location. Note that the steps should be used when the file path of the Windows Recovery Environment is different from the usual spot.

Reagentc /setreimage /path C:RecoveryWindowsRE

• As mentioned, if the file is corrupted, you just have to get a new copy from another PC but before you do that, make sure that the WINRE on that computer is disabled (just enable it later on) and then place it in the C:/Recovery path and then set its path again using the command given above and then verify its path by executing the following command.

reagentc /info command

Note: Since the Recovery folder is hidden as well as the WINRE folder in it and you won’t be able to access them using the Windows File Explorer, you need to use the Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt so that you can access them.

Option 3 – Try checking and fixing the WinRE Reference in the Windows Boot Loader

The Windows Boot Loader is the one that determines if it has to load the Windows Recovery Environment. It could be that the boot loader is pointing to an incorrect location which is why you’re getting the error. To resolve it, you have to check and fix the WinRE Reference in the boot loader. How? Follow these steps:

• In the Windows Start Search, type “PowerShell” and from the search results that appear, right-click on Windows PowerShell and then select the “Run as administrator” option to open it with admin privileges.
• After that, execute the “bcdedit /enum all” command.
• Next, look for an entry in the Windows Boot Loader identifier set as Current and look for “recoverysequence” in that section and take note of the GUID.
• Ensure that the device and the osdevice items show the path for the Winre.wim file and that they are the same. If not, you need to point the current identifier to the one which has the same.
• Once you’ve found the new GUID, execute this command: bcdedit /set {current} recoverysequence {GUID_which_has_same_path_of_device_and_device}
• Now check if the error in the Recovery Environment is fixed or not.

Option 4 – Try creating a Recovery Media

You could also try creating a Recovery Media to resolve the error in the Windows RE. All you have to do is download the Windows 10 ISO file using the Media Creation tool and then create a recovery drive. Once you’re done, check if it fixes the problem or not.

Guide to Resolving Drwtsn32.exe Application Error

What is Drwtsn32.exe Application Error?

Drwtsn32.exe (DrWatson Postmortem Debugger) is a process file from Microsoft Corporation that runs on Microsoft Windows Operating System. This file is digitally signed from Microsoft Windows Component Publisher- Microsoft Timestamping Service. This file is a type of executable file. It is useful to debug and creates log files when an error occurs during running or program execution. The information logged by DrWatson is used by technical support personnel to diagnose a program error for a computer running Windows. It creates log files in the following location C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataMicrosoftDr Watson. However, when using Internet Explorer, MS Outlook or any other application on Windows, you can experience drwtsn32.exe application error. This error occurs when the drwtsn32.exe file crashes. The error is displayed as:

“DrWatson Postmortem Debugger has encountered a problem and needs to close” "drwtsn32.exe - DLL Initialization Failed" when shutting down

Solution

Error Causes

The ultimate reason behind ‘drwtsn32.exe application error’ is malware and viral infection. Malicious software can enter your PC through downloaded files , browsing on unsafe websites and phishing emails. These viruses can disguise themselves as DrWatson utility. Plus theymay have the same name as this process. However, the best way to detect if it is a virus is to track its location. Malicious software will usually hide in some other location instead of its standard location. However, other reasons for this error also include incompatible software and damaged system files.

Further Information and Manual Repair

a) Scan PC with an Anti-Virus

It is advisable to repair this issue right away especially if the underlying cause is a viral infection typically because viruses can expose you to privacy errors and risks such as cybercrime, identity theft, and data security issues. To resolve it, download a powerful antivirus. Scan your PC with it and remove all the viruses immediately. However, when doing so, you may have to compromise PC performance and halt other PC activities. Anti-viruses are notorious for slowing down PC speed. In addition to this, sometimes you may have to stop other activities on your PC for the antivirus to scan for viruses.

b) Repair Registry Errors with Restoro

Nonetheless, if the drwtsn32.exe application error is related to system file corruption, then this indicates registry issues where all the system data is stored. Registry issues occur if you don’t maintain your PC properly and let invalid, wasted and obsolete files accumulate on your PC. This damages and corrupts the system files and generates such error messages. To repair it, download a registry cleaner. However, the best alternative to resolve drwtsn32.exe application error in seconds whether the error is linked to registry issues or viral infection is to download Restoro. This is a multi functional PC fixer embedded with multiple utilities including a powerful antivirus, a registry cleaner and a system optimizer. It wipes out all the unnecessary files stored in the registry, repairs the damaged and corrupt system files and restores the registry. With the help of the antivirus, all privacy errors and viruses are scanned on your PC and removed immediately. And to ensure your system’s speed is not compromised, it also functions as a system optimizer and increases your PC’s speed significantly. The software is safe and efficient. It has simple navigations and a user-friendly interface which makes it very easy for all levels of users to work around. It is compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve drwtsn32.exe application error today!

Repair Windows 10 Error Code 0xC1900208, 0x4000C

Code 0xC1900208 0x4000C, What is it?

The Error Code 0xC1900208 – 0x4000C is an error that is caused by an installed application or program on your computer that is not compatible with Microsoft Windows 10. The incompatible application prevents you from being able to complete the upgrade to Microsoft Windows 10 and will continue to do so until the issue is resolved. Common symptoms include:

• You receive a dialog box displaying Error Code 0xC1900208 – 0x4000C
• You are unable to successfully complete the Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade process.

Solution

Error Causes

Error Code 0xC1900208 – 0x4000C is caused by a non-compatible application or program that is currently installed on your computer, and is not allowing the Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade to finish the installation and update process.

• The upgrade is stopped due to an incompatible app or program.
• Out of date or no longer supported software can cause this error to occur.
• Device drivers that are not up to date or no longer compatible.
• The computer might pick up malware along the way and might be preventing the upgrade. If error code 0xC1900208 – 0x4000C is not rectified, you’ll not be able to proceed with your Windows 10 upgrade.

Further Information and Manual Repair

The good news is, error code 0xC1900208 – 0x4000C is a relatively common problem that is usually easily fixed by the user at home, though it can be a little time-consuming. To elude this time-consuming process, use a powerful tool to rectify the issue in no time (TSC). Before making any attempts to repair this error, ensure to perform a compatibility test.

• Check the compatibility of applications and programs installed on your computer to locate and remove, or fix the one that is incompatible. (Don't stop at the first one you find, there could be multiple incompatibility issues.)
• Check to ensure all programs and software are not outdated or no longer supported, and remove or fix any outdated or unused, unnecessary programs or software. (This is also a great way to free up space and clean your computer up a bit.)
• Check to ensure that all of your device drivers are current, up to date, and compatible with Microsoft Windows 10, and replace or update where necessary.

Method 1:

Use the get Microsoft Windows 10 application on your computer to check its compatibility, follow the steps below to run the check.

1. Look at the taskbar, to the right; you will see an icon for Microsoft Windows 10, right-click the icon. Locate the option in the menu to check the status of your upgrade. This will open an app for getting Microsoft Windows 10.
2. Next, you will see 3 lines on top of one another on the upper left side, this will open a drop-down menu, once you have this menu open, locate the option to check the compatibility of your computer.
3. Microsoft Windows will then run a check of your entire computer to check for compatibility with Microsoft Windows 10. Once it has finished its check, a pop-up window will display whether or not your computer will work with Microsoft Windows 10, and will also display a list of any hardware and software that are not compatible with the upgrade.
4. This may not catch everything and there may still be incompatible programs so the previous steps, though time-consuming may still be necessary.

Method 2:

Once the incompatible applications are discovered, use the control panel to remove/uninstall them. The steps are below:

1. Locate your computer’s Control Panel.
2. Choose the option that says “Programs”
3. From the options available, select the ‘Programs and Features’ link.
4. Locate the app in the queue or menu.
5. Right-click and choose the uninstall option.

KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED – What is it?

Some users installing or upgrading to Windows 10 experienced the theKMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED Blue Screen of Death (or commonly known as BSOD) error. This error can be due to different types of things, ranging from software to driver issues. When you experience this BSOD error while trying to install Windows 10, it will prompt you to restart your computer every single time you experience it. In most cases, you will also not be able to proceed with the Windows 10 set-up.

Solution

Error Causes

The “KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED” error is normally caused by:

• Hardware incompatibility
• A faulty device driver or system service

Further Information and Manual Repair

You won’t be able to successfully upgrade or set up Windows 10 if you continue to encounter this BSOD error. Note that this error will always prompt your computer to restart every time it happens, preventing you from completing the Windows 10 set-up.

If you’re not tech-savvy or not capable of debugging this issue, it’s highly advisable to proceed with the basic troubleshooting techniques available in this link.

After troubleshooting, below you’ll find a few solutions to rectify the issue.

Method 1 – Check The Cause of The BSOD Error

Two common causes of the KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED issue are hardware incompatibility and faulty device driver or system service.

If you experience this error, check first if any of your newly installed hardware is compatible with Windows 10. You can find the required hardware for Windows 10 from this link. 

If all your hardware is compatible with Windows 10, you might need to check the device driver or system service. Review the bug check message. If any of the drivers you have is listed in the message, either disable or uninstall them before upgrading or setting up Windows 10.

You might also find it useful to check the System Log available in the Event Viewer for other error messages that can help you figure out the driver or device that’s causing the error. Running hardware diagnostics can also be useful.

Method 2 – Disable (or preferably uninstall) Software Before Upgrading

If you’re upgrading Windows 10 from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you might need to disable or uninstall the software first. First, try uninstalling your Antivirus utility before starting the upgrade. Restart a few times before starting the Windows 10 installation. If you’re upgrading using the Windows 10 update, make sure that you disconnect from your Wi-Fi or Internet LAN (Ethernet) connection as soon as the download reaches 100% before attempting to start the set-up. Other users also reported that the cause of the KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED issue is BitDefender. If this is what happened in your case, it will show in the error message such as KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (bdselfpr.sys). Users reported that a common solution for this is renaming the file. In the case of BitDefender, try renaming it to bdselfpr.s__. However, make sure to do this cautiously. Sometimes, renaming a file will even do more damage than good.

Method 3 – Disable/Disconnect From Hardware

If you’re connected to any general USB devices (such a smart card reader), disable it. If your computer is connected to other external devices, disconnect all of them. Examples of this include gaming controllers, printers, external hard disk, USB keys, and other non-essential devices).

Method 4 – Other Troubleshooting Steps

Other troubleshooting steps include:

• Upgrade using an .ISO file, instead of directly upgrading from Windows Update. When you do this, make sure you’re disconnected from the Internet during installation. If the process started and you forgot to disconnected, it’s best to restart the installation.
• If you’re connected to a domain while trying to set up Windows 10, disconnect and use a local account.
• If you’re using a SCSI hard disk, connect a thumb drive with the drivers for your storage device. While Windows 10 is setting up, click on the Custom Advanced Option. Using the thumb drive, use the Load Driver command to load the SCSI drive.
• Another possible cause of this error is due to BIOS incompatibility. BIOS issues can be solved by upgrading your version of your system BIOS. If you don’t know how to do this, refer to your BIOS manufacturer’s website.

Method 5 – Use A Trusted Automated Tool

If you still experience the error after doing the methods above, you might want to try a powerful and trusted automated tool to fix the job.

Microsoft has started building a unified store with Windows 8 and later with Windows 10 in order to make it easier for users to get safer and more modern applications for their Windows 10 devices. This unified store is called the Microsoft Store which is tied up with the Windows Update. The delivery for them both are quite similar which is why they also have some common errors as well as fixes for them. So in this post, you will be guided on how you can fix error 0x80246019 for both Microsoft Store and Windows Update in your Windows 10 computer. The error 0x80246019 might be caused by corrupted system files or missing ones or be due to some glitch in the component services and other possible causes but whatever the cause is, you can fix it with the help of the following fixes, make sure to follow each one of them carefully.

Option 1 – Reset Windows Update components

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
  • net stop wuauserv
  • net stop cryptsvc
  • net stop bits
  • net stop msiserver

Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS, and MSI Installer.

• After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
  • ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
  • ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 Catroot2.old
• Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
  • net start wuauserv
  • net start cryptsvc
  • net start bits
  • net start msiserver
• Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.

Option 2 – Toggle the Windows Insider Program settings

This option is only applicable to you if you are a part of the Windows Insider Program. If you are, then follow the steps below.

• First, you have to open Settings and go to the Update & Security section.
• From there select the Windows Insider Program.
• After that, select the “Stop Insider Preview builds” option and then restart your computer.
• Now open the Windows Insider Program again and check if it fixes error 0x80246019 or not.

Option 3 – Run the System File Checker Scan

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files that might be the cause why you’re getting error 0x80246019. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Tap Win + R to launch Run.
• Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

 Reboot your computer.

Option 4 – Run the DISM tool

You can also run the DISM Tool as it helps in repairing the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in Windows 10. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth” which could help in fixing error 0x80246019.

• Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
• Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Option 5 – Try to reset the Microsoft Store cache

Just like browsers, Microsoft Store also caches as you view apps and games so it is most likely that the cache is no longer valid and must be removed. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Right-click on the start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator).
• Next, type in the command, “wsreset.exe” and tap Enter. Once you do, the command will clear the cache for the Windows Store app.
• Now restart your PC and afterward, try opening Microsoft Store again and then try to install your app or update your computer again.

Option 6 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

You might also want to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing error 0x80246019. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Windows 11 has brought us a new and revamped settings application that will cover most personalization and overall settings for your operating system. But as much as the new settings app is tweaked and modified there are still some things that can be modified only inside Control Panel. Since the Control Panel icon itself is somewhat not right away once clicked on the start button we are presenting you a couple of ways to open it so you can change each detail you want.

Via Start menu

The most straightforward and easiest way to reach and open the control panel is via the Start menu. In order to do it just click on the Start menu and type in the control panel. Then click on Control Panel Icon in the results.

Pin Control panel icon to the taskbar

In order to actually pin the control panel to Taskbar, you will need to open it first. Use the previous simple and fast steps in order to quickly open it then in the taskbar right-click on its icon. Choose Pin to Taskbar and close control panel. Now you can open the control panel quickly just by clicking it on its icon in the Taskbar.

Add Desktop icon

If you liked the idea to have an icon that you can click in order to fast open the control panel but you are not very fond of the icon being located in your Taskbar then let's place it on Desktop instead. In order to place a special control panel icon on the desktop, we will use Windows setting app. Open settings app with ⊞ WINDOWS + I and go to Personalization tab. Inside the personalization tab, go to Themes and click on Desktop Icon Settings. Check the box beside Control Panel and click on OK. The Control Panel icon will appear now on your Desktop and you can double click on it to launch it.

Run Control Panel from the Run dialog box

Same as in the previous version of Windows you can also open the Control Panel via Windows built-in run menu. This is mostly the preferred way to gain access to it by system administrators. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog. Inside dialog type in control and press ENTER. Control Panel will open right away.

Hello and welcome to errortools another tutorial which aims to make your computer life easier and more relaxed. This time we will be talking about how to switch sound output devices in Windows 10 in a matter of seconds between Headphones and external speakers, Between 2 different speakers, or any other audio output device in general. Windows 10 with its updates has really gone from OK to one of the greats, little hacks and shortcuts which every update has introduced have really made life easier. Now, your typical switching from one audio output device to another can be accomplished with your standard go to settings, go to devices, choose audio, pick one which you prefer and click on OK. This way altho nothing wrong with it is a little slow and if you need to switch your output devices several times in a single day often it can be time-consuming as well. Lucky for you we have a quick solution for you.

Switching guide

All right, now in order to be able to actually switch between your audio output devices make sure that all of them are working and that they are plugged in. For example, make sure that both of your headphones and speakers are turned ON and plugged in. Once you have confirmed that everything is in working order:

1. Click with a left mouse button on a speaker icon located on the right part of your taskbar next to the clock
2. Click on the small up arrow on the right next to your current audio output device.
3. The list will open, choose, and left click with the mouse button on your choice.

And that's it, you have changed your default audio output device in a matter of seconds. The good thing about this method is that Windows will remember output audio levels for each device.

Potential issue

If by any chance when switching your audio devices this way freezes volume control just go to the task manager and restart Windows Explorer. To restart Windows explorer:

1. Press CTRL + ESC to open task manager
2. Right-click on Windows Explorer
3. Left-click on restart