Recent Discussions
Trying to MSIX package LOB application that needs TWAIN access
So I think this isn't possible but I just wanted to ask. I've a LOB application that needs to access TWAIN scanning devices. How this works in a normal environment is that the TWAINDSM.dll (TWAIN Data source manager) is loaded from c:\windows\system32 This then scans the C:\Windows\twain_32 or C:\Windows\twain_64 depending on if the app is x86 or x64 The scanning manufacturers will have their TWAIN drivers installed to c:\windows\twain_32 (or 64) as subfolders and the TWAIN Data source manager scans these subfolders for available TWAIN devices that can be connected to. All this breaks down in an MSIX environment because the container doesn't have access to C:\windows\twain_32\ManfactureDriverN folder It can see the folders and when the TWAINDSM tries to initialize the driver it fails, most likely due to sandbox limitations. Does anyone know of a solution to this, or apps like this will always need to stick to MSI packaging because of this limiation. Thanks.
Windows 11 25H2 desktop shell broken after January updates
Hello, We are seeing a repeatable issue after upgrading users to Windows 11 25H2 and installing the January 2026 cumulative updates, and I’m trying to determine if this is a known or emerging regression. Affected machines are on OS Build: (10.0.26200.7623) Issue Summary After the update, some users experience a broken Desktop shell: Desktop folder icons do not open when double-clicked Recycle Bin does not open from the Desktop Right-click context menus appear, but Open / double-click does nothing The same folders open normally when accessed via File Explorer using the full path Issue affects only certain users, but we have now seen it on multiple machines Recycle Bin being affected suggests this is not a file or OneDrive issue, but a Desktop shell / namespace problem. Environment Windows 11 25H2 January 2026 cumulative updates installed Microsoft 365 environment OneDrive in use with Desktop Known Folder Move enabled Issue appeared after the 25H2 + January CU combination Troubleshooting Already Performed Restarted Explorer, ShellExperienceHost, StartMenuExperienceHost Cleared Explorer Bags / BagMRU (HKCU) Reset icon and thumbnail caches Forced OneDrive files to be local (“Always keep on this device”) Renamed affected folders (removed special characters) Verified desktop path resolution Confirmed issue persists across reboots In at least one case, clearing Explorer Bags caused the Desktop to fail to re-render until reboot, further pointing to shell state corruption. Observed Behavior Desktop icons visually render Click handlers do not fire Recycle Bin (CLSID object) is non-functional from Desktop File Explorer itself continues to work normally Expected Behavior Desktop icons and shell objects (including Recycle Bin) should open normally. Question Has anyone else seen reports of: Desktop shell / namespace issues Recycle Bin not opening Desktop icons becoming non-interactive after Windows 11 25H2 + January cumulative updates, particularly in environments using OneDrive Known Folder Move? If this is a known issue or being investigated, any confirmation or guidance would be appreciated. Thanks.help with windir and system32 in quality enviroment
about a month ago i reinstalled windows 11 ( home) and so far not got older updates as i try to reset the windows updater i discover in one step ( after the rename of softwaredistribution and catroot steps) has windir and system 32 shown below cd /d %windir%\system32 than has abunch of regsvr32 dll to register anyway a error shows in red ( command prompt) saying cant be located or found in summary) so find how to fix it and no problems until after its fixed! when i apply this fix ( all profiles tab in box and add) the command prompt ( cmd) is gone cant open nor is windows key and x to bring up that list ( task manager commpand prompt, device manager etc...) and defrag is not able to run either to open the cmd ( command prompt ) i have to use windows key and r for box and than gives message im not administrator or words to that affect find fix for that but rather strange anyway ( not the other missing things) how do i go and fix this issue ? note i had to delete the fix above to get normal working functions again i cant find anything that mentions this or a fix i dont understand how a "fix " can affect or disable things this is link to show the step i mentioned i.e step 5 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/installing-updates-features-roles/additional-resources-for-windows-updateWindows 11 just started to chew up RAM. ~15 GB unaccounted for.
Hey guys, possible this is a known thing, but in the last few days, I've noticed a huge amount of memory getting consumed by seemingly nothing or some background service. Which I only really noticed since Star Citizen complained about having less than 8 GB of free memory. I have 64 GB of RAM here, and ~15 GB is not accounted for. The consumption got so out of hand that I had to restart my computer to keep it at bay.... I sort of wonder if this is that new Windows 11 recording feature. not sure, any ideas? Is there any software that can tell me what's happening in the background?
I have Administrator rights but can't turn on location services...HELP! ;-)
My account shows that I have administrator rights, but Location Services is greyed out. How can I get that working? I'm not tech-savvy, so I'm not very good at searching, or at least finding the right words for the question. Thanks!
Where to buy a cheap windows 10 product to activate my windows 10?
My dad asked me to upgrade his computer from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and I did this successfully with the help of Windows 10 bootable USB. However, the Windows 7 product key he bought can't be used to activate Windows 10. Currently, he can't afford to buy a new genuine Windows 10 product from Microsoft as it is too pricey ($139 for Windows 10 Home and $199 for Windows 10 Pro.) Is there any way to buy Windows 10 product key at discounted price? If yes, kindly let me know as Windows 10 is almost uselessly without activation. Thank you
Can I get a windows 10 activation key for free in 2025?
Hello everyone, I'm currently using Windows 10 with activation watermark notice all the times and this is very annoying. I would like to get a windows 10 activation key for free without purchasing a license. Are there any free activation methods like through Microsoft promotions or educational programs? I've heard about KMS activation or digital licenses from hardware upgrades, but I'm not sure what's safe and legal. If anyone knows a proper way to activate Windows 10 for free in 2025?Windows 11 Taskbar Search Box Keeps Loading After Opening
After upgrading the system to Windows 11, clicking on the taskbar search box continuously displays a loading state (spinning circle or no results). However, the search function works normally on another computer upgraded to the same version. It is currently unclear whether this issue is caused by differences in system configuration or corruption of the index. A targeted repair solution is requested.Secure Boot Certificate Updates via InTune Policy
We are currently having issues applying the settings required to install secure boot cert updates using the InTune policy method. A brief overview to quickly explain : We are a reasonably large company managing a mix of over 10,000 Windows and iOS devices. Our Windows devices come from the supplier with the Professional edition of Windows pre-installed, this is then changed via an Enterprise key as part of our Autopilot enrolment process and activated via our users subscription license. To all sense and purposes Windows looks and feels like the Enterprise edition, indeed if you check using winver, system settings and activation status for example then Windows tells us that it is the Enterprise edition. However, if you check the licensing using slmgr /dli it shows that the licensing has been reverted back to the OEM Professional edition as pre-installed by the supplier on purchase. This may have always been the case but until very recently has gone unnoticed. Whilst testing the rollout of an InTune policy to allow secure boot cert updates as detailed here : Microsoft Intune method of Secure Boot for Windows devices with IT-managed updates - Microsoft Support , this is failing because the policy is rejected by licensing error : MDM PolicyManager: Policy is rejected by licensing, Policy: (ConfigureMicrosoftUpdateManagedOptIn), Area: (SecureBoot), Result:(0x82B00006) Unknown Win32 Error code: 0x82b00006 InTune reporting directly on the policy shows this as error 65000 We are able to change the key by using slmgr and a combination of MAK\KMS\OEM but whatever keys are applied this always reverts to being the OEM Professional key after the device has been restarted. I have seen that there is a group policy method for setting the required settings for the secure boot cert updates to work, this however seems a very backward approach by Microsoft in an area where they are trying to promote a cloud-first policy. Indeed since we rolled out Windows 11, we as an organisation have been moving anything that we can to cloud in readiness for retirement of our on-prem estate. Microsoft's response to my recent support request was that this is expected behaviour, which to all sense and purposes is not what i would class as a solution. Has anyone else had the same issues when using the InTune policy method, and was a solution found or did you have to return to the dark ages and resort to group policy? There seem to be lots of posts online referring to access to specific registry keys being blocked going as far back as 2024, the suggested script to resolve these permissions and suggested KB articles have not resolved the issue.
Windows Explorer doesn't show video thumbnails anymore [Win11Pro]
For several days now, Windows Explorer has not been displaying video thumbnails; instead, the program icon is displayed. This only affects video files (mp4, avi, mov, gif, etc.)—other icons, such as those for images and PDFs, are displayed correctly. It affects all folders on the system. No changes or updates have been made to the video player. Videos play correctly in the player. The problem with video thumbnails also exists in WhatsApp Desktop (installed via Microsoft Store). Version: Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (Build 26200.7171) Update status: latest (without beta) Attempted fixes: • Deleted thumbnail/icon cache • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth • sfc /scannow all unsuccessful regarding the thumbnails
win10 system freezes with solid random color on monitor
System freezes usually 10 or 20 min after reboot and a random solid color appears on monitor. Ctrl-alt-del does not work. I power off and then reboots successfully. The system is alive with all apps working until it happens again. I looked through the event logs and did not find any applicable errors. I had to reboot several times over a 2 day period. The first time it happened I was watching youtube and when the event occurred the audio got stuck and played the same sound byte over and over again while the monitor displayed a solid color.Mechanics of how Windows 10 Networking determines when to switch to using the Domain Windows Defende
Hi Some of our Windows 10 Desktops are not switching to the Domain firewall profile (Unidentified Network and public firewall profile), whereas others are. Can anyone point me to any sites or links that go into detail what Windows steps through to determine if a Desktop should be on the Domain firewall profile. I'm finding a lot of high-level info regarding Network Location Awareness, the NLA service, the network adapter, LDAP etc., but nothing in detail that's really helps us troubleshoot in a systematic way. I've found few snippets like where in the registry the Domain Name is stored, NLA identifies a network based on the MAC address of the default gateway, an LDAP query is done to port 389 of the Domain Controller etc. I've also found things we can try such as restarting NLA and/ or setting it up as auto (delayed) - neither of which works, adding the DNS suffix to the network adapter, disabling ipv6 - works till a reboot and then reverts back to Identified Network. If anyone can point me to specific details on the mechanics of how it works, that would be a big help and allow us to troubleshoot in a more systematic way. Any info would be appreciated. Kind Regards Harris
windows 10 22H2 smb issues
Hi all, I access the share folder created by my NAS. I meet a problem. while i right-click the share folder, the file explorer would hang several minutes. And then i catch the packet with wireshark, i find the "tree connect" operation with the invalid path. for example, my share folder: test username: test the tree connect with invalid path: "/ip/test.zip" windows try this invalid path with serveral times. Finally, it operates tree connect with correct path "/ip/test", and the file explorer works properly after that. Does anyone have ideas?
OneDrive Option Remains in the Save As Dialog After Uninstalling It from Windows 10
I have uninstalled OneDrive through the regular method and cleaned up related registry entries, but the OneDrive entry still persists in the left navigation pane or location list of the "Save As" dialog, affecting the tidiness of the interface. I am now seeking methods to completely remove these residual options.How to add apps to the "Startup Apps" settings in Windows 10?
Need to add applications like fan control to the system's "Settings > Apps > Startup" management list. Because the current device has "Xbox Game Bar" enabled, this settings list can differentiate whether apps launch in the Game Bar environment or the standard desktop environment. Common methods cannot add new entries to this list; seeking specific operational steps.Sysprep is failing while for system Windows 10 IOT LTSC 2019 upgraded to Windows 10 IOT LTSC 2021
We upgraded our system Windows 10 IOT LTSC 2019, which was using multiuser product key, to Windows 10 IOT LTSC 2021. While installation we given a single user key as the previous multiuser product key of 2019 version not working. While creating master image with sysprep it is failing. First erro is " SYSPRP Package InputApp_1000.17763.1.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users. This package will not function properly in the sysprep " is this issue because of single user product key. How to resolve this issue. Tried removing the InputApp_1000.17763.1.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy package but not able to remove. Error "This app is part of Windows and cannot be uninstalled on a per-user basis. An administrator can attempt to remove the app from the computer using Turn Windows Features on or off. However, it may not be possible to uninstall the app." setuperr.log file content is as follows : 2024-01-30 23:39:38, Error SYSPRP Package InputApp_1000.17763.1.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users. This package will not function properly in the sysprep image.2024-01-30 23:39:38, Error SYSPRP Failed to remove apps for the current user: 0x80073cf2.2024-01-30 23:39:38, Error SYSPRP Exit code of RemoveAllApps thread was 0x3cf2. 2024-01-30 23:39:38, Error SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Failure occurred while executing 'SysprepGeneralizeValidate' from C:\Windows\System32\AppxSysprep.dll; dwRet = 0x3cf2 2024-01-30 23:39:38, Error SYSPRP SysprepSession::Validate: Error in validating actions from C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Generalize.xml; dwRet = 0x3cf2 2024-01-30 23:39:38, Error SYSPRP RunPlatformActions:Failed while validating Sysprep session actions; dwRet = 0x3cf2 2024-01-30 23:39:38, Error [0x0f0070] SYSPRP RunDlls:An error occurred while running registry sysprep DLLs, halting sysprep execution. dwRet = 0x3cf2 2024-01-30 23:39:38, Error [0x0f00d8] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while pre-validate sysprep generalize internal providers; hr = 0x80073cf2Why Does the Properties Window Still Display in Light Theme Under Windows 10 Dark Mode?
The system theme is set to dark mode, but the right-click properties window for files or folders continues to display in light theme, which is inconsistent with other dark interfaces in the system. It is unclear whether this behavior is intended by Windows 10 design, a known bug, or something that can be adjusted through settings. Seeking a specific explanation and possible fixes or methods to unify the appearance.Why my victus laptop won't update to windows 11 in 2026?
It is a HP Victus laptop purchased a few years ago and for some reason it won't update to Windows 11 in 2026. Windows Update either doesn't show the upgrade option at all, or it keeps failing / staying on "checking for updates" forever. I'm not sure if this is a Microsoft issue or an HP driver/BIOS issue. I don't know why my victus laptop won't update to windows 11 in 2026? Has anyone had the same issue? What should I check next? Any advice would be much appreciated.
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