Random 440khz(ish) boop noise plays, when playing games.
Sometimes, when playing any game, Windows, on my laptop, will glitch out for a second and play a couple boop noises that sound like a 440khz tone. Windows did this on my old desktop with windows 10, before I upgraded. What is the purpose of this random 440khz noise? Is there anywhere I can look to see what is causing it?Windows 10 Installation problem help
The installation process either gets stuck at a certain point or fails to complete entirely. I have tried different troubleshooting steps, but the problem persists. I need help understanding what might be causing this and how I can successfully install Windows 10 without errors. Any advice or solutions would be greatly appreciated as I am unable to use my computer properly due to this issue.MVP Mentoring Rings: Where Community Becomes a Catalyst
What if mentoring did not start with matching one expert to one learner, but with bringing a small circle of community leaders together to learn out loud? That is the idea behind MVP Mentoring Rings: small, community-led groups where Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) share experience, ask honest questions, and help one another grow. Unlike traditional one-to-one mentoring, Mentoring Rings are built around collective learning. The result is a model that feels both practical and deeply human - especially in a global community where connection across regions, languages, and experiences matters. Across the MVP community, Mentoring Rings have created space for something powerful: technologists showing up not just to teach, but to listen, encourage, and lead alongside one another. In a fast-moving industry, that kind of peer support can make all the difference. More than mentoring: a circle of shared momentum MVP Mentoring Rings were created to address a real need: even in a vibrant technical community, people can still feel isolated. The ring model offers a different path forward. Each group is intentionally small, guided by MVP Mentor Leads, and designed for recurring conversations rather than one-off advice. MVPs learn from one another through shared experiences, practical problem-solving, and accountability that grows over time. Why did MVPs participate? For many, it was about finding community as much as guidance. Some joined to better understand how to contribute in ways that felt authentic. Others wanted a space to navigate visibility, leadership, or the challenge of translating deep technical expertise into content, talks, demos, and impact for others. MVP Mentor Leads participated for another reason too: to give back in a way that scales generosity and multiplies belonging. When MVPs show up, others rise The most inspiring part of Mentoring Rings is how MVPs showed up for each other. They did not arrive as polished experts with all the answers. They came ready to be open, practical, and encouraging. MVP Christine Flora, who led a Women in the MVP Program Ring, described the experience this way: “Leading a Women in the MVP Program Ring reinforced how important representation, examples of someone like yourself, and showing up as your authentic self is for confidence and connection - especially when battling imposter syndrome.” That theme surfaced again and again: confidence grows when people feel seen. In Christine’s ring, one meaningful shift was helping participants move beyond the idea that they had to contribute exactly like someone else. As she shared, a major win was watching members realize “there are many, many ways to contribute and give to the community that fit their styles and personality types.” That is a powerful message for aspiring contributors and current MVPs alike: community leadership is not about copying a formula. It is about discovering your own voice and using it to help others. Confidence grows in spaces built for trust For MVP Sucheta Gawade, the value of the ring was rooted in psychological safety and clarity. She reflected that leading a ring reinforced the importance of “a psychologically safe, technical peer space” where MVPs from different domains could turn uncertainty into action. In her experience, mentoring became more than encouragement; it became a structured way to help people transform expertise into community-ready contributions such as talks, blogs, demos, and frameworks. That same sense of safety came through in MVP Agnieszka Mietz-Blijleven’s experience as a mentee. What surprised her most was how quickly trust and openness formed, even among people who had never met before. In that environment, she said, “real experience mattered more than titles” and honest reflection began to feel natural. Sucheta also saw quiet hesitation turn into confident engagement. One of her proudest wins as a Mentoring Ring Lead was helping her group move from “I am not sure what counts as technical contributions” to a clear, trackable plan for how they could participate. That kind of progress matters because it changes how people see themselves - not just as community members, but as future speakers, writers, mentors, and leaders. Agnieszka described a similar shift from the mentee side. The ring helped her recognize that she could support others not only through empathy, but through the strength of her own experience and skills. As she put it, the experience moved her mindset from wondering whether she was doing enough to recognizing that she already brought value - and could build on it with intention. Belonging sounds different in every language One of the strongest lessons from Mentoring Rings is that accessibility is not only about time zones or format. It is also about language, representation, and whether people feel safe enough to participate fully. MVP Ivana Tilca, who led a New to the MVP Program ring and a Women in Tech ring in Spanish, saw how quickly those layers intersected. She shared that one of the most powerful themes in her conversations was the hesitation some women felt about asking questions or speaking up because they were often among the few women in the room - and in some cases were also navigating events and meetings in a language that was not their own. That experience, she said, changed how she thinks about community events: inclusivity cannot be an afterthought; it has to be meaningfully designed in from the start. Ivana also reflected on what changed when conversations happened in Spanish. Having grown up bilingual, she said she had not always seen language as a barrier. But through the ring, she realized how much harder technical instructions, outreach, and even simple follow-up could feel for others. As she put it, “Not everyone speaks or understands English,” and for some MVPs, the language gap made “sending a simple inquiry or email feel nearly impossible” - especially when reaching out to Microsoft employees already felt intimidating. That perspective sits alongside what MVP Walter E Calcagno Lucares described in the Spanish-language ring: “Not having to translate my thoughts in real time allowed me to express myself with greater clarity and depth, which led to more strategic and meaningful conversations.” Together, their experiences make the case clearly: language-inclusive mentoring does more than remove friction. It creates trust, confidence, and a stronger sense of belonging. From the ring to the stage: Mentoring Rings at MVP Summit The momentum behind Mentoring Rings was also visible at MVP Summit in the session MVP Mentoring Rings: Learn, Grow, Connect. The session brought the spirit of the rings to a wider audience by centering real stories from mentors and mentees - what worked, what surprised them, and how mentoring helped both sides grow. It reinforced an important truth: mentoring in the MVP community is not one-directional. It is a shared experience that builds confidence, connection, and practical wisdom for everyone involved. Agnieszka Mietz-Blijleven captured that spirit by describing a meaningful moment from her ring: realizing how much wisdom can come from “a simple, honest conversation shared at exactly the right time.” For her, mentoring also brought perspective - showing how differently people can respond to the same situation and how often the hardest work is learning to stop criticizing yourself. Diego Domingos da Silva, Agnieszka Mietz-Blijleven, Sucheta Gawade (left to right) Designed to leave attendees with practical tips they could use right away, the session explored how to be a thoughtful mentor, how to get more from the mentee experience, and how to build meaningful, supportive relationships in the community. MVP Diego Domingos da Silva helped bring that message to life by reframing mentoring as something far more human than a formal exchange of answers. As he shared, he joined as a mentee expecting guidance but instead found “something closer to a support group of like-minded people in the community, sharing real experiences without the pressure of a work setting.” His reflection captures what made the MVP Summit panel resonate: mentoring was not presented as hierarchy, but as honest connection. Diego also spoke to the kind of growth that happens in these spaces. Rather than coming only from a perfectly mapped plan, he described growth as something that often takes shape through shared stories - hearing how others handled uncertainty, setbacks, and opportunity, and realizing you are not the only one figuring it out as you go. That perspective reinforced one of the panel’s strongest themes: mentoring creates momentum not because it removes uncertainty, but because it helps people move through it together. MVP Jeremy Sinclair added another important dimension to the panel: the idea that mentoring becomes most powerful when it is reciprocal. For him, the experience was not only about guiding others, but also about paying close attention to the ways mentees were already learning, contributing, and growing in their day-to-day work. His reflection underscored one of the session’s most resonant takeaways - that the best mentoring spaces create room for everyone to teach and everyone to learn. Agnieszka also connected mentoring to a very practical kind of growth: confidence in public speaking. She reflected that mentoring strengthened her on-stage presence by helping her stay steady in front of a live audience, navigate real-time reactions, and move through troubleshooting moments with diligence and calm. That kind of growth shows how mentoring does not stay inside the ring - it carries into talks, demos, and the visible moments where community leaders share what they know. The invitation: learn, lead, and lift someone else up MVP Mentoring Rings show what is possible when community leadership is shared. They help technologists grow their confidence, expand their networks, and see new possibilities for how they can contribute. They remind current MVPs that mentorship is not a side activity - it is part of how strong communities sustain themselves. As Agnieszka Mietz-Blijleven reflected, the rings create “continuity, confidence, and a culture of giving back.” And for aspiring MVPs, they offer a glimpse of what this community is really about: generosity, curiosity, and the willingness to help others thrive. If you are inspired by these stories, take the next step. Learn from the MVPs who are investing in others through Mentoring Rings. Look for ways to actively support and uplift people in your own tech community. Reflect on how you can be an ally - especially for those who may need representation, encouragement, or a clearer runway to be seen. And if you have been wondering whether you are ready to contribute more, start now. Share what you know, help someone take their next step, and keep building the kind of community that future MVPs will be proud to join. Want to learn more about the MVP Program? To find an MVP and learn more about the MVP Program visit the MVP Communities website and follow our updates on LinkedIn. Join us for a future live session through the Microsoft Reactor where we walk through what the MVP program is about, what we look for, and how nominations work. These sessions are designed to help you connect the dots between the work you’re already doing and the impact the MVP Program recognizes - with time for questions, examples, and real conversations.
Windows 11 unable to uninstall Avast
Hi I was using paid version of Avast One 64 bit, but after a year I cancelled membership. .I installed Avast clear that is supposed to work to completely uninstall but was still getting popups from Avast constantly. Then I tried another uninstaller. It seemed to fix the problem; that was a few months ago . Now the popups are back claiming I have a virus, and if I renew subscription, they will run antivirus. The popups are constant ; such that I can't use the computer to do anything. I am quite happy with Windows Defender. How do I get rid of Avast popups? I would certainly appreciate any help anyone could offer.MS Teams add in not working on Outlook Classic
This has got me stumped. So far we've changed registry keys: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Resiliency\DoNotDisableAddinList Name: TeamsAddin.FastConnect Amend name to: TeamsAddin.FastConnect Ran commands: %SystemRoot%\System32\regsvr32.exe /s /n /i:user %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\TeamsMeetingAddin\Current\x64\Microsoft.Teams.AddinLoader.dll Deleted files: Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.Type %localappdata%\Microsoft and hit Enter.Find and delete the folders named TeamsMeetingAddin, TeamsPresenceAddin, and SquirrelTemp (if they exist) Ran the following: Close Outlook and Teams. Open Windows Settings > Apps > Installed Apps (or Programs and Features). Search for Teams Meeting Add-in or Microsoft Teams Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Office. Click the three dots (or right-click) and select Uninstall. Re-open Teams, which will automatically prompt the reinstallation of the add-in, then open Outlook We've uninstalled and reinstalled Teams. Also Skype is uninstalled. The RDS Boxes are 2016 And we're stumped as to why MS Teams won't work, and the add-in on the ribbon for Outlook classic also won't enable MS Teams. Any ideas? Please help!
Project desktop vs Planner + project Plan 3
We are trying to plan our projects using ms Planner Premium (Plan 3). However, I get very confused because of the so many product names, subscription name, soon ending products, etc. my questions are: Which desktop tool of microsoft for project planning is running currently. If it's "Microsoft Project Online Desktop Client MSO" can this be synced with the planner premium (Plan 3)?, if yes how? I have an excel list of a Project plan with the columns below: can i manage my project in planner premium? if yes, are all this custom fields deployed in dataverse, so that I can access them from power bi? i have a project plan in an excel file with this columns. now i want to create this project plan in project plan 3, how to do it? Company Cost Center Name Company Number Account Number Cost Center Number Accounting Project Number Project Number Sub- Project number Project Leader Concept Vendor (provider) Total Cost (in contract currency) Contract Currency Project Initiated/Not Initiated Committed/Not committed Priority January, 2026 February, 2026 March, 2026 April, 2026 May, 2026 June, 2026 July, 2026 August, 2026 September, 2026 October, 2026 November, 2026 December, 2026 Q1/27 Q2/27 Q3/27 Q4/27 2028 2029 2030 What is the best practice project planning approach when i have complex projects that I have to manage, with resources, costs, projects, sub projects, sub sub projects. How do this on desktop and online? And also colaborative? when project managers have to input thier budgets, how can I create a mapping where they can input thier budgets and project related facts. Thank you in advance for you inputs and help F.A
Outlook has been locked out for days
I am the sole Global Administrator of my Microsoft 365 tenant My main account has been locked out for days due to a broken Microsoft Authenticator registration (Error 500121). I have tried: Adding GitHub and personal email as alternate methods Signing out of all devices Clearing cache and cookies multiple times Reinstalling Microsoft Authenticator multiple times Removing 2-step verification where possible I was able to sign into Microsoft 365 (admin center / web apps) with alternative email using “Sign in another way” options, but I am still unable to access Outlook (desktop and mobile) — which is the main goal. In Microsoft additional security options - changed some settings. I removed two-step verification because Outlook keeps prompting for approval through the Microsoft Authenticator app. Authenticator app does not let me add my work account it is showing an error. Thus unable to approve the code in the authenticator app, stuck in the loop. When I removed two-step verification in Microsoft additional security options, signed out of all the devices, cleared cache and cookies, attempted to sign in again, being prompted to enter backup email for the verification code, which is not being sent after numerous attempts while I received notifications to that email that two-step verification was removed. Stuck. Any tips would be great. Thank you!
