You can use Control Panel to change settings for Windows. These settings control nearly everything about how Windows looks and works, and you can use them to set up Windows so that it’s just right for you. Since Windows 10, many Control Panel settings have been moved to the Settings app. The classic Control Panel is still there, but its entry points are not prominent.Read more
Windows 11
Sound Scheme “Windows Default” has Yellow Exclamation Mark
When you open the Sounds dialog (mmsys.cpl) and switch to the “Windows Default” sound scheme, some program events may show up with a yellow exclamation mark — actually, a yellow triangle with a black exclamation mark.Read more
[Fix] F8 Legacy Boot does not work
The “bootmenupolicy” setting in the Boot Configuration Database (BCD) defines the type of boot menu (Standard vs. Legacy) the system will use. For Windows 11, 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, and Windows RT, the default is Standard. For Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, the default is Legacy. When Legacy is selected, the Advanced options menu (F8) is available.Read more
[Fix] EFI System Partition Appears in Explorer
The EFI system partition, which contains your boot files and boot configuration database, is hidden by default. However, on some systems, the EFI partition may show up with a drive letter in File Explorer.
Microsoft Common Language Runtime Native Compiler 100% CPU Usage
When you open Task Manager, you may see that the module “Microsoft common language runtime native compiler” may use 100% of the CPU and hamper the device’s performance.
If the task is ended manually, it starts up automatically after about 10-20 minutes. You may wonder what causes this issue and how to fix this.Read more
[SFC] You must be an administrator running a console session
When you try to run Sfc.exe /scannow on Command Prompt to repair the system files, the following error message may appear:
You must be an administrator running a console session in order to use the sfc utility.
This may happen even though you right-click Command Prompt from the Start menu search results, and click Run as administrator.Read more
Shell Folder Icons Appear on the Desktop in Windows 11
On some systems, the shell folders such as Music, Pictures, Desktop, Downloads, Videos, and Home icons appear on the desktop after installing Windows 11. These shell folders are not supposed to appear on the desktop by default.Read more
Msg.exe is missing in Windows 10/11?
Msg.exe is a built-in console tool that can send a message to a user on the same network.
On Windows Home editions, you’ll see the following error when trying to run msg.exe:
'msg.exe' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
That’s because the tool is available only in Windows 10/11 Pro and higher editions. This article explains how to get a copy of msg.exe for Home Edition users.Read more
How to Reset File History Back to Default Settings
File History automatically backs up files in your libraries, contacts, favorites, and on your desktop. You can also find different versions of your files from a specific point in time. You can add and remove custom folder locations from the backup. The customizations are stored in the two XML files, Config1.xml and Config2.xml, in the File History folder.Read more
[Fix] DISM StartComponentCleanup Stops at 20%
When you run a component store cleanup using DISM.exe’s /startcomponentcleanup parameter, the command doesn’t finish correctly. The output shows that the process has stopped at 20%, but the message says, “The operation completed successfully.”Read more
