What is the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable? Why are there so many copies installed, and can you uninstall any of them? There’s a lot to go through here, so we’ll start with the basics. What Is the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable? Before we get to the C++ part of the explanation, it’s worth talking about what “redistributable” means. Software is distributed as either a lightweight online installer or as a redistributable....

It isn’t the most efficient way to manage your system memory. However, a page file is a necessity and will keep your system ticking along nicely. So, here’s what the Windows 10 page file is, and how a page file works. What Is a Page File? Your computer has a set amount of RAM or Random Access Memory. Unsure how much your system has? Type system information in your Start Menu search bar....

If the Windows 10 search is not working for some reason on your computer, you’ll face difficulties finding your files on your machine. Fixing the broken search feature isn’t as straightforward, especially if you don’t know the cause of the issue. However, there are several standard fixes you can apply and see if they help resolve the issue. Restart Your Computer “Restart your computer and see if it helps fix the issue” is something you may be used to hearing if you often seek technical assistance....

If you’re having issues with your monitor not turning off or your computer not going to sleep at the time intervals you set, it could be caused by a number of different issues. In this article, I’ll try to walk you through all the different methods I tried and hopefully one of them will work for you. Also, be sure to check out my other posts, the Ultimate Guide to Troubleshooting Sleep Issues in Windows and Windows 7 Will Not Sleep for other possible fixes....

The problem could stem from your PC, the printer, or the connection between both devices. This tutorial highlights ten likely troubleshooting measures for printers that won’t print. 1. Check Paper Tray and Printer Connection Many printer models won’t print if there’s a loose USB connection or if they’re out of ink or paper. Verify your printer’s ink levels, clean the printhead, fill the paper tray, and avoid using substandard paper....

So, here are four ways to speed up Windows 10 boot times. 1. Fast Startup Windows 10 includes a specific option to enable your system to boot fast, known as fast startup. Fast startup is an advanced power state that operates as a middle-ground between hibernation and shutdown. When you enable fast startup, Windows 10 creates a small hibernation file to reboot from. The hibernation file is smaller than usual as it does not record your active session (whereas if you hibernate normally, the hibernation file is larger and includes everything you were doing at the time), making it quicker to load....

Finding out if you’re running 32-bit or 64-bit Windows isn’t difficult, though, and there are multiple ways for you to do so. In this article, let’s look at four of the most simple and easy ways to determine which version of Windows is running on your PC. System Information My pick for the simplest and most straightforward way to determine if you’re using 32-bit or 64-bit Windows lies within Windows’ system information....

Unlike Windows and Mac operating systems, which have a wide range of email clients, choosing the right one for ChromeOS can be confusing. The default Gmail offers a clean interface and can be accessed from anywhere, but it’s not the only web-based email client for Chromebook. We’ve listed a few other options with distinct features for accessing your mail from your regular email address along with notifications and security....

There is a chance that there’s something wrong with the fan. And if that’s the case, it can cause serious problems down the road. What’s Wrong With the Fan? Computer fans are there to provide cooling. The harder your computer works, the more heat it generates. That’s why fans are strategically placed on your computer. They help regulate the internal temperature so that your PC continues working without overheating. Fans can work for years without issue....

When you create a system image, you can restore the entire OS back to the same hard drive or a new one and it will include all your installed programs, settings, etc. Even though Windows 10 is a nice improvement over Windows 7, it still uses the same image creation option from Windows 7! Windows 10 has a new feature called Reset this PC, but it’s not as versatile as a system image backup....

With that said, it’s very interesting how unsecure a Cisco switch is fresh out of the box. When you plug it in, it either grabs an IP address from a DHCP server or assigns itself an IP address (usually 192.168.1.254) and uses cisco for the username and password. Yikes! Since most networks use the 192.168.1.x network ID, your switch is completely accessible to anyone on the network. In this article, I’m going to talk about five immediate steps you should take after you plug in your switch....

Whoops! That definitely didn’t sound too good. A DNS cache poisoning attack is basically the same thing as DNS spoofing, which basically means the DNS name server cache has been compromised and when requesting a webpage, instead of getting the real server, the request is redirected to a malicious computer that can download spyware or viruses to the computer. I decided to perform a full anti-virus scan and also downloaded Malwarebytes and did a scan for malware too....

To fix “System error 5” in Microsoft Windows, you must run Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell as an administrator. The instructions below will walk you through multiple ways to open both command-line interpreters with elevated rights. Run Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell as Administrator It’s impossible to run commands in Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell with default user privileges. If the command output results in “System error 5,” you must launch your preferred command-line interpreter as an administrator....

Unless you spend some time using both Google Translate and Microsoft Translator, it can be difficult to pick the best one for you. We tested both apps and put together a comparison guide underlining the best and the worst features these translators have to offer, so you can make the right choice. Google Translate Good choice for you if: you’re looking for an app that can do it all and offers the maximum amount of languages....

In this tutorial, we’ll discuss six methods you can use to create a Windows 11 local account and how to give them admin permissions. What Is a Local User Account? Local user accounts allow Windows 11 (and Windows 10) users to create separate accounts on the same device. Their primary purpose is to enable different users to use the same machine with their own settings and without having access to other users’ files....

The operation is also an effective troubleshooting fix for Windows Update installation issues. This tutorial covers different methods to delete old Windows Update files on Windows 11 and Windows 10 computers. Is It Safe to Delete Windows Update Files? Removing old Windows Updates files won’t cause any harm to your computer software or hardware components. Personal files aren’t deleted, either. It’s a safe process. The only downside is that you may not be able to reverse or restore previous versions of Windows to your computer....

Zoom, a leading video conferencing app, took a significant step by adding closed captioning and live transcription to its service. These features drastically improve accessibility for deaf, blind, or hard-of-hearing participants and communication with non-native English speakers. It’s now easier to understand what someone in the same Zoom meeting is saying and respond to them while making everyone feel included. This guide explains how you can enable closed captioning and live transcription in Zoom....

One of the most unusual BSOD errors to appear is the “reference by pointer” BSOD (reference_by_pointer). Trying to track down the cause of this BSOD is tricky, but it usually points to problems that you can easily fix. So, if you’re trying to troubleshoot a reference_by_pointer BSOD error, this guide should help you. What Causes a Reference By Pointer BSOD Error in Windows 10? A reference by pointer BSOD error (also known as a reference_by_pointer or 0x00000018 error) usually points to an issue with your system files or device drivers....

A common issue is either the physical data or the power connection. If that’s not the case, perhaps your hard drive doesn’t have an assigned drive letter, and that’s why it doesn’t appear in the file explorer (maybe you forgot to format your hard drive?). When your hard drive doesn’t show up on Windows, there are several troubleshooting steps you can follow. This article will show you how to fix it with Windows 10’s Disk Management and Device Manager tools and a few more tips....

There are various reasons why it asks you to enter your password again and again. Maybe your profile has been configured in such a way that it needs to authenticate you every time you send an email. Or maybe your profile has gone corrupt and is causing the issue. Regardless, there are a few checks and fixes available to try and get rid of the error in Outlook on your computer....