Category: Windows OS-Level Issues

Bluescreen at boot with win32k.sys error
article #1022, updated 2628 days ago

If Windows 7 won’t boot all the way, if it gives a bluescreen involving win32k.sys, it may be a bad update. Boot into startup repair and rename FNTCACHE.DAT in system32 to .OLD. That forces Windows to make a new one and boot will occur next time.

Courtesy of the excellent Matt Quick.

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"Failed to schedule Software Protection service for re-start" Error Code: 0x80070005
article #1083, updated 2629 days ago

One way this can be fixed at least sometimes, is to give “NETWORK SERVICE” full rights to:

C:\Windows\System32\Tasks\Microsoft\Windows\SoftwareProtectionPlatform

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Windows Registry Cleaning & Optimization
article #1081, updated 2631 days ago

This tool:

http://www.pcstarters.net/performance-maintainer/

is an aggregator which appears to be very helpful so far.

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NSSM - Create Services from Executables in Windows
article #1065, updated 2688 days ago

Best I’ve found so far:

http://nssm.cc/download

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Set NIC to full DHCP via netsh
article #1057, updated 2715 days ago

To set a Windows NIC to full DHCP via netsh, do this, replacing “Local Area Connection” to the name of the NIC if it’s not the same:

netsh interface ip set address "Local Area Connection" dhcp
netsh interface ip set dns "Local Area Connection" dhcp
netsh interface ip set wins "Local Area Connection" dhcp

Sometimes, if WINS is set static, you have to do this before WINS can be set DHCP:

netsh interface ip set wins "Local Area Connection" static none

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Upgrading Windows 10 Versions
article #1036, updated 2805 days ago

When going to version 1607 of 10, it is reportedly supposed to be automatic:

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/08/02/how-to-get-the-windows-10-anniversary-update/

but can be done by ISO:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-windows_install/how-to-upgrade-to-windows-10-anniversary-update/fab99802-4358-49d9-8278-e9664cd56311

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The System Update Readiness Tool for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems
article #1034, updated 2807 days ago

A 539-megabyte monster! Appears to be designed to solve lots of problems.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20858

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Record all audio in Windows regardless of "Stereo Mix"
article #1032, updated 2817 days ago

In Windows, some audio drivers provide something called “Stereo Mix” and some don’t; this is what is usually recommended if you want to record everything audio happening at once in Windows. But increasingly this doesn’t exist. There are software replacements which do the job:

http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/Voicemeeter/

http://www.virtualaudiostreaming.net/

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Enable CLEANMGR.EXE on Server 2008R1/2 and 2012
article #1006, updated 2826 days ago

Very useful procedure, does not need a role/feature install. Slightly different on each. Note the locale suffix which will have to be changed. Does not work on 2012R2, from that point we have to enable the desktop experience, which can be done in Powershell using Install-WindowsFeature Desktop-Experience.

Server 2012R1:

copy C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-cleanmgr_31bf3856ad364e35_6.2.9200.16384_none_c60dddc5e750072a\cleanmgr.exe %systemroot%\System32
copy C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-cleanmgr.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.2.9200.16384_en-us_b6a01752226afbb3\cleanmgr.exe.mui %systemroot%\System32\en-US

Server 2008R2:

copy C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-cleanmgr_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_none_c9392808773cd7da\cleanmgr.exe %systemroot%\System32
copy C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-cleanmgr.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_en-us_b9cb6194b257cc63\cleanmgr.exe.mui %systemroot%\System32\en-US

Server 2008 64-bit:

copy C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-cleanmgr_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_c962d1e515e94269\cleanmgr.exe %systemroot%\System32
copy C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-cleanmgr.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_en-us_b9f50b71510436f2\cleanmgr.exe.mui %systemroot%\System32\en-US

Server 2008 32-bit:

copy C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-cleanmgr_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_6d4436615d8bd133\cleanmgr.exe %systemroot%\System32
copy C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-cleanmgr.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_en-us_5dd66fed98a6c5bc\cleanmgr.exe.mui %systemroot%\System32\en-US

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Remote Procedure Call Locator (RPC Locator) Service
article #1020, updated 2845 days ago

This is a service to be found in many versions of Windows, but its in-OS documentation states that it is present for application compatibility only. And yet on at least one LAN it has been seen to be essential for printing. Research has provided no results. Anyone with input, please contact me by email!

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