Guiding Tech

Quick Tips A Task View that keeps popping up is caused either by faulty software or accidental user input. Check your keyboard and input devices for stuck keys or buttons and fix your laptop touch controls. You can also disable Task View via the Registry. Be sure to update Windows as well. It’s good to feel in control of your PC at all times. So, if something like your Task View keeps popping up at random times, then you’re definitely frustrated and looking for answers.

Quick Tips The DISM command pretty much needs to be run with administrator permissions, so open CMD in Admin mode. If the DISM command is a part of a separate troubleshooting pipeline, try another fix before modifying system files further. If DISM can’t fix corrupted files, your last-ditch option is to back up all personal files and reinstall Windows entirely. The DISM error 0x800f0915 usually displays text like “The repair content could not be found anywhere” while running commands.

Quick Tips If changing the debug settings doesn’t work, repair the Visual Studio installation itself, whether in Settings or by running its own patcher or installer. Run Visual Studio in administrator mode to avoid file access issues. Use the support center for Visual Studio or the specific programming environment you have to get the most up-to-date fixes. Hitting “F5” and only getting an “Unable to start debugging” error can be incredibly tedious to troubleshoot.

Quick Tips The basic settings for the Touch Keyboard are under “Personalization” and “Text input” in Windows Settings. Some themes are also applied to the emoji panel, clipboard history, and voice typing. However, you can still modify the basic keyboard only. The touch keyboard also works with a mouse, and the taskbar icon can be switched on regardless of hardware. Windows 11 has a set of basic touch keyboard themes that change key colors, text colors, transparency, and even a background image.

Quick Tips If your touchpad can’t tell the difference between left and right clicks, you’ve got a problem with mapping, settings, or drivers. Disable two-finger right-clicks to prevent accidental right-clicks. You can also increase the right-click zone via Settings or the Registry If all else fails, reset your touchpad drivers. Touchpads are a convenient and vital replacement for the mouse on laptops and notebooks.

Quick Tips An unresponsive Taskbar can be caused by software or hardware issues. Try restarting File Explorer or your PC, and ensure things are fully updated. Run an SFC and DISM check to detect and repair corruption. See that your hardware isn’t malfunctioning. Most journeys into Windows begin, fittingly, with the Start button. But if it or the Taskbar isn’t responding and is freezing on you, you’re no doubt looking for answers and fixes.

Quick Tips The “File in Use” error happens when a process still has access to a file. You can see which processes are still using the file by downloading and using Microsoft Process Explorer. You can also try altering the file in Safe Mode or renaming the file extension. Have you ever tried to move a file that you know you’ve closed only to get an error message instead? It turns out it isn’t only external devices that say they’re in use when you’re not using them.

Quick Tips Command Prompt not running as Admin is often due to privilege or UAC problems. Check your Admin status before anything else. You can work around things by starting Command Prompt from Task Manager. You can also check the Application Information Service or change Group Policy Settings to ensure things are running correctly. Running apps as Administrator is more than just a power trip. It’s a useful way to access programs with the greatest permissions possible.

Quick Tips The Discord app showing a black screen can be, among other things, a PC issue rather than just a Discord server issue. Try refreshing the app and ensuring it’s up to date. Clear the cache and disable hardware acceleration for smoother performance. It’s also worth checking if your firewall or antivirus isn’t blocking things. Apps not loading is never a good thing, and especially social ones where you’re itching to hop onto your favorite server.

Quick Tips The Cross Device Experience Host should install automatically when mobile access is granted. If not, you can try installing manually through Command Prompt. You can also try troubleshooting or resetting the cache of the Microsoft Store. If the app is installed but not working, you can repair or reset it. The Cross Device Experience Host is a Microsoft feature that supports Windows’ cross-device and mobile-device connectivity.