Audio Issues after Windows 10 Update - Red X on Audio in system tray

 I'm going to work backwards

This is the link to the fix   This here this is the link

If like me you are reading anything and everything (including this small business Blog) all you really want, at this point, is the answer!  But do come back and read my whole saga on the problems I had with this Audio Issue !! What caused it and how I eventually found the right answer.  (By complete chance!!)

This is part 2 of 2

 

A Day or so after I updated the Anti-Virus I noticed that there was a red X, like the one above on the audio in the system tray.  I assumed that it was a Driver issue and looked in device manager.  There was a yellow exclamation mark on both the audio devices showing that there was a problem.

First I tried the Windows 10 trouble shooter.  It does often happen that a device gets put out of whack by updates or significant application changes additions etc. 

This did not work

I tried updating the drivers, both letting Windows do its thing and by trying the manual options.  Find on My PC and Have Disk and so on.

This did not work

I tried going to the source for the drivers, Realtek and Intel and installing them from the correct sources.  Ie Realtek site and Intel site.

This did not work.

I asked my trusted assistant (Google) and read many, many long and drawn out threads, about the problem, which had occurred it seems as early as 2018 due to updates.  All sounds reasonable.

Many pages and many different and weird and some not so wonderful fixes later I’m still looking at the same Audio not working icon

And it still was not working.

After many days…..

And Many many fruitless searches I hit on a solution to my problem.

I have since cleaned my browser and unless the planets align the same way as they were yesterday afternoon and I comb my hair into exactly the same messy exasperation I may never be able to find that page again…

It involves the registry key: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4d36e96c-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}

And its entry on the UpperFilter

The value should be ksthunk and in my key was someother jumble of letters apparently relating to the now defunct Kaspersky.

I deleted the random letters after ksthunk rebooted and Eureka, gawd bless me Mary Poppins and By George it worked.

Trigger restarted, wriggled about a bit on start up and suddenly the red x was no more.

As always, I wish I could find the source, as regular readers will know, I like to give credit where credit is due and it definitely is in this case.  It was a forum post as there was discussion on the letters included in the value and I’m sure they said that the KSTHUNK came back on reboot after being deleted and it was the random letters that was the issue.  

This is the Microsoft Answers site that gave the fix that helped me.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-hardware/audio-driver-not-working-after-windows-10-update/edbdd93f-e614-449e-b3bf-52663add6462

Worked for me

The fixes I read, all went through describing the obvious, drivers, troubleshoot, reinstall, check windows updates,  who are very useful to the standard user but not necessarily for the more technical who try all those methods as standard and have read pages and pages and pages of the same.   But as it turns out, for me it was a Microsoft Answers thread that gave me my solution.

This is actually Part 1 of 2

This installment is where the story really starts!

Its been a while since I reported anything of note on the Blog or indeed anything at all, but I’m still here, even if I’m mostly unable to get out and about to do any real work for the time being.

I have been exploring the creative side of life with a bit of Cooking, Bread, sour dough and cakes and stuff and a bit of sewing, masks and bags and other stuff.  Obviously along with the new normal of some home-schooling the junior Lamas and getting out for exercise with Lamas Dog.

Every year about this time I have to update the Anti-Virus for Lamas Design, which includes Lamas Junior Laptops, a couple of desktops, Triggers-broom, and the network Managers devices.

This year both the Juniors were at home for this.  An inset day.  The rare few days they have been at school this year and they still have inset days, (shrugs and shakes head).  I gave them instructions, fully update their laptops, do the housekeeping required, (disk clean, restart, etc) uninstall the existing security, disk clean, restart.  Install the new one.

Despite my attempts to make them a bit aware of the housekeeping required for a laptop, it does not get done on a timely basis.  So the task that should have taken a couple of hours at most took the pair of them all day!  Trigger was done and dusted in an hour.  So was the other desktop PC.

The Network Managers PC took a while and then would not restart, but that’s another story. Its working now!

But…But…But.. I hear your say, are you not a Kaspersky Internet Security user?   Well yes I was, but this year the price of BitDefender was cheaper than Kaspersky and my reservations were always to do with the parental control of BitDefender.  Junior Lamas are not 6 anymore!! They are teenagers and have all sorts of other issues, but computer security is something I can now discuss with them and they can make sensible choices.

Lamas Dog
 finds this statement mildly amusing!

I

It eventually got finished by both of them.  They still complain about the slowness of their laptops, despite me suggesting various options, the amount of apps starting with the system for instance.

The point of this blog post was to share my Eureka moment.

But I don’t want to put the fix at the end here because someone looking for the answer like I was, is not going to want to read the rambling Ronnie Corbett anecdote above, and it may only be one of the fixes that they try and for them it is unsuccessful.  And I know how that feels.

So the story of TriggersBroom and its Audio issues is really the beginning of this blog post.

Blue Keep Bluekeep what is it?

Patch early and Patch often!

Microsoft is continually sending out patches and security updates. These should be applied as soon as possible to your system in ANY version of the operating system whether it is 7 or 8 or 8.1 or 10.

I keep reading that :

Unpatched Windows 7 is vulnerable to the Bluekeep exploit.

Which means if you have not installed all your windows updates you may be at risk of an unknown person or persons gaining access to your system via the remote desktop service in other words, there is a way for someone using a specially crafted command to get into your system and cause you problems.

Turn off the Remote access services. There is a how to here in another page of the Blog. If you really need it in the future you will be given a prompt to allow access to it again, giving an extra "Pause for breath and realitiy check" if someone asks you to allow access.

Windows 7 may be coming to the end of support but if you are still using it, make sure its updated and up to date and start thinking about what steps you need to take to before the end of January 2020.

Have a great weekend.

Comments!

Comments on this blog are always appreciated.

However, any comments that contain external links will be deleted.

The links I put up myself I know are real and are not malware links.

If you see a deleted comment on this blog it will be because it contained links. 

Windows 10 - May 2019 update - remove USBs

So the Laptop...

I tried several times to update to 1903 and every time i had the same result.  

I tried updating from Windows Update.  Didn't work.

I tried updating from a USB Stick.  Didn't  work.

I tried updating from a directory on the HDD.  Didn't work.

At some point in all this I uninstalled my Antivirus.

Tried the other usual tricks like swearing at it, giving it a really hard stare and as a last resort clicking the mouse over and over again.  Didn't work either, surprisingly!

I read a few articles about the update and what had and had not worked for others.  Removal of USBs seemed to be high on the list for troubleshooting.  I use a wireless mouse which has a USB.  I have never been a fan of track pads, I'm old school and like a proper mouse.  

I unplugged it and turned the trackpad on to start again.  

I ran Windows Update and walked away.  Then I left it overnight to get on with it.

The next day I checked it.  It had worked.  

It was showing 1903 in Settings --> System --> About.

I had thought that removing USBs referred to just memory sticks and connections to other devices, but no, it meant everything. 

So my recommendation for updating to the newest version of windows 10 on your laptop is remove EVERYTHING that is connected by USB.  USB sticks - remove! Mobile phones - Remove! Wireless Mice - REMOVE! Wireless Keyboard - Remove! Printers, WiFi Dongles, Bluetooth dongles - remove remove remove. 

I did not have this with my desktop, but the motherboard is newer.  However if you have issues with updates on a desktop try the same thing.

Windows 10 - May 2019 update 1903

With the new round of Windows 10 updates happening soon, Lamas Design is waiting.

Waiting for the update!  Waiting for the clients to call and say : "It started to update and then it came up with a picture of Grumpy Cat/dancing unicorns/Blue Screen/Automatic repair/crazy frog/(Insert problem here)..

I know which one I would prefer.

RIP Grumpy Cat 😢

I don't often get comments on this blog.  In fact, I think it is only read by one or two people as an alternative to sleeping tablets and the occasional desperate person looking on page 22 of a google search for a solution when they have tried everything else!

Imagine my surprise today when I received a comment telling me how much they enjoyed the blog.  They also included a bunch of links which led to scam websites.  No thanks - deleted.  I have email accounts to collect spam I don't need it here as well!!

The first PC has been updated, TriggersBroom, my workhorse that has recently been upgraded to a board with the Z270 chipset.  Downloaded and installed within a couple of hours without much assistance or interference from me.  That is obviously the way i like it to happen.  

My laptop however, is a slightly different kettle of fish. I did an extra special clean up on it yesterday. Including, disk cleanup, virus check, malware removal, although most of this is done on a very regular basis anyway.  It still took hours to download, install and then, subsequently, fail.  

It gave me various different error codes and in the end I have given up for the time being. The error codes as usual mean very little and do not give a clear indication of what the problem may be.

Watch this space for further updates.





   

Penalty Charge Notification and Cyber Crime Agency!

I always look in my Spam folder because there is always something interesting and amusing.

This week I received a Penalty Charge notification dated on my birthday in a place I was at least 400 miles away from!  None of the vehicles are connected to an email account at the DVLA so how did they get my email and which vehicle did it relate to and and and..

The other one was from some kind of Cyber Crime agency that was going to reward me compensation because I had recently been scammed!  The compensation was some astronomical amount which I would receive once they had my processing fee of 450, I cant remember whether it was US$, GPB or Euros.  It matters not!  It was a scam!  The upfront charges are a dead give away.

I did not get the other email, the one that had video of me and proved it by supplying an out of date password.  (My webcam on the laptop is covered when I'm not actively using it and my desktop does not have one!!) Still, I felt a bit left out!

Ask the simple questions when you receive these kind of emails: is what they are suggesting really a possibility.  

No!  

Just laugh at them, delete them and move on!

Housekeeping!

Look at your computer in the same way you look at your home. 

You like your home to be clean and tidy and everything is where it should be, household running smoothly, everyone has a clean shirt etc.

Keep your home this way takes a bit of regular housework, dusting, vacuuming or sweeping, washing, cleaning and so on.

If you want your PC to run well you will need to do similar tasks.  

• Regular Antivirus scans with up to date software.
• Malware and spyware removal with up to date software
• Disk defragmentation
• Disk cleanup
• Driver updates. 
• Make sure system restore is running

Most of these things can be automated.  Most of these things can be done with free software.  Sometimes you can find software that is both!

One of the most important things is (Here it comes, you've been expecting this one) is a back up!

And yes - I heard the collective groan.  

The times I've heard Will I loose all my pictures? or some version of that. 

Back up of data is imperative.  Disks are not infallible, but unlikely to all go down at the same time.  But you know all of this, you have been told this time and again.

What is also as important is a system image.  Windows can do this without additional software.

You spend ages installing all your software, putting all the serial numbers away in that safe place (I always think of the room of requirement when he hides the Potions book, because "Safe Place" I can never remember exactly where it is!!)

And then Microsoft gets involved and gives you updates, some minor, some major, and that is when it starts becoming a problem.  Minimise the problem by performing the housekeeping.

If you have a system image there is a very good chance that your system can be restored to its former glory with little fuss if a system has a backup.  

I hate it when I have to return a system to a client with just a bare copy of Windows 10 and their data.  Obviously I put AVs and stuff on as well, but it does not look the same as it did and nothing is where they left it.

If you would like some help or recommendations please contact me.  My advice costs nothing, a system rebuild is so much more expensive in many ways.

Have a good weekend all. 

Kaspersky Internet Security

Kaspersky Internet Security - I have this to cover the Lamas Equipment and the Lamas Junior Devices.

I have been spammed over the weekend by Kaspersky asking me to renew as my subscription is about to expire.

Its true it is about to expire.

In the email they were offering me 70% off the price.  Not unrealistic, the price of a new licence on Amazon is only a pound or so more.

I first tried this renewal on Friday when I got the first email.  It would not go to the correct page and on closer inspection it had an incorrect date.  I received a further email on Sunday and again on Monday morning.  Each time the deadline date was incorrect and it would not work on my PC.  I was just getting the Aww Snap page. 

Now as an additional thing, there was a notification on my PC that it was time to renew.

With Mondays email I thought will this now work they are back in the office, perhaps if this was an error they have fixed it.  

It worked on my phone.  I was about to enter PayPal details and I thought, wait a minute, try the PC again to be certain that this is what it should be and not some elaborate and clever scam to get all the information off my phone and drain my account!

On the PC it did not work and I know that scams are not usually elaborate or clever.

I even tried calling the number on the website, but that was not really Kaspersky, that was for Digital River acting on their behalf.  So they could not help me.  He kindly offered 50% off my renewal today, when I explained the situation, but I declined.  My reason ? I needed a moment to gather my thoughts and decide what I should do.  Obviously the Network Manager was consulted (quizzed extensively about what he thought was happening and whether he thought it was a scam and and and….)

There were several red flags up to this point.

The cost for the renewal was £59.99 less 70% so approximately  £16.50.  I can pick up a licence on Amazon for just a couple of quid more.  So its not even in the Too Good To Be True Category.

I honestly can’t say whether these emails were real or a scam.  But I do not want to take the chance.  I will wander round Amazon later today and purchase another licence and to heck with their spammy emails and renewal.  For a couple of quid it is just not worth it.

Turn off Remote Access

As a follow up to recent posts about phone scammers, here is a proactive way to protect yourself. 

If the scammers can’t get on to your pc in the first place then they can’t do the damage. It is highly unlikely that anyone legitimate will ask for remote access.

So for Windows 10 in the bottom left search box 

type “Remote Assistance” by the time you get to the A, it will be showing “Allow Remote Access to your computer”  It is important to get as far as the A, because it shows Remote Desktop and that is not what you are after.

Select the Remote Assistance option.

This shows the System Properties Window from a Windows 10 Home system

This shows the System Properties from a Windows 10 Pro system

Uncheck the tick box beside "Allow Remote Assistance Connections to this computer" and click Apply at the bottom of the windown and you are Done.

Again, tell your Nan or better yet do it for her.

Show your Mum and Dad and share it with everyone you know.

The remote access option is turned on by default in a new windows installation and that is what is making it easy for these scammers to carry out this despicable fraud that targets anyone. Let's at least try to make it harder for this scum to succeed.

The more people I speak to about this, the more I find have been caught out in some way. They dont care who you are, just what they can get out of you. 

Your Router has been compromised - SCAM

I posted this on social media today, but thought it worth repeating. 

I posted about this very thing on 11th May. 

I know I bang on about it but I’m just not getting through.
Scammers calling on the Phone.

A Client called me recently and had been caught with the “Your Router has been compromised” scam. He was caught for a large sum, straight from his bank account. And is currently in contact with The Fraud Squad.

Please remember, BT, Talk Talk, Virgin Media, Microsoft, Sky and other providers

Will NEVER call you.

If you get a phone call from someone saying they are from your phone or broadband provider, even a recorded message saying something there is something wrong with your PC, router or any related equipment put the phone down and don’t engage with them.

If you have any concerns call the number on your providers “contact us” page or call an expert you do trust to help you.

Tell your friends, tell your Nan, tell your parents, tell your Avon lady and your dog sitter!
Don’t let these scummy scammers get away with this.

Please share this - no, not copy and paste in some kind of tricky "see more than 25 of you friends" way. 

That's all for today.  I'm rebuilding a laptop.

Just a Moment... Blue Screen Windows 10 1803 installation

In this case, the answer was to use an older installation (1511) version of Windows 10.  If like me you have read extensively and rambling articles not all relevant to this issue I know how you feel and are just looking for the answer.  That was mine.

If you are interested here is the full story ....

There has been a pc in Lamas HQ this week, Core i7, 4th Generation with a Nvidia 980 Graphics card.  Not a spanking new system but old enough to be settled in.

Failed HDD.

So, I ordered a new HDD.  The existing one was a bit of a strange one.  3T Western Digital Green in a Gaming PC.  I asked if it had been upgraded but no it was the same HDD that was in there when they bought it.

I went to Amazon for a 3T WD blue, but ended up getting a 4T as the price difference was about £5!

My apprentice helped me to dismantle and install the new drive and then put he put the usb in to install Windows.

It all seemed to be installing correctly until it came to setting up the users. It did not ask for user names, it just said

Just a moment ...

With a Blue Screen, Sometimes the window filled the screen; sometimes it was just a windows in the centre of the screen or occasionally it had Network in the top centre.

If I did alt and tab, there was a Microsoft account window which was inaccessible but just "there".

I tried many different fixes, which didn't work.  I googled for more and they did not work either.

I'm not going to list all the things I tried because I would be here all day!

I was able to get a command prompt using Shift F10, but nothing I was able to do in the command line was able to help

Sometimes, it went to this as well...

This problem seems to have been around for a few years, but there are no answers to it and no explanation of the cause of it in any version that I could find.

Microsoft suggest a reset or a reinstallation (or something that needs a working windows environment), but never a "ooh this is what is wrong and here's how you fix it"   Reset or resinstallation are never going to work if you cannot install the operating software in the first place!

Everything about this problem was weird.

I had used the install USB to rescue and reinstall another laptop only a few days beforehand.  So there was apparently nothing wrong with the installation USB.

I had used a Linux mint installation running from USB to check that the other components were working.  I installed the full version to the HDD and got a working copy of Linux Mint booting from the disk not the USB.

What did this mean thou?

I attached the new HDD to a working system and, using the same windows 10 USB I was able to install Windows 10.

So I proved it was possible and that there was nothing wrong with the install USB and the new HDD was working and ok.

By this time the client PC was reduced to running Motherboard, processor, one stick of RAM and onboard, DVI graphics plus a Lamas USB mouse and USB keyboard, both which were nothing special, generic & taking no additional effort!

Well done if you have made it this far!

Windows can create its own installation media as long as the the PC creating the installation media has a valid licence. So recently, in a fit of  something like efficiency, I created a new install USB Windows 10 for 1803 to stop the need for all the updates!

This new version of installation media had worked on other systems but not on this one.

In a desperate effort, I decided to try older installation media.

1511 to be precise.

The installation worked fully right to the desktop and asked me to create not only a user but a password as well.

I was able to get to updates and updated to the most recent version (1803) of Windows so it was fully updated. Put back all the removed components of the PC.

Install anti virus

Update drivers

Install chrome

Finally return it to the client working.

Whilst, I have repaired the PC and got it back working, I'm still wondering why the more recent version didn't work and what was causing the error.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has the same problem and how they were able to fix it.


.

Call Blocker - more scams

I had one of those stupid, scammer calls about a call blocker yesterday.  They asked me if I wanted to stop getting marketing calls starting tomorrow (wow, sounds too good to be true!).  I try never to say the word Yes to these people, but I wondered what their angle was going to be. I kept asking "So you are going to give me a call blocker for nothing starting tomorrow."  Yes they told me. I tried asking they same question in several different ways but they were not going to change their script.  I eventually got bored and hung up.

They called back and I recognised the number and gave it to The Network Manager.  They wanted to talk to me and not him...hmm did they think I was the soft touch ... we already know its a scam, still trying to work out their angle. 

They called back this morning still wanting to speak to me, but got The Network Manager instead.  He spoke to them and this is what he said.

Decided to hear them out today to see how the scam works. First they say they work for the 'telephone preference' management'' and do you want to stop nuisance calls. Then they tell you your address details and ask you to confirm they are correct. 

Then they tell you the last time you registered with them the card you used had an expiration date of xxx/xxx and was that card still valid or did you have a new card to use. So there you have it, that's the scam. I got bored at that point and put the phone down.  

---

So that's the scam...getting your bank card details, "Social Engineering", They have all this info so therefore They must be somehow genuine and you will provide all your details  - NOT!!

Oh Really?

I know this is not a new thing, but I was interested to see what this was about,  what they were up to and how they were going to do it.  

phone call scams

Here at Lamas HQ we get some odd phone calls.

Including:

•  the usual Microsoft Technician calling because one of our PCs is infected, which receives either the hang up treatment or I will string them along to see how long I can keep them on the phone with no intention doing as they ask, thus stopping them call someone else.
   
• or will we do a survey and I promise NEVER to call you again (No, you won't, but 6 of the people you sell my details to will!) I did the survey once and gave some absolutely absurd answers.  I'm still getting calls for that name years later, showing that they do sell the details to others or they just don't stop,
• or my pet hate, the silent call or the hangup on voicemail, The other person has cleared - why phone me just to hang up on my voicemail?

None of these calls have been from anyone with any type of british accent. There is usually a long pause and then you hear call centre noises in the background

But I have been getting a new one (new to me, that is!)

A recorded message telling me that my Internet is compromised OH NO!

I should press 1 if my Internet is from BT or 2 if other and I will be connected with a technician straight away.  Our lines are not BT but I pressed 1 and told them in no uncertain terms to take me off their call database and will continue to do that.  

Yes, I know that will not make a single ounce of difference but it makes me feel better!  Or maybe next time I will play along and find out exactly what their game is!

Or maybe if our internet is as slow as it is today I should ask them to fix it!!

Edited to Add:  I have a client who was taken in by this scam.  Please be aware of it.  I know exactly what their game is and it is not funny.  These scammers took a considerable amount of money.  

We need to make more people aware of this.  

1803 update - WiFi Slow

The April Microsoft update is now available.  Update to version 1803.
I have now updated a couple of the Lamas HQ systems, including mine and the Network Managers'.

The systems I have updated so far have happened apparently successfully.  (fingers crossed or your superstition of choice!)

When I say successfully, I mean that the system has done the update and rebooted and then has gone on to work.  No reboot loop or blue screen equivalent, Automatic repair loop or such like.  There are different degrees of successful!

What I have noticed is that my laptop internet connection is slower than a slow thing going slowly.

A major update like this is usually followed by a Disk Clean-up and a driver update and maybe a malware, rootkit and full virus scan to just complete the job.

The Driver update, didn't make any difference.

I found a website that gave some ideas about post 1803 installation but it suggested installing a driver updater that a) gave me exactly one scan then started demanding money to go any further and b) is showing up on Malwarebytes as (Surprise!) a Potentially Unwanted Program!  So it was an Advert rather than an informational piece.

Malware scan found the PuP as above, and the brilliant and marvelous resources on  BlackViper detail the services required to run Windows 10 without any extraneous stuff.

It was still the same after the services check.

The Ethernet adapter works fine and is giving a realistic and proper speed.
An external wifi dongle, once installed and operational, gave a sensible wifi speed.

Lamas HQ systems have a third party security application installed, which includes both AV and Firewall.  So, the Windows Firewall is disabled.

It appears that disabling the Windows Defender Firewall was my error.  Once I changed the Windows Defender Firewall service from Disabled to Manual, my internal WiFi started working as it should giving more than 10mbps closer to 50!

Windows updates again

I recently received a text message from a friend -

Just using XXXs laptop. AV isn’t working. Its saying its snoozed so unprotected. Don’t know whats happened but do you know how to unsnooze it?  AV will not open via the desktop or settings.

I replied to this with my standard "reboot the system and report back" text.  Yep, the old “Turn it off and Turn it on again” routine that IT professionals have been relying on for years.

The reply she sent me a bit later was

 “THAT WORKED. FAB! Thanks xx”

Most of the issues seen recently here at Lamas HQ have been update related.

A Wifi not connecting properly or sound not working.  Minor annoyances which, on their own are not too terrible and may not always be either noticed or dealt with.  Over time this will lead to vulnerabilities.

Current Windows 10 systems are mostly laptops. 

How do you turn off your laptop?

Very often all I do is close the lid at the end of the day, which is not actually turning it off just sending it into hibernation or sleep or suspended (or whatever it is currently named)  Windows 10 does minor updates and these are not obvious until a full reboot is performed.

Perhaps the reason IT pros use the Turn it off and Turn it on again routine is because it still works more often than not and it also brings the system back to normal and allows Windows to sort itself out.  I have noticed that a lot of other service providers use the same thought process.  Freeview tv box, cable tv box, all the service calls all start with turn it off and unplug it for 30 seconds.  Now reboot. 

Windows cannot access Network Drive

We have a network drive and media Server at Lamas HQ and I have had some issues recently trying to access it through File Manager.

This is the error message:

I spoke to the Network Manager several times.  He always suggested rebooting my pc or rebooting the router.  Now this sometimes worked.  Other times it was just an exercise in futility ending in me getting extremely frustrated with things and not being able to access anything on the network.

We had a new QNAP server installed earlier in the year and we blamed it on that to some extent.  However, it was getting more and more frequent and more difficult to resolve.

All the Lamas HQ equipment is running Windows 10 fully up to date, patched and fully AV protected.

Turns out that was the reason for the failure to connect!

I did a Google Search on the error and found this explanation on the QNAP site.

The SMB v1 application that was available prior to the 1709 update, is now not available after the update and that is what is effectively, preventing connection through Windows File Manager.

The answer is to map the drive in File Manager and there should be no further issue.

Click on ThisPC in File manager and there are 2 options

The option Map the Network Drive does just that. The folder you specify is the one that it goes to.

In the example above if you were to map the Company Directory you will be able to see that drive and its content but not the Films or other same level directories.

You will be able to map the different top level directories but  each one will need to be done separately.

The other way to do it is to Add a Network Location.

Follow the onscreen directions and then you will be able to pin this to the quick menu.  This will however allow you to see the whole network drive and not just the mapped drive.

Windows 10 update 1709

Windows update 1709 has been hitting systems recently and in some cases hitting hard.

I am sitting in the workshop on a Saturday evening with not just one, but two systems on the workbench.  Pretty crowded in here at the moment, what with the laptop as well, but what were knees made for if not to perch ones laptop on!

One of the systems updated to 1709 and that was the last thing it did!!

The user account would not work and kept logging into a temporary account.

I backed up all the data and after several futile attempts to fix it without the nuclear option it I had to reset.  Not only that, the reset would only do the "clear everything including trash your data" option!

The second one that arrived on the bench today, was looking like it was going to be the same end result but fortunately, a restore of a previous registry backup worked.

It was presenting with a continuous Attempting Windows Startup Repair, and everything you try just takes you back to Attempting Windows Startup Repair!

This is an explanation and a how to - and as always much more eloquent than I would be.

Here is a You Tube video that gives a really good explanation

The other one I have seen recently is the 0x800706d9 error.

OH NO not the old 0x800706d9 error I hear you cry!

That one means that if you are using a 3rd party firewall you need to activate the deactivated Windows Firewall because it wont work without it.

Enable and start the Windows Firewall in Services, update Windows components, stop and disable the Windows Firewall.  Job done. (this was on the Network Managers Laptop and would have been a red alert if I could have been bothered to change the bulb!
However, I didn't deactivate the other firewall!  It seemed to work ok.)

If I get any further 1709 update errors I will add them and their end results here. 

Black Screen - Android -

The network manager and his devices are not having a particularly good week.

He dropped his (recently repaired) phone on the carpet yesterday.  The screen went black and would not respond to either the buttons or the now black and unresponsive touch screen. We knew it was working as it was vibrating. 

The issue was that the screen was not showing anything so it could not be powered off and on again, following the recognised and traditional IT Troubleshooting procedure and best practice.

The network manager also uses his phone as an alarm.  It starts sounding about 6.45 am.  This morning I came downstairs to the sound of the alarm going off quietly.  It had been wrapped in a tea towel and shoved down the side of the sofa in an attempt to “snooze” or at least quieten it down a bit.

It was at this point I pulled the back off and disconnected the battery. 

(This was not the greatest plan but at the time it was the only way to deal with it. This phone does not have an easily accessible battery.  Fortunately I had a the right sticker to put it back together again).

Later in the day, I took the sim and MicroSD card out and held down the power for a short period of time - about 45 seconds to a minute.  Then reconnected the battery, still not working, checked all the connections. Tried again. 

It worked. The phone either had a loose connection or just needed a random power cycle to fix it.    

It appears that it is a well known thing and is well documented on Google.

Google (FRP) Factory Reset Protocol

I will pretend that I’m not the only one who missed the memo about Googles Factory Reset Protection  and explain all about it.

It all began with The Network Manager and his trusty Hudl earlier in the week.  The Hudl was not charging, so having previous form with this kind of thing I ordered a new charging port for it. I fitted it and bingo, it still did not work.  There were more troubleshooting options, like a new battery, a hammer… but how far to take it.  

So He went off to Argos on Saturday  to get hisself a new tablet.  He had done some research along the lines of What about this one it’s a nice colour or this has got 21gigawatts of flux capacitor power or something like that, I lost interest after about number 75.

We are quite good here at Lamas HQ about passwords, we use password managers and other methods to remind us of passwords and are really quite reliable where passwords are concerned, so I was not overly concerned about the loss of any saved passwords stuck in the depths of the deceased hudl. 

New Tablet arrived amid some ooh shiney new tablet interest and then I went off to peel some spuds or re-tile the bathroom or something. 

He started with the obvious enter your google account details, but the account password was incorrect.  The current password was located and everything continued quietly for a while.  The password was not what I would call a strong one and was duly changed for a more complicated one as befits the level of security required.  This has subsequently been identified and ERROR No 1.

ERROR No 2 was allowing the upgrade of Android from 5.x.thing to 6.0 and 6.0.something else so closely after changing the password

When Android upgrades from one version to another it effectively resets the device.  This means that the Google Account information needs to be input again.  However, if the password has been changed within the last 72 hours it locks the account until the password has been changed for 72 hours rendering the device unusable until that time is up. 

This account protection has been around since at least July 2015 and I have read most of a community support thread spanning some 20 or so months, which contained many many voices saying the same thing,”what on earth has happened and why can’t I access MY device” to paraphrase!  It is to stop Tablets and phones being stolen, reset and sold on, but its a pain in the bum if you are not aware of it.

So :

• If you buy a second hand android device that has not had the previous google account removed, it will be useless.
• Try not to reset/upgrade your device and your google password in the same week.

• Make sure you keep a record of the original account details for your android device.
• If you have to perform a reset on your phone delete the google account from the device.

It appears that in the Network Managers  case the Google FRP only held the account up for 24 hours.  I tried to log in the following afternoon 20 hours post password change and it didn’t work.  At 25 hours post password change it did in fact login and continue the setup as normal.  

Top Antivirus and Security

I get asked a lot by friends and clients what Anti Virus application should they use.  I have a preference - one that works!

I read an article recently in PC Pro Magazine which tested the different AV packages.

The top 2 were Kaspersky and Avast.

Kaspersky is a subscription. Avast is available for free.

Yesterday I was asked the question about AVs by a friend, whose subscription was due for renewal in January at a cost of GBP80.00. She decided that it was more cost effective to change to different package!

I checked on the current prices for her.

Argos are currently the cheapest for Kaspersky,

The other option I mention to anyone who enquires is a lot of the ISPs include a security package.  Virgin Media offer F-Secure, BT and Sky offer a security package powered by McAfee,

PC Pro also offer trial subscriptions in their magazine to some of the Security packages for 3 or 6 months,  These are sometimes useful if you are unsure whether a certain security solution will work for you, without making a financial commitment.  I have tried some of the options and found that they were good, but were not what I was looking for.