So in this article we are gonna tell you the 5 best free games for windows 10 that are actually fun to play. So take a look at the article to find out which are the best free games for windows 10 and choose the one for yourself. This article is published by Questionsgems. One of the best website to answer all of your questions. I hope you like it.

1. Age of Empires: Castle Siege

When we talk about free games for windows 10 then Age of Empires: Castle Siege comes first in our mind. This is a massively multiplayer game that features tower defense mechanism/genre. The goal of this game is to build yourself an empire and fulfill its needs and aid it in every possible way to make it one of the best kingdom, and not to forget the players will also be required to maximize their defense and attack capabilities.

Player will have to produce more and more resources which will be used to train the army and upgrade the buildings. Your resources and army will help you to attack other players’ empires so that you can loot their resources too. The best thing about this game is it’s multiplayer and you will be fighting off other online players. You can also make alliances with other players so that you can get help in wars or supply each other some resources.

2. Asphalt 8: Airborne

There is another better than a racing game and that is why we have bought you Asphalt8: airborne. As you know Asphalt is one of the most loved racing series and being it’s 8th installment it surely impress the racing lovers. The fact that you can play it for free on windows 10 makes it more appealing.

The game is available in both single-player or multiplayer mode, so you can either go for racing off against AI or challenge other online players to have a face-off. The controls are super smooth and you will also like the sound and visual graphics. Overall you will enjoy this free racing video game on windows 10!

3. Tiny Troopers 2: Special Ops

If you are into military games then Tiny Troopers 2: Special Ops should be your first choice for free games on windows 10. The game will definitely impress you with its amazing gameplay that features little forces but don’t go on their size as they are highly strong and you will need to have better skills to control them.

The game is full of military weapons and you will get to recruit medics and paramilitary commandos as need by your armed forces. Get this game now and enjoy some war fun!

4. Order and chaos 2: redemption

The next game in our list of best free games for windows 10 is Order and Chaos 2: Redemption. It is an online multiplayer role-playing game which takes you to the fantasy world. The game features almost 1000 quests which you will babe to complete. It’s a perfect game for killing time!

5. Call of Duty: Heroes

This might one of the best free games for windows 10 on our list and it’s definitely one of the most popular game. It’s a strategic game where you fight off the enemies and your only goal would be a victory.

So these are the best free games for windows 10 that you should not miss out on. Also we have minion sayings to make you laugh. So read out and be happy.

The post Top 5 Free Games For Windows 10 Should Play in 2020 appeared first on WebKu.

Last August, I noticed the free upgrade offer seemed to still be available and I wrote a short blog post about it. Throughout the month of August, some users were still getting notifications to upgrade for free, while others saw them disappear altogether. Eleven months have passed since the free upgrade ended; in fact, we are approaching the second anniversary of Windows 10 upgrade.

To those of you who are coming late to the party and still want a free upgrade: where’ve you been all this time? Anyway, whatever your reasons, let’s see how we can get you a free copy of Windows 10 now that the free upgrade ship has officially sailed.

How You Can Still Get a Free Upgrade to Windows 10

According to some participants on Microsoft’s Community forums, Microsoft might be forgiving to those who skipped on the upgrade. It seems you can get a second chance to upgrade to Windows 10 by simply contacting support. A Microsoft MVP responded to a participant inquiring about getting Windows 10 for free and this is what he said:

Contact MS support to request a free upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10. The support agent will provide you with an exception link to allow the free upgrade to Windows 10. Source

Procrastinators can breath a sigh of relief. A reply from a community forum participant, Martmcd, confirmed in a chat session with a Microsoft Answer Desk agent; the Windows 10 Free Upgrade Offer has been extended for 2 more weeks. The free upgrade launched on July 29, 2015, provides a full version Windows 10 upgrade for PC and devices running a qualifying, genuine, activated Windows 7 or Windows 8 license. The free upgrade was scheduled to last for one year. This week many users started scrambling at the last minute to grab the upgrade. Users who started the upgrade began hitting a widespread 99% hang using the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant. Microsoft Forum Moderators reassured users who started the upgrade before the deadline, could contact chat support to get a reprieve.

Aside from that, you may also still be eligible for a free Windows 10 upgrade if you use Assistive Technologies. Assistive Technologies users could be broadly defined as users with a particular impairment or disability using third party software or hardware. There is no verification process for users who qualify for the Assistive Technologies upgrade. We actually mentioned this in a forum blog post last year; the option remains open and anyone it seems can use it to still snag a free copy. Of course, we urge you not to abuse this offer from Microsoft and to only exercise this option if you rely on Assistive Technologies.

If you are not interested in going through any support obstacles or loopholes, I discovered that you can upgrade without purchasing a license at all. You are probably wondering, “Well, why didn’t you just say so from the beginning?” Well, I could have, but I just wanted to provide all the options for users who wanted to go through official channels.

So, are there any legal challenges related to this? Microsoft did say the free offer ended in July of 2016. It seems that was more of a formality or possibly marketing mumbo jumbo to create a sense of urgency.

We have important information for those who want the August 2nd release of Windows 10 Anniversary Update today!

Download Windows 10 Pro Anniversary Update Build 14393.5 ISO (US ENGLISH 64-BIT)
Code:
CRC32: 790CDB93
MD5: F19FF1C27459BB44B4063F0B1AAE2A05
SHA-1: A5928F2BCB57856B7233AA726B89603108A24413

Filename: en_windows10_pro_14393_x64_dvd.iso
Filesize: 3.10 GB (3,333,619,712 bytes)
Windows 10 Pro
US English 64-bit

Download Windows 10 Pro Anniversary Update Build 14393.5 ISO (UK ENGLISH 64-BIT)
Code:
CRC32: 9CE96E65
MD5: 5FA38DE257F600ED94910C96B95D31CC
SHA-1: 5029542D63B3FD0446437912D390BDB1D40AD672

Filename: en-gb_windows_10_pro_14393_x64_dvd.iso
Filesize: 2.99 GB (3,214,737,408 bytes)
Windows 10 Pro
UK English 64-bit

Download Windows 10 (All Editions) Anniversary Update Build 14393.5 ISO (64-BIT)
Code:
CRC32: 38C5494A
MD5: 797FA7D17FA0EA1539C18CFEE321FF5F
SHA-1: 1E5BB666E4F81D10F065A9BD2C1B861997764706

Filename: en_windows10_all_14393_x64_dvd
Filesize: 3.32 GB (3,568,828,416 bytes)
Windows 10 Home (Single Language License)
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Professional for Education
Windows 10 Education (Retail)
Windows 10 Education (Volume License Key)
I decided to test this out by first restoring my HP Elitebooks factory Windows 7 image. I also tried it out on my HP desktop with Windows 8.0 (you read right, Windows 8.0, not 8.1 or 8.1 with Update 1). During this experiment, the first thing I discovered is your Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 license must be activated. If it’s not, Windows 10 setup is going to prompt you for a product key.

You can’t use a Windows 7 or Windows 8 key if you are upgrading. What you can do though is activate it using a Windows 7 or Windows 8 key after setup is complete; if you choose to perform a clean install. If it’s activated, then setup doesn’t prompt you. That’s it, you can upgrade without any further hindrance. There you go, my system upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10 in 2017 for free. Check out the video below.

Editor’s Note: I’ve also done this a ton of times using my Windows 8 Pro license key that came with my installation DVD. The way I see it: I did take Microsoft up on its offer to upgrade for free when it was available. But every now and then, I like to do a clean Windows install. It makes sense that I should still be able to use the original license key that I paid for to get back to where I was before my reinstall.

What if my system is not activated?

If your Windows 7 or Windows 8 license is not activated and you are not interested in purchasing a license, then your options are limited. You do have some options though. Microsoft offers a 90 day trial of its Windows 10 Enterprise edition. Windows 10 Enterprise is normally distributed under Microsoft’s volume license program for large organizations that deploy Windows 10 in bulk. It’s a full-featured edition of the operating system but in this case, it’s really an evaluation version of the software. Users must register before they can download and install the software. This option is perfect for those users who are running Windows Vista or never had a genuine license, to begin with.

One workaround users can use to extend the usage of the Windows 10 Enterprise trial is to join the Windows Insider Preview Program. Be advised, when you sign up for Windows 10 Insider Previews, you are electing to download, install and use pre-release software still under heavy development. The risk is indeed high as evidenced by a recent unintended delivery of internal rough edge builds not even intended for users interested in bleeding edge.

The job of a Windows Insider never ends, but thats the fun reality of being one. While the vast majority of the general population of computer users will be experiencing the Windows 10 Creators Update for the first time, on April 11th, millions of Windows Insiders will be preping their devices for the next revision. The next version of Windows 10 that follows the Creators Update is rumored to be called Redstone 3 or RS3. Anything can change, but for now, we will go with that. Here is a list of previous codenames used for Windows 10:

• Windows 10 1507 – Threshold
• Windows 10 1511 – Threshold 2
• Windows 10 1607 – Redstone
• Windows 10 1703 – Redstone 3

Microsoft’s Dona Sarkar, Software Engineer within the Windows Devices Group, announced on the Windows Blog today, Insiders should prepare for the next cycle. The announcement lets users know that the next revision of Windows 10 won’t be feature rich initially, as the engineers will need time to optimize the software code so developers can prepare to build new features on top. It is likely these early builds will be a bit buggy too, so, if you prefer waiting a bit, you can do so by pausing Windows Insider Updates until the code stabilizes.

Now comes our standard warning that these new builds from our Development Branch may include more bugs and other issues that could be slightly more painful for some people to live with. So, if this makes you uncomfortable, you can change your ring by going to Settings > Update & security > Windows Insider Program and moving to the Slow or Release Preview rings for more stable builds.

Additionally, if you are an Windows Insider who wants to stay on the Windows 10 Creators Update – you will need to go to Settings > Update & security > Windows Insider Program and press the “Stop Insider Preview builds” button.

Users do have the recovery options like rolling back within 10 days of upgrading – that is if you can boot the system. Regular backups such as creating system images, or storing files on OneDrive should make it safe enough to use Windows 10 Insider builds while getting a free copy of the software. But, again, use it at your own risk.

For users who already have an installed, activated copy of Windows 10, but would like a second copy setup maybe for compatibility purposes on a second drive or partition, there is a loophole available. I discovered that if you already installed and activated Windows 10 with a Digital License, you can do exactly that. Just install a second copy and it will activate without even asking questions. Previously, additional installations even on the same hardware required the purchase of an additional license in order to activate. The End User License Terms still says you do, but apparently, it is not enforced – for now.

The free upgrade situation is a bit ironic, and I mean that the same way Alanis Morisette meant it: not actually ironic, but rather unfortunate for a few individuals. Microsoft has been pushing a deadline for an entire year and I am sure many users with eligible Windows 7 and Windows 8 licenses ended up buying a full Windows 10 license – when technically, they already paid.

Anyway, those are the options still available if you still want to upgrade, let us know what you think. We are also interested to hear from the Windows Vista, 7, or 8 holdouts: what changed your mind after so long?

The post Can You Still Get Windows 10 for Free? Windows 10 Free Upgrade appeared first on WebKu.

In any case, when Windows 10 gives you a black screen and no error message, the only way to identify and resolve the issue is a good ol’ methodical troubleshooting. Let’s walk through it together.

Resolving Black Screens During or After Windows 10 Installation

Black screens are sometimes encountered when you install Windows 10 for the first time. This may happen during the Windows 10 install process or just after the Windows setup is complete. There are a few potential causes.

Probable cause: Setup is still in progress. If you have a large personal data file set that you are migrating from a previous Windows installation, the Windows 10 setup process could take several hours.

Possible solution: Observe the hard drive activity LED closely to determine if the computer is still working. If the LED is still blinking, it means setup is probably still busy working on sorting through your files and determining what to move and what to keep. This is a good sign, which means you should wait a bit more. If setup goes beyond 2 to 7 hours, then the setup may be stuck.

Probable cause: Setup is stuck. For whatever reason, the setup process is hung up on something and can’t proceed further.

Possible solution: Power down your computer completely and try again. Follow these steps:

1. Power down the computer completely. If it won’t shut down, hold the power button for 5 to 10 seconds until it shuts down.
2. Disconnect from the internet by unplugging the Ethernet cable or switching off the wireless adapter (if possible). See this post for more information on disabling LAN connections before a Windows 10 setup.
3. Disconnect all unnecessary peripherals from the PC. Remove external hard drives, game controllers, phone chargers—pretty much everything but the keyboard and mouse.
4. Remove power from your computer. Disconnect the power cord from the outlet. If it’s a laptop, remove the battery, too. Wait at least 30 seconds before plugging your computer back in. (Note: If you have the time to spare, leave the computer unplugged for up to an hour.  This will help if your computer started to get overheated.)
5. Connect the system to power again, but leave the internet disconnected. Power on the computer.
6. Hopefully, Windows will try to resume or restart the Windows 10 setup process.
7. If the installation completes normally and you get to a Windows desktop with a Start menu and everything, go ahead and reconnect to the internet to finishing downloading and applying updates.
8. If the setup rolls back to your previous version of Windows, then try upgrading manually using the Media Creation Tool or a ISO file.

Probable cause: Black screen is caused by a device driver or hardware performance issue.

Possible solution: Try booting into Safe Mode. See the section below on How to Use Safe Mode to Troubleshoot Black Screens.

Fixing Black Screens During Windows Out-of-Box-Experience

The OOBE is the Windows Out-of-Box-Experience, and it’s not unlike an out-of-body experience. It’s a weird transitionary phase where magical things happen but things aren’t all there yet.

If you get a black screen during the OOBE, there are a few things you can try.

Probable cause: Video output is being routed to a different display adapter or a different output (e.g. HDMI-to-DVI or DisplayPort-to-VGA). Sometimes, the display configuration that you had in your previous Windows installation doesn’t carry over properly to Windows 10.

Possible solution: Try physically disconnecting the video cable from one adapter or output and trying another.

• If you have a spare monitor, you can try connecting to that instead.
• If you normally connect to a discrete graphics card, but your computer has an onboard graphics adapter, switch to it instead. You can always update the driver after setup is complete for your discrete card through Windows Update or the manufacturer’s website.
• If you are using a television set, check to make sure it is turned on and set to the input for the computer; video output may be going to the TV.

Probable cause: Video output is being sent to wrong display. If you have multiple displays connected, Windows setup can sometimes get confused.

Possible solution: Try projecting output to another monitor by pressing Windows key + P then choosing the appropriate option.

How to Fix Random Black Screens: Advanced Troubleshooting Options to Try

And then there are the black screens that happen out of the blue. Windows 10 new servicing model (i.e. endless patches and updates) means that Windows updates, patches, security fixes, and driver updates are often downloaded in the background and installed at night completely unbeknownst to you. If you want to manage which Windows updates get installed and when, you can, but if one has already snuck past you and given you a black screen, try booting in Safe Mode.

A corrupt user profile can sometimes trigger a black screen. Attempting to boot into Safe Mode, create a new user account, then attempting to sign into it might work.

The RunOnce Processes can also be a culprit. If you all see is a black screen after logging in, press Control + Shift + Esc on your keyboard; this will launch Task Manager. Go to the Processes and Services tab, then look for any instances of RunOnce32.exe or RunOnce.exe. If you find any that are running, stop the process, cancel the application, or end the service.

Click File > Run new task, type cmd then hit Enter. At the command prompt, type:

shutdown -r -t 01

Then, hit Enter. This will restart your computer.

How to Use Safe Mode to Troubleshoot Black Screens

Booting into Safe Mode can be used to troubleshoot random black screens or black screens encountered during a Windows 10 install.

To get into Safe Mode, do the following:

Turn your computer on and off three times.  While booting, make sure you turn off the computer when you see the Windows logo. After the third time, Windows 10 will boot into diagnostics mode. Click Advanced options when the recovery screen appears.

Click Troubleshoot.

Click Advanced options.

Click Startup Settings.

Click Restart.

Press the number 4. This will start Windows 10 in Safe Mode.

Sign in, press Windows key + X, click Device Manager, expand Display Adapter, right-click the display driver then click Disable. Restart your computer to see if setup completes successfully or you can boot to the desktop. If you can reach the desktop, check Windows Update or the manufacturer’s website for the latest driver.

Still Having Black Screen Issues?

Windows 10 black screen issues can be persistent and mysterious. If you’ve gone through all of the troubleshooting steps above and you are still having issues, your next step is to throw it out to the community.

The post Solved Black Screen in Windows 10 appeared first on WebKu.

1. Could it Be a Monitor Issue?

It’s easy to conflate Windows not starting with your monitor not switching on. A telltale sign that it’s your monitor causing the issue is when, after booting, you hear your Windows intro jingle play but there’s no picture (on the other hand, you might not have a jingle, in which case it’s harder to tell).

To see if it’s actually your monitor causing problems, switch on your PC, then at around the time when you reckon Windows should have loaded, try pressing Win + P twice, then three times if that fails, to see if the picture comes on. It’s possible that your monitor was outputting to the wrong – or even non-existent display – and this keyboard shortcut could fix the issue.

If you believe your issue could be monitor-related, then we have a whole bunch more fixes for what to do when your screen doesn’t turn on in Windows 10.

2. Check Your Motherboard Connections

If you’re getting a completely blank screen when Windows tries to start, then – if you’re reasonably confident – it may be worth taking a look inside to make sure that all the hardware is slotted in as it should be. Here are the main components you should be looking at.

• Memory/RAM: RAM comes in the form of thin little sticks, which can be easily dislodged if you’ve knocked your computer around. Modern laptops usually hold the RAM in a bay on the underside, which means you don’t have to open the entire thing to take a look. Open your RAM bay (or PC tower), take the RAM out, and slot it back in to make sure it’s well connected.
• OS Hard Drive: Another possibility is that your main Windows hard drive has disconnected from the motherboard (or the power supply). Press the SATA cables in firmly, and make sure it’s also connected to your PSU.
• PCI-E Cards: It’s less likely – but still possible – that a disconnected GPU or other PCI-Express device may be causing Windows to fire a blank. Make sure it’s all properly connected.

3. Repair Windows 10 Startup

Windows 10 comes with a built-in startup repair option that can scan and repair missing or damaged startup system files. To access it, you’ll need to have either the Windows 10 installation disc or flash drive handy (you can use a friend’s disk/drive, or create your own through Microsoft’s website). Alternatively, you can follow our guide to create a Windows 10 recovery drive. Both of the solutions lead to the same place.

Once you have your recovery media, insert it into your PC, then reboot your PC and it should boot straight to the recovery media (if not, you should get the option to select the recovery drive as your PC is booting). Click “Next” on the Windows Setup screen, then “Repair your computer”.

This will open Boot options where you can troubleshoot many Windows problems. Go to “Troubleshoot -> Advanced options -> Startup Repair”. When you click “Startup Repair” Windows will restart and scan your PC for any system files it can fix (Microsoft account authentication may be required). If it finds a problem, it will automatically fix it.

4. Check External Flash Drives and Disks

There is a chance your Windows may be set to prioritize starting from an external drive and you have a USB drive attached or a disc inserted. If such external storage device is attached, Windows may try to boot from it but fail due to not having the right device attached containing the recovery files. Remove all external storage devices before starting Windows and see if it helps.

5. Windows Boot Record Errors

Boot Record errors are a major cause of Windows not starting, but fortunately they can be easily fixed using some Command prompt commands. You can refer to this guide to solve Boot Record errors.

6. Use Safe Mode to Solve the Problem

Whenever I face any Windows problem that makes the OS inoperable, the first thing I do is access Safe Mode. Safe Mode can answer a lot of questions quickly and also make it easier to solve them. In Safe Mode Windows starts with minimum required drivers and only the necessary startup system files, so a faulty file, program or driver will most probably not load in this mode, which makes it easier to identify and solve the problem.

Although there are many ways to access Safe Mode, now that Windows 10 is not booting at all, we have limited options. If you have restarted Windows multiple times and it has failed, then Windows will automatically open Boot options. If for some reason it doesn’t give you that option (very rare), then you can do one of two things.

1. Restart the PC and as soon as Windows 10 tries to load; remove the power supply or press and hold the Power button to force shutdown. Repeat this process three to four times, and Windows should automatically load the Boot options.

2. Otherwise you can try pressing the F8 key repeatedly while Windows tries to start and see if it loads the Boot options. Most probably this will not work in Windows 8/10, as the boot time is too fast, but on slower machines it may still work.

In Boot options go to “Troubleshoot -> Advanced options -> Startup Settings -> Restart.” Once the PC restarts, you can choose Safe Mode from the list using the numeric key 4.

Once you are in Safe mode, you can follow the guide here to troubleshoot your Windows problem. Listed here are possible things you can do in Safe Mode to solve Windows problems (including the Window won’t boot problem).

Last Resort

If for some reason nothing helps you, and you are sure that you will have to do a clean Windows 10 install and lose all the data in the process, then there is still hope to save at least some of your data.

You can boot to a Windows 10 installation or recovery disc (which we outlined at the top of this article), then when it boots, select “Troubleshoot -> Reset this PC -> Keep my files”. This will back up and save all files, documents, pictures and so on kept under the user profiles in Windows 10 (and the profiles themselves). Third-party programs, games and so on, will be removed.

Are You Inside Now?

After going through all the above options, you should be inside Windows. If repairing the startup or solving boot record errors don’t help, then restoring or resetting the PC will probably solve the problem, and you can do that from both the Boot menu and the Safe Mode. Although, these options can lead to deleting some of the recent data, but at least you will be inside Windows 10.

Do let us know in the comments which one of these solutions worked for you or if you know any other solutions to solve the Windows 10 not starting problem.

The post Solved What You Should Do If Windows 10 Fails to Start appeared first on WebKu.

Your hard drive is the soul of your PC, the place where all your most important data is stored. While most PC components can be replaced, the invaluable data on your hard drive can’t if you haven’t created a backup. For this reason, ensuring your hard drive stays healthy is crucial (anyone get the dull hard drive-related pun?).

Worried About Your Hard Disk? Here Are 4 Ways to Check Hard Disk Health on Windows, In this article we guide you to check your heard disk health.

There are various ways to check on your hard drive health – from built-in methods in Windows to your HDD manufacturer’s diagnostic tools, and we’re going to talk you through the best methods.

1. Use The HDD Manufacturer’s Tools

Most major hard drive manufacturers provide free robust tools to monitor your hard drive health and performance. The first step to knowing which one to use is, of course, knowing the make of your hard drive.

If you know the make of your hard drive, you can skip this part. If you don’t, press the Win key, type “device manager” and click it when it appears in the search results.

In Device Manager unstack the “Disk drives” option and make a note of the model number of your hard drive. Next, type the model number into Google to bring up results that will show you the make of the hard drive.

After that, go to the manufacturer’s support page and search for their hard drive utility. To help you out, here are links to the relevant download pages of some of the biggest hard drive brands:

• Western Digital
• Seagate
• Samsung
• Adata

Each of these tools functions a little differently, but most importantly, each one has diagnostic features that let you test your hard drive health.

2. Windows CHKDSK Tool

Windows CHKDSK Tool is a built-in Windows tool that will scan your disk to find system errors and bad sectors and show if there are any problems with your hard disk. It will both scan and fix problems it can fix and will let you know if there is a bigger problem that it can’t fix. You can use this tool to both check hard disk health and fix bad sectors and errors if possible.

To use CHKDSK, right-click on the drive which you would like to check for errors, and select “Properties.” Then click on the “Tools” tab, and then click on the “Check now” button.

A dialog will open up with two options to fix errors and scan for bad sectors. You can select these options if you want to fix errors and bad sectors; otherwise you can just click on “Start” to get a basic report of hard disk problems (if there are any).

This tool is very basic and focuses on finding system errors and bad sectors. It will just let you know if there are any big problems and nothing more, so only use it as a basic hard disk checking and fixing tool.

3. Use WMIC

WMIC is a command-line interface that lets you perform many administrative tasks, including checking hard disk health. It uses the S.M.A.R.T (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) feature of hard disks to see status and provide a simple conclusion, like “OK” or “Pred Fail,” etc. It is still a very basic command that offers very little information, but it is quick and a built-in feature of Windows.

To check a hard disk with WMIC, press the Win + R buttons to open the Run dialog. Type cmd and click “OK” to open the Windows command prompt.

Type

wmic

and hit Enter. When the WMI interface is ready, type

diskdrive get status

and press Enter again. You will see the status of your hard disk after a short delay.

4. Use a Third-Party Hard Disk Health Checking Tool

You can also use a third-party hard disk health checking tool that will offer much more information than just good or bad status. These tools use the same “S.M.A.R.T” feature of hard disks to fetch data, just like WMIC. However, they provide all the details to you, instead of just showing good or bad status.

CrystalDiskInfo

For this purpose, CrystalDiskInfo is a really simple, yet powerful, tool. It is a free-to-use tool that is extremely light and offers all the required information, such as temperature, health status, hard disk type and features, and other attributes like read/write error rate and spin-up time, etc.

The standard tool comes as a 4 MB .exe file, and its installer contains ads, so make sure you use the “Custom Installer” option and uncheck the side tool (ad). Once installed, all you need to do is launch the program, and you will see all the information about your hard disk(s) in the main interface. The tool will also check the hard disk health after every 10 minutes (by default) and alert you if there is anything wrong.

There are also other third-party hard disk health-checking tools like Hard Disk Sentinel and HDDScan. These are much more advanced with loads of extra features, but for an average user CrystalDiskInfo should work perfectly.

Conclusion

You can use the above-mentioned tools to check hard disk health in your Windows PC. If you don’t need extra details, then the Windows built-in tools should work great. Otherwise, it is recommended to download a third-party hard disk health checking tool.

The post Check Hard Disk Health on Windows 10 appeared first on WebKu.

Here are six projects that bring Android to your desktop.

. MEmu

MEmu is one of the best-functioning and best-adapted apps that lets you run Android on Windows 10. Designed with gaming in mind, MEmu does a great job of integrating PC keyboard-and-mouse controls and gamepads into its build of Android, and response times are equally impressive.

It has a ton of functionality, making it easy to sideload apps and games, and a forced minimum window size ensures that the window never becomes so small as to be unusable. The latest version of MEmu lets you run multiple instances of Android simultaneously, so you can play different games on the same account or instances of the same game through different accounts.

Some people may be put off by the advertising, but it’s a small price to pay for one of the smoothest Android emulators out there.

2. GenyMotion

GenyMotion is an Android Virtual Device that runs on Oracle’s VirtualBox software. If what you want is an adoption of the Android OS in its original form, then this is the solution for you.

The features of GenyMotion remain its best perks. It comes packed with over 3,000 different configurations for Android. Also, if you prefer to switch between different screen sizes and resolutions, then you are in for a treat.

Other mobile features such as Wi-Fi, GPS and multi-touch are fully supported.

GenyMotion supports full Android on PC application testing and development. It’s also optimized for speed.

GenyMotion is free for personal use but comes with a paid plan for commercial use.

3. Android Studio’s Android Emulator

This one from Google is another powerful Android-to-PC solution. Like GenyMotion, the Android Emulator operates on a layer inside your PC. It is the native solution from Google for running Android devices on PC, and it does it pretty well.

To get the Android Virtual Device, you’ll need to install Android Studio first and then run the Virtual Device from the app.

One advantage of this solution is that it supports links to Google’s Android development, so you can be pretty sure it’s not going anywhere soon. Another big win is that it supports Intel Hardware Acceleration technology (HAXM). This improves the speed of the OS to an almost native feel.

Internet, Wi-Fi, multi-touch, an accelerometer, and many more features come packed in this OS, so you can be sure that you won’t run out of options while using it. Android Emulator is free to use.

4. BlueStacks

BlueStacks is one of the old-time favorites for running Android OS on PC. It is built on native Android, so it is capable of supporting the millions of apps on Google Play. And you can access Play from inside the app.

Unlike GenyMotion and Android Virtual Device, BlueStacks is an application. However, it’s still a virtual machine at its core, so you don’t need to install any other helper application. Just download and run the app. The good thing about BlueStacks is that it is optimized for gaming on your desktop. This means you can play popular games like Final Fantasy X, Clash of Clans, FIFA soccer and PUBG mobile.

The latest version, BlueStacks 3, comes preloaded with optimizations for gaming experiences. Users who love running Android games on their PC are in for a smooth experience. The good news is that it runs on Android Nougat, too.

5. Android X86.org Android on PC

This Android-x86 OS leverages the power of the open source community to deliver on its promise. It is a full-featured Android on PC, designed to run independently on PC. It requires VirtualBox to be installed and running on your PC, though.

The OS is on Android 5.1 (Lollipop), which is quite behind. However, it is one of the most stable OS available to run Android apps on PC. The open source community touts it as the most stable solution available.

The designers of this app chose to use a wide-screen user interface on this OS, so it feels like using an Android tablet with a keyboard. Another advantage is that it comes installed with Google Play and with clean Android UI. There is no bloatware to clog up space.

If what you seek is a reliable Android-on-PC solution that doesn’t crash often, then this is for you.

6. Anbox

Anbox, or Android in a Box, is an open-source Android-to-PC project. The Apache and GPLv3 license covers this project.

Anbox runs its Android kernel in a Linux subsystem sandbox. This project doesn’t have emulation layers, so it does not virtualize your hardware. This feature makes it run fast.

The project integrates with the host OS to give users a feature-rich experience. And it works on both mobile devices and laptops.

The downside of the Anbox project is that it doesn’t run on Fedora/CentOs Linux distribution. It works only on Ubuntu and Debian.

You can install third-party apps using an Android Debug Bridge (ADB). Anbox doesn’t support Google Play and has no built-in app store.

7. Bliss OS

Another contender for the top spot is Bliss OS. Started as an open source project, this OS has morphed to become one of the best Android OS available. It is also a true multitasking workhorse.

Bliss OS seeks to be a full-featured Android-on-PC OS and comes with an installer package for dual-booting. This means you should expect to run Bliss as a standalone OS for Android.

It also comes pre-installed with Google Play, so you can access all apps on your PC at will. Unlike some other projects, it is a lot more stable. There are a few crashes but nothing that affects your use.

To Wrap It Up

Running Android on PC is no longer a pipe dream. The seven solutions above are capable of turning your Android OS into a full-featured PC OS. Each solution is suited for different uses. No matter what your particular needs are, there’s something for everyone.

The post Run Android Apps on Windows 10 appeared first on WebKu.

Stop computer from automatically locking Windows 10

If your PC is getting locked automatically, then you need to disable the lock screen from appearing automatically, by following these suggestions for Windows 10:

1. Disable or Change Lock Screen timeout settings
2. Disable Dynamic Lock
3. Disable Blank Screensaver
4. Change System unattended sleep timeout

These tips might sound too naive, but trust me, sometimes these small settings, especially those default values, create more problems.

1. Disable or Change Lock Screen timeout settings

You need to disable the Lock Screen. You can use our Ultimate Windows Tweaker to do it with a click! You will find the setting to Disable Lock Screen under Customization > Modern UI > Lock Screen.

If you do not want to disable it, check the sleep timeout settings, screen timeout settings, screensaver, and so on. These are the basic settings that you should check.

2. Disable Dynamic Lock

Apart from using PIN or Password, you can also use Dynamic lock. It is useful for those who keep forgetting locking the device. Dynamic lock uses Bluetooth devices. Every time the Bluetooth device is out of range, the computer is locked. So make sure the device is nearby or uncheck the option which says, “Allow Windows to lock your device when you’re away automatically.”

3] Disable Blank Screensaver

If you use a screensaver, ensure that it’s not set as blank. The problem is that you will never know that a screensaver is running.

• Type Screensaver in the Search bar
• Click on Change Screensaver
• In the dropdown, check if it is set to blank.
• If yes, change it to None.

Press Apply and exit.

4. Change System unattended sleep timeout

Available under Power Settings, the System unattended sleep timeout setting is the idle timeout before the system returns to low power sleep state. The default time is set to 2 minutes for both, i.e., when running on batteries and plugged.  Change it to a higher value, so that the PC doesn’t get into Sleep mode too quickly.

If the setting doesn’t appear in Power Settings, you can manually add it using PowerShell and Registry

PowerShell method

Use Win + X and then select PowerShell(admin)

Type the following and hit Enter:

powercfg -attributes SUB_SLEEP 7bc4a2f9-d8fc-4469-b07b-33eb785aaca0 -ATTRIB_HIDE

Exit and check.

Registry method

Open Registry Editor and navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\238C9FA8-0AAD-41ED-83F4-97BE242C8F20\7bc4a2f9-d8fc-4469-b07b-33eb785aaca0

Change the value of the “Attributes” key from 1 to 2. This will enable the System unattended sleep timeout in the Power Options.

Now you can change this setting.

We hope these tips were useful enough for you to resolve the problem where your Windows 10 PC keeps getting locked automatically.

The post Stop Computer from Locking Windows 10 Automatically appeared first on WebKu.

Why is UAC important?

UAC or User Account Control setting makes sure that no program can run with admin privileges unless allowed by the user. It prevents potentially harmful programs from making changes to your computer. It is best to keep this setting to default and not make any changes unless extremely necessary.

Remove the blue & yellow shield from an icon

The blue and yellow shield is an Icon Overlay. If you wish to remove it, try our suggestions – one is sure to help you:

1. Reinstall application and set Compatibility
2. Change UAC Level
3. Use NirCMD to remove shield but keep UAC
4. Bypass UAC for these programs.

Once you have done this, you may need to clear the Icons cache.

1. Reinstall application and set Compatibility

The application icon on which you notice these shields are usually shortcuts. They are to signify that UAC prompt will appear every time you run the application.

• First, uninstall the application, and then reinstall it. Make sure not to run the application unless the rest of the steps are complete.
• Right-click on the shortcut icon.
• Select Properties from the menu.
• Switch to the Compatibility tab and uncheck the box which says Run this program as an administrator.
• Click Apply and OK.

It will remove the shield icons from the application icon in Windows.

2. Change UAC Level

Use WIN + Q to launch search bar. Type UAC to reveal the User Account Control setting. Once you open the setting, you can lower the level.

Choose the setting which says – Notify only when apps try to make changes to my computer. Once you choose this option, you will not get any warning when you run the apps with a blue or yellow shield icon. However, this will become a permanent setting, which can be dangerous if you accidentally run a rouge application.

3. Use NirCMD to remove icon but keep UAC

NirCMD is a command-line utility which allows the user to run applications without displaying any UAC. We can use this to disable the UAC prompt. However, it only bypasses the prompt but makes sure to run it with elevated privileges as expected.

Download nircmd.exe from here and copy it into your C:\Windows folder

Open the Properties dialogue box for the shortcut for which want to rid of the shield symbol

Click ‘Change icon’ and confirm with ‘OK’ right away without any changes

Add ‘nircmd elevate ‘ at the beginning of the target application path-

nircmd elevate <Path to application EXE file>

Confirm with ‘OK.’ The shield symbol will be gone.

The admin privileges will make sure to launch the program with admin privileges, but without any UAC.

4. Bypass UAC for these programs

Read our exhaustive post to find out how you can bypass UAC for these applications.

If the above steps resolve the UAC prompt, but the shield icon remains, you may have to clear the Icon cache.

We hope you find this guide easy to follow and you were able to remove the remove blue and yellow shield icon from those applications.

The post How to Remove Blue and Yellow Shield from an Icon in Windows 10 appeared first on WebKu.

Hopefully, after reading this article, you’ll be more clued up about how Windows 10 activation works and why Microsoft charges for it in the first place.

Downloading Windows 10 free from Third Party Websites

You may have heard from a friend or colleague that they were able to download Windows 10 for free from a third party website, or maybe you read about it online.

Your source of information may have mentioned that they can get you the full Windows 10 operating system for free, without any watermarks or product key.

Using a third party website to download Windows 10 for free is certainly against Microsoft’s policies and more importantly, it may present some legal troubles or other issues for you.

Is it Legal?

Downloading a full version of Windows 10 for free from a third party source is absolutely illegal and we wouldn’t recommend it.

It’s up to debate whether or not downloading Microsoft software illegally will land you in trouble or with a big fine, but it’s certainly possible and Microsoft have the right to pursue legal action in this case.

Is it Dangerous?

Perhaps more worryingly, downloading Windows 10 for free from third party websites can be very dangerous. Those that give away cracked software for free may tamper with the software and package it with malware or viruses.

Some malware may track your key presses and steal your information, or they may use your PC power to mine cryptocurrency. Alternatively, they may run ads on your system in the background to earn money from you.

Download Windows 10 ISO directly from Microsoft

If you desperately need to download Windows 10 for free and don’t have any installation media, you do not need to look for third party sources. Microsoft actually lets users download Windows 10 completely free directly from their own website.

You can find the Windows 10 Download tool here. With this tool, you can create your own bootable Windows 10 installation USB drive or CD.

Is it Legal?

Using this method is legal and is provided directly from Microsoft. With this method, you can install and run Windows 10 without a product activation key.

It’s important to note that if you continue to use Windows without activating it with a purchased license, you will be going against Microsoft’s terms of service.

It is recommended that you purchase a license to support Microsoft and ensure you are abiding by their terms of service. However, for a quick fix, this option is available to you if you need to get Windows 10 up and running on a machine quickly.

Is it Dangerous?

Using this method is not dangerous because it is provided directly from Microsoft. There is no chance that this method would include viruses or malware.

Just make sure you let the Windows 10 Download tool complete the process completely before installing it on a new system.

Evaluate Windows 10 Enterprise for 90 days

If you are considering using Windows 10 Enterprise for your business, you’ll be happy to hear that you can evaluate it for free for a period of 90 days.

Windows 10 Enterprise is a version of Windows 10 that is targeted toward medium to large businesses. It shares very similar functionality with Windows 10 Pro with some small adjustments.

You can find the evaluation page for Windows 10 Enterprise here.

Is it Legal?

It is completely legal to use this method to download Windows 10 Enterprise, but Microsoft have provided this option for those interested in purchasing a license from them after the initial evaluation stage.

Technically, there are no rules that state you must purchase Windows 10 Enterprise after the 90 day evaluation is up, but you will be going against their terms if you continue to use the software after the evaluation period without purchasing a license first.

Is it Dangerous?

Once again, this method isn’t dangerous because you’ll be going directly through Microsoft. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to create an ISO before installing the operating system, so this will require a bootable USB drive or a CD.

Re-use your Windows 10 Disc on Multiple Computers

If you purchased a Windows 10 installation disc in the past, it is possible to use it to install your copy of Windows 10 on another system. This is easily the most convenient option available because all you need to do is place the disc into the system you’d like to install Windows 10 on.

Is it Legal?

When you purchase a Windows 10 installation disc, you are asked that you only install and use the software on one system. Doing otherwise is against Microsoft’s license terms.

However, you can still stay within the boundaries of Microsoft’s terms if you contact them and ask to transfer your license from your existing system to this new system.

Alternatively, if you are installing the Windows 10 disc onto the system you first activated the license on, you are well within your rights to reinstall it on the same system. Windows will check your hardware to determine whether it’s the same system or not.

In some cases, if you change your hardware, the OS may assume it is a new system when it is in fact the same. You can contact Microsoft support to get assistance with this problem.

Is it Dangerous?

This option bares no risk – in fact, it may be the safest option because you are using media directly from Microsoft and you don’t even need the internet for the entire process.

Will Going Against Microsoft’s Terms Get Me in Trouble?

With Microsoft offering so many free methods to install Windows 10, it is possible to install Windows 10 for free directly from them and never pay to activate it.

If you choose to do this, you’ll still have access to updates and all of the operating system features will remain active to you.

The only negatives will be that there will be a watermark at the bottom of your display at all times and you will not be able to access Office 365 programs like Word or PowerPoint. Some personalization options will also be disabled.

Going this route will mean that you are going against Microsoft’s terms of service, but there’s very little Microsoft can do to stop you. If you are an individual, you are not going to run into any trouble. If you are a business that repairs or sells computers, you may then run into some legal troubles.

Ultimately, Microsoft has become very lenient with unactivated users – they would prefer even those that use Windows 10 without a license to have full security protection and the latest updates to avoid malware and virus infections.

So, in summary, the option is there to remain unlicensed, but it is still going against Microsoft’s licensing terms. It may be a payment you don’t want to make, but we’d recommend making the payment to support Microsoft.

It takes a lot of money to hire employees to develop, maintain, and provide support for Windows 10. Enjoy!

The post How to Get Windows 10 for Free and is it Legal? appeared first on WebKu.

Fresh Start vs. Reset vs. Refresh vs. Clean install

In this post, I will talk about Windows 10 Fresh Start, Reset, Refresh, and. Clean install options, so that you know when to use which option:

1. Fresh Start
2. Windows Refresh
3. Reset This PC
4. Clean install.

After explaining all of them and their use case, we have put up a small comparison chart at the end with data points for comparison.

1. Windows 10 Fresh Start

Start fresh with a clean and up-to-date installation of Windows. Start fresh by reinstalling and updating Windows. This will keep your personal files and some Windows settings and remove most of your apps, including Microsoft Office, third-party anti-virus software, and desktop apps that came pre-installed on your device.

Available in Windows Security app, Fresh Start does the following:

1. Keeps all your data,
2. Removes all third-party apps,
3. Force Updates Windows 10 to the latest version.

This means all your product keys, app-related content, any third-party antivirus will be removed.

If you are not able to update to the latest version of Windows, use this method without worrying loss of data. However, you will have to install apps and activate them.

2. Refresh Windows Tool

When you Refresh Windows, all apps that do not come with the standard Windows 1o installation, including installed programs, OEM drivers & pre-installed software, will be removed. You may also lose your digital licenses and other digital entitlements. You will have to install your apps and reactivate Windows again.

If your Windows 10 computer is facing a lot of issues including corrupt files, then it’s best to use Windows 10 Refresh Tool. The process does the following:

1. Keeps your personal files and settings
2. Replaces all Windows 10 system files with a new copy.
3. Keeps the apps that came with your PC
4. Keep the apps you installed from the Microsoft Store.

It ultimately fixes your computer without you worrying about any data loss.

Use it in case you are facing a lot of issues and corruption of system files. To use it, you need to download the Refresh Windows Tool from Microsoft.

3. Windows 10 Reset

Windows 10 Reset will remove everything. If the computer is not working as expected, this is what you should choose. It will do the following:

• Reinstalls Windows 10 and keeps your personal files.
• Removes apps and drivers you had installed.
• Eliminates changes you made to settings.
• Excludes any apps your PC manufacturer installed.

If your computer came with preinstalled Windows 10, it would also install the apps from the PC manufacturer.

When you set it up again, it will be as new as when you bought it. The most significant advantage of using is you don’t need to go through installing Windows 10 again. The process will fix it for you.

The option should be used when your PC is totally messed up or if you are selling or permanently over your computer to someone else.

4. Windows 10 Clean Install

Clean install refers to reinstalling Windows 10 the old way. You need to download the latest Windows 10 ISO from the Microsoft website, create a bootable USB drive, and then install Windows 10 on your computer. Its the last resort one can take to fix their PC. If nothing is fixing your problem, do this.

Windows 10 Fresh Start, Reset, Refresh, Clean install comparison

I will suggest one important thing. While some of the processes keep your files, it’s always a good idea to back up essential files manually. We usually end up saving files on Desktop and Download folders. Make sure to investigate everything on the C drive and take a backup to an external drive

Similarly, if you use a lot of professional software which comes with keys, backup it up using Key Finder Tools. It would best if you send those keys over an email or backup to a secure cloud drive.

We hope the differences between Windows 10 Fresh Start vs. Reset vs. Refresh vs. Clean is clear. Always take precautions while performing any of them.

The post Windows 10 Fresh Start vs Reset vs Refresh vs Clean install appeared first on WebKu.