Windows & Tech
Everyday Windows, printer and network troubleshooting.
- Windows
"This PC Can't Run Windows 11 — TPM 2.0 Required"? You Probably Already Have It
Most PCs flagged for missing TPM 2.0 actually have it — switched off in UEFI under a vendor name like Intel PTT or AMD fTPM. How to check tpm.msc and turn it on the supported way.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Antimalware Service Executable (MsMpEng.exe) High CPU? Fix It Without Disabling Defender
MsMpEng.exe pinning your CPU isn't a reason to kill Defender. Microsoft's Performance Analyzer names the exact files driving the scans so you can add targeted exclusions.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Blue Screen on Windows? How to Find the Exact Driver That Caused It
Most Blue Screens are caused by a third-party driver — not a virus or your registry. Here's how to read the crash dump to name the culprit, plus fixes by stop code.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE (Stop Code 0x7B) After an Update? The Fix That Isn't a Reinstall
0x7B on boot is usually a half-applied update or a storage-controller change — not a dead disk. The documented WinRE fix (RevertPendingActions, pending.xml) instead of reinstalling.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
KB5034441 Fails with 0x80070643? It's the Recovery Partition, Not Windows Update
KB5034441 keeps failing with 0x80070643 because your WinRE recovery partition is too small — it needs 250 MB free. Clearing the update cache won't help. The real fix.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Print Spooler Service Not Running (and Keeps Stopping)? The Fix Order That Sticks
If the Print Spooler stops the moment it starts, restarting it does nothing. The real fix: clear the stuck queue, remove the bad driver, then restart — in that order.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Printer Says Offline in Windows 11 (But It's On)? Fix It in 5 Minutes
A printer stuck on 'Offline' in Windows 11 is almost never broken — it's a stale connection or a hung Print Spooler. Here's the fast fix order that gets it printing again.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
"Can't Access This Shared Folder — Security Policies Block Guest Access": Do This, Not That
Windows blocks unauthenticated guest access to SMB shares by design. The popular fix — enabling insecure guest logons — opens you to ransomware. Here's the safe fix.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Vmmem Using Huge Memory in Windows 11? Here's What It Is and the 2-Minute Fix
Vmmem (or VmmemWSL) eating gigabytes of RAM is WSL2/Docker, not malware. Fix it with wsl --shutdown and a permanent .wslconfig memory cap — exact steps.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Wi-Fi Connected But No Internet on Windows 11? The Fix Order That Works
Windows 11 shows Wi-Fi connected but websites won't load? Start with the router, then reset the network stack with five commands. A clear, no-guesswork walkthrough.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Windows 11 Stuck at 100% Disk Usage? Find the Culprit and Fix It
100% disk usage in Windows 11 is usually one background service hammering the drive — SysMain, Search indexing, or Windows Update. Here's how to find which, and stop it.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Windows 11 Upgrade Keeps Rolling Back (0xC1900101)? Use SetupDiag to Find the Real Cause
0xC1900101 is a generic rollback wrapper, so shotgun fixes rarely work. Microsoft's SetupDiag reads the setup logs and names the exact blocking driver. Here's how to use it.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Windows Update Stuck at 0% with 0x800706D9? Turn the Firewall Service Back ON
0x800706D9 with downloads frozen at 0% usually means the Windows Defender Firewall service is disabled — the update agent depends on it. Don't disable the firewall, enable it.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Windows Update Error 0x80073712 ("Files Needed Are Missing")? Repair the Component Store Right
0x80073712 means the component store is corrupt — but the one-line DISM fix assumes internet access. Here's how to repair it offline with a proper /Source, the right way.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Windows Update Error 0x800f0831? Find the Exact Missing Package (CBS Store Corruption)
0x800f0831 means an update needs the manifest of an earlier package that's missing from the store. DISM /RestoreHealth alone often fails — here's how to find and install the real one.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
Windows Update Error 0x800f0922: The SecureBootEncodeUEFI Task Fix
When 0x800f0922 is caused by a corrupted SecureBootEncodeUEFI scheduled task, SFC and DISM /RestoreHealth won't fix it. Here's the targeted DISM + TaskCache fix.
June 10, 2026 - Windows
"We Couldn't Complete the Updates / Undoing Changes" — How to Break the Loop
Windows stuck on 'Undoing changes made to your computer'? Wait it out first, then break the loop from Safe Mode and clear the update cache. Step-by-step, safest first.
June 10, 2026