The newest XPS 15 9500 comes rocking newer 10th Gen Intel processors (with the choice of an Intel Core i9 CPU), a 4K OLED panel option, as well as the newer NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti dedicated GPU. While the 9570 could be considered the worse laptop here merely because it's the outgoing model, it shouldn't be overlooked, especially if you can get a good deal, and having the latest features offered by the 9500 doesn't interest you.

Dell XPS 15 9500 vs. XPS 15 9570 specs

This latest refresh is a small evolution for the Dell XPS 15, adding the latest processors, newer dedicated graphics, and the option for a 4K OLED panel. Comparing the new 9500 against the older 9570 shows just how similar the two laptops are, aside from the now confusing model numbers.

Same beautiful XPS 15 design

Dell made sure not to touch the dimensions or weight of the XPS 15, and the design team failed to spend any time switching up the design. These are both excellent points for the new XPS 15 since the design of the older generations were (and still are) amazing. It's one of the best looking laptops out there. What makes this even better for owners of both models is you won't be able to tell them apart. If you stick with (or purchase) the older 9570, people will be hard-pressed to tell it apart from the new 9500, unless you know what to look for.

Visually speaking, the newer XPS 15 comes rocking smaller bezels, larger keys, as well as more touchpad surface that all make a considerable difference. The dimensions, weight, and overall look of the laptop looks similar to the older 9570. Internally, both laptops differ somewhat. The new 10th Gen Intel processors provide a substantial boost in performance over the older 8th Gen processors, and the GTX 1650 Ti is a step up from the GTX 1050 Ti.

There's also the inclusion of a fancy new 4K OLED panel, should you choose it as an option when configuring your new XPS 15. This is why it's also possible to recommend the older 9570 to those who don't require the additional headroom offered by the new Intel CPUs and NVIDIA GPU, saving some money in the process.

Should you need immense performance, Dell lets you configure the new XPS 15 with a 10th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti, all accompanied by a 1TB PCIe SSD.

Don't upgrade unless you need more power

As great as the new specs of the 9500 are, we can still recommend some owners to stick with their trusty XPS 15 9570. If it's still working just fine, the older processor handles everything you throw at it, and you don't technically require the advancements present in the newer 9500, stick with the older notebook.

Still, for most people, there's not much here that warrants another $1,400 to be dropped for such a similar portable PC. But if you can take advantage of the new 10th Gen processors from Intel, as well as better dedicated graphics, it's well worth it.

Choosing the very best from Dell

The latest iteration of the XPS 15 is the 9500, which was released in 2020 and confused everyone with the new model number. This notebook was refreshed with upgraded internals while retaining that stunning iconic XPS design. Not only are you getting the latest processors from Intel, but also a faster GTX 1650 Ti GPU, and an optional 4K OLED panel.

Newest model

Dell XPS 15 9500

Latest and greatest 15-inch laptop

From $1,274 at Dell

Dell's iconic XPS 15 received a substantial spec bump for 2020 with a new option for 4K OLED (non-touch), NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti for graphics, and new 10th Gen Intel processors including up to an eight-core Core i9 CPU for ultimate power. The massive 86WHr battery remains to make sure you get all-day battery life.

Go with the older XPS 15 to save a little

There's really no reason to choose the 7590 over the 9500 unless you're getting a solid deal on one. Whether a retailer needs to get rid of one or if you can find one on the used market, there are strong chances you can knock a few hundred off the original retail price of the older XPS 15.

Just watch out for some listings that cost a little more than the XPS 15 9500.

Capable laptop

Dell XPS 15 9570

A classic performer

From $1,300 at Amazon$1544.27 at Walmart

The XPS 15 9570 is a great laptop and one that should be considered if you want to save on the price of a new laptop. Sure, the internals aren't current, but it's still a workhorse that will perform well.

Are you running out of space on the taskbar? In this guide, we'll show you some tips to make more room to pin all your favorite Windows 10 apps.

On Windows 10, the taskbar is perhaps one of the most essential features across the experience. It's the feature that provides you with quick access to the Start menu, apps, and notification area to check the date and time and stay on top of system notifications.

However, there's a caveat. The taskbar has limited space, and if you work with a lot of apps frequently, you can quickly run out of room to pin more of your favorite apps. Thankfully, if you need more space, the taskbar is also a very customizable feature on Windows 10, and there are a number of ways you can optimize it to fit all your apps.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to optimize the taskbar space to pin more apps or keep it as minimal as possible.

How to organize taskbar space on Windows 10

If you want to keep the taskbar organized or trying to fit more apps, these instructions will help you customize the experience.

Shrink or disable search box

The Windows 10 taskbar integrates a search box that you can use to find files, launch apps, and get answers to common questions without having to open the web browser. Although this is a useful feature, the box takes a considerable amount of space. The search box takes up seven slots on the taskbar.

If you don't use the search box, you can disable it, or show only a button to access the experience, which only takes up one pin slot.

To remove the search box from taskbar, use these steps:

1. Right-click the Taskbar.
2. Select the Search menu.

3. Select the Hidden option.

If you want to retain access to search from the taskbar, you can show only the button using these steps:

1. Right-click the Taskbar.
2. Select the Search menu.

3. Select the Show search icon option.

In the case that you're disabling the option, remember that you can always click the Start button or press the Windows key and start typing to invoke the search feature.

Remove Task View button

Task View is a feature on Windows 10 that allows you to switch between apps and access virtual desktops. However, if it isn't a feature you use frequently, or you use the Windows key + Tab keyboard shortcut to access the experience, then the icon is wasting valuable space.

To remove the Task View button from the taskbar, use these steps:

1. Right-click the Taskbar.

2. Select the Show Task View button option.

Reduce notification area space

On the far-right side of the taskbar is known as the notifications area, and it's the section that provides status, quick access to controls for specific features and apps, and it displays the current time and date. However, depending on your applications, the number of icons can grow large, taking up valuable space.

To control the icons that appear in the taskbar, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Personalization.
3. Click on Taskbar.

4. Under the "Notification area" section, click the Select which icons appear on the taskbar option.

5. Turn off the Always show all icons in the notification area toggle switch.

6. Turn off the toggle switch for the icons you don't want to see. For example, Network, Volume, Location, etc.

Remove system icons

Using the Taskbar settings, you can also reduce the number of system icons to optimize the taskbar space with these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Personalization.
3. Click on Taskbar.

4. Under the "Notification area" section, click the Turn system icons on or off option.

5. Turn off the toggle switch for the system icons that you want to remove from the notification area. For example, Clock, Volume, Network, Power, Action Center, and others.

Switch to smaller app icons

Windows 10 also includes an option to make icons smaller on the taskbar, which can help you to make more room to pin even more apps in the same space.

To use small icons on the taskbar, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Personalization.
3. Click on Taskbar.

4. Turn on the Use small taskbar buttons toggle switch.

Unpin unused apps

Another easy way to optimize the space on the taskbar is to remove pinned apps that you don't use frequently.

To unpin apps from the taskbar, use these steps:

1. Right-click the app on the taskbar.

2. Select the Unpin from taskbar option.

Expand taskbar across monitors

If you have a setup with multiple monitors, you can gain more space on the taskbar by extending it across all monitors.

To show taskbar on all displays, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Personalization.
3. Click on Taskbar.
4. Under the "Multiple display" section, turn on the Show taskbar on all displays toggle switch.

5. Use the "Show taskbar buttons on" drop-down menu and select the Taskbar where the window is open option to offload pins of running apps to the display where the app is currently open.

6. Use the "Combine buttons on other taskbars" drop-down menu and select the Always, hide labels option.

Once you complete these steps, you'll end up with a taskbar with more space to pin all your favorite apps.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Best answer: Yes, you can replace the battery inside the Dell XPS 15 (9500). All that's required is the removal of a few screws, a cable, and a single panel.

• 15-inch performance: Dell XPS 15 (9500) (From $1,274 at Dell)

Replacing the Dell XPS 15 battery

Dell has made it so the XPS 15 is serviceable to replace a few of the major parts, be it the RAM or battery, and the latest 9500 model is no exception. It's absolutely possible to unscrew the bottom panel of the laptop and access the inner workings of the XPS 15.

All that's required to do so is to unscrew all the screws around the panel to make it possible to extract. After that, you can clearly glance at all the internal components, and it's difficult not to spot the battery, being the single largest mass. A few screws hold it in place, and it's attached to the main motherboard via a cable.

Removing all these allows one to extract the battery itself. If you bought the 57Whr model and wish to upgrade the inner power plant to the larger capacity battery, this is the way to go about it. The same goes for those rare times when the battery degrades over time, and it's simply not providing enough juice to be online for any more than an hour or two.

This same process can be carried out on older models of the XPS 15.

Latest XPS

Dell XPS 15 (9500)

From $1,274 at Dell

The latest 15-inch XPS

Dell's latest XPS 15 refresh is an exciting one. You've not only got a larger display, smaller bezels, larger keys, and touchpad but also enhanced internals.

Minecraft Dungeons' magic mechanic is a bit of an oddity. Here's what you need to know about using souls.

Minecraft Dungeons is a fun and accessible action RPG that's perfect for first-timers or veterans who want something a bit more chill. Minecraft Dungeons has a range of playstyles based on what gear you pick up. You can emphasize archery and be a ranger-type character, use daggers and be a stealthy assassin, or use a massive sword and become a warrior. You can also become a wizard, sort of.

Minecraft Dungeons doesn't have a traditional magic system, with a gradually-replenishing pool of "mana" you can use to cast spells. Instead (and rather creepily), magic-like artifacts are powered by the souls of your defeated enemies, which can be fun, but also cumbersome in certain situations.

Here's how the soul gauge works, what items combine best with it, and some general tips on the wizarding lifestyle.

Smash and loot

Minecraft Dungeons

From $20 at Best Buy (Xbox One)Get with Xbox Game Pass

Minecraft meets Diablo

Minecraft Dungeons is an action RPG set in the blocky worlds of Minecraft! Team up with three friends and get your dungeon crawl on.

Fantastic souls and where to find them

Your soul gauge appears underneath your artifacts on your action bar, but only when you have a weapon or artifact equipped that absorbs souls. The artifacts that use souls include the Corrupted Beacon, Harvester, Torment Quiver, and Lightning Rod, while some armor pieces like the Dark Armor and the Soul Dancer Robes boost your soul-generation, alongside weapons like the Eternal Knife and the Frost Scythe.

After defeating an enemy with one of these items equipped, you'll see a ghostly face rise from the corpse of a defeated enemy, and gradually gather into your character. Upon doing so, your soul gauge will gradually fill, allowing you to use certain artifacts that have "Requires souls" as one of their traits. Some artifacts use more souls than others, but the general results are incredibly potent and powerful. A fully charged Corrupted Beacon can provide some of the highest damage-per-second area damage in the game, making short work of even some of the most powerful enchanted mobs.

Souls look like these spooky ghost boys (left), and the soul gauge sits beneath your aritfacts (right).

Also, each soul artifact gives you a bonus to the amount of souls you generate per kill. So, depending on your playstyle, you may want to forego having defensive options to increase the number of souls you receive, although this can be a risky playstyle if you're particularly squishy with low armor, using something like the Soul Dancer Robes for example.

The biggest downside to a souls-oriented playstyle is the fact that you need mobs to power it. On some boss battles, there simply aren't many mobs available, as you'll only be fighting a single entity. This will starve you of souls, leaving you to rely on a melee or archery weapon to defeat your target in some cases. The "Soul Siphon" enchant gives you a 10 percent chance to gain up to nine souls on-hit, rather than on-kill, but it seems to be incredibly rare. The enchant comes as default on the Eternal Knife dagger-style sword but I've actually never seen it appear on any other weapon as a random enchant. Let us know in the comments if you have!

Best artifacts for souls playstyles

There are a range of items that are powered by souls, but some have very different uses when compared to others. Here are some loadouts I recommend for players looking to dabble with souls.

To find out where they drop primarily, take a look at our loot tables guide over here.

Melee souls-user

Melee souls players will generally use the Harvester explosion artifact as their primary souls-dump, but there are other artifacts you should consider when making your builds. Of course, what artifacts you take will depend heavily on your enchants and weapons too, but here are some suggestions.

Enchants to look for as a melee souls-user include Enigma Resonator, which gives you a stacking crit bonus based on how many souls you have stored. You may also want enchants like Leeching and Radiance to give you heals when fighting in melee range, and Anima Conduit, which grants health for each soul absorbed.

Archery souls-user

Archery-heavy soul weavers will be using one of the game's Soul Bows, gunning for weapon enchants like Enigma Resonator, which grants you massive amounts of crit chance depending on how many souls are you in your gauge.

Any other enchants that increase your arrow potency is worth exploring too. I managed to get a bow with a couple of enchants with increased damage, which when coupled with Enigma Resonator makes for some truly insane crits (30,000 or more!)

Caster souls-user

Due to the way souls work in general, playing a pure caster feels a little tougher than the above choices, but the Corrupted Beacon is so incredibly fun to use, that you may find the risks are worth the rewards.

Spells dont benefit from Enigma Resonator, but you'll want weapons that have Soul Siphon on them (such as the Eternal Knife) to help you replenish souls when you run out.

Best armor and weapons for souls playstyles

There are a few key weapons and armor that every souls-oriented player will want to get, either because they boost your soul generation, or because they offset some of the weaknesses that may come with the playstyles in question.

For information on where these items can drop, take a look at our loot tables over here.

Melee souls-user

Melee souls-users will want Soul Scythe weapons above all else, for the large damage they deal, but also the additional souls they generate. The "Dark Armor" set also mitigates incoming damage, while boosting souls generated.

Name	Description	Gameplay Image
Frost Scythe	Become the frosty Grim Reaper with this cold-blooded scythe, characterized by its crystalized detailing throughout. Swiping enemies causes a slowing effect, with added soul gathering to fuel your abilities. ○ Slows mobs ○ +2 Soul Gathering
Jailor's Scythe	A badass Soul-absorbing Scythe weapon that also chains enemies together. A great option for both defensive and offensive play. ○ Binds and chains enemies ○ +2 Soul Gathering
Dark Armor	Gothic-style armor boosts the amount of souls you receive, while also reducing incoming damage. ○ +100 percent souls gathered ○ 35 percent damage reduction
Feral Soul Crossbow	For times when you can't stand in melee range for whatever reason, the Feral Soul Crossbow is a good option for beating back enemies. ○ Souls critical boost ○ +2 Soul Gathering

Archery souls-user

Archery souls users will primarily want any enchant that boosts archery skills with extra arrows. Infinity is great too for ensuring you don't run out. Your regular archery attacks will generate souls on-kill when using a Soul Bow or a Soul Crossbow, and here are the best options currently in the game. For those instances where you run out of arrows and souls and you need to run into melee, weapons like the Frost Scythe and the Jailor's Scythe can keep enemies at bay, while the Eternal Knife can guarantee additional souls for your Torment Quiver. The armor you'll typically want to use is the Frost Bite Unique, or failing that, any Phantom Armor with good enchants is a good alternative.

Name	Description	Gameplay Image
Frost Scythe	The Frost Scythe can slow enemies on-hit, which is great for fleeing out of melee range. ○ Slows mobs ○ +2 Soul Gathering
Jailor's Scythe	The Jailor's Scythe can instantly chain mobs together, rooting them in place. This is a good option for keeping incoming mobs at bay while you rain arrows down upon them. ○ Binds and chains enemies ○ +2 Soul Gathering
Bow of Lost Souls	This bow grants souls, while also dealing large amounts of damage. Find one with Enigma Resonator, and you'll be wrecking mobs like never before. ○ Chance for Multishot ○ +2 Soul Gathering
Frost Bite	Frost Bites is a Unique Phantom Armor that spawns a floating snowball pet that stuns enemies, while also boosting ranged damage. ○ Spawns a Snowy Companion ○ +100% souls gathered ○ +30% ranged damage
Eternal Knife	This dagger-style sword has a small chance to return souls on-hit (10 percent), and while not ideal, it's better than nothing! ○ Chance to gain souls ○ Thrust attack ○+2 Soul gathering

Caster souls-user

The squishiest of the playstyles, the caster-style soul user uses Soul Robes or the Unique Souldancer Robe with additional mitigation to boost the power of artifacts. With these items, you'll be able to shred large groups of enemies using the Corrupted Beacon or the Harvester, but given how fast souls deplete currently, you'll need to fall back on an Eternal Knife or a good archery option in a pinch.

Name	Description	Gameplay Image
Frost Scythe	The Frost Scythe can slow enemies on-hit with a freze attack, that slows their movement and attack speed, which is ideal for surviving as a squishy wizard. ○ Slows mobs ○ +2 Soul Gathering
Jailor's Scythe	The Jailor's Scythe roots mobs with large chains, keeping them still while you make a quick escape. ○ Binds and chains enemies ○ +2 Soul Gathering
Bow of Lost Souls	As one of the most powerful Soul Bows in the game (if not the most powerful), this is a great option for harvesting souls as a Soul Robe user. ○ Chance for Multishot ○ +2 Soul Gathering
Feral Soul Crossbow	If you don't fancy the archery playstyle but still want a good ranged weapon, the Feral Soul Crossbow is a no-nonsense ranged attack with a big boost to crits, since it has Enigma Resonator as standard. ○ Souls critical boost ○ +2 Soul Gathering
Souldancer Robe	The Souldancer Robe is the quintessential magician's armor, giving you a large bonus to damage on artifact abilities. A regular Soul Robe will suffice until you can find a good Souldancer option. ○ 30% chance to negate hits ○ +100% souls gathered ○ +50% artifact damage
Eternal Knife	The Eternal Knife comes with the rare Soul Siphon enchant as standard, giving you a 10 percent chance to gain souls on-hit, rather than on-kill. ○ Chance to gain souls ○ Thrust attack ○+2 Soul gathering

General soul-playstyle tips

• The most important thing to remember as a soul-wielder is that, as of writing at least, souls are generated on kill, with the exception of the Soul Siphon enchant, which has a 10 percent chance on-hit to grant a few souls.
• The amount of souls you generate is based on how many artifacts and equipment items you're using with soul gathering status effects.
• If you kill an enemy with a souls-based attack, whether it's the Torment Quiver, the Corrupted Beacon, and otherwise, you will not be given souls.
• It's best to knock a mob's health down low with one of your soul artifacts, and then finish them off with one of your soul-harvesting weapons.
• Keep an eye on your soul gauge. If you're going into a tough fight, it might be worth prioritizing mobs you can kill quickly to regenerate souls. If you know that you can't kill a boss with your soul gauge alone, ensure you have enough arrows on-hand.
• Even if you're playing an archer or a wizard-style charater, you can still dish out large amounts of damage with your off-spec weapons if you have the right enchants. Identify your playstyle weaknesses and try to get enchants that can offset the downsides of your build or playstyle.

Are you playing with souls?

The souls mechanic is interesting, although admittedly a bit clunky as of writing, and I suspect that Mojang will tweak it in the future so that you don't have to rely on the presence of mobs to regain souls. In any case, souls power some of the most powerful artifacts in the game, and can be a lot of fun. Are you playing with one of these styles right now? Let us know in the comments, and if you have any questions, I will try and answer them!

Moooooooo.

Previously, we broke down where to find all the secret level locations in Minecraft Dungeons, but there was one bonus endgame stage from our list we didn't fully cover that offers an easter egg hardcore Diablo fans will definitely get a kick out of. In this guide, we'll be showing you to unlock the secret cow level by collecting all nine hidden runes in Minecraft Dungeons.

Before you start collecting, find the Rune Chapel

Before you can begin gathering the game's hidden collectible runes, you must complete story mode. Once you've unlocked Adventure difficulty you'll have the opportunity to access the rune chapel from your camp.

In the back corner behind the garden, you'll notice some newly added springboards.

These will launch you behind the building with the drawbridge in your camp. Take a slightly covered path around the building to lower the drawbridge and enter the rune chapel.

In the Rune Chapel, you'll find the Rune Shrine located at the back of the building. This device will track your rune progress as you collect them.

Rune Location #1 - Creeper Woods

The rune location for Creeper Woods can be found towards the end of the stage. In the area where you're tasked with rescuing all the villagers, you'll want to take a hard left and look for a large stone structure on the ground.

Activating this device and pressing a nearby switch creates an opening in the ground that will lead you to the rune location.

For each of these runes, you'll want to press the switch on the rune altar to trigger the spawning sequence.

Rune Location #2 - Soggy Swamp

The rune location for Soggy Swamp can be found at the very end of the stage right before the exit.

Off to the right of the main path, you'll notice a stone pillar. Hidden behind some mushrooms is a switch that reveals a hidden doorway. Enter this room to collect the next rune.

Rune Location #3 - Pumpkin Pastures

To find the rune location for Pumpkin Pastures, you'll need to keep your eyes peeled for a massive stone wall as you enter the more developed area of the village.

Make your way to the top of this wall and follow the path until you find a a stack of crates. Behind these crates is a switch that will open the entrance to the rune shrine for this stage. Grab this rune and move on to the next location.

Rune Location #4 - Redstone Mines

The rune location for Redstone Mines can be pretty easy to miss if you're not sure where to look. During the second 'rescue the villagers' sequence, you'll want to take an optional path to left.

Hug the wall until you find a switch that reveals a pretty inconspicuous doorway. Enter this room and grab your fourth rune!

Rune Location #5 - Fiery Forge

The rune for Fiery Forge can be obtained very close to the start of the stage. Look for a fallen redstone golem covered by rays of light.

Head down the steps from this corpse to find a hidden switch on the wall. Activating this switch will open the entrance tothe rune shrine. Make your way inside and collect the fifth rune.

Rune Location #6 - Cacti Canyon

The rune location for Cacti Canyon can be found next to the room with the first key golem.

Just outside of the key golem room is a very well-hidden switch behind a tree.

After pressing this switch make your way to back of the key golem room to find the entrance. Another rune down and only three more to go!

Rune Location #7 - Desert Temple

To find the rune location for Desert Temple, you'll also need to focus on a section with a key golem in the southeast. Once you've exited the key room head north and look for a large bush next to a tree.

The switch for this rune location is hidden here. Flip the switch and enter the shrine to collect your seventh rune.

Rune Location #8 - Highblock Halls

The rune location for Highblock Halls is another one that's easy to miss because of the chaos of this area. In the massive open courtyard where the entrance to the well is, hug the right side of the castle walls and look for an unlit torch.

Activating this torch will reveal the entrance to the rune shrine. Just one more rune to go!

Rune Location #9 - Obsidian Pinnacle

The rune location for Obsidian Pinnacle is located towards the end of the stage in the large library room. After defeating a horde of enemies, make your way to the massive bookshelf against the northernmost wall.

Find the hidden switch amongst the books to reveal the final rune location. Collect this relic and give yourself a firm pat on the back. That was the final rune!

Time to unlock the secret level!

Once you've collected all nine runes, head back to camp and make your way to rune chapel. Placing all the runes on the shrine reveals a hidden room with two obsidian chests and a scroll for a new location.

This location will now appear on the world map as ??? above the camp. This is the game's homage to Diablo 2's infamous cow level.

??? - The Cow Level

This stage is the ultimate endgame experience. With loads of tough Mooshroom enemies and a gigantic new boss mob, this a great bonus for players who've mastered the core content of Minecraft Dungeons and want something to tide them over until the first round of DLC drops.

Share your thoughts!

What are your thoughts on the secret cow level? Hopefully, this guide helps you track down all the rune locations in Minecraft Dungeons!

Included with Xbox Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

$15 at Amazon

A great way to try something new

Play Minecraft Dungeons and over 100 other awesome games on PC or Xbox with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Yer a wizard, Evoker.

In Mojang Studios' franchise-expanding ARPG Minecraft Dungeons, there are a total of eight bosses. Four of these bosses are weaker "mini-bosses" that may appear in a multitude of places throughout, and the other four are stronger "main bosses" that only show up at pre-determined locations. In this Minecraft Dungeons guide series, we'll go over each and every boss, their strategies and attack patterns, how to fight them, and ultimately the best ways to come out on top in every battle, even on Apocalypse Difficulty.

The first mini-boss in the game is the evoker. Here's everything you need to know.

What is the evoker in Minecraft Dungeons?

Evokers aren't new to the Minecraft universe. Many people aren't familiar with them, because they're extremely rare, only showing up in a few different places. They're an illager-type hostile mob that has near-magical abilities and are truly effective if they catch their target off guard with their powerful attacks.

In Dungeons, the first boss you'll face picks up a couple of extra tricks, making them a pretty great introduction to boss battles in the dungeon-crawling title. Evokers are fairly predictable, and a multitude of different strategies can be effective against them.

An evoker's first ability is summoning little minions that fly around the map. These minions don't have a ton of health, or cause a lot of damage, but they can hamper your movement and whittle your health down at the same. Next, evokers have devastating pincer-like traps they can summon from the ground to crush you. These traps will either be summoned in a frontal assault, or summoned in a wide circle surrounding the evoker, depending on the situation.

If simply knowing how an evoker attacks is enough for you to take them on, then you're set. Otherwise, read on to learn the best strategies to use against evokers, no matter the difficulty.

How can I beat the evoker in Minecraft Dungeons?

An evoker's biggest weakness is quite simply its rather specific range. Evokers aren't effective in close combat, lacking any semblance of a melee attack, and they're primary attack, while potent in its power, has a very limited distance in which it's effective. Finally, while an evoker's minions can go wherever they want (giving them practically infinite range), they aren't that dangerous on their own. These limitations open up evokers to attacks from almost any kind of player.

Melee-focused players

Melee-focused players might be initially intimidated by an evoker's terrifying pincer attack, and rightfully so. These attacks do a ton of damage, especially at higher levels, so unless you're set up with major mitigators like damage reduction (provided by artifacts like the Iron Hide Amulet and Gong of Weakening) or powerful healing abilities (provided by enchantments like Radiance and Life Steal), you'll want to avoid these attacks.

However, even an evoker's frontal assault attack is actually relatively easy to dodge. There is a gap between the evoker and its summoning attack, giving nimble players an opening to attack. Evokers aren't particularly fast to move, either, so it's not hard to simply walk around evokers when they're trying to attack and watch the pincers clash on empty air right next to you.

Melee can be time-consuming against an evoker though since you'll need to constantly watch for those pincer attacks. Evokers aren't known for their fortitude, so artifacts that focus on damage output like the Death Cap Mushroom are awesome. Evokers also know their weaknesses, and generally will try and stay away from you. Enchantments like Gravity on your weapons can do a lot to keep an evoker close and prevent it from getting away.

Range-focused players

Due to an evoker's very limited range, fighting one with a bow is one of the easiest routes to take. You can nearly feel the frustration emitting from an evoker as it desperately spams pincer attacks in your direction, only for them to end a harmless distance away. An evoker's only defense against ranged players are their minions, which are easy to deal with as long as you pay attention.

Minions by themselves aren't that big of a threat, but you shouldn't let them build up. They can make it more difficult to move, and over time or with numbers can do some serious damage. Take a moment to clear out minions as they come, taking advantage of area-of-effect attacks like the Fireworks Arrow artifact and your melee weapon. Evokers have no limit to how many times they can summon minions, but they won't do it in rapid succession, which gives you plenty of time to attack in return.

Damage increasing artifacts, like the Flaming Quiver are fantastic options for any range-focused player, increasing your damage and giving you some extra arrows as well. Just make sure you go into the fight with plenty of arrows, since you're unlikely to get drops for an evoker's minions.

Souls-focused players

Players that primarily use souls for offense and defense will find evokers one of the easier bosses to fight. Some bosses don't summon or create mobs to help them in battle, but the evoker can summon minions that can help players refill and harvest souls as they fight. This in turn lets you lose powerful abilities against an evoker.

Artifacts are the centerpiece of any souls-focused players, and artifacts like the Corrupted Beacon are incredibly effective against slower, range-orientated bosses like evokers, as it deals a ton of damage at a distance. Artifacts like the Torment Quiver are also useful for souls-focused players that prefer a cautious approach, allowing you to turn your souls into ammunition against evokers.

Evokers don't have any real defense against players that use souls, but make sure you don't stay in place for too long and accidentally come within range of an evoker, as souls-focused players typically aren't very sturdy against attacks. Weapons enchanted with Soul Siphon are also useful here, for when your opponent hasn't summoned any new minions in a while.

Companion-focused players

Using companions in Minecraft Dungeons is fun, but one of the trickier builds to use in a fight. Battling an evoker is no different, as companions aren't smart enough to avoid an evoker's pincer attack, and it's still a little too difficult to buff and heal companions and pets in battle.

This depends more on your combination of companions than anything. Players that rely more on llamas than anything will likely be okay, always being buffed with ranged support no matter what approach you take. Players that use wolves or iron golems might struggle a little bit more, which is why enchantments like Radiant Shot on your bow (preferably a bow that allows you to direct your companions, like the Hunting Bow) are a huge help.

If you're a melee-focused player that uses companions, things open up a bit more for you. Enchantments like Radiance and artifacts like Iron Hide Amulet actually buff your companions as well as you, so as long as your pets stick close to you, you can usually keep them healthy while they work on your opponent's health.

What are some tips for every boss fight in Minecraft Dungeons?

Every boss is different, and every player approaches these bosses in a unique way. However, there are always tips and tricks that work in any fight in Minecraft Dungeons, regardless of how you play. Here's a list of all the essential tips for every boss fight, which should aid you in winning even on Apocalypse Difficulty.

• Choose your playstyle, and build your loadout around that. Minecraft Dungeons gives you a constant revolving door of new loot to try out, meaning you should be able to narrow down the direction you want to go in. Different gear compliments each other (like dual-wielding weapons with fast armor, or a bow with armor that increases arrow drops), so you can customize a perfect set for how you want to play. To get ahead of the curve, read up on our lists of weapons and armor.
• Artifacts are essential for any player. No matter how you decide to play, artifacts are the special sauce that exponentially increases your capability in Minecraft Dungeons. There's a good variety to experiment with, from artifacts that are clearly aimed at certain players, to more niche ones that players will find creative uses for. It's always a good idea to keep at least one of each artifact so you can test new combinations as you go, but you can also read our comprehensive list of artifacts.
• Unique gear takes things to the next level. Where things truly get interesting in the later game is using unique weapons and armor to augment your loadout. These unique weapons possess attributes and characteristics that set them apart from the standard gear they're related to, giving you an extra ability on top of what you can add with artifacts and enchantments. Uniques can truly narrow down what you're going with, whether it's the ultimate battle mage, or a super-nippy rogue that heals as they shred their opponents. Here's a list of all the unique gear to get you started.
• Not all weapons are created equal, and enchantments are the difference. Finally, enchantments on your gear are the final push that takes you from "capable" to "everything is exploding and I heal five times a second." You get enchantment points as you level up, so you should always be spending these points to make your gear even better. These enchantments are pseudo-random, as well, so even two identical pieces of gear can have completely different enchantments. Make sure to check these constantly, as a weapon with different enchantments or an extra slot can overhaul your entire loadout in one fell swoop. Here's a list of all the enchantments to get you started.
• Keep moving, and use the "Dash / Dodge" button wisely. It's important to keep moving in Minecraft Dungeons, to prevent enemies from surrounding or pinning you down. It also helps to avoid some of the more devastating attacks, especially from big bosses. Dungeons also gives you a dash that lets you roll out of trouble once every few seconds, which can be crucial in a fight. Use this button wisely, as you can't spam it and you'll have a temporary period of slow down immediately afterwards.
• Don't hesitate to retreat, if necessary. Minecraft Dungeons is not particularly liberal with their health potions, forcing you to wait a not-insignificant amount of time between health top-ups. If you're in a tough fight, there's nothing wrong with backing up to wait for your next health potion to come in, or to allow your artifacts to cooldown for another use. To this end, the dash button can help you evade immediate danger and give you a chance to retreat.

On to the next fight

The evoker is the first boss you'll come to face in Minecraft Dungeons, but it certainly won't be the last. A total of four mini-bosses and four main bosses means you'll need to stay on your toes and constantly evaluate the tactics of your opponents. Mini-bosses can pop up at any time, too, even in the middle of a tough fight, so mastering different ways to fight them is a big part of surviving until the next fight. It, ah, evokes a sense of determination, doesn't it?

Not your average Minecraft

Minecraft Dungeons

$20 at Best Buy (Xbox One)$30 at Best Buy (Xbox One Hero Edition)$20 at Best Buy (Windows)

Minecraft grows up and and reaches out.

Minecraft Dungeons is the next saga in Minecraft's story, and it looks like Mojang and Microsoft are hitting another one out of the park. Minecraft Dungeons combines the familiar world we all grew up on with an injection of Diablo, a whole lot of fun. Available on every platform you're on, for a ridiculously tempting price, what's not to love?

Sadly, Sonos has shut down support for setting up new systems on Windows.

Updated July 17, 2019: Sadly, Sonos no longer supports setting up a system on Windows or on Mac with the Sonos Controller app. The application used below still exists and can be downloaded from Sonos support, but sadly only to listen to music. To set up a system you must now use the Sonos mobile app on either Android or iOS. Our pals at Android Central have a comprehensive guide on how to get going you should check out.

Here, we walk you through every step to getting your new Sonos system up and running using your Windows 10 PC or tablet.

The first thing you need to do is download the installer for Windows. You'll find that at the link below.

• Download Sonos Controller for Windows

Then follow these steps:

1. Install Sonos Controller

A process as straight forward as it sounds. Once you've downloaded the file linked above, open it up and follow the onscreen prompts as shown in these images. You'll be asked to dictate where you want Sonos to install on your machine, but once you've clicked "Install" leave it a minute to do its thing.

2. Set up a new Sonos network

If you're reading this chances are you're setting up for the first time. However, if you're just new to using Windows to control your system, you'll see this box when you open up the app for the first time, too. The difference is you'll just click "Connect to Existing System" and the app will find your setup on its own.

The option above, "Set up New System" is what we want here.

It's also important to note at this point that no matter how many units you're planning to install on your network, you can only add them one at a time. Once the system is set up it'll be a shorter process to add new players to it later on.

3. Choose your network type

This determines whether you're just going to be using your local Wifi network to connect the speakers together, or if you're using additional Sonos hardware to create a proprietary one. If you have a Sonos Boost or Bridge, for example, select "Boost Setup." But since we're looking at Wifi we're going to go ahead and select "Standard Setup."

4. Plug it in, but only the power

No, really. OK, you plugged it in straight away, but there's an additional reminder here. Power is good (of course) but Ethernet is less so. So if you went ahead and connected your first bit of Sonos kit up to your router with a cable, pull it out.

If you need to connect via Ethernet at any time, setup will prompt you to to so.

5. Wait for the green light

When you turn on your Sonos for the first time, in our case, a Play:1, you'll first see a white light. Then it'll go green. When you get the green light, hit "Next" and you'll be greeted with something that resembles the image above prompting a specific button press. Do it right and you'll hear a 'bong' indicating success.

Then you just have to wait a little while for the app to connect to the player.

6. Set up your Wifi network

Sonos requires a 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g network to operate. Providing you're good on this front, simply enter your local Wifi network details and hit "Next."

7. Designate a room

Since Sonos is a multi-room system, to help you distinguish where things are you can assign a room to each speaker. The dropdown box has a whole bunch of selections to cover pretty much every eventuality.

And that's it! You should now see something like the image above telling you that you've successfully added your first Sonos player. The system is now set up and from here you go forward and personalize as well as adding as many extra players as you want.

Are Microsoft Store apps not downloading on Windows 10? In this guide, we'll show you five ways to troubleshoot and fix this problem.

Although the Microsoft Store app is the experience that Microsoft envisioned for Windows 10 users to download apps, games, and entertainment, it's not a perfect experience and doesn't always work as expected.

Among other issues, perhaps one of the most popular complaints are apps queuing up waiting to update or stuck in a pending state. If you're experiencing these problems or any other issues (assuming you already restarted the device and you're on the latest release), there are several troubleshooting steps that you can follow to download and install apps on Windows 10.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through five different methods to troubleshoot and fix apps pending or stuck downloading on your device.

• How to fix issues downloading apps reseting account of Microsoft Store
• How to fix issues downloading apps reseting cache of Microsoft Store
• How to fix issues downloading apps with troubleshooter of Microsoft Store
• How to fix issues downloading apps reseting Microsoft Store
• How to fix issues downloading apps reinstalling Microsoft Store

How to fix issues downloading apps resetting account of Microsoft Store

To sign out and sign back into the Microsoft Store to resolve downloading issues, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Store.

2. Click the profile icon from the top-right and select your account.

3. Click the Sign out option.

4. Click the profile icon from the top-right and select the Sign in option.

5. Select your Microsoft account.

6. Click the Continue button.

Once you complete the steps, try to download the app again, and now, it should start downloading again.

How to fix issues downloading apps resetting cache of Microsoft Store

Close the store and do this:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command and press Enter:

   wsreset

After you complete the steps, you can check to see if the apps are downloading and no longer stuck.

How to fix issues downloading apps with troubleshooter of Microsoft Store

To fix apps stuck or pending using the troubleshooter, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Troubleshoot.

4. Under the "Find and fix other problems" section, select the Windows Store Apps item.

   Quick tip: If you're running the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, you'll need to click the "Additional troubleshooters" option to access the option.

5. Click the Run the troubleshooter button.

6. Continue with the on-screen directions (if applicable).

Once you complete the steps, the troubleshooter will scan, detect, and resolve any problems with the Microsoft Store app.

How to fix issues downloading apps resetting Microsoft Store

If the previous steps didn't fix the problem, and you're still seeing apps pending or stuck downloading, you can reset the Microsoft Store app using the Settings app.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Under the "Apps & features" section, select the Microsoft Store app.

5. Click the Advanced options link.

6. Under the "Reset" section, click the Reset button.

After you complete the steps, the app will reset and delete the app data to resolve common problems when it isn't working correctly.

How to fix issues downloading apps reinstalling Microsoft Store

As a last resort, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the Store app using PowerShell.

To reinstall the Microsoft Store app, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to uninstall the Microsoft Store app and press Enter:

   Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore | Remove-AppxPackage

4. Type the following command to install the Microsoft Store again and press Enter:

   Add-AppxPackage -register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsStore*\AppxManifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode

Once you complete the steps, the app should be reinstated on your Windows 10 installation, and if everything is working correctly, apps should no longer get stuck downloading.

In the rare case that the same problem continues to happen, you can try switching to a new account of Windows 10. Alternatively, you can also reset your device to factory default settings to resolve the problem with Microsoft Store app.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Double double, toil and trouble.

In Mojang Studios' franchise-expanding ARPG Minecraft Dungeons, there are a total of eight bosses. Four of these bosses are weaker "mini-bosses" that may appear in a multitude of places, and the other four are stronger "main bosses" that only show up at pre-determined locations.

In this Minecraft Dungeons guide series, we'll go over every boss, their strategies and attack patterns, how to fight them, and, ultimately, the best ways to come out on top in every battle, even on Apocalypse Difficulty.

The Corrupted Cauldron is the first proper boss in Minecraft Dungeons. Here's everything you need to know.

What is the Corrupted Cauldron in Minecraft Dungeons?

The Corrupted Cauldron is the first main boss players will face in Minecraft Dungeons and is the finale that closes out your adventure in the dank Soggy Swamp. This boss is actually quite tricky because it's unlike any other mob in the game at the moment. The Corrupted Cauldron is completely stationary, relying instead on summoned minions to deal damage and protect itself.

However, the Corrupted Cauldron's minions, some of which are corrupted slime, are numerous, and quite powerful with their high damage output. The Corrupted Cauldron's strategy is simple: protect itself with a wall of purple fire, and let its minions handle all of the offense. This bubbling pot of goo spews out hordes of corrupted slime, which dot the entire map and fire purple fireballs at any nearby players. The corrupted slime are also pretty stationary, but they have a lot of range, and their fireballs pack a wallop.

If simply knowing how the Corrupted Cauldron attacks is enough for you to jump into the fray, stop reading here. For more tips and advice on the best way to tackle this challenging boss on any difficulty, read on.

How can I beat the Corrupted Cauldron in Minecraft Dungeons?

The Corrupted Cauldron's biggest weakness is its inability to move. Even the corrupted slime don't have much mobility, so it's possible to find blind spots in the Corrupted Cauldron's defenses and camp out, or find openings to deal a flurry of crippling attacks when its wall of fire burns out temporarily. There's a strategy for any kind of player keeping this in mind, but some will have an easier time than others.

Melee-focused players

Players that rely on close-quarters combat will have to maneuver carefully to find openings but should have a fun time fighting the Corrupted Cauldron. Moving in to battle the Corrupted Cauldron while its fiery defenses are raised is foolhardy unless you have stacked healing enchantments like Radiance or incredible defense. Even then the persistent burning damage paired with the corrupted slime can be a fatal combination.

Instead, melee-focused players should focus on carving out a safe corner for themselves by battling corrupted slime and keeping an eye on their health while the Corrupted Cauldron is surrounded by fire. The moment the fire falls, this gives you a chance to roll in and wail on it.

Artifacts, like the Death Cap Mushroom, help you capitalize on the limited time you have before the Corrupted Cauldron raises its fiery wall again, and enchantments focusing on damage like Poison Clouds can help you make your presence known even after you need to retreat. The Light Feather artifact can also be a great help to stun corrupted slime as you go. If you rinse and repeat, the Corrupted Cauldron will fall to you in no time.

Range-focused players

If you prefer using a bow or other ranged weapon, the Corrupted Cauldron can either be a very challenging battle or a boringly easy one. Because of the corrupted slime, getting a few precious moments to deal some damage can be difficult without watching your health pool drain dramatically, and it can take a while to chip away at the boss.

If you want an interesting path, artifacts like Ghost Cloak and Light Feather can let you slip past corrupted slime and let you get off a few good shots. Ranged-focus players will never have to worry about whether or not the Corrupted Cauldron is protected by its fire wall either, and can be free to take any moment to pop off a few rounds. It'll take a while, and there might be some close moments, but it's the more "honorable" way to fight.

Those who struggle with this approach or just want the easier route can "cheese" the Corrupted Cauldron fight a little bit. Corrupted slime can't move, and there is a limited area in which they can be summoned by their parent. Patient players with a plethora of arrows can quite easily find two or three locations just outside the Corrupted Cauldron's range where they're mostly, if not completely, protected from the attacks of corrupted slime, and they can slowly take down the Corrupted Cauldron in relative safety.

Souls-focused players

If you fancy yourself a connoisseur of the mythical arts, the Corrupted Cauldron is a well-balanced opponent. Being stationary makes the Corrupted Cauldron incredibly vulnerable to artifacts like the Corrupted Beacon (seems appropriate, given the similarity in names), which deals some of the highest damage in the game with high levels of precision.

However, corrupted slime are still a threat, especially given the number in which they can be summoned by the Corrupted Cauldron. Artifacts like Soul Healer can help keep your health topped up, and the Harvester can quickly deal with a congregated group of corrupted slime at the expense of more of your souls. Enchantments that help with healing or defense can further help you stay alive if you want to replace Soul Healer with another damage-focused artifact like Lightning Rod.

Ranged souls-focused players can use Torment Quiver to the fullest, as ranged weapons work on the Corrupted Cauldron, but being stationary for any amount of time can be dangerous, especially for typically "squishy" souls-focused players. You may have to play the long game, harvesting corrupted slime for souls and using powerful artifacts to deal huge amounts of damage whenever possible.

Companion-focused players

Unfortunately, as with other bosses, companion-focused players will have the hardest time here. This is due in part to how many enemies the Corrupted Cauldron puts out onto the field, making gear like the Hunting Bow vital to direct your companion's attacks towards it. A way to try and heal your companions also helps, since they're unlikely to attempt to evade the attacks of corrupted slime at all, and can be quickly taken down.

The companion-focused players that have the easiest time will be those who use companions like the iron golem primarily for defense and rely on a powerful bow with damage-focused enchantments to dish out damage. This strategy can be quite effective against the Corrupted Cauldron, especially if you're able to put multiple companions out on the field to aid in holding off corrupted slime.

Doing this means you don't have to worry as much about mobility as some range-focused players do, and can instead focus more on just doing as much damage as possible. However, this also relies more on luck than anything, since you will still have limited control over your companions, and they're not an invulnerable defense. Corrupted slime can still fire past companions, and they don't have infinite health in the first place. Caution will be necessary, as will occasional retreats to recuperate and wait for companions to cooldown.

Some tips for every boss fight in Minecraft Dungeons

Every boss is different, and every player uniquely approaches these bosses. However, there are always tips and tricks that work in any fight in Minecraft Dungeons, regardless of how you play. Here's a list of all the essential tips for every boss fight, which should aid you in winning even on Apocalypse Difficulty.

• Choose your playstyle, and build your loadout around that. Minecraft Dungeons gives you a constant revolving door of new loot to try out, meaning you should be able to narrow down the direction you want to go in. Different gear complements each other (like dual-wielding weapons with fast armor, or a bow with armor that increases arrow drops), so you can customize a perfect set for how you want to play. To get ahead of the curve, read up on our lists of weapons and armor.
• Artifacts are essential for any player. No matter how you decide to play, artifacts are the special sauce that exponentially increases your capabilities. There's a good variety to experiment with, from artifacts that are aimed at certain players to more niche ones with creative uses. It's always a good idea to keep at least one of each artifact so you can test new combinations as you go, but you can also read our comprehensive list of artifacts.
• Unique gear takes things to the next level. Where things truly get interesting in the later game is using unique weapons and armor to augment your loadout. These unique weapons possess attributes and characteristics that set them apart from the standard gear they're related to, giving you an extra ability on top of what you can add with artifacts and enchantments. Uniques can truly narrow down what you're going with, whether it's the ultimate battle mage or a super-nippy rogue that heals as they shred their opponents. Here's a list of all the unique gear to get you started.
• Not all weapons are created equal, and enchantments are the difference. Finally, enchantments on your gear are the final push that takes you from "capable" to "everything is exploding and I heal five times a second." You get enchantment points as you level up, so you should always be spending these points to make your gear even better. These enchantments are pseudo-random as well, so even two identical pieces of gear can have completely different enchantments. Make sure to check these constantly, as a weapon with different enchantments or an extra slot can overhaul your entire loadout in one fell swoop. Here's a list of all the enchantments to get you started.
• Keep moving, and use the "Dash / Dodge" button wisely. It's important to keep moving in Minecraft Dungeons to prevent enemies from surrounding or pinning you down. It also helps to avoid some of the more devastating attacks, especially from big bosses. You also have a dash that lets you roll out of trouble once every few seconds, which can be crucial in a fight. Use this button wisely, as you can't spam it and you'll have a temporary period of slow down immediately afterward.
• Don't hesitate to retreat, if necessary. Minecraft Dungeons is not particularly liberal with their health potions, forcing you to wait a not-insignificant amount of time between health top-ups. If you're in a tough fight, there's nothing wrong with backing up to wait for your next health potion to come in, or to allow your artifacts to cool down for another use. To this end, the dash button can help you evade immediate danger and give you a chance to retreat.

The cauldron bubbles

The Corrupted Cauldron is one of my favorite bosses to fight in Minecraft Dungeons, as it sheds typical mob conventions by remaining entirely stationary, and its simple strategies are effective, meaning every player may have to approach the battle a little differently. It's sadly a little too easy to bluff your way through this boss fight if you're a range-focused player, but other than that the Corrupted Cauldron is challenging and varied, making for a fun fight. Here's to the next boss, the Nameless One!

Not your average Minecraft

Minecraft Dungeons

$20 at Best Buy (Xbox One)$30 at Best Buy (Xbox One Hero Edition)$20 at Best Buy (Windows)

Minecraft grows up and reaches out.

Minecraft Dungeons is the next saga in Minecraft's story, and it looks like Mojang and Microsoft are hitting another one out of the park. Minecraft Dungeons combines the familiar world we all grew up on with an injection of Diablo, a whole lot of fun. Available on every platform you're on, for a ridiculously tempting price, what's not to love?

Best answer: Yes, the Dell XPS 15 (9500) is available with a UHD touch screen. You'll have to pay extra to get a configuration with a touchscreen, but there are several to choose from.

• 15-inch performance: Dell XPS 15 (9500) (From $1,274 at Dell)

Staying in touch

Like most devices from Dell, the Dell XPS 15 is available with several configurations. You can customize these quite a bit to choose the specs you want. Different options drastically change the price of the XPS 15, ranging from $1,274 to over $3,000 if you max it out. While you can't get a touchscreen on the cheapest XPS 15 available, you don't have to max out the specs to get a touchscreen.

The cheapest XPS 15 model with a touchscreen is the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 variant with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti. Bumping up to include the touchscreen adds $294 to the cost, bringing the lowest possible total with a touchscreen to $2,009. Another reason for the bump in price is that the cheapest screen is only FHD+ (1920 x 1080), while the touchscreen is UHD+ (3840 x 2400). That means if you want a 4K display, you'll have to get one with touch.

Is it worth it?

Touchscreens on laptops aren't crucial to everyone. If you aren't someone who needs or wants to touch their screen, you can save quite a bit of money by getting a non-touch variant. The XPS 15 (9500) has a beautiful design that features extremely thin bezels. Any display you get will feature the same micro bezels and immerse you into the screen. Unfortunately, you can't get the UHD+ version of the Dell XPS 15 (9500) without touch. That means that if you want a UHD+ display on the laptop, touch will come with it.

The 15.6-inch display available on the Dell XPS 15 is anti-reflective and can reach 500-nits of brightness. If it meets the standard that Dell has set for years, the UHD+ touch display should be worth the jump in price compared to the FHD+ non-touch variant.

Latest XPS

Dell XPS 15 (9500)

From $1,274 at Dell

The latest 15-inch XPS

Dell's latest XPS 15 refresh is an exciting one. You've not only got a larger display, smaller bezels, larger keys, and touchpad but also enhanced internals. Just remember that to get a 4K display with touch that you'll have to pay extra.

Are you getting started with Microsoft Teams? Use these steps to change the status settings according to your availability.

On Windows 10, the Microsoft Teams app allows you to set a specific status to let other people know your availability when using the service, whether you work from home or office.

When using the Teams app on Windows 10, you can have two types of status, including a little badge that appears on your profile icon to make sure that your colleagues know that you're "away" or "busy." And you can set a custom status message that will appear to anyone who sends you a direct message or mentions you in a team.

Also, the app includes an option to follow people's availability status to receive a notification when a specific person is available or not.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to change the status settings on the Microsoft Teams app, including setting a custom status message and following someone to know when they're online or offline.

• How to change status on Microsoft Teams
• How to set custom status message on Microsoft Teams
• How to follow person status on Microsoft Teams

How to change status on Microsoft Teams

To change the status on Teams, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Click the profile button on the top-right corner.

3. Click the status menu (the first option under your account name).

4. Select the desired status:

   • Available: You're signed in the service, and there's nothing on the calendar. If you lock your device or send it into sleep mode or it becomes idle, Microsoft Teams will automatically change the status to Away.
   • Busy: You're actively working on something specific, and you don't want notifications to break your workflow. If you're in a call or meeting, Microsoft Teams will change the status to In a call or In a meeting automatically.
   • Do not disturb: You're actively working on the device, and you want to suppress all notifications.
   • Be right back: You're signed in, but you need to temporarily step away from the device.
   • Appear away: You're signed in and working, and you'll respond at a later time.
5. (Optional) Select the Reset status option to revert the status to the default setting.

Once you complete the steps, a small dot indicating your availability will appear in your profile icon.

How to set custom status message on Microsoft Teams

To show a custom status message on Teams, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Click the profile button on the top-right corner.

3. Click the Set status message option.

4. Compose a status message.

   Quick tip: You can also use the "@" to mention someone in the status.

5. (Optional) Check the Show when people message me option.

6. Use the Clear status message after the drop-down menu and select a time range.

   Quick tip: Use the Custom option to set a more specific time range.

7. Click the Done button.

After you complete the steps, the status message will appear above the compose box when anyone sends you a direct or mention message. If you want to remove the message before the time expires, in the profile menu, you can click the delete (trash) icon.

How to follow person status on Microsoft Teams

To follow a person's availability status on Teams, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Click the profile button on the top-right corner.

3. Click on Settings.

4. Click on Notifications.

5. Under the "Status" section, click the Manage notifications button.

6. Specify the name of the people you want to follow.

   Quick tip: If you want to stop getting these types of notifications, click the Turn off button next to the person.

Once you complete the steps, you'll get a notification when the person appears available or offline.

We're focusing this guide on Windows 10, but you can refer to these steps if you're using the service on another platform or the web.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

From legendary swords to mystical bows, these are the best weapons we've found in Minecraft Dungeons so far.

Minecraft Dungeons is all about the loot, and as you scale those ranks, you'll steadily cycle through the available gear. Tackling its progression system provides an opportunity to unlock increasingly powerful items, best spotlighted when paired with handcrafted builds, fulfilling various team roles. The weapons you choose are among the most defining components, spanning a handful of subcategories across melee and ranged classes.

The world features an extensive lineup of weapons up for grabs; each features differing statistics and rarity tiers. We've completed Minecraft Dungeons across all difficulties, and documented our favorites picked up along the way.

• Fighter's Bindings
• Nightmare's Bite
• Hammer of Gravity
• Frost Scythe
• Guardian Bow
• Lightning Harp Crossbow
• Eternal Knife
• Hearstealer
• Bow of Lost Souls
• Elite Power Bow

Fighter's Bindings

When combat gets up close and personal, these maroon-tinted gauntlets will not disappoint. The Fighter's Bindings have steadily gained a reputation as one of the best melee weapons in the game, upgrading your fists improved power and speed. The result is incredibly powerful additions to your gear lineup, distanced from alternatives in the category by their native abilities.

Among the few Unique gauntlets available within Minecraft Dungeons, Fighter's Bindings feature integral bonuses to attack speed, complemented by the "Turbo Punches" ability. Hand-to-hand soon becomes supernaturally fast, dealing a constant stream of hits tearing through lower-level mobs, and rapidly depleting any boss health bar. And if you are lucky enough to roll enchantments that reward hits, there's a steady flow of bonuses also headed your way.

Where to find: Soggy Cave, Cacti Canyon, Blacksmith
Recommended Enchantment pairings: Echo, Radiance, Sharpness, Soul Siphon

Nightmare's Bite

Put two of these relentless sickles in any Minecraft Dungeons build for destructive results. With the agility and threat of a poisonous snake, Nightmare's Bite takes influence from venomous fangs for a dual-wield-capable combo. Each hit has the chance to spawn viridescent fumes that poison enemies, delivering steady damage over time.

While several alternative weapons outdo the base power for Nightmare's Bite, speed and toxicity bolster combat performance. Find this pairing with enchantments to further boost damage output and close-quarters efficiency, especially useful against crowds and slow-moving enemies.

Where to find: Soggy Swamp, Soggy Cave, Redstone Mines, Blacksmith
Recommended Enchantment pairings: Weakening, Gravity, Radiance, Sharpness

Hammer of Gravity

Bending the laws of time and space, the Hammer of Gravity turns the tables of each dungeon floor. Each swing from this mythical hammer pulls enemies within a tight radius toward the point of impact, with follow-up strikes exploiting mobs at their weakest. The Great Splash ability further amps up the carnage with a larger area of effect. Keep your friends close — but with this hammer, your foes even closer.

While all known Unique hammers deal substantial, concentrated damage, the pull from Hammer of Gravity is valuable when wrangling crowds. Controlling your targets through its pulling force provides an easy opportunity to maximize damage with each swing.

Where to find: Fiery Forge, Underhalls, Obsidian Pinnacle, Blacksmith
Recommended Enchantment pairings: Exploding, Rampaging, Sharpness, Shockwave

Frost Scythe

The essential sidekick for any Grim Reaper arrives as a full weapon class in Minecraft Dungeons, inflicting melee damage coupled with passive soul-gathering abilities. Visually, the cold-blooded Frost Scythe is among the most impressive drops in the game, characterized by ice crystals lined across the blade. This scythe also boasts a slowing effect for enemies, following each swipe.

Keeping mobs at bay and preventing unforeseen rushes, the Frost Scythe provides a balance of power and speed. The slowing effect performs best when handling dungeons packed with enemies, providing teammates with additional breathing room, despite overwhelming hordes.

Where to find: Arch Haven, Pumpkin Pastures, Blacksmith
Recommended Enchantment pairings: Chains, Echo, Sharpness, Thundering

Guardian Bow

While the Guardian Bow doesn't feature the elemental abilities and crazy modifiers assigned to many bows, this underwater relic finds itself picked for its hard-hitting performance. Users find themselves with impressive damage, spotlighted by heavy charged attacks ideal for longer ranges. Where this fossilized coral-crafted bow lacks speed, it leaves its mark on foes.

The value of the Guardian Bow comes from its enchantments, stacking up an already dominant slinger with additional abilities. Score elemental modifiers like Poison Cloud or Fuse Shot to give the bow its voice, or further scale its damage dealt through other upgrades.

Where to find: Fiery Forge, Underhalls, Blacksmith
Recommended Enchantment pairings: Power, Supercharge, Poison Cloud

Lightning Harp Crossbow

Part firearm, part musical, topped with the elements, the Lightning Harp Crossbow packs a lot at first glance. You gain a powerful crossbow built upon a stringed instrument, with each shot emitting an angelic tone. You also receive two abilities, enabling the chance to fire multiple projectiles and ricochet for pure chaos on the battlefield.

I've been running the Lightning Harp Crossbow on the daily, equipped with Multishot and Chain Reaction enchantments. That means you get the bonus projectiles from the crossbow, the chance to fire five additional arrows, and to fire MORE arrows in all directions upon impact. Factor in that ricochet for further carnage, and you've got one crazy recipe.

Where to find: Highblock Halls, Soggy Swamp, Blacksmith
Recommended Enchantment pairings: Power, Multishot, Chain Reaction

Eternal Knife

The Eternal Knife is the only weapon that is guaranteed to have the Soul Siphon enchant, which grants souls on hit rather than on kill. This is absolutely critical to souls-oriented builds that use artifacts charged by souls, such as the Torment Quiver, or the Corrupted Beacon.

The Eternal Knife also hits like a truck, especially at maximum power level. It can be slow to use, but it's a great tool to finish off a mob that is close to death to steal some of their soul juice. This is a great weapon to pair with defensive enchants if you're playing a caster, but sometimes offense is the best defense, right?

Where to find: Soggy Swamp, Desert Temple, Blacksmith
Recommended Enchantment pairings: Critical Hit, Enigma Resonator, Echo, Soul Siphon

Heartstealer

The Heartstealer is a monstrous claymore that deals supreme amounts of damage, albeit a little slowly. The final strike in this combo briefly stuns mobs by knocking them up in the air too, while ripping massive chunks out of any mob's health.

The best thing about the Heartstealer is the innate Lifestealing enchant, which gives you a chunk of health return from every mob you slay. This is a great way to sustain a melee attacker who takes tons of incoming damage, and it pairs nicely with any melee-oriented damage bonus enchant, especially Crit.

Where to find: Obsidian Pinnacle, Blacksmith
Recommended Enchantment pairings: Critical Hit, Echo, Rampage, Wounding, Weakening, Sharpness

Bow of Lost Souls

The Bow of Lost Souls is the best "Soul Bow" in the game, for anyone using Corrupted Beacon or Torment Quiver, a Soul Bow lets you siphon souls from enemies killed, powering your artifacts.

The Bow of Lost Souls comes with multishot as standard, randomly hits five targets. This also stacks with Torment Quiver, which can spread five Torment arrows in a cone for large amounts of damage.

Where to find: Creeper Woods, Creepy Crypt, Blacksmith
Recommended Enchantment pairings: Enigma Resonator, Power, Supercharge, Soul Siphon, Infinity

Elite Power Bow

The Elite Power Bow produces the highest damage numbers in the game for arrow attacks, for anyone focusing on regular archery. Paired with Power, Supercharge, and Growing, the damage numbers produced from this weapon can be truly absurd, although it does have a low ammo return rating, so it's best paired with Infinity for extra arrows.

Where to find: Fiery Forge, Underhalls, Blacksmith
Recommended Enchantment pairings: Critical Hit, Power, Supercharge, Infinity, Growing

Keep control over the games your kids are playing by enabling Family View.

As one of the most popular places to acquire PC games, there's a good chance you own at least something on Steam. And if you have kids, the good news is you can give them access to games that you've bought without the need to create their own account.

Steam has a couple of tools in its arsenal for managing what your kids can access, and the easiest to set up is Family View. This allows you to use your existing login and simply control the content available when it's enabled. It's PIN protected and syncs across devices, so if you have multiple PCs in your house, you only have to set it up once.

Here's how to get going.

How to set up Steam Family View

Steam Family View is an excellent way to allow access to only specific content and parts of the Steam experience, with the simplicity of just using your own main login.

To set it up:

1. Go into the settings menu.
2. Click on the family tab.

3. Click on manage Family View.

4. Choose the content and areas of the Steam experience you wish to enable access to.

5. Click next.

6. Choose the games you want to enable in Family View.

7. Click next.
8. Enter a recovery email address which can be used if you forget your pin. It doesn't even need to be the same email address as attached to your Steam account

9. Create a PIN to protect your Family View.

10. You'll now be emailed a security code to the email address from step 8. Enter it where prompted.

You've now set up Family View, but Steam doesn't automatically kick you into it. Before proceeding any further, you'll be presented with an information screen on some of the details of using Family View.

To enable Family View, you have to click on the red button with people on it in the top bar of the Steam client. You'll be asked to confirm you want to go into Family View, simply accept, and whatever restrictions you enabled when setting up will kick in. When enabled, this button will turn green.

It will stay on Family View until you tell it otherwise by entering your PIN. This includes syncing across devices and when you restart. The only minor drawback is that if you forget to re-enable it when you're done gaming, it'll leave it disabled on any other PC you're logged into Steam on. So make sure you turn it back on before you shut down!

This is the small one!?

In Mojang Studios' franchise-expanding ARPG Minecraft Dungeons, there are a total of eight bosses. Four of these bosses are weaker "mini-bosses" that may appear in a multitude of places throughout, and the other four are stronger "main bosses" that only show up at pre-determined locations. In this Minecraft Dungeons guide series, we'll go over each and every boss, their strategies and attack patterns, how to fight them, and ultimately the best ways to come out on top in every battle, even on Apocalypse Difficulty.

One of the most numerous mini-bosses in the game is the redstone golem. Here's everything you need to know.

What is the Redstone Golem in Minecraft Dungeons?

Redstone golems are the only new mob in Minecraft Dungeons out of the four mini-bosses, and are possibly the most commonly seen one. They're the boss of Redstone Mines, and often show up in Fiery Forge. If you're unlucky, you can also run into a string of them in the game's final level, Obsidian Pinnacle, which can lead to an intense couple of minutes. These mobs are slow and powerful, appropriate given their large size and stance.

Redstone golems are the beefiest of the mini-bosses, so support-type players or anyone who doesn't deal a lot of damage will have a slow time battling them, and their persistence paired with close-range abilities make them annoying for pretty much anyone. They're thought out well, but battling them repeatedly at later stages can feel repetitive, making you yearn for more variety in mini-bosses.

Redstone golems aren't known for strategy, and have exactly two moves in their disposal. One of these moves is pretty easy to wrap your head around, and amounts to "punch anything that moves." This attack is effective, as it does a decent amount of damage and has considerable knockback. The other move is more interesting, in which the redstone golem kneels down and summons a bunch of "mines" that persist even after the redstone golem has gotten up and started moving again. These explode when you enter their aura, and can be an unfortunate complication while fighting the big guy.

If you're content just knowing what redstone golems are and how they fight, you're free to go. If you want a little more info, read on to find out exactly how you can beat the redstone golem on any difficulty, even Apocalypse.

How can I beat the Redstone Golem in Minecraft Dungeons?

The definition of a "tank," with strong close-quarters combat and an annoying amount of health, summarizes the redstone golem. Their biggest weakness is obvious, being their inability to retaliate while they prepare their explosive mines, coupled with slower movement. Redstone golems are committed to destroying their opponent, however, making them difficult to distance from at times. Every player does have an avenue of strategy to explore here, making them well-rounded mobs.

Melee-focused players

Melee-focused players will have a bit of a mixed bag with redstone golems. On one hand, when redstone golems kneel to set up some mines, it presents a perfect opportunity to lay them out and cause as much destruction as possible. On the other, those same mines that offer a golden moment to attack can also very abruptly end a battle when combined with their brutal punching attack.

Players that focus on speed and agility like rogues will need to wait for redstone golems to kneel, using artifacts like the Light Feather to avoid mines and the Death Cap Mushroom to take advantage of the very limited time. You also need to be cautious, as redstone golems kneel for a few brief seconds. The moment their back begins to flicker, it's time to start retreating. Redstone golems will attack the moment they stand up, and speed-focused builds may struggle a lot more to take the hit.

Sturdier players can afford to stand up to a redstone golem a little more, using enchantments that buff defense and health and focusing on hurting the redstone golem as much as possible. Mines should still be avoided at all costs, just to prevent any unnecessary damage. The Gravity enchantment could also be a big help to mitigate the knockback effect if you plan to stay toe-to-toe with a redstone golem.

Range-focused players

Using ranged attacks against a redstone golem also elicits a mixed bag of results, which is almost entirely the fault of how persistent these giants are. Redstone golems are exclusively close combat fighters, keen to find an opportunity to squish you, which can make taking the time to fire a few arrows nearly impossible. They're also quite large and effective at blocking paths, making it difficult to maneuver around them.

To this effect, range-focused players that use faster bows will be able to resort to quick attacks every few seconds, while slower archers that deal more damage will need to ensure they don't waste any attack — unless you're happy to fight a redstone golem for ages, or risk running out of arrows. This means using enchantments that focus on damage, or enchantments like Multishot that can take advantage of the redstone golems' large size.

No matter what kind of range-focused player you are, artifacts that aid in dexterity can be a big help in getting around a redstone golem before it walks you into a corner. Ghost Cloak is an awesome choice, allowing you to walk straight through mobs in a pinch. Combining this with a dash can let you slide right past a golem, giving you more room to set up more attacks. Winning just means being more determined than your opponent.

Souls-focused players

Redstone golems may be the first boss souls-focused players will come across in Minecraft Dungeons that gives them a real challenge. Unlike some of the other bosses, redstone golems doesn't rely on minions or summoned mobs. This can make it really difficult to keep your souls supply up, especially against a foe that's notoriously sturdy, even against powerful souls artifacts like the Corrupted Beacon.

Enchantments like Soul Siphon or Unique gear like the Eternal Knife that has a chance of harvesting souls on a hit instead of a kill can help with this, but the chance is rather low and relies on you consistently nailing the redstone golem, which can be difficult and risky if you're a little squishier than some other players.

This is when having an alternative approach can help, like being able to lean on your secondary weapon (whichever, depending on your playstyle), and mimic the strategies of melee or range-focused players. It'll take a while, and could lead to some impromptu deaths, but without your primary method of attacks, a backup plan is necessary. Low and slow is the way to go, you know?

Companion-focused players

It's becoming a bit of a habit to say this, but it holds true for pretty much any boss in Minecraft Dungeons. While companion-focused builds can hold up just fine against regular mobs, they're not nearly as effective against bosses. Against redstone golems, the issue isn't due to the difficulty of controlling your companions or keeping yourself protected while you attack, but simply that companions in Minecraft Dungeons aren't sturdy enough to take hits from a redstone golem.

Unless your companion artifacts are an abnormally high level, they may still fall apart when up against the punches and explosive mines. Wolves, while capable of doing some damage, are the weakest of the three companions health-wise. Iron golems are a better substitute here, with their larger health pool, but you'll only find those later on in the game, and their attack speed will be slower.

Llamas, out of the three companions, are the most appropriate. As long as you keep your distance, support with a ranged weapon, and take advantage of the whistling technique (pressing the corresponding artifact button to call companions back to you, with a cooldown) if they don't retreat with you. Otherwise, don't neglect the rest of your loadout to focus solely on your companions, that way you have something to fall back on in tough boss battles.

What are some tips for every boss fight in Minecraft Dungeons?

Every boss is different, and every player approaches these bosses in a unique way. However, there are always tips and tricks that work in any fight in Minecraft Dungeons, regardless of how you play. Here's a list of all the essential tips for every boss fight, which should aid you in winning even on Apocalypse Difficulty.

• Choose your playstyle, and build your loadout around that. Minecraft Dungeons gives you a constant revolving door of new loot to try out, meaning you should be able to narrow down the direction you want to go in. Different gear compliments each other (like dual-wielding weapons with fast armor, or a bow with armor that increases arrow drops), so you can customize a perfect set for how you want to play. To get ahead of the curve, read up on our lists of weapons and armor.
• Artifacts are essential for any player. No matter how you decide to play, artifacts are the special sauce that exponentially increases your capability in Minecraft Dungeons. There's a good variety to experiment with, from artifacts that are clearly aimed at certain players to more niche ones that players will find creative uses for. It's always a good idea to keep at least one of each artifact so you can test new combinations as you go, but you can also read our comprehensive list of artifacts.
• Unique gear takes things to the next level. Where things truly get interesting is using unique weapons and armor to augment your loadout. These unique weapons possess attributes and characteristics that set them apart from the standard gear they're related to, giving you an extra ability on top of what you can add with artifacts and enchantments. Uniques can truly narrow down what you're going with, whether it's the ultimate battle mage, or a super-nippy rogue that heals as they shred their opponents. Here's a list of all the unique gear to get you started.
• Not all weapons are created equal, and enchantments are the difference. Finally, enchantments on your gear are the final push that takes you from "capable" to "everything is exploding and I heal five times a second." You get enchantment points as you level up, so you should always be spending these points to make your gear even better. These enchantments are pseudo-random, as well, so even two identical pieces of gear can have completely different enchantments. Make sure to check these constantly, as a weapon with different enchantments or an extra slot can overhaul your entire loadout in one fell swoop. Here's a list of all the enchantments to get you started.
• Keep moving, and use the "Dash / Dodge" button wisely. It's important to keep moving in Minecraft Dungeons, to prevent enemies from surrounding or pinning you down. It also helps to avoid some of the more devastating attacks, especially from big bosses. Dungeons also gives you a dash that lets you roll out of trouble once every few seconds, which can be crucial in a fight. Use this button wisely, as you can't spam it and you'll have a temporary period of slow down immediately afterward.
• Don't hesitate to retreat, if necessary. Minecraft Dungeons is not particularly liberal with their health potions, forcing you to wait a not-insignificant amount of time between health top-ups. If you're in a tough fight, there's nothing wrong with backing up to wait for your next health potion to come in, or to allow your artifacts to cool down for another use. To this end, the dash button can help you evade immediate danger and give you a chance to retreat.

They may hang out in packs

The redstone golem is a fantastic addition to the Minecraft universe and absolutely deserves to be added to vanilla Minecraft. Between their striking appearance and attacks that aren't overcomplicated, they're a solid boss that offers an avenue for almost any kind of player. The only complaint I can levy against them is that they're a little too numerous on the final level of the game, leading to a bit of a repetitive feeling when fighting them. You'll already be an expert before that point, though.

Not your average Minecraft

Minecraft Dungeons

$20 at Best Buy (Xbox One)$30 at Best Buy (Xbox One Hero Edition)$20 at Best Buy (Windows)

Minecraft grows up and and reaches out.

Minecraft Dungeons is the next saga in Minecraft's story, and it looks like Mojang and Microsoft are hitting another one out of the park. Minecraft Dungeons combines the familiar world we all grew up on with an injection of Diablo, a whole lot of fun. Available on every platform you're on, for a ridiculously tempting price, what's not to love?

If you left an important document on a remote computer, in this guide, we'll show you the steps to retrieve it using OneDrive fetch files on Windows 10.

On Windows 10, the desktop version of OneDrive, includes "fetch files," which is a feature designed to access files located on a remote computer, and it can come in handy in many scenarios.

For instance, you can use the fetch files feature, if you happen to work from home, and you need to work on a document that you left in the office (or vice versa). When you're in a different location, and you want to show someone a collection of photos from your home computer. Or you can even use the feature to stream a video from a remote device no matter where it is located.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to fetch files from a remote device using OneDrive on Windows 10.

How to access files remotely using OneDrive

Before proceeding, consider that the computer containing the files must be powered on to allow OneDrive to access the contents remotely. Interesting enough, this feature is available on Windows 10 and Windows 7, but not on Windows 8.1, macOS, or OneDrive (mobile). However, you can fetch files from Windows 8.1 and macOS devices using the web version of OneDrive.

Enable OneDrive fetching

To enable remote access for files through OneDrive, use these steps:

1. Click the OneDrive (cloud) button from the taskbar notification area.
2. Click the More button.

3. Click the Settings option.

4. Click the Settings tab.

5. Check the Let me use OneDrive to fetch any of my files on this PC option.

6. Click the OK button.
7. Right-click the OneDrive icon and click the Close OneDrive option.
8. Open Start.
9. Search for OneDrive and click the top result to open the app.

Once you complete the steps, you can start using the OneDrive on the web to download files from a remote device to Windows 10, macOS, or even Linux devices.

If you no longer want to use the feature, you can revert the changes using the instructions, but on step No. 5, make sure to clear the Let me use OneDrive to fetch any of my files on this PC option.

Fetch files remotely

To access files remotely with OneDrive, use these steps:

1. Open OneDrive on the web.

2. Sign in with your Microsoft account.

   Quick note: Make sure to use the same account you're using with OneDrive on the remote computer.

3. Click on PCs from the left pane.
4. Select the device name from the left pane.
5. Browse the folder locations to find the file you want to download.
6. Select the files.

7. Click the Download button to fetch the document, photo, or video from the remote device. (You can also click the Upload to OneDrive to make the files available through the cloud service.)

8. Select a folder location to store the file.
9. Click the Save button.

After you complete the steps, you should now be able to continue to work on the file you fetched from a remote device.

If you're using this feature to download files from a remote computer, you'll notice that OneDrive allows you to access favorite places and libraries. Also, from the "This PC" section, you can access all the drives attached to your machine, including the Windows 10 installation drive, as well as any secondary hard drive, such as those connected through USB and flash drives.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Aren't you ready for Microsoft Edge Chromium? In this guide, we'll show you the steps to stop Windows Update from trying to install the browser on Windows 10 automatically.

Microsoft has started the gradual rollout of the new version of Microsoft Edge based on the Chromium engine through Windows Update on devices running the Windows 10 April 2018 Update (version 1803) and newer releases to replace the legacy version.

Although it's recommended to switch to the new version of the browser, there might be a lot of reasons to skip it. For example, you work in an organization, and you need to comply with your network environment policies. You use another web browser, and you're not interested in the new version of Edge. Or you're comfortable using the legacy version, and you want to wait a little longer to update.

Whatever the reason it may be, you can use the Microsoft Blocker Toolkit or the Registry to prevent Windows 10 from installing the new version of Microsoft Edge through Windows Update automatically.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to block the automatic delivery of the new version of Microsoft Edge-based of on the Chromium engine on your device until you're ready.

• How to block Windows Update from installing Edge Chromium using Blocker Toolkit
• How to block Windows Update from installing Edge Chromium using Registry

How to block Windows Update from installing Edge Chromium using Blocker Toolkit

The easiest method to prevent the new Microsoft Edge browser from installing through Windows Update is to use the Microsoft Blocker Toolkit.

Getting Blocker Toolkit

To download the Microsoft Edge Chromium blocker script, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft support website.
2. Click the Blocker Toolkit download link.
3. Double-click the MicrosoftEdgeChromiumBlockerToolkit.exe file that you downloaded.
4. Click the Yes button.

5. Click the Browse button.

6. Select a folder to extract the files.

7. Click the OK button.
8. Click the OK button again.

Applying Microsoft Edge block

To run the Blocker Toolkit to prevent the automatic delivery of Edge, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to navigate to the extracted folder and press Enter:

   cd c:\PATH\TO\EXTRACTED\FILE

   This example moves to the "edge" folder inside the "Downloads" folder:

   cd C:\Users\m_la\Downloads\edge

4. Type the following command to stop Windows Update from installing Microsoft Edge and press Enter:

   EdgeChromium_Blocker.cmd /b

Once you complete the steps, Windows Update won't download and install the new version of Microsoft Edge based on the Chromium engine automatically on Windows 10.

If you change your mind, you can revert the changes using the same instructions, but on step No. 4, make sure to run this command EdgeChromium_Blocker.cmd /u.

How to block Windows Update from installing Edge Chromium using Registry

Alternatively, if you don't want to use the script, you can edit the Registry to prevent Windows 10 from downloading and installing the new version of Microsoft Edge on your computer.

Warning: This is a friendly reminder that editing the Registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. It's recommended to make a full backup of your PC before proceeding.

To prevent getting the new Microsoft Edge on Windows 10, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry.

3. Browse the following path:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft

   Quick tip: On Windows 10, you can now copy and paste the path in the Registry's address bar to quickly jump to the key destination.

4. Right-click the Microsoft (folder) key, select New, and click on Key.

5. Name the key EdgeUpdate and press Enter.

6. Right-click the newly created key, select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

7. Name the key DoNotUpdateToEdgeWithChromium and press Enter.

8. Double-click the newly created DWORD and set the value from 0 to 1.

9. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, the Microsoft Edge based on Chromium won't download and install automatically on your computer.

Of course, you can always revert the changes using the same instructions, but on step No. 8, make sure to change the value from 1 to 0.

We're focusing this guide on blocking Windows Update from adding the new version of Microsoft Edge automatically, but you can always download and install the browser manually.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

The "Scout Rush" is a great way to surprise your enemy with an army of fast-moving cavalry early on in the game. Here's what you need to know to pull it off correctly.

Part of the beauty of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition— an aged real-time strategy (RTS) PC game recently remastered — is that no two games are ever the same. Whether you're playing against AI or other human players online, you will need to be in your best form if you hope to achieve victory. Rushing with scout calvary almost as soon as you reach Feudal Age is a great way to get the upper hand on the enemy, and we have the guide right here to help you master the strategy.

See our Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Ultimate Beginner's Guide

Reviving a Gem

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

A lot of game for the asking price

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition manages to make the classic RTS feel new while not straying away from what made the game great in the first place.

$20 at Microsoft

$20 at Steam

Why use the Scout Rush?

The Fast Feudal Rush used with scout cavalry — also known as the Scout Rush or Scout Flush or Scrush — involves a basic build order that gets your civilization into Feudal Age as quickly as possible with the resources required to build a small army of scouts. Scouts are very fast and do decent damage against other Feudal Age military units, so it's easy to raid and harass the enemy's base using your mobility. Once you've thrown your foe's economy into upheaval, it will be much easier to keep the advantage you've gained through the rest of the game.

If you're using scouts for your Feudal Rush, it's recommended you choose a civilization that includes at least the Bloodlines technology. Once you've been playing a while and have a grasp on different civ bonuses, you should know immediately if a Scout Rush is a good idea. I've commonly used Berbers, Mongols, Huns, Franks, and Magyars for a good result, though many other civs excel at this strategy.

Part of the beauty of a Scout Rush is that its build order can easily be transitioned into other builds once you've moved into Castle Age and beyond.

Basic Scout Rush build order

Like most Age of Empires II strategies, there are plenty of versions of the same build order that people try out depending on civilization, enemy, and map layout. You are free to do the same here, though the following steps are likely the most common you'll find and have proven to be rather foolproof.

• Immediately queue up as many villagers as possible in your Town Center (TC). Never let your TC idle.
• Have your scout expanding out in rings around your base. Find domesticated animals (like sheep) and wild animals (like boars) near your TC. Immediately send any found sheep back to your TC.
• Send two villagers (1, 2) to build one house. Leave enough space around your TC for farms.
• Send the other villager (3) to build a separate house. If you're playing as a civ that doesn't require houses, immediately send the villagers to harvest the sheep near your TC.
• The new villager (4) created should begin harvesting sheep under the TC.
• Send villagers (1, 2, 3) to harvest sheep once they've built the houses. Harvest one animal at a time to prevent carcass decay, which lowers the amount of harvestable food.
• Send new villagers (5, 6) created at the TC to harvest sheep. Keep your TC busy by queuing new villagers. If at any time you run out of food, research Loom at your TC.
• Send new villager (7) to build a lumber camp. Try to build it along a large woodline, and also try to keep it near the back of your base. This is your main woodline, so you want to keep it from being harassed.
• Send new villagers (8, 9) to chop wood at the lumber camp.
• Send new villager (10) to build a house near the first boar you plan to lure back to your TC.

• Send villager (10) to lure the boar. Attack the boar at range once with the villager, then order the villager back to the TC. The boar will follow, allowing you to attack the boar with all villagers currently harvesting sheep.
• Send new villager (11) to harvest the boar at the TC.
• Send new villager (12) to build a mill next to the berries near your TC.
• Send new villagers (13, 14) to harvest berries at the mill.
• Send one of the full-health villagers tasked with harvesting sheep and boar to build a house near the second boar you plan to lure.
• Send new villager (15) to harvest berries.
• Send villager who built house to lure the boar back to your TC. The timing will no doubt differ here, but you usually want to send this villager to begin the house build and boar lure when the first boar you're already harvesting is at about half meat remaining.
• Send new villagers (16, 17) to harvest boar and sheep at the TC.
• Use two villagers who are at half health from luring boars to build farms next to your TC.
• Send new villager (18) to build a lumber camp along a separate woodline.
• Send new villagers (19, 20, 21) to chop wood at the new lumber camp.
• Research Feudal Age at your TC.

It will take practice to nail the timing, but you should expect to click the Feudal Age button somewhere around the eight-minute mark with 22 population (21 villagers and one starting scout). You should also know where your enemy is located on the map.

Quick-glance summary of Scout Rush build order

Once you've tested this strategy a couple of times with the full instructions, it can be handy to browse some more basic steps.

• Villagers (1, 2, 3) build houses then harvest sheep.
• Villager (4, 5, 6) harvest sheep.
• Villager (7) builds lumber camp.
• Villagers (8, 9) chop wood at lumber camp.
• Villager (10) builds house and lures boar.
• Villager (11) harvests boar and sheep.
• Villager (12) builds a mill next to berries.
• Villagers (13, 14, 15) harvest berries at mill.
• Villagers (16, 17) harvest sheep and boar.
• Villager (18) builds new lumber camp.
• Villager (19, 20, 21) chop wood at new lumber camp.
• Click to begin Feudal Age research.

What to do next?

Once you've clicked to begin researching Feudal Age, it's recommended you move some villagers to new tasks. Take a few villagers who are harvesting boar and sheep and move to each of your lumber camps. This should make for five villagers, total chopping wood at each camp.

Pull another villager who was harvesting boar and sheep and build a barracks near your base. It might be tempting to build it closer to the enemy, but it's always a good idea to have a building to create units in case you need to mount a defense. Once the barracks are built, have the same villager build a house. If possible, position these new buildings between natural obstacles to create a wall. This will help keep the enemy out of your base in case they decide to do some raiding of their own.

Once Feudal Age research is complete, immediately queue up a couple of new villagers at the TC to keep it from idling. Research the Double-Bit Axe technology at your lumber camp and research the Horse Collar technology at your Mill. Pull two more villagers from harvesting sheep to join the one villager who just built a barracks and house. Have the three villagers build a stable. Once the stable is built, immediately begin creating scout cavalry. These will form your raiding army.

Take one of the three builders and continue building houses near the stable. Continue with the makeshift wall format; your raiding will go much better if you're not threatened at home. The other two builders can return to the TC and begin creating farms. If you don't have enough wood, task any idle villagers near the TC to chop straggler trees until they can build farms. You also want to start mining gold to afford upgrades for your units and, eventually, a move up to Castle Age.

Continue making new villagers and building farms. Scouts only cost food, so you will need about 15 farms to keep the stable and TC active. Once you have six or seven scouts created (including the original you get at the start of the game), it's time to begin raiding. Research the Bloodlines perk at the stable as soon as you have enough gold and move your army toward the enemy base. This should be right around the 13:30 minute mark of the game.

Raiding with scouts

With your raiding part of scout cavalry on the move to the enemy's base (which you've hopefully already scouted and identified key resources), prepare for a lot of micromanagement. The ultimate goal isn't to completely crush your enemy here — though many people will simply give up if your raiding is good enough — but instead to slow the enemy's economy to the point where you'll reach Castle Age much sooner. With potent Castle Age tech available while the enemy is stuck in Feudal Age, you're sure to see a huge advantage.

Scouts are incredibly weak against spearmen, so keep an eye out for the enemy barracks and what units are being produced. If you see a group of spearmen, simply maneuver away from them and attack villagers elsewhere. However, if your enemy sends just one spearman at a time into a group of your six or seven scout cavalry, feel free to kill it without taking much damage.

Attempt to kill enemy villagers harvesting resources, building new buildings, and building walls. Keep out of range of the enemy TC at all costs. It will do serious damage to your scouts when villagers are garrisoned. The enemy will no doubt create counter units (likely spearmen) and might even build a defensive tower to keep your scouts at bay. These are all good things, as they are hurting the enemy's economy and forcing them into a build order they did not foresee. Keep your scouts on the move always and continue harassing the enemy wherever you find a weakness.

If you feel that your enemy is close to giving up, you can simply continue creating scouts. Build another stable at home and continuously pump them out for an overwhelming force. Otherwise, you'll want to plan for a longer game.

Transitioning into end-game strategies

You always want to keep your scouts on the move, but you also don't want to ignore what's going on at home. The game likely isn't going to end in Feudal Age, so you will need to plan ahead for Castle and even Imperial Age. Always keep your TC active creating new villagers, and be sure there are no idle villagers. If you want to drop a castle on the enemy, be sure to have at least four or five villagers mining stone.

If your enemy has built a ton of infantry units (man-at-arms and spearmen) to counter your scouts, you might want to transition into building archers or cavalry archers. If the enemy has instead built archers to counter, you can create skirmishers. All you need to do is build an archery range and begin creating them. You'll also want to build a blacksmith and begin researching the corresponding technologies to get an advantage.

If you're instead using a civ that is strong in cavalry, focusing on clicking up to Castle Age to access knights is a great idea. Continue creating villagers, expand your economy, build a blacksmith and other supporting buildings, and research Castle Age as soon as possible. Begin building knights from your stables once you hit Castle Age, and don't forget to research the applicable techs at the blacksmith.

Wrapping up

The Scout Rush is a time-tested strategy that is often used even by high-end players. It's a great way to knock your opponent off balance, and it can be transitioned into other strategies quite easily. Have some tips of your own? Be sure to let us know in the comments section how you plan to rush the enemy in the Feudal Age. And be sure to check out our Fast Castle and Tower Rush guides for more great strategies.

Reviving a Gem

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

A lot of game for the asking price

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition manages to make the classic RTS feel new while not straying away from what made the game great in the first place.

$20 at Microsoft

$20 at Steam

I'm pretty sure that's still considered a name.

In Mojang Studios' franchise-expanding ARPG Minecraft Dungeons, there are a total of eight bosses. Four of these bosses are weaker "mini-bosses" that may appear in a multitude of places throughout, and the other four are stronger "main bosses" that only show up at pre-determined locations. In this Minecraft Dungeons guide series, we'll go over each and every boss, their strategies and attack patterns, how to fight them, and ultimately the best ways to come out on top in every battle, even on Apocalypse Difficulty.

The undead nightmare that can summon armies as well as it can destroy them the Nameless One is the second main boss in Minecraft Dungeons. Here's everything you need to know.

What is the Nameless One in Minecraft Dungeons?

The campaign for Minecraft Dungeons talks about a powerful staff relic that needs to be destroyed to undermind the dreaded Arch-Illager, or something like that. Still, all I know is that after fighting through the trap-riddled Desert Temple area, you need to awaken the Nameless One, an undead necromancer with powerful spectral attacks. With summoned minions and one of the strongest ranged attacks in the game, the Nameless One is a force to be reckoned with.

The Nameless One is the second main boss you should fight in Minecraft Dungeons, after the Corrupted Cauldron from Soggy Swamp. There are actually some similarities between the two, in the fact that they rely on minions and ranged attacks. The difference is that the Nameless One's ranged attacks are far more dangerous, and it's more mobile as well.

The Nameless One protects itself with skeleton vanguards, which are melee hostile mobs equipped with shields and glaives with extended reach. These mobs are more to keep you off the Nameless One and aren't this boss's primary method of attack. That would be the ghostly fireballs it emits from its staff, including a brutal clone attack that surrounds the player in a barrage of unholy fire. These attacks are slow-moving, high damage projectiles, and should be avoided by any means necessary.

If knowing how the Nameless One intends to destroy you is enough to get you hyped for the battle against it, you're free to go. The rest of you, read on to find out all the strategies and tactics you can employ against the Nameless One, no matter the difficulty.

How can I beat the Nameless One in Minecraft Dungeons?

This skeletal enemy doesn't have any apparent weaknesses like other bosses, so you'll have to be observant and diligent to catch it off guard. For a few brief seconds at a time, the Nameless One will "charge" up two of its three attacks: summoning a wave of skeleton vanguards and prepping its vicious clone attack. These are the windows to take advantage of. Beyond that, be constantly aware of the Nameless One's fireball attacks, and keep in mind that the skeleton vanguards have a long reach and decent knockback with their glaive weapons.

Melee-focused players

Melee-focused players should fare pretty well against the Nameless One, as long as you're patient and pay attention. There's not a lot that can be done when this boss is spamming fireball after fireball, with each one capable of doing considerable amounts of damage to anyone but a tank-like player. Focus on moving and taking down the skeleton vanguards that protect the Nameless One, to encourage him to "charge" up another wave, giving you a fresh opportunity.

Using the dash button, or even better, artifacts like the Light Feather let you get around skeleton vanguards to try and avoid their initial attack. These mobs don't have a lot of health, but their shield can take the first hit, and their glaives are great at keeping you off of them. Players that also have longer weapons or a bow they can fall back on will fare even better here. Killing all of these mobs helps you out and gives the Nameless One reason to stop attacking for a moment.

When you notice the Nameless One standing still, holding his glowing green staff aloft in the air, it's your moment to attack! Artifacts like Death Cap Mushroom and Boots of Swiftness help you close the distance and deal as much damage as possible before you're forced to retreat. Don't stay too long, though, especially if skeleton vanguard are still alive, because this means the Nameless One is likely prepping their clone attack. This attack will see you surrounded by eight or nine Nameless One's that all attack at once, and can pretty much instantly kill you.

Range-focused players

Using a bow or other ranged weapon against the Nameless One can be frustrating, since the Nameless One is also a very effective ranged attack, with melee support on top of that. The best strategy here is distance, as the projectiles this boss fires are rather slow, so distance plus slow speed equates to low accuracy if you keep moving. This gives you more chances to fire a few arrows off without worrying so much about being hit in return.

It may also be in your best interest to more-or-less ignore the skeleton vanguards if you're not a strong melee fighter. The Nameless One shouldn't spam wave after wave of these mobs, and they're not the fastest mobs around. Spending time on them just gives the only opponent you should really worry about more time to line up its shots, which can very quickly end the battle for you. Using artifacts like the Ghost Cloak help you move around better, even if you get cornered, and the Flaming Quiver can increase your damage output to capitalize more on your limited opportunities.

Enchantments that boost your attack or the number of projectiles you fire, like Multishot or Power, can also be useful here. Against the Nameless One, power is your best bet. With one of the smaller health pools out of the main bosses, the Nameless One can't afford to take too many hits. Besides, the longer the battle is drawn out, the more chances you give the Nameless One to get a lucky hit on you.

Souls-focused players

Rejoice! You'll have extra mobs to farm for souls here, giving you plenty of ways to charge up powerful souls artifacts like the Harvester. The only problem is that artifacts like the Corrupted Beacon or Lightning Rod aren't as useful against the Nameless One as other bosses, because it still moves around the battlefield, and sitting still is very dangerous. Something like the Torment Quiver and a good souls-orientated bow can help fill this gap a little bit.

Fighting the Nameless One a little bit like melee-focused players do is a good choice as well. Focus on farming souls from the skeleton vanguards while the Nameless One throws a temper tantrum, then use your artifacts to unleash powerful attacks while he's frozen charging up his next move. Because of their lower health, the Nameless One can be torn to shreds by a focused Corrupted Beacon attack while it's stuck not moving.

Keep in mind your own vulnerability, however, and be ready to end the Corrupted Beacon early by tapping the corresponding artifact button again if the Nameless One launches his clone attack. Don't slack on your primary weapon, either, enforcing it with enchantments like Shockwave or Poison Clouds to help you kill the skeleton vanguards faster, without having to get too close to them. The quicker you get souls, the quicker you can charge your artifacts.

Companion-focused players

Once again, players that are surrounded by companions and pets may run into the hardest time against the Nameless One, mainly due to their lack of endurance and how tricky it is to control them with any degree of precision. Two potential strategies could work, but both of them depend on what the Nameless One tries to attack, and how good your companions are at following orders.

The first strategy is to use your companions as dedicated melee fighters, with wolves or iron golems making up your army. In this case, you'll need a bow like the Hunter Bow that directs companions to where you shoot, and constantly pepper the Nameless One with arrows. Hopefully, the Nameless One should focus more on you than your companions, letting them steadily chip away at its health. Fall back to your melee weapon for skeleton vanguards, and don't panic if the Nameless One clones itself, just wait for it to merge again and send your companions in that direction.

The other strategy is basically the exact same as the range-focused player's strategy but augmented with llamas to increase your damage and keep skeleton vanguards off of you. A bow that directs the ire of your companions is still recommended to keep your llamas focused, but having a capable bow that can get the job done is more important than anything. This strategy should work just fine, but it's more complicated and risky than just going with a standard range-focused build.

What are some tips for every boss fight in Minecraft Dungeons?

Every boss is different, and every player approaches these bosses in a unique way. However, there are always tips and tricks that work in any fight in Minecraft Dungeons, regardless of how you play. Here's a list of all the essential tips for every boss fight, which should aid you in winning even on Apocalypse Difficulty.

• Choose your playstyle, and build your loadout around that. Minecraft Dungeons gives you a constant revolving door of new loot to try out, meaning you should be able to narrow down the direction you want to go in. Different gear compliments each other (like dual-wielding weapons with fast armor, or a bow with armor that increases arrow drops), so you can customize a perfect set for how you want to play. To get ahead of the curve, read up on our lists of weapons and armor.
• Artifacts are essential for any player. No matter how you decide to play, artifacts are the special sauce that exponentially increases your capability in Minecraft Dungeons. There's an excellent variety to experiment with, from artifacts that are clearly aimed at certain players, to more niche ones that players will find creative uses for. It's always a good idea to keep at least one of each artifact so you can test new combinations as you go. Still, you can also read our comprehensive list of artifacts.
• Unique gear takes things to the next level. Where things truly get interesting in the later game is using unique weapons and armor to augment your loadout. These unique weapons possess attributes and characteristics that set them apart from the standard gear they're related to, giving you an extra ability on top of what you can add with artifacts and enchantments. Uniques can truly narrow down what you're going with, whether it's the ultimate battle mage or a super-nippy rogue that heals as they shred their opponents. Here's a list of all the unique gear to get you started.
• Not all weapons are created equal, and enchantments are the difference. Finally, enchantments on your gear are the final push that takes you from "capable" to "everything is exploding, and I heal five times a second." You get enchantment points as you level up, so you should always be spending these points to make your gear even better. These enchantments are pseudo-random, as well, so even two identical pieces of gear can have completely different enchantments. Make sure to check these constantly, as a weapon with different enchantments, or an extra slot can overhaul your entire loadout in one fell swoop. Here's a list of all the enchantments to get you started.
• Keep moving, and use the "Dash / Dodge" button wisely. It's essential to keep moving in Minecraft Dungeons, to prevent enemies from surrounding or pinning you down. It also helps to avoid some of the more devastating attacks, especially from big bosses. Dungeons also gives you a dash that lets you roll out of trouble once every few seconds, which can be crucial in a fight. Use this button wisely, as you can't spam it, and you'll have a temporary period of slow down immediately afterward.
• Don't hesitate to retreat, if necessary. Minecraft Dungeons is not particularly liberal with their health potions, forcing you to wait a not-insignificant amount of time between health top-ups. If you're in a tough fight, there's nothing wrong with backing up to wait for your next health potion to come in, or to allow your artifacts to cool down for another use. To this end, the dash button can help you evade immediate danger and give you a chance to retreat.

Make the undead re-dead

Minecraft Dungeons loves undead mobs, but it loves it, even more, when players make those undead re-dead. The Nameless One goes down with a little bit of a bang, and you get to continue on your merry way on your path to the Arch-Illager. There are more challenges ahead, however, namely the Redstone Monstrosity and the mysterious powers of your nemesis, the Arch-Illager.

Not your average Minecraft

Minecraft Dungeons

$20 at Best Buy (Xbox One)$30 at Best Buy (Xbox One Hero Edition)$20 at Best Buy (Windows)

Minecraft grows up and reaches out.

Minecraft Dungeons is the next saga in Minecraft's story, and it looks like Mojang and Microsoft are hitting another one out of the park. Minecraft Dungeons combines the familiar world we all grew up on with an injection of Diablo, a whole lot of fun. Available on every platform you're on, for a ridiculously attractive price, what's not to love?

Are you having issues using an HDR display? In this guide, we'll show you several troubleshooting steps to resolve most common problems on Windows 10.

On Windows 10, you can play high dynamic range (HDR) content on an HDR10 compatible built-in display or external monitor (or TV) connected to your computer.

HDR is a technology that has been designed to improve the contrast and color of the content you see on the screen. Unlike standard dynamic range (SDR), high dynamic range offers brighter, more vibrant, and a wide range of color details for better image quality on supported videos, games, and apps.

Although on capable smart TVs, the HDR technology just works, on desktop computers and laptops running Windows 10, it's not that simple. You have to make sure that your device meets the minimum requirements. You have to turn on HDR on display and the OS manually, and you may come across several problems.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to resolve common problems using HDR displays for games and apps.

• How to fix HDR display not working on Windows 10
• How to fix HDR option not available on Windows 10
• How to fix HDR color not showing correctly on Windows 10
• How to fix HDR color problems with night light on Windows 10
• How to fix HDR brightness problems on Windows 10
• How to fix SDR brightness problems on HDR display on Windows 10

How to fix HDR display not working on Windows 10

Before you can start using your display for HDR content, you have to make sure the display is HDR-compatible, and you have to enable the feature on the external display (if applicable) and on Windows 10.

Confirm HDR compatibility

To check if the display is capable of HDR content on Windows 10, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for dxdiag and click the top result to open the app.
3. Click the System tab.

4. Click the Save All Information button.

5. Select a location to save the output file.
6. Click the Save button.
7. Open the file with Notepad.

8. Search for Advanced Color and determine if HDR is supported:

   • AdvancedColorSupported – indicates display driver with support for HDR10 is installed.
   • AdvancedColorEnabled – indicates that HDR is enabled.

   Quick tip: To search on Notepad, use the Ctrl + F keyboard shortcut, type the search query in the "Find what" box, and click the Find Next button. You can also use the "Direction" option to look up or down from where you're in the file.

9. Search for Monitor Capabilities and confirm it reads HDR Supported to determine that HDR10 is supported. If one or more requirements are missing, then you'll see the HDR Not Supported message.

   Quick note: If you also see "BT2020RGB" or "BT2020YCC", then the panel is capable of HDR10, and the "Eotf2084Supported" indicates that the display is capable of HDR.

Once you complete the steps, you can check and enable high dynamic range on the screen and Windows 10.

If the display isn't ready for HDR, Microsoft recommends choosing from VESA Certified DisplayHDR displays.

Minimum requirements for HDR

The minimum requirements to stream HDR video on Windows 10 are:

On a laptop:

• The built-in display needs to have a minimum resolution of 1080p and a max brightness of 300 nits (more is better).
• The integrated graphics card has to have PlayReady support and codecs for 10-bit video decoding.

On a PC:

• The monitor has to support HDR10, and HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.4 or higher.
• The graphics card has to have PlayReady 3.0 support. For example, AMD Radeon RX 400 series or higher, NVIDIA GeForce 1000 series or higher, or Intel UHD Graphics 600 series or higher support the HDR requirements.
• Windows 10 must-have codecs for 10-bit video decoding and latest graphics drivers (WDDM) installed.

Enable HDR on display

If the panel isn't showing HDR, then make sure to enable the feature on the peripheral.

The steps to enable HDR on a monitor is different per manufacturer and even per model. As a result, you'll need to check your manufacturer support website for more specific details.

Enable HDR on Windows 10

In the case of Windows 10, you can enable HDR using these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display.
4. Under the "Rearrange your displays" section, select the external monitor.

5. Under the "Windows HD Color" section, turn on the Play HDR games and apps toggle switch.

After you complete the steps, HDR will enable allowing you to play compatible games and apps.

How to fix HDR option not available on Windows 10

When trying to turn on high dynamic range from the Windows HD Color settings, you might see the option. However, it'll appear grayed out. Or the option won't be available after connecting an external HDR-capable monitor.

Multi-monitor setup HDR not available

If you connected an external HDR display, and you don't see the option to enable HDR in the Windows HD Color settings, then it is likely because Windows 10 is duplicating the desktop on both screens, which is not a supported configuration.

To play HDR content on the external monitor, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display.

4. Under the "Rearrange your displays" section, select the external monitor.

5. Under the "Multiple displays" section, select the Extend these displays option.

6. Click the Windows HD Color settings option.

7. Turn on the Play HDR games and apps toggle switch.

8. Turn on the Stream HDR video toggle switch (if applicable).

Once you complete the steps, you should now be able to turn on the monitor's HDR feature.

Grayed-out HDR option

If the Windows HD Color settings page shows that the built-in display of a laptop with support for HDR, but the option to enable the feature isn't accessible, then it's because the power default settings are disabling HDR when running on battery.

To resolve this issue, connect the laptop to a power source, or change the settings to allow HDR content to play while on battery.

To turn on HDR while a laptop is running on battery, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display.
4. Click the Windows HD Color settings option.

5. Under the "Battery options" section, clear the Don't allow HDR games and apps on battery option.

   Quick note: If you don't see the option, the feature isn't available on the device.

After you complete the steps, you should be able to turn on HDR on the laptop.

How to fix HDR color not showing correctly on Windows 10

When using an HDR display on a desktop computer, you may see problems displaying colors. For example, black text not rendering correctly on a white background.

If you're experiencing color problems with an external monitor, you should check your computer to determine if the latest graphics driver is installed. If you need assistance updating the video driver, you can use these steps.

It's always recommended to use a DisplayPort connection to connect an HDR monitor instead of an HDMI connection.

If you're stuck with an HDMI connection, you can reduce the frame rate to 30Hz with these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display.

4. Click the Advanced display settings option.

5. Click the Display adapter properties option.

6. Click the Monitor tab.

7. Use the "Screen refresh rate" drop-down menu and select the 30 Hertz option (if available).

8. Click the Apply button.
9. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the HDR display will start rendering colors more accurately.

How to fix HDR color problems with night light on Windows 10

On Windows 10, if the night light feature is enabled, colors on the screen may look red tint making content unreadable.

The solution is to adjust the night light strength or disable the feature when using HDR content with these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display.

4. Click the Night light settings option.

5. Use the slider to minimize the strength of night light to improve HDR on Windows 10.

6. (Optional) Click the Turn off now button.

After you complete the steps, content in the HDR display will not be readable, and without red tint, depending on the resolution you applied.

How to fix HDR brightness problems on Windows 10

When you use a laptop with an HDR screen, you may run into several brightness issues depending on how the system is configured and whether it's plugged into a power source or running on battery.

Laptop with battery saver on

In the case that the battery saver feature is enabled and brightness changes unexpectedly on a laptop, for example, a screen turns brighter or brightness level changes on wake when running on battery, then you'll need to adjust the brightness settings manually.

To mitigate these issues, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display.

4. Use the "Brightness and color" slider to lower the brightness on the HDR screen.

Or if you see a sudden change of brightness level, you can disable battery saver feature on Windows 10 using these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Battery.

4. Clear the Turn battery saver on automatically if my battery falls below option.

Once you complete the steps, the brightness problem due to the battery saver option should now be resolved.

Laptop with do nothing when closing lid

If you have the option to close the lid on a laptop to "Do nothing," then you may experience lower brightness on the built-in HDR screen while the brightness setting still showing the level unchanged.

To resolve this issue set a different option for closing the lid with these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Power & sleep.

4. Under the "Related settings" section, click the Additional power settings option.

5. Click the Choose what closing the lid does option from the left pane.

6. Use the When I close the lid drop-down menus and select another option other than "Do nothing."

7. Click the Save changes button.

Also, to correct the screen brightness, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display.

4. Use the "Brightness and color" slider to adjust the brightness to the desired level.

After you complete the steps, the brightness should no longer change when closing the laptop lid.

Laptop with switch from DC to AC power

On an HDR display, the brightness can suddenly change when switching from battery power to outlet power.

To resolve this issue simply adjust the brightness manually:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display.

4. Use the "Brightness and color" slider to adjust the brightness on the HDR screen to the desired level.

Once you complete the steps, you may need to repeat the steps in the future, if you run into the same situation.

How to fix SDR brightness problems on HDR display on Windows 10

When you use an HDR display, standard dynamic range (SDR) content may appear with very low or very high brightness. This happens because displays identify SDR and HDR signals differently, which can cause brightness problems.

All SDR content and apps

To resolve this problem, you need to adjust the relative brightness with these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display.

4. Click the Windows HD Color settings option.

5. Under the "Windows HD Color" section, use the SDR content appearance slider to adjust the brightness until you find the right balance.

Once you complete the steps, SDR content should appear with an improved brightness level.

Some SDR apps appear darker

Sometimes, apps that haven't been designed to work with the HDR brightness settings will cause them to appear darker on HDR displays.

One solution to this problem is to run the SDR apps on an SDR display. If you have a multi-monitor setup, you can disable HDR on one of the displays to make apps brighter.

If you have an HDR-compatible display, you can try lowering the SDR content appearance brightness level using these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display.

4. Click the Windows HD Color settings option.

5. Under the "Windows HD Color" section, use the SDR content appearance slider to lower the brightness until the SDR content looks brighter.

6. (Optional) Use the monitor's on-screen settings to increase the brightness to the preferred level.

After you complete the steps, apps should no longer look dimmed.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

The Windows 10 May 2020 Update is here, but if it's causing problems you can use this guide to troubleshoot and fix them all.

Microsoft has begun the gradual rollout of the May 2020 Update for Windows 10 with a bunch of new changes and several new features to enhance the experience of laptops and desktop computers. This is the ninth feature update, and it's the first semi-annual update of 2020 available for supported devices.

Although the company is now finalizing the development earlier and spending more time testing and addressing as many problems as possible before the final release, as a result of version 2004 including significant code changes, it also means a lot of potential compatibility problems, issues with drivers, unexpected errors, and more.

In addition, because the May 2020 Update requires full reinstallation, you can also come across other issues that aren't the result of the new development. Usually, upgrades could fail to apply because of storage problems, incompatible programs, damaged or outdated drivers, custom configurations, and problems with physical components.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll highlight some of the problems you are likely to encounter trying to install the May 2020 Update and possible solutions.

Get help to fix issues installing the May 2020 Update for Windows 10

Good to know – When a new version of Windows 10 becomes available, you may run into two types of problems. For instance, you can come across errors that are known during and after an upgrade, such as issues with activation, storage, features, and system update, which aren't necessarily problems with version 2004.

Then, there are issues caused by bugs in the feature update. Some of these problems can be related to drivers, compatibility with apps or third-party security solutions.

This guide focuses on resolving common upgrade problems as well as methods to get around specific known issues (if available) during and after the installation using Windows Update, Update Assistant, or Media Creation Tool.

• How to fix Windows Update problems with the May 2020 Update
• How to fix Media Creation Tool problems with the May 2020 Update
• How to fix USB media problems with the May 2020 Update
• How to fix Windows 10 setup problems with the May 2020 Update
• How to fix Update Assistant problems with the May 2020 Update
• How to fix storage problems with the May 2020 Update
• How to fix hardware and software compatibility problems with the May 2020 Update
• How to fix after installation problems with the May 2020 Update
• How to fix memory integrity blocking install of the May 2020 Update
• How to fix problem with older Nvidia GPU drivers on the May 2020 Update
• How to fix Cortana won't close on the May 2020 Update
• How to fix DISM corruption report on the May 2020 Update
• How to fix Cortana not available on the May 2020 Update
• How to fix Intel Optane problems with the May 2020 Update
• How to minimize problems upgrading to Windows 10 May 2020 Update

How to fix Windows Update problems with the May 2020 Update

Although using Windows Update is the recommended method to upgrade to a new version of Windows 10, it's not a flawless mechanism, and sometimes you may run into errors that will prevent your computer from getting the update.

Resolve unexpected errors using Windows Update

If Windows Update isn't working, you can use the troubleshooter feature to resolve the most common issues.

To fix Windows Update to download version 2004, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Troubleshoot.
4. Under the "Get up and running" section, select the Windows Update option.

5. Click the Run the troubleshooter button.

6. Click the Apply this fix option (if applicable).

   Quick note: If you don't see the option to apply a fix, it's okay. The troubleshooter will apply fixes automatically. Then if the problem needs user approval, you'll see the option.

7. Continue with the on-screen directions.
8. Restart your device.

Once you complete the steps, Windows Update should now be able to download and install the new May 2020 Update.

In the event that you get the error 0xc1900223, it means that there's an issue downloading the update, and there's nothing else you need to do. At a later time, Windows Update will try to upgrade again.

Resolve error 0x80073712 using Windows Update

If, during the upgrade to Windows 10 version 2004, you see error 0x80073712 message, then it means that one or more of the required files are either missing or damaged.

To resolve this issue, you can use the Deployment Servicing and Management (DISM) tool with Command Prompt to restore the system files to a known good state.

To use DISM to fix Windows Update, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command and press Enter:

   dism /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

After you complete the steps, the required files will be repaired, and Windows Update should start working to download and install the first semi-annual update of Windows 10.

Resolve error 0x800F0922 using Windows Update

The error 0x800F0922 could appear when using Windows Update, if your device can't connect to the Microsoft update servers, or if the System Reserved partition doesn't have enough free space.

Disconnecting VPN session

Typically, you'll see the error 0x800F0922 if you're trying to upgrade to the May 2020 Update, and a VPN connection is active.

To fix this problem, disconnect the VPN session using these steps:

1. Click the network icon in the taskbar.
2. Select the VPN connection.

3. Click the Disconnect button.

These steps will work when using the Windows 10 VPN settings. If you're using another application, check its documentation for more specific instructions.

Resizing System Reserved partition

If third-party security software (such as antivirus) stores data in the System Reserved partition, then there's a good chance that the new version of Windows 10 won't install.

When this happens, you may need to use a third-party tool to resize the resevered partition to make it equal or larger than 500MB. Alternatively, you can choose to perform a clean installation with version 2004, which will not only fix the problem, but you'll start with a new fresh installation that can resolve previous issues and improve performance.

How to fix Media Creation Tool problems with the May 2020 Update

The Media Creation Tool is a utility designed primarily to perform fresh and upgrade installations of Windows 10, but it also has problems of its own, especially during the early days of the May 2020 Update.

Resolve Media Creation Tool stuck downloading

As part of the upgrade process, the Media Creation Tool downloads the installation files as well as any additional updates.

The only caveat is that the tool can get stuck downloading those additional updates, and it'll prevent you from continuing the upgrade to version 2004.

If it stays on the "Getting updates" stage for a long time, you can use these steps to get around the problem:

1. Click the Close button.
2. Start the Media Creation Tool one more time.
3. Continue with the on-screen directions.

4. As soon as the installation files finish downloading, unplug the network cable from your computer or disconnect from the Wi-Fi network.

Once you complete the steps, the download for updates will time out, and the setup will continue with the process. After the upgrade, Windows Update will install any remaining updates.

Resolve Media Creation Tool not starting setup

In the event that the installation process doesn't start downloading the installation files, then you may need to begin the setup manually.

To launch the Windows 10 version 2004 setup manually, use these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Navigate to the following path:

   C:\$Windows.~BT\Sources

3. Double-click the Setupprep.exe file to launch the setup wizard.

After you complete the steps, you should now be able to continue with the upgrade process to the May 2020 Update.

In the case that you're still dealing with the same problem, then you should upgrade using the Update Assistant.

How to fix USB media problems with the May 2020 Update

When the installation fails using a USB bootable media, then there's a good chance that the flash drive has some damaged or missing files. You can quickly resolve this problem, recreating the installation media with the Media Creation Tool.

To create a USB bootable media to install Windows 10 version 2004, use these steps:

1. Open this Microsoft support website.
2. Under the "Create Windows 10 installation media" section, click the Download tool now button.
3. Save the installer on your computer.
4. Double-click the MediaCreationTool2004.exe to start the setup.
5. Click the Accept button.

6. Select the Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC option.

7. Click the Next button.

8. Select your language, architecture, and edition settings, if different from the default selection.

9. Click the Next button.

10. Select the USB flash drive option.

11. Click the Next button.

12. Select the removable drive from the list.

13. Click the Next button.
14. Click the Finish button.

Once you complete the steps, you'll end up with a new installation media with fresh files that you can use to upgrade your device.

If the bootable media fails again, try the steps one more time, but from another computer. Or use another application, such as Rufus to create the installation media.

How to fix Windows 10 setup problems with the May 2020 Update

As you begin the upgrade of the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, the setup process can fail with many error messages depending on the problem that is blocking the process.

Resolve Windows Setup errors 0x8007042B 0x4000D and 0x800700B7 0x2000A

If the setup fails with error 0x8007042B 0x4000D or error 0x800700B7 0x2000A, then it means that another process is running in the background.

Usually, these processes are from applications and services that run at startup, such as from system processes, third-party antivirus, and other desktop applications.

If you're performing an in-place upgrade, you can use Task Manager to terminate the process or application. Here's how:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Task Manager and click the top result to open the app.
3. Click the More details button.
4. Select an app.

5. Click the End task button.

6. Repeat steps No. 3 and 4 to terminate the remaining apps.

After you complete the steps, start the setup again and continue with the upgrade.

Alternatively, you can perform a clean boot of Windows 10 to start the upgrade, or you can temporarily remove the program in question.

To uninstall apps (such as antivirus and legacy programs) that might be conflicting with the upgrade, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.

4. Select the app and click the Uninstall button.

5. Continue with the on-screen directions.

Once you complete the steps, you should no longer see error "0x8007042B 0x4000D" or error "0x800700B7 0x2000A," and you should now be able to complete the version 2004 installation.

Resolve Windows Setup error 0xC1900107

The 0xC1900107 error message indicates that the device was recently upgraded to a newer version. However, the previous installation files are still pending for deletion before you start the new upgrade process.

Restarting the computer usually fixes the problem, but if the error persists, use the Storage Sense to remove the previous version manually.

To clean up the previous installation files, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Storage.

4. Click the Configure Storage Sense or run in now option.

5. Under the "Free up space now" section, check the Delete previous versions of Windows option.

6. Click the Clean now button.

After you complete the steps, the previous installation will be removed, fixing the error "0xC1900107."

Resolve Windows Setup install completion problems

Whether you're trying to install a new feature update or cumulative update, you can run into two error messages:

• Error: We couldn't complete the updates. Undoing changes. Don't turn off your computer.
• Error: Failure configuring Windows Updates. Reverting changes.

These are generic messages, and you'll need to determine the error code to find a solution or workaround.

To find out the exact error preventing you from installing version 2004, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Windows Update.

4. Click the View your update history option.

5. Check the error code next to the failed update.

Once you complete the steps, you'll have to research the message online. You may be able to find a solution at the official Microsoft forums or using the Windows Central forums.

You can also check the Windows 10 update history support page to find if a specific update has a problem and whether Microsoft has a workaround to mitigate the issue (if applicable).

Resolve Windows Setup updates problem

If you're getting the Error: The update doesn't apply to your computer message, it means that your device is missing updates, and you won't be able to upgrade to version 2004 until the required updates are installed.

To check for updates, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Windows Update.

4. Click the Check for updates button.

Once you complete the steps, you can use any of the supported methods to upgrade to the May 2020 Update.

Resolve Windows Setup error 0x80200056

The error 0x80200056 is not a critical problem. The message only indicates that the device accidentally restarted during the update process.

To fix this issue, after the device restarted, restart the Windows 10 setup.

How to fix Update Assistant problems with the May 2020 Update

In addition to Windows Update and Media Creation Tool, Microsoft also provides the Update Assistant, which is a tool designed to force an upgrade when Windows Update isn't working correctly. However, like with any piece of software, it's not a flawless tool, and some times, you can run into problems.

If you're having issues with the tool, such as stuck downloading the May 2020 Update files, then it's likely to be a networking related problem.

To fix the Update Assistant tool, use these tips:

• Disconnect the device from the network unplugging the network cable or disabling Wi-Fi. Once you do that, wait about one minute, and reconnect the network, and relaunch the Update Assistant.
• Restart the device and open the Update Assistant again.
• Re-download the tool again.

If you continue with the same problem, use the Media Creation Tool to perform an in-place upgrade to the May 2020 Update.

How to fix storage problems with the May 2020 Update

Although Windows 10 now ships with Reserved Storage, a feature that sets aside part of the hard drive space for updates and temporary files, you can still stumble upon some storage related error messages:

• 0x80070070 – 0x50011
• 0x80070070 – 0x50012
• 0x80070070 – 0x60000

The minimum hardware to install Windows 10 version 2004 requires at least 16GB of available storage to upgrade a 32-bit version or 20GB for the 64-bit version. If your computer doesn't have enough space, you'll not be able to install the new version.

To fix storage problems trying to upgrade to the May 2020 Update, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Storage.

4. Under the "Local Disk" section, click the Temporary files option.

5. Select the items to clear to free up space.

   Quick tip: You don't need to select the "Windows Setup temporary files" or "Windows ESD installation files" option, as these are the files required to update your computer.

6. Click the Remove files button.

After you complete the steps, you should now be able to go through the installation of version 2004. However, if you continue without enough space, you should consider adding an external storage (such as a USB flash drive or external hard drive) with at least 16GB of space that the system can use as temporary storage automatically.

You can use this guide with a lot of tips to free up storage space on your computer.

How to fix hardware and software compatibility problems with the May 2020 Update

Hardware and software compatibility can sometimes block the upgrade process, and you won't be able to continue until you determine and repair the root of the cause.

Resolve error 0x80070002 0x20009

As you try to upgrade from an older version to the May 2020 Update, you may see error 0x80070002 0x20009 that indicates that the setup can't find specific files.

This is another common problem upgrading to a new version of Windows 10, and you can quickly get around it by disconnecting any drive connected to your device, including USB flash drives (excluding the media installation drive) and external drives. Once you removed the peripheral, rerun the setup to continue with the upgrade.

Resolve error 0xC1900101

Whether you're attempting to install version 2004 or another release, you can see a number of errors starting with 0xC1900101 or 0x80090011 that could indicate a problem with one or more drivers.

These are the different "0xC1900101" error codes:

• 0xC1900101 - 0x2000c
• 0xC1900101 - 0x20017
• 0xC1900101 - 0x30017
• 0xC1900101 - 0x30018
• 0xC1900101 - 0x3000D
• 0xC1900101 - 0x4000D
• 0xC1900101 - 0x40017

If you're dealing with any of the error codes mentioned above, you can use the tips below to troubleshoot and fix them.

Disconnect peripherals

To minimize errors during the upgrade of the Windows 10 May 2020 Update is a good idea to disconnect non-essential peripherals, such as external drives, printers, Bluetooth devices, USB devices, cameras, and others.

After the installation, you can reconnect them again.

Update drivers

Updating the device drivers to the latest release can also resolve any of the error codes.

To check for device driver updates on Windows 10, use these steps:

Important: If you're getting the update from your manufacturer support website, then follow their instructions, and skip the steps below.

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager, and click the top result to open the app.
3. Expand the branch with the device causing issues. (Typically, it'll be marked with a yellow exclamation sign.)

4. Right-click the device and select the Update driver option.

5. Click the Browse my computer for driver software option if you previously downloaded the new driver package. (Or click the Search automatically for updated driver software option to check for updates automatically.)

6. Click the Browse button.

7. Select the location with the driver files (unzipped).
8. Click the Next button.
9. Continue with the on-screen directions.

Once you complete the steps, you should no longer see in an "0xC1900101" or "0x80090011" error message during the version 2004 installation.

You can also check this comprehensive guide with everything you need to know updating drivers on Windows 10.

Optimize storage

If you see one of the "0xC1900101" errors, you can use the Storage settings, uninstall non-essential apps and games, and migrate personal files to another location to free up space.

You can use this guide with a lot of tips to free up storage space on your computer.

Repair installation

An error message starting with "0xC1900101" can also indicate a problem with the current setup, and as a result, you won't be able to continue.

You may be able to fix this problem using the Deployment Servicing and Management (DISM), System File Checker (SFC), and System File Checker (SFC) utilities to repair issues with the installation.

You can use this guide with the instructions you need to follow to resolve this issue.

Fresh installation

If you can't get around the error, then use the Media Creation Tool to start fresh with a clean installation of Windows 10.

Resolve hardware error 0xC1900200, 0xC1900202, 0x80300024

If your device is already running any version of Windows 10, then it's likely that you won't see these errors. However, if you see error 0xC1900200 – 0x20008, 0xC1900202 – 0x20008, or 0x80300024, then your computer doesn't meet the minimum system requirements.

These are the minimum hardware requirements to install Windows 10 version 2004:

• Processor: 1GHz.
• Memory: 2GB for 32 bit or 64 bit.
• Hard drive: 16GB for 32 bit or 20GB for 64 bit.
• Graphics: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver.
• Display: 800x600.

You can check this guide to understand the hardware specifications of your device. However, if you see one of these errors, then it's likely that you may need to upgrade the system memory.

Resolve driver error 0x800F0923

The error message 0x800F0923 refers to a compatibility problem with a driver or program on your computer. When upgrading to a new version of Windows 10, this error usually points out an issue with the graphics driver, legacy program, or third-party antivirus.

One method to find out the issue is to run the Update Assistant or Media Creation Tool, and during the setup process, if there's a compatibility problem, the tools will report it more clearly.

In the case that it's a driver problem, you should download and install a newer version from the manufacturer support website using their instructions. If available, try to download a beta version of the driver, as during the early days of a new version of Windows 10, the manufacturer is in the testing phase of new drivers to make them fully compatible with the latest release.

Remove incompatible driver

Alternatively, you can remove the driver, proceed with the upgrade, and then reinstall the device (if applicable).

To remove a driver causing upgrade problems, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager, and click the top result to open the app.
3. Expand the branch with the device having issues.

4. Right-click the component and select the Uninstall device option.

5. Click the Uninstall button again.

After you complete the steps, you should now be able to complete the upgrade of the May 2020 Update.

In addition, you may see error 0x80070490 - 0x20007, which also indicates incompatible driver, and error 0x80070003 - 0x20007 that refers to an upgrade failure during the driver installation stage.

If you receive either of these errors, you should the device drivers causing the problem, and then try the upgrade process one more time.

Resolve app error 0xC1900208

During the upgrade to version 2004, it's also possible that you'll see the error 0xC1900208 – 0x4000C. This message could signal that an app installed on your device isn't compatible and is blocking the process. Usually, the apps causing the problem include legacy desktop programs and third-party antivirus.

To remove incompatible apps to complete the upgrade, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Select the incompatible program.

5. Click the Uninstall button.

6. Click the Uninstall button again.
7. Continue with the on-screen directions (if applicable).

Once you complete the steps, you may need to repeat the instructions to remove other conflicting apps.

How to fix after installation problems with the May 2020 Update

Although the installation of Windows 10 version 2004 may have completed successfully, you can still come across a number of issues, such as black screen, network connectivity, and activation.

Resolve black screen problems after upgrade

Black screen during and after an upgrade is not uncommon. Usually, it indicates a problem with the graphics driver, hardware, or it could suggest that the new version didn't apply correctly.

The quickest resolution is to remove the May 2020 Update from your computer using the Advanced startup settings:

1. Turn on your computer.
2. As soon as the Windows logo appears on your screen, press the power button. (This will immediately interrupt the boot sequence.)
3. Repeat steps No. 1 and 2 two more times.

4. Click the Advanced options button.

5. On the Advanced startup settings, click on Troubleshoot.

6. Click on Advanced options.

7. Click on Uninstall Updates.

8. Click on Uninstall latest feature update.

9. Sign-in with your Windows 10 account.
10. Click the Uninstall feature update button.

After you complete the steps, Windows 10 version 2004 will be removed, restoring the previous installation and fixing the black screen problem. Also, it's recommended not to upgrade again until a new patch becomes available that fixes the problem.

Resolve network problem after upgrade

After installing the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, there's a chance that you experience networking problems, such as slow wireless connectivity, intermittent connection, no connection at all, or the adapter isn't available.

Troubleshoot network problem

To fix problems with a network adapter after installing version 2004, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Network & Security.
3. Click on Status.

4. Under the "Advanced network settings" section, click the Network Troubleshooter button.

5. Continue with the on-screen directions (if applicable).

Once you complete the steps, the network should start working again.

Reset network adapters

If the problem persists, then resetting the networking stack will uninstall, reinstall, and set the default settings that could fix the problem.

To reset Wi-Fi as well as wired network adapters after upgrading to version 2004, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Network & Security.
3. Click on Status.

4. Under the "Change your network settings" section, click the Network reset button.

5. Click the Reset now button.

6. Click the Yes button.

After you complete the steps, Windows 10 will remove and reinstall all the network adapters, and it'll reset the settings to their factory defaults fixing the connectivity problem.

In the case that you're experiencing networking issues, remember that there could be a lot of reasons, including problems with the adapter, driver, settings, signal, cable, router, internet service provider (ISP), and of course, a bug with version 2004.

Resolve activation problem after upgrade

On Windows 10, once you activate the installation, the device will be reactivated automatically after an upgrade or clean installation without the need to type the license key. However, there will be times that the reactivation won't work, and you'll receive a "Windows not activated" message with error 0x803F7001 in the Activation settings page.

If this ever happens, be patient and wait, Windows 10 will reactivate later automatically. However, if it's been a few days, you can use the activation troubleshooter to activate your device running the May 2020 Update.

How to fix memory integrity blocking install of the May 2020 Update

If you're trying to upgrade to the May 2020 Update, you're likely to see the "Your PC settings need to be adjusted before upgrading to the latest version of Windows 10. Turn off memory integrity protection to continue" message that will prevent you from continuing the installation.

According to the company, there's a compatibility problem with certain display drivers, and it's recommending to update the graphics drivers to the latest version. However, the quickest way to mitigate this problem is to disable the memory integrity feature.

To resolve this issue, you need to disable the memory integrity feature using these steps:

1. Open Windows Security.
2. Click on Device security.
3. Click the Core isolation details option.

4. Turn off the Memory integrity toggle switch.

Once you complete the steps, you should be able to run the setup of Windows 10 again install version 2004.

How to fix problem with older Nvidia GPU drivers on the May 2020 Update

If during or after the installation process of version 2004, you receive a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), it's likely because you're using an older graphics driver from Nvidia. According to Microsoft, there's a compatibility issue with some versions of Nvidia display adapters, and the company recommends to check and update the video drivers to the latest version (if possible).

To install the latest graphics drivers, you can use these instructions.

Alternatively, if you're still on a previous version of Windows 10, it's best not to upgrade until a solution is available. However, if you already upgraded, and you're experiencing problems, you can try rolling back to the previous version using these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Recovery.

4. Under the "Go back to a previous version of Windows 10" section, click the Get started button.

5. Check any of the reasons available.

6. Click the Next button.

7. Click the No, thanks button.

8. Click the Next button.

9. Click the Next button again.

10. Click the Go back to earlier build button.

Also, the company is working closely with Nvidia to find a permanent resolution, which is expected to release in future updates.

How to fix Cortana won't close on the May 2020 Update

Starting with the May 2020 Update, Cortana becomes a regular app that updates through the Microsoft Store, and it's no longer integrated into Windows 10. However, after installing version 2004, some users are reporting that Cortana doesn't fully close when they close it, as you'll still see the app when opening Task View or use the Alt + Tab keyboard shortcut.

It's unclear if this behavior is bug or if the app has been designed that way, but if you need to close the app, you can use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Task Manager and click the top result to open the app.
3. Click the Processes tab.
4. Select the Cortana process.

5. Click the End task button.

Once you complete the steps, Cortana will fully close on Windows 10.

If you want to prevent Cortana from launching on startup, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Startup.

4. Turn off the Cortana toggle switch.

After you complete the steps, Cortana will no longer start automatically when you sign in to Windows 10.

How to fix DISM corruption report on the May 2020 Update

According to Microsoft, after using the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command with the /restorehealth option there's a chance of the tool reporting corruption even if the problem has been resolved running the command.

If you're having this issue, you can quickly resolve this issue by running the same command again to confirm the current state of the system or using the the /ScanHealth option with these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command and press Enter:

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

Once you complete the steps, you should no longer receive the message that corruption still present.

How to fix Cortana not available on the May 2020 Update

Alongside the new features and improvements, starting with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, Cortana becomes a regular app and it's no longer integrated into the OS. However, some users are complaining that after upgrading to version 2004, they receive a "Cortana is not available" at this time message.

If you're facing this issue on a supported region, you can try reseting or reinstalling the app on Windows 10.

Reset Cortana app

To reset the Cortana app, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Under the "Apps & features" section, select the Cortana app.

5. Click the Advanced options link.

6. Under the "Reset" section, click the Reset button.

7. Click the Reset button again.

Once you complete the steps, you can try to set up Cortana one more time.

Reinstall Cortana app

In the rare case that you still continue to see the same "Cortana is not available" message, then you can try reinstalling the application with these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to remove Cortana from Windows 10 and press Enter:

   Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.549981C3F5F10 | Remove-AppxPackage

4. Open the Cortana app page.
5. Click the Get button.
6. Click the Open button.

7. Click the Install button.

After you complete the steps, Cortana will reinstall on Windows 10, and it should now work as expected.

How to fix Intel Optane problems with the May 2020 Update

If you try to install the Windows 10 May 2020 Update (version 2004) on a device using an Intel Octane memory module, you're likely to run into compatibility issues.

According to multiple reports at the Intel forum, Feedback Hub, and Twitter (via WindowsLatest), the Optane Memory Pinnings don't transfer successfully to the new version making it impossible for Windows 10 to load a specific module resulting on a "Unable to load DLL 'iaStorAfsServiceApi.dll': The specified module could not be found. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8)" error message.

Although Microsoft is currently placing a temporary block on device likely to run into one of the many issues with the May 2020 Update, it's possible to upgrade to the new version using the Media Creation Tool. In the case that you have a device with an Intel Optane memory module, it's recommend to skip the feature update until there's a permanent solution. However, if you have already upgrade to version 2004, there is a workaround that might help to mitigate the problem.

To fix the Intel Optane problem with version 2004, use these steps:

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click on Programs.
3. Click the Programs & Features option.
4. Select the Intel Optane Pinning Explorer Extensions item.
5. Click the Uninstall button.
6. Continue with the on-screen directions (if applicable).
7. Disable Intel Optane.
8. Restart your computer.
9. Enable Intel Optane.
10. Restart your computer.

Once you complete the steps, you should no longer see the error on Windows 10.

If the same issue continues to happen, it's best to roll back to the previous version of Windows 10 with these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Recovery.

4. Under the "Go back to a previous version of Windows 10" section, click the Get started button.

5. Check any of the reasons available.

6. Click the Next button.

7. Click the No, thanks button.

8. Click the Next button.

9. Click the Next button again.

10. Click the Go back to earlier build button.

Microsoft has yet to acknowledge this as an issue with the May 2020 Update, as a result, it's unclear when the company or Intel will release a permanent fix.

How to minimize problems upgrading to Windows 10 May 2020 Update

The development of Windows 10 to accommodate thousands of hardware and software configurations is a complex process, which means that there will always be the chance of problems during and after an upgrade.

However, when you prepare accordingly, you can reduce and, most of the time, eliminate any type of issues as you move to a new version, such as the Windows 10 May 2020 Update.

Create backup

A backup of your entire computer is one of the best steps you can take to prepare before an upgrade. The Windows 10 setup process includes a safeguard mechanism to restore the previous installation in case of a problem, but it doesn't always work as expected.

Before clicking the install button, take the time to create a temporary backup. You can use any third-party tool, or you can use the legacy system image backup tool available on Windows 10.

In addition to the backup, it's also recommended to create a file backup to an external hard drive or cloud storate service, such as OneDrive.

Remove non-essential apps

Legacy desktop apps and third-party antivirus solutions are usually the reason an installation will fail. This means that it's a good idea to remove these apps before proceeding with the upgrade. You can reinstall them after installing the May 2020 Update.

To remove apps on Windows 10, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.

4. Select the app you want to remove, and click the Uninstall button.

5. Click the Uninstall button again.
6. Continue with the on-screen directions (if applicable).

Once you complete the steps, you may need to repeat the instructions to uninstall additional apps that may cause conflicts.

Disabling security software

In addition to removing conflicting apps, you should also consider uninstalling third-party antivirus and other security software temporarily. (After the update, you can install them again.)

Although it's unlikely, if the problem is Windows Defender, you won't be able to remove it, but you can disable it to continue with the upgrade.

Important: Uninstalling or disabling a security solution temporarily has low-to-none security risks. However, it's assumed that you understand that it's never recommended to leave your device without protection. Proceed with caution. You've been warned.

To temporarily disable Windows Defender Antivirus, use these steps:

1. Open Windows Security.
2. Click on Virus & threat protection.

3. Under the "Virus & threat protection settings" section, click the Manage settings option.

4. Turn off the Real-time protection toggle switch.

After you complete the steps, the antivirus should not conflict with the upgrade process, and it'll re-enable automatically after the installation of Windows 10.

Free up space

If the device is running low on storage space, the new version won't install. As such, another good tip is to free up space to make sure the setup will run as expected.

You can use this guide to find out the best options to free up space on your computer.

Remove non-essential peripherals

Usually, non-essential peripherals connected to your computer can cause an installation to fail. Before proceeding with the May 2020 Update installation, disconnect USB flash drive, SD cards, external hard drives, printers, scanners, dongles, and Bluetooth devices.

Also, if you're using a laptop connected to a docking station, undock it before proceeding.

Only keep the components you need, including mouse, keyboard, monitor, and internet connection. Then after applying the update, you can reconnect all your peripherals.

Disable firewall

The firewall can also cause problems if it has a custom configuration, or you're using a particular solution that doesn't play well with Windows 10.

If you're using a third-party firewall, refer to the developer's instructions to disable the software. In the rare case that the problem is the Windows Firewall, to disable the feature, use these steps:

1. Open Windows Security.
2. Click on Firewall & network protection.

3. Click the "active" network.

4. Turn off the Windows Firewall toggle switch.

After you complete the steps, Windows 10 version 2004 should download without interruptions.

Disable metered connection

If you previously configured a network connection as metered, the Windows 10 version 2004 won't download on your device.

If you're using a limited internet connection, it's recommended to connect to a regular uncapped network , remove the settings, and continue with the upgrade.

To remove the metered setting for a connection, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Network & Security.
3. Click on Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

4. Select the active network connection.

5. Under the "Metered connection" section, turn off the Set as metered connection toggle switch.

Alternatively, you could create a USB bootable media on another computer that's connected to a different network, and then use that media to perform an offline in-place upgrade.

Use clean installation

If you want to minimize the chances of problems, the better option is to perform a clean installation.

A clean installation will delete everything on the main drive and will install a fresh copy of Windows 10, which also helps to fix existing issues.

If you want to go with a clean installation, you have to create a flash drive bootable using the Media Creation Tool, and then use it to start your device and continue with the fresh installation.

Although it's a straightforward process, you have to execute a lot of steps. If you need assistance, use this guide that includes everything you need to know to perform a clean installation of Windows 10.

Wrapping things app

Microsoft has been working proactively to improve and ensure that users go through a good experience upgrading to a new version of Windows 10, but with such a complicated system, there will always be a chance of something going wrong.

If you're upgrading to the new version of Windows 10, this guide covers a lot of ground to resolve virtually every known problem during and after the installation of the Windows 10 May 2020 Update.

However, remember that's never recommended to upgrade as soon as the feature update is ready, as it may still contain unknown issues and bugs that could negatively affect the experience. Usually, it's best to wait until after a few cumulative updates become available to make sure that you're installing a more stable release.

Did you have any problems upgrading to Windows 10 version 2004? Let us know in the comments and tell us the fix you used.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central