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Troubleshooting

Applications Not Appearing in Start Menu Searches

Background Tasks need to be enabled for the application index to be updated when new programs are installed.

⌘ + r ➔ ms-settings:privacy-backgroundapps

Let apps run in the background: ✔

By disabling all background tasks (global toggle) this index is never updated, and therefore apps will stop appearing in start menu searches. You can still disable all apps in the background, however the service still needs to be enabled.

NTFS File Ownership Access Denied

Default well known SIDs were removed from file permissions and replaced with a specific user SID that no longer exists.

Replace old SID with current system SID. (1)

  1. Alternatively take ownership and copy files to a NTFS partition with proper SID's set.
# Run as administrator.
setacl.exe -on c:\ -ot file -actn trustee -trst "n1:S-old-501;n2:S-new-501;ta:repltrst" -rec cont

Affected NTFS partition should be nuked and re-formatted.

Undeletable System Volumes

System Volume information copied from another system which no longer exists.

Take ownership and grant full privileges for everyone to remove the directory. 

# Run as administrator.
takeown /f ".\System Volume Information" /a /r /d y
icacls ".\System Volume Information" /t /c /grant administrators:F System:F everyone:F
rd ".\System Volume Information"

Application or game refuses to start (Hyper-V Virtualization detected)

Some applications and games detect Hyper-V virtualization and refuse to start.

Disable Hyper-V on Windows boot instead of through the BIOS. This removes the hypervisor kernel modules which prevents this from happening without needing to turn it off. 

# run as administrator.
bcdedit --% /copy {current} /d "No Hyper-V"

bcdedit --%  /set {GUID} hypervisorlaunchtype off

Restart holding shift to show boot options. Select No Hyper-V.

Locked out after Update (Password Reset)

Updates may cause users to be locked out after rebooting.

No Alternative Account.

  1. Download Hiren BootCD ISO.

  2. Create Bootable USB Disk.

    Utilities ➔ Security ➔ Passwords ➔ Lazesoft Password Security

    Note

    Accounts may only be reset and unlocked (no password); passwords cannot be set in this tool without a license. Resetting the account will also clear saved tokens, such as chrome auto login.

Alternative Account (no admin required).

  1. Reboot and hold shift until the troubleshooting options appear.

    Login Screen ➔ shift (hold) + Restart

    Troubleshoot ➔ Advanced options ➔ Startup Settings ➔ Restart ➔ Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt

  2. Find the correct user and set password.

    net user
net user {USER} {PASS}

UTC Realtime Clock

Only required if dual booting requires Windows 10.

Set BIOS clock to UTC and update windows to interpret the Realtime Clock (RTC) using the UTC timezone. Disable NTP updates and let other operation system handle clock updates.

Set RTC to UTC

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TimeZoneInformation

Key: RealTimeIsUniversal

Type: DWORD

Value: 1

Disable NTP sync

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient

Key: Enabled

Type: DWORD

Value: 0

Realtek A-Volute (Nahimic)

Realtek has added A-Volute(Nahimic) services to the install package. These generally automatically take over speaker and microphone settings to improve 'quality'. They are also added automatically via Microsoft auto updates based on hardware detection, as well as through Dolby Atmos installation.

Disabling does not affect either realtek or dolby installs.

Nahimic behaves very much like a virus, automatically reinstalling itself and running two processes to ensure it is always loaded; providing no value to the end user.

Disabling

If the realtek device is not being used, disable it in the BIOS. This will prevent Microsoft from re-installing the software every time windows update runs.

Disable Nahimic Virtual Devices

⌘ + x ➔ Device Manager ➔ Software components ➔ A-Volute Nh3 Audio Effects Component ➔ Disable

⌘ + x ➔ Device Manager ➔ Sound, video and game controllers

  • Nahimic Mirroring Device: ✘
  • Sonic Studio Virtual Mixer: ✘

Disable Nahimic Services

⌘ ➔ services.msc ➔ Nahimic service ➔ General ➔ Disabled

Stop service.

Prevent Nahimic Executables from Starting

User Configuration ➔ Administrative Templates ➔ System ➔ Don't run specified Windows applications

  • Enabled: ✔
  • List of disallowed applications
    • c:\Windows\System32\NahimicService.exe
    • c:\Windows\System32\NahimicSvc64.exe
    • c:\Windows\SysWOW64\NahimicSvc32.exe
    • c:\Windows\System32\NhNotifSys.exe
    • c:\Users{USER}\AppData\Local\NhNotifSys\NhNotifSys.exe
    • c:\Users{USER}\AppData\Local\NhNotifSys\sonicstudio\NhNotifSys.exe

Disable Nahimic Scheduled Tasks (tasks may not exist)

⌘ ➔ Task Scheduler ➔ Task Scheduler Library

  • NahimicSvc32Run: ✘
  • NahimicSvc64Run: ✘
  • NahimicTask32: ✘
  • NahimicTask64: ✘

Delete files that have been placed in C:\Users{USER}\AppData\Local\NhNotifSys.

EA Updater (or other apps) showing in search results

⌘ + i ➔ Privacy & Security ➔ Searching Windows

  • Classic: ✔
  • Exclude all drives

Disable USB Selective Suspend

Prevents external drives from being disconnected while in use.

⌘ + x ➔ Device Manager ➔ Universal Serial Bus controllers

  • Right click on each USB Root Hub:
    • Power Management:
      • Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power: ✘

⌘ + i ➔ System ➔ Power & Battery

Verify current power plan isn't set to aggressively manage USB power.

Prevent Disk Check on Every Boot

Dual booting systems encounter this.

Disable hybrid boot

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Power

Key: HiberbootEnabled

Type: DWORD

Value: 0

Astro A40's Not Consistently Working

Windows 11 requires DAC to be directly connected to a motherboard USB port and not a hub.