Category: Fixes and Guides

This page contains a guide aimed at providing instructions for converting MKV to AVI files for free. The guide works for all Windows versions.

Matroska Multimedia Container or better known as MKV is a universal format designed to store common multimedia files. What’s great about it is that it can hold an unlimited number of various files and the format is open standard. MKV is a uniquely flexible, royalty-free format, the specifications of which are open to the public and are available for both commercial and private use alike. Over the years it’s become an ever more popular format for movies, TV shows and such to be distributed and its use will probably only continue to grow and expand as time passes by.

However, at this point, there may be several reasons why users might not want their videos or movies to be in MKV format. Why? For one, not all multimedia players (e.g. DVD players, portable device players) are capable of reading this format. Say you downloaded your favorite series in Matroska format and decided to a burn a DVD, because that’s simply how you would prefer to watch your series – on your big flat-screen TV and then possibly have the DVD available for later use, instead of having to download it again or clutter your USB stick with large files. Anyway, you get to the point where your DVD player doesn’t recognize the format and can therefore not play the video files. Kind of frustrating, right? So, here we’ve come up with a simple fix for this issue that will get the problem solved in just a matter of minutes.

How to Convert MKV to AVI

To begin with, you will need to download one of the two free programs, to which we have provided links here. After downloading and installing your program of choice, please continue with the instructions provided below for the relevant program.

Click here to download WinFF

Click here to download DivX Plus

For WinFF:

1. Open the client and click Add to select the file you wish to convert. After selecting it, click OK.
2. Under Output details -> Convert to, choose AVI from the drop down menu.
3. Under Output folder click the “…” button to choose the destination where your converted file will be saved.
4. Click the Convert button at the top of the window.
5. Your file will now have been converted, check to confirm this by playing it in your player of choice.

For DivX Plus:

1. After you’ve successfully installed the program, open it. Click the Add files button.
2. From the resulting window select the .mkv file you wish to convert and hit Enter.
3. At the top of the converter window, right beside the Add files button, select a desired output profile from the dropdown menu.
4. Click the Start button and wait for the process to complete.

Were the above fixes helpful? Let us know in the comment section below, your feedback is always appreciated!

The following article includes a guide with instructions aimed towards helping users uninstall Windows 7. The guide will work for all users who have updated to Windows 10.

So, you’ve upgraded to the latest Windows version from Windows 7. It’s all cool, you’re happy and possibly still exploring the features of your new operating system. But one issue arises and that is the incredibly space-consuming Windows.old folder on your system that still holds the details of your older OS. Many users find this quite annoying, especially if they’re completely satisfied with the newer version of Windows they’ve installed and have no intention of looking back.

That’s all fine, however, there’s actually a pretty legit reason for that folder to exist. For example, it’s there for anyone who wasn’t happy with the upgrade and actually found themselves longing for the old version. Picture being in that situation and not being able to go back to the way things used to be or having to pay (again) for the luxury of downgrading. Another possible scenario of why you might need the Windows.old folder is that something wasn’t copied to your new Windows version. A file, a program – whatever it is, you upgraded and found that something was missing. How do you fix that? By getting it from the Windows.old folder, where all the details from your old OS are, of course!

So, as you can see, there are some pretty good reasons for that folder to be there and consume some of your precious space. If the above may have prompted you to double-check your system for any missing components, you might want to hurry up, as Windows will automatically delete the folder on its own a month after you have upgraded. But since you’re here, you probably don’t feel like waiting that long, so here’s our fix for freeing up space on your computer. Keep in mind that simply deleting the folder the way you usually would with just about any other one won’t do the trick, so read on.

How To Uninstall Windows 7

How to delete the Windows.old folder in Windows 10

1. Go to the Start menu and search for “Disk cleanup”. Click on the first result.
2. Under Files to delete tick the box next to Previous Windows installation(s).
3. Click OK.

The above actions will delete the Windows.old file and will have solved your free space issue, but you may also use the Disk Cleanup tool to remove any other unnecessary files on your for that purpose, such as Temporary Internet files, etc. However, please make sure to research whatever it is else that you’re thinking of deleting before doing so, as you might end up removing something important.

 

The guide presented on this page aims to help users fix error “This driver can’t release to failure”. The instructions provided in this guide will work for Windows 7, 8 and 10.

The “This driver can’t release to failure” is an error message that is tightly associated with Gigabyte motherboards, more so with those that don’t have wireless capabilities. Now, while this error message doesn’t specify exactly which of the drivers is causing the problem, the “This driver can’t release to failure” error itself is a result of a failed attempt to find the wireless hardware. You are most likely to experience the said error, when using Gigabyte’s software. Most users have reported seeing it when using Cloud Station Server, which as you may know relies on your computer’s ability to connect to a wireless network. Hence, without that ability, problems arise.

We’ve gathered two possible fixes to help have your “This driver can’t release to failure” error solved. Be warned, however, that the fixes provided in the guide below do not actually solve the problem directly, but rather offer a way to circumvent the actual issue. Unfortunately, up until Gigabyte works out a genuine solution themselves, there’s not much else left to cope with the aforementioned error message, but the methods described below. We will be glad to hear from you, if you were able to discover a better solution, so please do not hesitate to let us know about it in the comment section. We will be more than happy to update our guide with your fix.

“This driver can’t release to failure” Error Fix

Option 1:

1. Go to the App Center and open Cloud Station Server.
2. Below, you should see 5 tabs, the first three of which are: Home Cloud, Gigabyte Remote and Remote OC. These are typically the ones causing trouble.
3. Turn off each of the switches labelled “Always run on next reboot” beside those three tabs and restart your computer. This will have solved the issue and you shouldn’t be seeing the error anymore.

Option 2:

1. Alternatively, removing the software completely will also solve the problem. For this purpose, go to Control Panel -> Programs and Features.
   
2. In the list of programs, find Gigabyte. You will have the option of removing either the whole App Center (recommended) or just the Cloud Station Center. Right-click on the program of choice and click Uninstall.
3. Follow the steps, as prompted to and restart your device.

Drop us a line in the comment section below, telling us what option you went with and whether it worked in your case.

The following guide and all the information you will find below are intended to help you solve the frequent Android “Unable to Find Application to Perform this Action” or “File not supported” error. The guide below should work successfully on all Android devices.

Sometimes Android device users may receive some alarming, or annoying error messages like  “Unable to Find Application to Perform this Action”  or  “File not supported”.  It is possible to fix this problem, however, first of all, you need to investigate the cause of the matter a little. Each of the possible solutions you will see below directly depends on the type of file you are attempting to access.

“File not supported” Android Fix

• The first step is to determine the location of the file or the program you need to access. For that purpose you will have to run the File Manager application.
• After opening the File Manager, locate the file/application you are attempting to access.
• Then, all you need to do is to hold down on the necessary item until you see a popping up page. It normally contains various options and possibilities. Here is an example:
• The next step is to select “Details“. This feature could have plenty of names on the different devices. After that you need to focus on the end of the name of the file. Usually there is a file extension after the file name. For instance, you may have a file named “jdgagd.rtf”, so the extension in this case is ‘rtf’.
• Of course there could be many other file extensions and names. The usual extensions contain three letters (sometimes more). This information is there to help you determine how to open a certain file.
• What you need to do after that is to copy this particular file’s extension. Then you have to paste it into the Google Play Store. If we take the .rtf extension as an example, then we are looking for a “rtf viewer” in the search box of the Play Store. In a different particular case you might be looking for something else, depending on the file format.
• Once the results of your search are generated, find a suitable one that could open your file. In the case with our example, this is the Microsoft Word app. Then all you have to do is to install the chosen program on your device. The file you want to open should now be opened easily with the help of the new app.

What if you cannot find a compatible app…

To yours and our disappointment as well, Android still does not support all file formats. For instance, the Windows program files with .exe extensions will not be opened on an Android device. It is possible NOT to be able to find a suitable app in the Play Store. In such a case, the file type is probably not supported on Android devices. If something like that is happening to you, what you need to do in order to access this particular file is to use another device.

If you are aware of a different successful solution to this Android issue, please let us know in the comments below. We will include it in our instructions and will assist even more people in dealing with this issue.

The following guide and all the information you will find below are intended to help you solve the frequent Android “Unable to Find Application to Perform this Action” or “File not supported” error. The guide below should work successfully on all Android devices.

Sometimes Android device users may receive some alarming, or annoying error messages like  “Unable to Find Application to Perform this Action”  or  “File not supported”.  It is possible to fix this problem, however, first of all, you need to investigate the cause of the matter a little. Each of the possible solutions you will see below directly depends on the type of file you are attempting to access.

“File not supported” Android Fix

• The first step is to determine the location of the file or the program you need to access. For that purpose you will have to run the File Manager application.
• After opening the File Manager, locate the file/application you are attempting to access.
• Then, all you need to do is to hold down on the necessary item until you see a popping up page. It normally contains various options and possibilities. Here is an example:
• The next step is to select “Details“. This feature could have plenty of names on the different devices. After that you need to focus on the end of the name of the file. Usually there is a file extension after the file name. For instance, you may have a file named “jdgagd.rtf”, so the extension in this case is ‘rtf’.
• Of course there could be many other file extensions and names. The usual extensions contain three letters (sometimes more). This information is there to help you determine how to open a certain file.
• What you need to do after that is to copy this particular file’s extension. Then you have to paste it into the Google Play Store. If we take the .rtf extension as an example, then we are looking for a “rtf viewer” in the search box of the Play Store. In a different particular case you might be looking for something else, depending on the file format.
• Once the results of your search are generated, find a suitable one that could open your file. In the case with our example, this is the Microsoft Word app. Then all you have to do is to install the chosen program on your device. The file you want to open should now be opened easily with the help of the new app.

What if you cannot find a compatible app…

To yours and our disappointment as well, Android still does not support all file formats. For instance, the Windows program files with .exe extensions will not be opened on an Android device. It is possible NOT to be able to find a suitable app in the Play Store. In such a case, the file type is probably not supported on Android devices. If something like that is happening to you, what you need to do in order to access this particular file is to use another device.

If you are aware of a different successful solution to this Android issue, please let us know in the comments below. We will include it in our instructions and will assist even more people in dealing with this issue.

In the following article, we will go over the most common reasons for laptop overheating as well as show you how to potentially fix this issue and reduce your machine’s temperature.

Laptops are incredibly useful. They provide you with most of the benefits of a desktop computer, while being quite mobile and easy to carry around. With the advance of hardware technologies, you can expect a laptop to have similar amounts of RAM, hard-drive memory and processors as powerful as those of any regular PC. Of course, laptops tend to be a bit more expensive, but on the other hand you get your keyboard, monitor, speakers and even a mouse, all at once with the actual computer. Still, it cannot be denied that laptops are a compromise between the mobility of tablets and smartphones and the capabilities of a regular desktop PC. This means that there is room for a lot of cons that other specialized devices do not have. In this particular article, we will be talking about the tendency of laptops to overheat much faster and easier in comparison to their desktop counterparts.

Where is the difference?

We all know how the case of a regular computer looks. It’s a big, spacious box, with enough room inside it for a big fan and enough vents for air circulation. Some PC’s even have a water-based cooling system, which makes the whole process even more efficient. However, you do not get that with a laptop and it is easy to see why. Laptops are small and lack the room for any big and fancy fans. Also, the air circulation in them is limited. The vent is usually quite small and if you are not careful what surface you put your notebook on, it might not provide the computer with any fresh air (we’ll get to that in a moment). Also, the fact that you do not have a separate keyboard, monitor, speakers and a mouse further contributes to the faster temperature rise of the machine. All in all, laptops are pretty quick to overheat, that is why people who use them need to have a good understanding of how they can minimize the accumulated heat, so that their notebook computer could function properly.

Most common reasons for laptop overheating

There are a lot of things that might have caused your machine to overheat. Sometimes it might even shut down due to high temperature – this is a defense mechanism aimed to prevent any serious damage done by the accumulated heat. Here are the most common things that might have caused this problem:

Video games or other laborious software

It is debatable whether there are gaming laptops and there is a good reason for it. No matter how powerful, expensive and top-notch a laptop is, it will always have certain inherent issues when it comes to gaming. PC games (especially newer ones) are some of the most system resource demanding pieces of software that you can run on your machine. Additionally, most of them require constant interaction with the keyboard and are heavy on almost every aspect of your computer. All of this leads to quick and inevitable overheating of your notebook computer. Still, this does not mean that games cannot be played on a laptop or that it would ruin the device, but it should still be said that if you want to predominantly use your computer for gaming, a laptop might not be the best choice for that task. Also, if your notebook is not very powerful, overheating might be caused by other laborious programs, such as professional video or picture editing software. Also, if your machine has a lot of heavy processes running at once, that you do not really need, it would be a better idea to have them disabled in order to make it easier for your device’s hardware.

Using the wrong surface

It is almost astonishing how many people who use laptops do not know that it is a bad idea to put your machine on anything other than a flat and smooth surface. If you tend to put your notebook on your bed and operate on it like that, this is the perfect recipe for overheating. Blankets, sheets, soft surfaces or anything similar makes it very difficult for the air to properly circulate out of the tiny vent that is usually at the bottom or the side of the device. Laptops should only be used on perfectly flat surfaces, such as tables (without covers), desks or anything similar if you are planning to work for an extended period of time.

• If you really want to keep your notebook as cool as possible, you can buy a laptop fan stand. Those stands have a big fan that provides your machine with an additional cool flow of air and is also made to minimize the airflow blockage that you would otherwise get if you use some other surface.

Dust blockage

Getting this problem with a laptop is inevitable. No matter what you do, at a certain point the dust that accumulates over the cooling system will become too much for the fan to cool effectively. You can, however, reduce the rate at which dust particle blockage builds up by keeping your machine away from dusty surfaces and rooms and covering the vent with a piece non-dusty clothing when the computer is turned off. Still, even with those precautions, dust will eventually be accumulated. Therefore, you should take your machine to a technician once in a while, who will clean the dust blockage for you. Alternatively, you can disassemble the laptop yourself and wipe the dust build-up from the fan and the rest of the cooling system.

 

The following guide has been created to help all the victims of the Registry Error 51. It is designed to work on all Windows types. Please, just read the text below very carefully and cautiously implement all the instructions included in the below guide. We hope our article will help you get your issue resolved in a quick and efficient manner.

Reasons for the appearance of this error code

If you have received an error notification on a blue screen of death stating that your system is experiencing Registry Error 51, that might have happened as a result of the following issues on your PC:

• Maybe some of the registry files on your system have been corrupted. A possible explanation is that your OS might be crashing, because the registry is not working in a proper manner. However, your system is going on with the use of the dysfunctional registry and may even experience some more issues.
• Sometimes the affected users have no clue that something wrong is going on with their systems, because they had not been experiencing any technical issues before getting the error notification.

Whatever the reasons for the appearance of this error message are in your case, what we know for sure is that this error is critical and should be solved as soon as possible. The only possible way of fixing Registry Error 51 so far has been with the help of the Startup Repair feature, included in the Windows installation media.

However what precedes trying to get this annoying error fixed is trying to alter the boot order in your BIOS. This can be done by implementing the steps below:

Windows Registry Error 51 Fix

1. Restart your machine. Just before your Windows has been done with the rebooting process, while the POST screen is on, read which buttons exactly will help you enter the BIOS/UEFI. Normally, one of these is the correct option – Esc, F2, F8, F12, or Backspace. Push the correct button (try to do that very quickly) and you will be able to enter the BIOS/UEFI utility.
2. Use the instructions provided by the BIOS/UEFI to navigate in this mode until you come across the Boot menu of the utility.
3. Make the necessary alterations in the Boot order. This includes ensuring that the first boot device is either a USB port or the CD/DVD drive. This actually depends on the type of the to-be-used installation media.
   

4. Exit this menu. Save all the implemented changes. At that point your PC should start to reboot.

How to properly use Startup Repair

1. A message will appear stating that you are supposed to push any key to start your system from the chosen installation media. When you notice this notification, do as suggested – push any key.
   
   
2. As soon as the installation media is done booting up, select Repair your computer.
3. Select the type of your OS – in case there are more than one on your PC, it is recommended that you only choose the OS that you are trying to fix. It can be seen by by the drive/partition it is installed in.
4. Choose the Startup Repair. Implement all the displayed instructions.
   
   
5. Immediately after the wizard is done, the error should have disappeared along with the notification for it.

To be completely precise, such a critical error as Registry Error 51 might not be easy to solve. In case none of the suggested easy repairs really work, let your OS get the issue resolved by using its built-in tools.

In case you have come across another successful solution to this problem, share it with the rest of our readers. We will be happy to include it in our article and popularize it.

 

This guide will help you restore your forgotten password in Windows 10. Below we will give you two options of how to fix this regain access to your account if you can’t remember your login credentials.

Ok, so we’ve probably all been there. We turn our computer on, type the login name and password and boom! It’s incorrect. Then we try to juggle a bit with different combinations just to realize that we can’t remember what it was, and of course, the system won’t let us in. So what do we do now? Luckily, recovering your password in Windows 10 is pretty much similar to the previous versions of Windows. However, there are a few small tweaks, which we will show you in the guide below. So, here is how to recover your password for Microsoft Live 10 or any other user, registered with the local PC:

How to Reset a Forgotten Password in Windows 10

Use the standard password reset function available on Microsoft’s password reset website

The Password Reset Tool for Microsoft Live Accounts is probably the most obvious solution to go for. On Microsoft’s password reset website you will find three options to choose from and in case you have forgotten your password to an existing account, you will need to click on “I Forgot My Password” in order to proceed with the resetting steps. This is how it looks like:

Once you select the option and click “Next”, you will be prompted to a standard recovery process, which many companies use in order to verify your identity and reset your login credentials. If you have an external e-mail or a phone number that you have registered with your Windows Live 10 account, you will receive a code, with the help of which you can easily login without additional hassle and the problem will be solved.

Create a New User to Save Account Files

If the method above doesn’t work, there is another work-around way to regain access to your computer, which we will show you here:

First, you need to boot your Windows 10 installation in the setup and change the boot order in your BIOS by taking priority with the CD or instead use ISO as a startup disk.
When the setup begins, press Shift+F10 keys. A command prompt window will appear.

There, you will need to replace the Utility Manager at the login screen with cmd.exe. This can be done with the following commands:
move d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe.bak
copy d:\windows\system32\cmd.exe d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe
It should look like this:

Next, restart the machine by using the command “wpeutil reboot”.
When you are back to the login screen, click on the Utility Manager. A cmd.exe windows should launch as shown in the picture below:

Here you will need to create a new administrative user from the login screen. For that, type in the commands below, by replacing <username> with the name of your new account.
net user <username> /add
net localgroup administrators <username> /add
When ready, close the window and reboot your system. The new username should be on the bottom left of the screen when the system loads. Select it to enter your desktop.

Now you have logged in with the new account, but you still need to reset your password for the old one. For that, right-click the Start menu and select “Computer Management”.

Go to “Local Users and Groups”, find the old account that you can’t login to, and right-click on it. Select “Set Password” and change it to credentials you can remember to regain access to your locked account!
We would like to note that this method will only work to fully recover accounts that are designated to sign in locally. In case you need to get the password for your Microsoft Live account, you need to proceed with the steps in the online form that we described above.

Having this in mind and in case that the online recovery process doesn’t work, you will still have access to important files or folders that may have been locked up on the account you can’t log in with. You can find them by going to C:\Users, and clicking on its associated folder.

If nothing works to reset your password – call Microsoft for support

If the online reset process on Microsoft’s site fails to help you restore your Live-only account, you can call the TechNet Help Center. You will be prompted to verify your identity with the same security questions that you used to create the account. If you cannot answer them, the representative will direct you to another colleague, who may ask you some detailed information regarding your account and verification. If you answer them, you fill be handed over a temporary code, which you can use to log into your Live account and regain access to your computer.

How to prevent forgetting your password?

If you want to avoid the inconvenience that forgotten credentials can cause, a smart tip is to take advantage of the new Windows PIN feature. It allows you to set a PIN code to your account instead of the standard password. This feature can be found in the initial setup or in the “Accounts” section of the Windows 10 Settings folder.

If you think it would be easier to remember just a few “Lucky numbers” of your choice instead of long and complicated combinations of keystrokes, then the PIN option could be the easier option for you.

Fortunately, even if you lose or forget your password, it’s not the end of the world. We hope that the tips and workarounds that we shared with you here will fix the issue and help you regain access to your account and prevent data loss and restricted access to all the things you keep on your Windows Live 10 account.

This guide will help you restore your forgotten password in Windows 10. Below we will give you two options of how to fix this regain access to your account if you can’t remember your login credentials.

Ok, so we’ve probably all been there. We turn our computer on, type the login name and password and boom! It’s incorrect. Then we try to juggle a bit with different combinations just to realize that we can’t remember what it was, and of course, the system won’t let us in. So what do we do now? Luckily, recovering your password in Windows 10 is pretty much similar to the previous versions of Windows. However, there are a few small tweaks, which we will show you in the guide below. So, here is how to recover your password for Microsoft Live 10 or any other user, registered with the local PC:

How to Reset a Forgotten Password in Windows 10

Use the standard password reset function available on Microsoft’s password reset website

The Password Reset Tool for Microsoft Live Accounts is probably the most obvious solution to go for. On Microsoft’s password reset website you will find three options to choose from and in case you have forgotten your password to an existing account, you will need to click on “I Forgot My Password” in order to proceed with the resetting steps. This is how it looks like:

Once you select the option and click “Next”, you will be prompted to a standard recovery process, which many companies use in order to verify your identity and reset your login credentials. If you have an external e-mail or a phone number that you have registered with your Windows Live 10 account, you will receive a code, with the help of which you can easily login without additional hassle and the problem will be solved.

Create a New User to Save Account Files

If the method above doesn’t work, there is another work-around way to regain access to your computer, which we will show you here:

First, you need to boot your Windows 10 installation in the setup and change the boot order in your BIOS by taking priority with the CD or instead use ISO as a startup disk.
When the setup begins, press Shift+F10 keys. A command prompt window will appear.

There, you will need to replace the Utility Manager at the login screen with cmd.exe. This can be done with the following commands:
move d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe.bak
copy d:\windows\system32\cmd.exe d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe
It should look like this:

Next, restart the machine by using the command “wpeutil reboot”.
When you are back to the login screen, click on the Utility Manager. A cmd.exe windows should launch as shown in the picture below:

Here you will need to create a new administrative user from the login screen. For that, type in the commands below, by replacing <username> with the name of your new account.
net user <username> /add
net localgroup administrators <username> /add
When ready, close the window and reboot your system. The new username should be on the bottom left of the screen when the system loads. Select it to enter your desktop.

Now you have logged in with the new account, but you still need to reset your password for the old one. For that, right-click the Start menu and select “Computer Management”.

Go to “Local Users and Groups”, find the old account that you can’t login to, and right-click on it. Select “Set Password” and change it to credentials you can remember to regain access to your locked account!
We would like to note that this method will only work to fully recover accounts that are designated to sign in locally. In case you need to get the password for your Microsoft Live account, you need to proceed with the steps in the online form that we described above.

Having this in mind and in case that the online recovery process doesn’t work, you will still have access to important files or folders that may have been locked up on the account you can’t log in with. You can find them by going to C:\Users, and clicking on its associated folder.

If nothing works to reset your password – call Microsoft for support

If the online reset process on Microsoft’s site fails to help you restore your Live-only account, you can call the TechNet Help Center. You will be prompted to verify your identity with the same security questions that you used to create the account. If you cannot answer them, the representative will direct you to another colleague, who may ask you some detailed information regarding your account and verification. If you answer them, you fill be handed over a temporary code, which you can use to log into your Live account and regain access to your computer.

How to prevent forgetting your password?

If you want to avoid the inconvenience that forgotten credentials can cause, a smart tip is to take advantage of the new Windows PIN feature. It allows you to set a PIN code to your account instead of the standard password. This feature can be found in the initial setup or in the “Accounts” section of the Windows 10 Settings folder.

If you think it would be easier to remember just a few “Lucky numbers” of your choice instead of long and complicated combinations of keystrokes, then the PIN option could be the easier option for you.

Fortunately, even if you lose or forget your password, it’s not the end of the world. We hope that the tips and workarounds that we shared with you here will fix the issue and help you regain access to your account and prevent data loss and restricted access to all the things you keep on your Windows Live 10 account.

This guide will show you how to use the Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination on Remote Desktop. The tip below is very simple, but helpful to know if you are a fan of RDP.

If you are reading this, you probably enjoy using Microsoft’s Remote Desktop. This is a very comfortable feature, built into Windows, that gives you the ability to quickly administer a computer from a completely remote location.

The Remote Desktop Protocol, which is usually referred to as just Remote Desktop or in short RDP, generally gives the option to log in and manage a server remotely. This means that when using Remote Desktop, you are able to establish communication between the Terminal Server running on the server or a remote machine and the Terminal Server Client, running on your local PC.

Many people, who love to be flexible, may find this functionality very helpful, especially when they need to manage information between different devices and do not have physical access to all of them.

As functional as it is, however, Remote Desktop has its specific tweaks. For example, one very useful key combination, widely used by many Windows Server Administrators is the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys, which doesn’t really work when used on Remote Desktop. You probably also know how useful this combination is, especially if you frequently use it to lock your computer, call the Task Manager, log off or switch the current Windows user, change passwords and many other things. But when you press Ctrl + Alt + Del on Remote Desktop, it simply won’t do the job. Then what key combination should you use instead, while you are working on an RDP session? We will explain here.

How to Perform Ctrl + Alt + Del on Remote Desktop

When you log in remotely to a server through Remote Desktop Protocol, and you want to perform a Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination on that remote server, you may notice that it won’t call the needed function. Of course, depending on the Client software that is used, it may do the job. However, if it doesn’t, the reason is that when you press Ctrl + Alt + Del, your local computer will receive this key combination and interpret it as a local command and will not transmit it to the remote computer.

In order for the command to be interpreted as a remote command and to be transmitted through the Remote Desktop to the remote PC, there is a not-so-obvious tweak. In fact, instead of the standard Ctrl + Alt + Del, you will need to press Ctrl + Alt + End to transmit the signal. This way, the local computer will not interpret it as a local command and will send it through the Remote Desktop to the remote computer. There, once it is received, the key combination will be executed as a Ctrl + Alt + Del command.

It is a really simple tweak that is not rocket science, but if one is not used to it, it may easily be forgotten. The good thing is that the “End” key is just next to the “Del” key on the keyboard, so remembering the sequence should be pretty easy.