1.1. How to bypass internet connection to install Windows 11

Install Windows 11 without internet connection

To install Windows 11 (version 22H2 or 21H2) without an internet connection, use these steps:

1. Start the PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive.

2. Press any key to continue.

3. Click the Next button.

   

4. Click the Install now button.

   

5. Click the I don’t have a product key option if you are doing a reinstallation. If Windows 11 was already activated after the installation, reactivation would happen automatically.

   

1. Select the edition of “Windows 11” that your license key activates (if applicable).

2. Check the I accept the license terms option.

3. Click the Next button.

4. Select the Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) option.

   

5. Select each partition in the hard drive you want to install Windows 11 21H2 and click the Delete button. (Usually, the “Drive 0” is the drive that contains all the installation files.)

   

   Warning: Deleting a partition also deletes all data on the drive. Also, it is not required to delete the partitions from a secondary hard drive.

6. Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install Windows 11.

   

7. Click the Next button.

8. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

   

9. Click the Yes button.

10. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    

11. Click the Yes button.

12. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

13. On the “Oops, you’ve lost internet connection” or “Let’s connect you to a network” page, use the Shift + F10 keyboard shortcut.

14. In Command Prompt, type the OOBE\BYPASSNRO command to bypass network requirements on Windows 11 and press Enter.

    

15. The computer will restart automatically and the out-of-box experience (OOBE) will start again.

    Quick note: You will need to select the region and keyboard settings one more time to get to the network connection page.

16. Click the I don’t have internet option.

    

17. Click the Continue with limited setup option.

    

18. Click the Accept button (if applicable).

19. Confirm the name of the default local account on Windows 11.

    

20. Click the Next button.

21. Create a password for the account.

    

22. Click the Next button.

23. Confirm the account password.

24. Click the Next button.

25. Select and complete the three security questions to recover the account.

    

26. Click the Next button.

27. Choose your privacy settings.

    

28. Click the Next button.

29. Click the Next button again.

30. Click the Accept button.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 (version 22H2 or 21H2) will continue the installation on the computer.

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1.2. How to Bypass Windows 11's TPM, CPU and RAM Requirements

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

 

Microsoft has some strict hardware requirements that your PC must meet to install Windows 11, including TPM 2.0 support. This means that not only older computers, but virtual machines will refuse to upgrade from Windows 10, giving you a message that "this PC doesn't currently meet Windows 11 system requirements." 

Fortunately, there are several simple ways you can get bypass Windows 11's TPM, RAM and other requirements. If you're doing a clean install with a Windows 11 ISO, you can edit the registry in the middle of the setup process and tell it to skip requirement checks. We'll show you how to modify the registry in the first section below.

If you don't want to have to modify the registry mid-install, you can create a Windows 11 USB install disk that will bypass Windows 11's TPM requirement, and its need for 8GB of RAM and a supported CPU. Using a free tool called Rufus and at least a 16GB Flash drive, you can either perform an in-place upgrade of Windows 10 to 11 or a Windows 11 clean install while getting around these minimums. In the second section of our tutorial below, we'll show you how to use Rufus to create a requirement-free Windows 11 install disc.

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If you have Windows 10 or an earlier build of Windows 11 installed on a PC that didn't meet the requirements (perhaps a VM), you try to update to a new build with Windows Update and you get the "doesn't meet requirements" error message, there's a workaround for that. As we'll detail in the third section below, a script from AveYo's Media Creation tool github page will allow you to bypass Windows 11's TPM requirement even with Windows Update. 

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Note that Microsoft also has also created an official registry hack to bypass TPM 2.0 and CPU requirements for an in-place upgrade. However, this method still requires at least TPM 1.2 so, if you have no TPM at all, it's worthless. We'll talk about this at the bottom, in case you want to try it.

Also note that, by default, Microsoft's OS wants you to set it up with a Microsoft account. However, we have another tutorial on how to install Windows 11 without a Microsoft Account by using a few tricks.

How to Bypass Windows 11's TPM Requirement Using Registry Hacks

If you just have a regular Windows 11 install disk or ISO, you can bypass the Windows TPM and RAM requirements by making some registry changes during the install.  Note that this method only works on a clean install and does not allow you to bypass the requirement for at least a dual-core CPU. 

1. Boot off of your Windows 11 install disk. If you don't have one, see our story on how to download Windows 11. The first screen should ask you to choose the language of your install (which will probably be correct).

2. Hit SHIFT + F10 to launch the command prompt. 

3. Type regedit and hit Enter to launch registry editor.

4. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup. 

5. Create a new registry key under Setup and name it LabConfig. To create a registry key, right click in the right window pane and select New->Key. Then enter the key name.

6. WIthin  LabConfig, create DWORDs values called BypassTPMCheck and BypassSecureBoot and set each to 1. To create a new DWORD value, right click in the right window and select new DWORD (32-bit) Value then name the key, double click to open it and set it to 1. 

If you also want to bypass the RAM requirement, add a DWORD values for BypassRAMCheck.

7. Close regedit and the command prompt.

You should be able to continue with your Windows 11 installation as normal.

How to Bypass Windows 11's TPM Requirement Using Rufus

With Rufus, a free utility, you can create a Windows 11 install disk on a USB Flash drive with settings that disable the TPM, RAM and CPU requirements. You can either boot off of this USB Flash drive to do a clean Windows 11 install or run the setup file off of the drive from within Windows 10 to do an in-place upgrade.

For most people, this method is ideal, but there are a couple of disadvantages. First, it requires a 16GB or larger USB Flash drive. Second, because it's on a Flash drive, it's more difficult to use for installing Windows 11 on a virtual machine where an ISO file would be ideal.

1. Download the latest version of Rufus and install it on your machine. At the time of writing the latest version is 3.19 which includes the Extended Windows 11 Image support.

2. Insert a blank 16GB or larger USB stick then open Rufus.

3. Select the USB device that you want to install Windows 11 to.

4. Ensure that Boot Selection shows “Disk or ISO image” and click DOWNLOAD.

5. Select Windows 11 and click Continue.

6. Select the latest release and click Continue.

7. Select the edition and click Continue.

8. Select your preferred language and click Continue.

9. Select the architecture (most likely x64) and click Download. A new window will open asking where to save the ISO image. Save it to your Downloads folder. You can also download the image using a browser if you wish.

The download will take several minutes to complete.

10. Click on the Image option drop down and select Extended Windows 11 Installation to disable TPM, Secure Boot and the 8GB of RAM requirement.

11. Double check that the correct drive has been selected and click on Start to begin the installation.

The write process can take some time, depending on the USB drive being used, but when done the drive can be removed and used to install Windows 11 on an older computer or even in a virtual machine. 

12. Install or upgrade to Windows 11. Run setup on the USB drive, if you ware doing an in-place install from an existing Windows 10 installation.  Boot off of the drive if you are doing a clean install. Note that you may need to disable secure boot in your BIOS (see how to enter your BIOS) if it gives you a problem.

How to Bypass Windows 11 TPM Check From Windows Update

If you want to use Windows Update rather than creating an install disk, you'll need a method that runs in Windows and fools the updater into thinking you meet the requirements.  This may be more important if you are trying to use Windows Update to upgrade to a new build of Windows 11, perhaps an Insider Build, on a computer that already bypassed the requirement. 

For example, when we joined the Windows Insider program on one of our Windows 11 VMs (which clearly did not have TPM), we got the dreaded "Your PC doesn't meet the requirements" error. But using AveYo's Media Creation Tool workaround script solved the problem. Here's how to make it happen.

1. Navigate to the Skip_TPM_Check_on_Dynamic_Update.cmd source code on AveYo's Media Creation Tool Github.

2. Click the "Copy raw contents" button in the upper right corner of the code box.

3. Create a new file on your desktop and name it skip_tpm_check.cmd. Make sure that you are able to view file extensions and the file extension is really .cmd, not .txt or else it won't run.

4. Open skip_tpm.cmd for editing, using notepad or another text editor.

5. Paste in the code you copied from github.

6. Save and run the skip_tpm.cmd file.

7. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control. 

You will now see a message saying "Skip TPM on Dynamic Update" has been installed. If you run the program again, it will disable the utility. 

Windows Update should now be able to either update your existing Windows 11 Build or even perhaps upgrade you from Windows 10 to 11.

How to Bypass Windows 11 TPM the Official Microsoft Way

Knowing that some users will want to install Windows 11 on systems that don't meet all of its hardware requirements, Microsoft has provided a registry hack that loosens them up somewhat. Using this hack, you can install on a system that has at least TPM 1.2 and has an unsupported CPU. That said, we recommend the scripts above because they don't require you to have TPM of any kind.

1. Open Regedit. 

2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup.

3. Create a DWORD (32-bit) Value called AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU if it doesn't already exist.

4. Set AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU to 1.

5. Close regedit and restart your PC. You should now be able to upgrade to Windows 11 from within Windows 10 by using installation media (provided you created it).

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1.3. Robocopy

Copies file data from one location to another.

Syntax

robocopy <source> <destination> [<file>[ ...]] [<options>]

For example, to copy a file named yearly-report.mov from c:\reports to a file share \\marketing\videos while enabling multi-threading for higher performance (with the /mt parameter) and the ability to restart the transfer in case it's interrupted (with the /z parameter), type:

robocopy c:\reports '\\marketing\videos' yearly-report.mov /mt /z

Parameters

Copy options

File selection options

Retry options

Logging options

Job options

Exit (return) codes

1.4. How to fix “No Boot Device Found” on Windows 10

Problems with the operating system and computer are bound to happen every now and then, even if you’re extremely careful about the type of activities you carry out on your PC.

Some users try to launch Windows but wind up staring at white text on a black screen instead, which says No boot device found, No bootable device found, No boot device available, or something similar.

It can be scary and you might be left wondering if you can still use your computer or lost access to all your data. There’s nothing to worry about, though, since you can troubleshoot this issue without turning to an expert’s advice.

What causes No boot device found?

No boot device found indicates an issue with your hard drive, which prevents your OS from booting. It can occur on many operating systems and platforms, including Windows 10, Windows 7, and even macOS.

Furthermore, all types of computers are susceptible to the No boot device available error, including HP and DELL.

How to fix No boot device found on Windows 10?

There are multiple ways to repair the inaccessible boot error and allow Windows to start properly again. Some of these solutions can be controlled from BIOS while others require you to run Windows in safe mode.

In the worst case scenario, you have to use an OS recovery media disk, which means losing access to all your files and applications.

1. Check your HDD cables

It might sound trivial when you first hear someone tell you this, but you should start by checking your HDD or SSD to see if it’s properly connected to your PC.

For example, if Windows is installed on an detachable hard disk, it’s a good idea to check the cables and USB ports. It comes in handy if you have another similar cable on standby since you can switch the two and try booting Windows 10.

Moreover, you should try connecting your external disk to another USB port in case the initial port is not working correctly anymore.

On the other hand, if you recently cleaned your hardware components, make sure that you have successfully reattached your HDD to the motherboard. You could also replug it firmly but carefully, without applying force.

2. Enable Legacy BIOS Boot

Windows usually gets installed in UEFI mode because there are more security features available. However, some users have reported that switching to legacy boot mode fixed the No boot device available error.

1. Reboot your computer
2. Press the key shown on the screen to enter BIOS
3. Switch to the Boot section
4. Select UEFI/BIOS Boot Mode and press Enter
5. Enable Legacy BIOS Boot Mode by using the up and down arrows, then press Enter
6. Save the current BIOS configuration and exit

3. Run ePSA Diagnostic on DELL

DELL computers have a special diagnostics tool that can be accessed from BIOS and used to scan your machine for hard drive errors. Here’s how to easily use ePSA Diagnostic:

1. Restart your DELL
2. Press F12 during boot to enter BIOS mode
3. Locate and access the Diagnostics section
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to diagnose your PC for errors
5. Copy any error and validation codes displayed during the scan

You can use the error and validation codes to look up more information online about the specific problem you’re having that causes the No boot device error.

Or, you can contact tech support from DELL and supply them with the error codes.

4. Restart Windows in safe mode

To do more on your computer, you need to load Windows even if the No boot device available error code blocks your path. It’s possible by starting Windows in Safe Mode.

How to start Windows in Safe Mode from boot:

1. After the third boot attempt, you will enter Windows troubleshooting setup
2. Select Troubleshoot
3. Go to Advanced options
4. Select Startup Settings
5. Click Restart and press F4 to enable safe mode

5. Check your drivers

The No boot device found error message could be caused by a missing or improperly installed driver. There are two solutions for this scenario: reinstalling drivers and updating them to the latest version. We’ll show you how to do both.

Make sure to start Windows 10 in Safe Mode before following these steps.

How to reinstall drivers:

1. Press Win key + R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter
2. Open the Disk drives menu
3. Select your hard disk, right-click it, and select Uninstall device
4. Follow the on-screen instructions
5. Reboot your computer

If you’re having a hard time trying to identify a faulty driver, you should use DriverVerifier. It’s a simple and effective tool that reveals malfunctioning devices on your PC, letting you know which require your attention.

How to update Windows 10 drivers

1. Access Device Manager, right-click your disk drive, and select Update driver
2. Click Search automatically for updated driver software
3. If you get the The best drivers for your device are already installed message, click Search for updated drivers on Windows Update
4. Restart your computer

The operating system might not be able to locate a newer driver version using Windows Update. In that case, you should visit the manufacturer website of your disk driver to download and install a newer version.

However, if you don’t want to risk causing more issues to your PC by installing an incompatible driver, then you should turn to a driver update application. It identifies and updates all your outdated drivers with just a few clicks.

6. Use System Restore

If the No boot device found was caused by an event that recently happened at the software level but you can’t quite put your finger on it, then rolling back Windows to a previous restore point should solve it.

However, keep in mind that it could mean losing some applications or games that you have installed after creating the restore point.

How to roll back Windows 10:

1. Start Windows 10 in Safe Mode
2. Press Win key + R, type control panel, and hit Enter
3. Click Recovery
4. Click Open System Restore
5. Select a restore point from the list. To see which apps will be affected, click Scan for affected programs
6. Proceed with the on-screen instructions
7. Restart your computer

7. Repair disk and system errors

If your hard drive has bad sectors, this can lead to boot issues and the No boot device found error messages. But you can quickly fix it without having to install third-party tools, thanks to CHKDSK (Check Disk).

How to use CHKDSK:

1. Press Win key + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run CMD as admin
2. Run chkdsk c: /f if Windows is installed on the C: drive. Otherwise, set the correct partition letter
3. Type y when you’re asked to schedule the task at the next system boot and press Enter
4. Reboot your PC

When it comes to system errors, you can turn to SFC (System File Checker).

How to use SFC:

1. Run Command Prompt as admin
2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter
3. Wait until SFC completes its task
4. Restart your computer

More severe system issues can be resolved using DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management).

How to use DISM:

1. Run CMD with elevation rights
2. Type DISM /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth and press Enter
3. If DISM finds any problems, you can fix them using DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
4. Reboot your PC and run CMD as admin
5. Run sfc /scannow
6. Restart your computer

8. Reset BIOS to factory settings

BIOS has a lot of cool options that can be enabled to get more out of your computer, such as overclocking and caching. If you or someone else has customized settings in BIOS mode, perhaps this caused hardware failure that led to the No boot device found error message.

You can easily fix this by restoring BIOS to default:

1. Reboot your PC
2. Quickly press the key displayed on the bottom of the screen to access BIOS
3. Select the area with advanced settings
4. Enable the option to reset configuration data
5. Save the current BIOS configuration and exit

9. Update BIOS

While we’re on the topic of BIOS, it’s a good idea to keep it updated to the latest version.

1. Press the Win key, type System Information, and open this app
2. Select the System Summary section and take note of the BIOS Version/Date
3. Visit the website of your BIOS manufacturer and download a newer version
4. Unzip the BIOS file to an external storage unit
5. Restart your PC and switch to BIOS mode
6. Back up your current BIOS version to the portable disk
7. Start the BIOS update and follow the on-screen instructions
8. Don’t shut down or restart your PC during the update
9. Try to launch Windows and bypass the No boot device found error

10. Use the BCD command

Using the BCD (Boot Configuration Data) command can help fix hardware failure and get rid of the No boot device found error message. And you don’t need to install any special software since you can use the command-line environment.

1. Restart the computer and interrupt the boot sequence until the PC enters advanced startup mode
2. Select Troubleshoot and head over to Advanced options
3. Click Command Prompt. Windows will restart and launch the console
4. Choose your account and specify your password
5. Type the next two commands and press Enter after each line

   • bcdedit/deletevalue {default} numproc

   • bcdedit/deletevalue {default} truncatememory

6. Restart your computer

11. Fix the BCD

A corrupt BCD is the source of computer problems, including inaccessible boot device, which prevents Windows 10 from starting. But you can fix the broken BCD with the help of a bootable flash drive that has the Windows installation files.

1. Restart Windows in advanced startup mode
2. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt
3. After Windows restarts in CMD mode, enter the following lines (press Enter after each one):

   • bootrec /repairbcd

   • bootrec /osscan

   • bootrec /repairmbr

4. Restart your machine

12. Repair system registry

If the Windows registry contains corrupt data, this can result in hardware issues and the No boot device found error message. But you can fix it with a few commands, without having to install anything else or use OS recovery media.

1. Enter advanced startup mode for Windows
2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt
3. Once the OS shows the Command Prompt, enter the next lines (press Enter after each one):

   • cd c:\Windows\System32\config

   • ren c:\Windows\System32\config\DEFAULT DEFAULT.old

   • ren c:\Windows\System32\config\SAM SAM.old

   • ren c:\Windows\System32\config\SECURITY SECURITY.old

   • ren c:\Windows\System32\config\SOFTWARE SOFTWARE.old

   • ren c:\Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM SYSTEM.old

   • copy c:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\DEFAULT c:\Windows\System32\config\

   • copy c:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\DEFAULT c:\Windows\System32\config\

   • copy c:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\SAM c:\Windows\System32\config\

   • copy c:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\SECURITY c:\Windows\System32\config\

   • copy c:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\SYSTEM c:\Windows\System32\config\

   • copy c:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\SOFTWARE c:\Windows\System32\config\

4. Restart your PC

13. Use System Image Recovery

Windows 10 allows you to create a full backup of your computer thanks to a simple tool called Windows Backup. Many users turn to it after a fresh OS installation, in order to back up the clean state of their operating system. If you created such a backup, you can restore it using System Image Recovery, in order to undo all software events that may have caused the No boot device available error.

How to use System Image Recovery:

1. Reboot your computer
2. Interrupt the boot sequence three times to force advanced startup mode
3. Select Troubleshoot and go to Advanced Options
4. Pick System Image Recovery and follow the on-screen instructions

However, if you try to create a backup on another PC, you won’t be able to restore it on the malfunctioning computer, so don’t waste your time.

A rundown of No boot device found fixes

To summarize, if you can’t start Windows due to the No boot device available error message, you don’t need to panic because there are multiple solutions you can try to fix it.

For instance, you should check your HDD cables, enable Legacy BIOS Boot, run ePSA Diagnostic on DELL, and restart Windows in safe mode.

It’s also a good idea to check your drivers, roll back Windows to a previous checkpoint, repair any disk and system errors, reset BIOS to factory mode, as well as update BIOS to the latest version.

You can also use the BCD command or fix BCD if it’s damaged, and repair corrupt system registry entries. When everything else fails, it’s time to create an OS recovery media disk to resewt Windows 10.

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1.5. How to Map Network Drives From the Command Prompt

Mapping a network drive to a shared folder from Windows’ graphic interface isn’t hard. But if you already know the network path for the shared folder, you can map drives a lot quicker using the Command Prompt.

Mapping a drive to a network share assigns that share a drive letter so that it’s easier to work with. We’ll be using the net use command in Command Prompt to map a network drive for this tutorial. You can also use the same command in PowerShell if you prefer.

To map a network drive, type the following command and then hit Enter:

net use DRIVE: PATH

DRIVE is the drive letter you want to use and PATH is the full UNC path to the share. So, for example, if we wanted to map drive letter S to the share \\tower\movies, we’d use the following command:

net use s: \\tower\movies

If the share to which you’re connecting is protected with some sort of authentication, and you’d rather not type in the credentials every time you open the network drive, you can add the user name and password to the command with the /user: switch. For example, if we wanted to connect the same share from above, but with the username HTG and the password CrazyFourHorseMen, we’d use the command:

net use s: \\tower\movies /user:HTG CrazyFourHorseMen

By default, mapped drives are not persistent. If we map drives using the commands we’ve talked about so far, the mapped drives would disappear when you restarted your computer. If you’d rather those mapped drives stick around, you can make them persistent by using the /persistent switch. The switch works as a toggle:

• /persistent:Yes: Makes the connection you’re currently creating persistent. Future connections you make using the command during the same session are also persistent (you don’t need to keep using the switch) until you use the /persistent:No switch to turn it off.
• /persistent:No: Turns off the persistency toggle. Future connections you make are not persistent until you turn the toggle back on.

So, essentially, you could type something like the following command:

net use s: \\tower\movies /user:HTG CrazyFourHorseMen /persistent:Yes

And the drive map would be persistent. All future mapping you create (even if you don’t use the /persistent:Yes switch) will also be persistent until you turn it off using the /persistent:No switch.

If you ever need to delete a mapped network drive, all you have to do is specify the drive letter and add the /delete switch. For example, the following command would delete the drive mapping we assigned to drive S:

net use s: /delete

You can also use the asterisk as a wildcard should you ever want to delete all your mapped drives in one go:

net use * /delete

And that’s all there is to it. Once you get used to using the command, you’ll find it a lot quicker than clicking through File Explorer’s interface–especially if you work with mapped drives often.

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1.6. Create Symlink with mklink pointing to network share

mklink /d C:\User\Photos \\ServerName\Folder1\Folder2

How to fix: The symbolic link cannot be followed because its type is disabled

Occasionally, when copying folders from remote servers, or when accessing a symbolic link directly on a file server, you may see the following error:

The symbolic link cannot be followed because its type is disabled

This is because by default remote to remote symbolic links are disabled. You can enable it with fsutil.
See: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/fsutil

To view the current status of the Symlink settings on your system, execute the following command from an elevated (administrator) command prompt:
fsutil behavior query SymlinkEvaluation

C:\>fsutil behavior query SymlinkEvaluation

Local to local symbolic links are enabled.
Local to remote symbolic links are enabled.
Remote to local symbolic links are disabled.
Remote to remote symbolic links are disabled.

You'll notice the last line of the response to the above command notes that
Remote to remote symbolic links are disabled.

In order to enable remote to remote symbolic links, enter the following command:

C:\>fsutil behavior set SymlinkEvaluation R2R:1

You won't see any response if the command was successful. To check that the setting has been updated, enter the evaluation query again:

C:\>fsutil behavior query SymlinkEvaluation

Local to local symbolic links are enabled.
Local to remote symbolic links are enabled.
Remote to local symbolic links are disabled.
Remote to remote symbolic links are enabled.

If you also need to enable remote to local link evaluation, you can substitute R2R:1 with R2L:1 in the set behavior command.
(fsutil behavior set SymlinkEvaluation R2L:1)

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1.7. Make text and apps larger/easier to see

Windows 10:

1.8. How to Reduce Windows.edb Huge File Size

Windows.edb is the Windows Search index database. A search index allows users to quickly search for data and files in the file system due to indexing of files, e-mails in PST files and other content. Indexing is performed in the background by the SearchIndexer.exe process. Obviously, the more files there are in the system, the larger the size of the Windows.edb file. In some cases, it can grow up to tens or even hundreds of GB, taking up all the free space on the system drive.

The Windows.edb file is hidden and by default is stored  in the folder C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\.

For example, in my case the size of Windows.edb is more than 15.5 GB (i. e. over 15% on my 100 GB SSD drive).

You can check the current size of the Windows.edb file with the following PowerShell command:

((Get-Item $env:programdata'\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\Windows.edb').length/1GB)

Next, let’s look at a several ways to reduce the size of the huge Windows Search Index (Windows.edb) file.

How to Reset and Rebuild Windows Search Index?

The most appropriate, though not too effective way to reduce the size of Windows.edb is to re-index the files in the system. To do it, open Control Panel -> Indexing Options -> Advanced -> click Rebuild (to open this dialog box, you can run the following command: Control srchadmin.dll ).

In some time, the Windows Search will complete a full reindex of the data on the system drive (and other indexed location), and the size of the edb file will be reduced (it took several hours to rebuild the search index on my computer).

Reducing Windows.edb Size Using Defragmentation

The Windows Search Index file is a Microsoft EDB database. You can defragment the EDB database using the standard tool for maintaining such databases, esentutl.exe (Extensible Storage Engine Utility – should be familiar to Exchange admins). The database is defragmented offline (it must not be used), so you will have to stop Widows Search service first. You can join all these operations in a single bat/cmd script:

sc config wsearch start=disabled
sc stop wsearch
esentutl.exe /d %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\Windows.edb
sc config wsearch start=delayed-auto
sc start wsearch

Esentutl displays on the screen the current EDB file defragmentation progress.

Operation terminated with error -1213 (JET_errPageSizeMismatch, The database page size does not match the engine) after 10.125 seconds.

In my case, after the defragmentation, the size of the Windows.edb file reduced by 30%.

Remove and Recreate the Windows.edb file

If free disk space is critical, you can safely delete the Windows.edb file. This action is safe because you don’t lose any data, only the search index is reset. To delete the Windows.edb file, stop the Windows Search service, then delete the file and start the service.
net stop "Windows Search"
REG ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search" /v SetupCompletedSuccessfully /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
del %PROGRAMDATA%\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\Windows.edb
net start "Windows Search"

After you restart Windows Search, it will start the background reindexing process and recreate the Windows.edb file (system performance may decrease during the full reindexing).

Move the Windows.edb File to a Different Drive

In some cases, when the size of Windows.edb file is constantly growing, it is better to move the index database of Windows Search to another drive (volume). Thus, a sharp increase in the search database won’t cause an OS crash due to the exhaustion of free space on the system partition. As a rule, you should do it on RDS servers, where users actively work with files, personal folders and other indexed content.

To change the index file location, go to Control Panel -> Indexing Options -> Advanced -> Index location-> New Location, specify the path to the new location of Windows.edb file and click Ok.

Restart Windows Search service:
Restart-Service wsearch

Install the Update Rollup to Fix Windows.edb File Growth

A special update was released in May, 2013 to fix the problem of the constant growth of Windows.edb file in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 (this bug fix is a part of update rollup KB 2836988). It is recommended to manually download and install this patch on these Windows versions. Please note that the update doesn’t reduce the current size of the Windows.edb file, but only fixes the bug causing it to grow excessively. To reduce the size of the edb file, you need to rebuild the search index or defragment as described above.

Windows.edb File Keeps Growing

If the Windows.edb file starts growing again after defragmenting and/or rebuilding the search index, try the following methods that may help you to fix the issue:

1. Run the built-in Windows 10 Search and Indexing Troubleshooter. You can run this using the command: msdt.exe -ep SystemSettings_Troubleshoot_L2 -id SearchDiagnostic . In the list of issues, select “Search or indexing is slow”. The troubleshooting wizard will then try to get the Windows Search service back to normal state;
2. Try to index only the content you need. Exclude items you are not looking for from the search index. Click the “Modify” button in the indexing settings and in the “Indexing Location” window, disable paths and apps that you don’t want to be indexed. After changing the index path settings, you need to rebuild the search index each time (Advanced -> Rebuild); 
   Also note that Windows.edb file size grows much faster in Windows 10/8.1 than in Windows 7. The fact is that in modern Windows versions, all file contents are indexed, regardless of their size. And Windows 7 indexed only the first part of large documents.
3. If you use Outlook with PST files on your computer, then when you index them, the size of the Windows.edb file grows in proportion to the size of the PST files. This can lead to running out of disk space and performance problems. This can lead to insufficient disk space and slow computer performance. In this case, Microsoft recommends excluding Outlook from the list of indexed items. Of course, Outlook search will stop working (this won’t be a problem if you store your mailbox on an Exchange server with search index enabled);
4. If nothing helps and the Windows.edb file size keeps growing, you can completely disable the wsearch service or configure a logon script that resets the search index on startup.

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1.9. Boot into UEFI directly from Windows 10/11

 

If you want to change the boot priority, enable or disable secure boot or change any other low-level settings, then you need to boot into UEFI mode. Depending on the motherboard manufacturer, you have to press specific keys or a combination of keys on your keyboard to access UEFI mode. If you missed the opportunity to do so when turning on your computer, you can also boot into UEFI mode directly from Windows. This eliminates the need to press relevant keys as fast as possible at boot time.

Booting into UEFI from Windows is not difficult. However, you can only do this if your motherboard supports or has a UEFI chip on it. If your motherboard doesn’t support UEFI, you cannot boot into UEFI from Windows. That being said, most modern motherboards come equipped with a UEFI chip and support both UEFI and legacy BIOS.

Access UEFI or Legacy BIOS Using Boot Key Option

To get started, you can enter the UEFI or Legacy BIOS menu during the boot, with a dedicated key. This negates the need to go through several steps to enter the BIOS menu.

In order to enter the UEFI or Legacy BIOS during boot:

1. Boot up your PC, and when the screen splashes the first boot screen, you should see information about the dedicated key that lets you enter the BIOS menu.

3. Press the required key repeatedly until your enter the BIOS menu. Usually, the boot keys are ESC, Del, or one of the Function keys (F1, F2, F10, etc.).

Note that laptops or PCs from different brands will have different boot keys. You may have to check for the boot key for the brand of laptop or PC you use. Below are the boot keys for some popular brands:

• Dell: F2 or F12
• HP: ESC or F10
• Acer: F2 or Del
• ASUS: F2 or Del
• Lenovo: F1 or F2
• MSI: Del
• Toshiba: F2
• Samsung: F2
• Microsoft Surface: Press and hold the volume up button.

Check Whether Your System Supports UEFI or Legacy BIOS

If you don’t know or are unsure whether your motherboard supports UEFI or not, you can easily verify it directly from Windows.

There are several ways to check whether you are using UEFI or BIOS.

Windows displays all the system information in a single app called System Information. By accessing the System Information application, you can find out whether you are using BIOS or UEFI.

1. Press Win + R, type msinfo32, and press Enter. This action will open the System Information app.

2. Select “System Summary” on the left panel. On the right panel, you can see whether you are using BIOS or UEFI next to “BIOS Mode.” If you see UEFI, then your system is using UEFI bios. If you see “Legacy,” then your system is using Legacy BIOS.

Alternatively, you can also find it using the Disk Management tool.

1. Open the Start menu and search for “Create and format hard disk partitions” and open it. Don’t worry, we are not going to partition or format your hard drive.

2. If you see a partition named “Healthy (EFI System Partition),” then your system supports UEFI. If you don’t have this partition, then your system is using Legacy BIOS.

Once you’ve confirmed your motherboard’s support for UEFI, proceed to the next steps of booting into UEFI directly from Windows 10.

Boot into UEFI from Settings App

To boot into UEFI from the Settings panel, we are using the Advanced Start-up options.

1. Search for “Settings” in the Start menu and open it. Go to “Update and Security -> Recovery,” and click on the “Restart Now” button under the Advanced Start-up section.

2. In the Advanced start-up screen, go to “Troubleshoot -> Advanced options” and click on the “UEFI Firmware Settings” option.

3. On the next screen, click on the Restart button to be taken to the UEFI screen.

Boot into UEFI from Command Prompt

You can also boot into UEFI from Windows by executing a single command.

1. Search for Command Prompt in the Start Menu, right-click on it and select the option “Run as administrator.”

2. In the command prompt, execute the below command:

shutdown /r /fw

3. Windows will show a warning message saying the system will restart in less than a minute.

Close the warning message and save all your work. The system will automatically restart and boot into UEFI mode.

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1.10. How to use Net User command to Manage User Accounts

The command Net User allows you to manage your local and even your domain users from the command line. It’s mainly used to quickly add, delete or disable user accounts from the command line. But it can do more than just that. The tool can be used in both command prompt and PowerShell.

For managing domain users, I recommend using the PowerShell ActiveDirectory module. It comes with more options and allows you to filter, copy and search users and set or change all properties. But as mentioned, you can also perform basic tasks with the Net User command for domain users.

In this article, we are going to take a closer look at the Net User command. I will explain how you can add, and remove accounts, change passwords, and more.

Net User Command

The Net User command is a command-line utility that you can run in any terminal on Windows. But to use it you will need to have Administrator permissions on the computer. Without it, you won’t be able to create new user accounts for example. Also, make sure that you open Windows PowerShell or Windows Terminal in Admin mode.

Note

If you get the error “System error 5 has occurred. Access is denied” Then you haven’t start the command prompt or PowerShell with administrator privileges.

The most important parameters of the Net User command are:

List all users

When you enter the command Net User without any parameters, then it will list all user accounts on the computer. If you run the command on the Domain Controller, then it will list all domain accounts.

In the first screenshot above you will see the results on a local computer, the second one are all the users from the local domain.

When you specify the username you will see all the details from the user account

 

# Get the user details for Zoe Tucker

net user ztucker

 

Net User Add Account

The Net User command can be used to create new user accounts on your computer and in your domain. To create a user account you will need to add the /add parameter and specify the username. A password is by default not required on a local computer. For domain accounts, however, you will need to specify the password as well.

For entering the password you have two options, you can type it in plain text in the command line or use the * which will show you a prompt to enter the password.

The new domain user is placed in the built-in OU “Users”.

When creating a user we can also specify login details, home directory path, etc of the user. I will explain each command later in the article. But to give you an idea of the possible options, we are going to create a user with the following details:

• Username: testusr
• Password: prompt
• Full name: Test User
• Password required: yes
• Allowed to login between: Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 17:00
• Home folder directory: \\lazyadmin.local\home\testusr
• Script path: \\lazyadmin.local\netlogon\welcome.bat

Net User Delete User Account

We can also use the command line tool to delete user accounts, both local and from the domain. For this, you will need to use the parameter /delete and enter the username. Important to note is that the command tool won’t ask for confirmation. So be careful when using the delete option.

Net User Change or Set Password

One of the common tasks for an IT Helpdesk is to reset a user’s password. Of course, you can reset the password in the Active Directory. But it’s also possible with the command Net User. Resetting passwords is not limited to domain accounts, you can also use this method for local computer accounts.

Enable or Disable User accounts

We can also use the command-line tool to enable and disable accounts. This is particularly useful when a user is locked out or when you quickly need to disable an account. To do this we are going to use the parameter /Active:yes|no

Set Expire date for User Account

If you know the data that an employee leaves the organization then it’s a good idea to set the expired date for the account. This way the account is automatically locked after the specified data. The date format depends on your region settings, but the options are:

• MM/DD/YYYY
• DD/MM/YYYY
• mmm,dd,YYYY

Account expiration settings are not limited to a domain account, you can also set the expired date on a local Windows 10 or 11 user account.

Set login times for User Account

Some accounts are only allowed to be used between specific hours, office hours for example. We can specify these hours with the /time parameter. To specify the time we will need to enter the days and hours between the account is allowed to log in.

You can use different notions for the days and hours (12-hour or 24-hour notation), and we can specify multiple time blocks by separating them with the semi-column ;.

Net User Password settings

When you create a new account you can set a password for the account as well. But when it comes to passwords we have two other interesting parameters, passwordchg and passwordreg. The first determines if the user can change the password. This setting is really useful for kiosk accounts. The user can’t change the password when this is set to no.

The parameter passwordreg is used to specify it a user account must have a password. If this is set to no, then the user can remove their password, making the device vulnerable.

Home Directory Path

The last parameter that I want to mention is the home directory path. If you want to store the home directory of the user on a network share then you can set the path to the folder with the parameter /homedir. But make sure that the full path, including the user’s folder, exists.

Wrapping Up

The Net User command is great when wanting to quickly enable or disable a user account or reset a password. Also, it’s great to manage local computer accounts on small networks. When working with domain accounts I prefer to use the Active Directory module in PowerShell.

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1.11. How to Recover Your Lost Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11 User Profile

If an error message prevents you from signing in to your Windows 10 user account, your profile may have become corrupted. We're going to show you how to fix it to recover your user profile or, alternatively, make a new account.

Your user account contains your personal settings, like desktop wallpaper, taskbar preferences, and some program settings like browser history. It can be very frustrating to lose this.

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Without further ado, here's how to restore a user profile in Windows 10.

Why You Shouldn't Use the Temporary Windows Profile

If you try to sign in to your normal user account when it's broken, you'll be taken into a temporary account. This usually occurs if a critical Windows update has been forcibly ceased midway through the process.

You'll see one of two errors (or sometimes both):

• You've been signed in with a temporary profile. You can't access your files, and files created in this profile will be deleted when you sign out. To fix this, sign out and try signing in later. Please see the event log for details or contact your system administrator.
• We can't sign in to your account. This problem can often be fixed by signing out of your account, then signing back in. If you don't sign out now, any files you create or changes will be lost.

Obviously, the first thing to do here is to sign out and then back in. Chances are it won't work, but it's worth a shot.

Being signed in to a temporary profile is unsuitable because any changes you make will be reset every time you log out. As such, let's look at how to recover your usual Windows profile.

 

Step 1: Find Your Security Identifier

First, you need to know the security identifier (SID) of the temporary user account you're being signed in to. This unique string is what Windows uses to control permissions and group your interactions.

1. Do a system search for cmd and open the Command Prompt.
2. Type whoami /user and press Enter. This command queries the system to tell you the SID of the current account.
3. Make a note of your SID. You can press Ctrl + M to enable highlighting, left-click and drag over the SID, and then press Ctrl + C to copy it.

 

Step 2: Recover Your Windows Profile With the Registry

You now need to edit the registry to recover the original profile. Editing the registry can be dangerous if you mess with the wrong thing, so please follow the instructions below carefully.

Do a system search for regedit and select the Registry Editor. Paste the following path into the address bar (go to View > Address Bar if you don't see it) and press Enter:

 Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

You will see several sub-folders within the ProfileList folder on the left-hand pane, some containing SIDs.

One of three options should apply:

1. Your SID is listed twice, with and without a BAK extension.
2. Your SID is listed only once with a BAK extension (e.g., S-1-5-21-2795999757-2048908912-3492586281-1000.bak).
3. Your SID is listed only once without a BAK extension (e.g., S-1-5-21-2795999757-2048908912-3492586281-1000).

The process is mostly the same for all three options but with some slight differences. Follow all the steps below in order, but only those which contain your option number.

Option 1: Delete the Duplicate Folder

If your SID is listed twice—and only in this case—you need to delete the folder without the BAK extension.

1. On the left-hand pane, right-click the folder that matches your SID and doesn't have the BAK extension.
2. Click Delete.
3. Click Yes to confirm.

Option 1 and 2: Rename the BAK Folder

1. On the left-hand pane, right-click the folder that matches your SID and has the BAK extension.
2. Click Rename.
3. Remove .BAK from the end.
4. Press Enter to save the changes.

Option 1, 2, and 3: Adjust the Folder Path and State

1. On the left-hand pane, click the folder that matches your SID.
2. On the right-hand pane, double-click ProfileImagePath.
3. In the Value data field, input the correct path for your user profile (for example, C:\Users\Joe).
4. Click OK.

If you're unsure what the Value data should be, press Windows key + R to open Run, input C:\Users, and press Enter. This will bring up a list of all your user profiles. You can enter the right profile and copy the path from the address bar.

Once you've done this, on the Registry Editor:

1. On the right-hand pane, double-click State.
2. Change the Value data to 0.
3. Click OK.

Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. Sign back into your user account, and you should find that everything is restored and back to normal.

If you're still encountering problems, read on to find out how to make a new permanent user account.

 

How to Create a New Windows Profile

If the instructions above didn't bring your profile back, it's time to make a new user profile. Note that this won't recover your desktop settings, like wallpaper or taskbar preferences, but it will mean you'll have a permanent user account again.

Step 1: Boot in Safe Mode

To begin, you'll need to boot your PC into Safe Mode. To do this:

1. Restart your computer.
2. On the sign-in screen, hold Shift and click Power > Restart.
3. When this has completed, you'll be on the Choose an option screen. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Start-up Settings > Restart.
4. Your computer will restart again. Press F4 to start it in Safe Mode.

Step 2: Enable the Administrator Account

Next, you need to enable the hidden administrator account.

1. Once logged in, input cmd in the Start menu search bar
2. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. This opens Command Prompt in administrator mode.
3. Input net user administrator /active:yes and press Enter.

Note that you can reverse this in the future by running the same command; just switch yes for no.

This will enable the hidden administrator account on your computer. Restart and then sign in to this new account.

Step 3: Create a New Account

Now that you're signed in to the administrator account, it's time to create a new permanent Windows account.

1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Accounts > Family & other users.
3. Click Add someone else to this PC.
4. At this point, you can just follow the wizard through. However, if you want to create a local account instead of a Microsoft one, click I don't have this person's sign-in information and then Add a user without a Microsoft account.

Step 4: Transfer Your Files

Finally, you need to transfer the files from your broken Windows profile to the new one.

To navigate to these files:

1. Restart your PC and log back into the administrator account.
2. Press Windows key + R to open Run.
3. Input C:\Users and press Enter.
4. Navigate to your old and broken user account.

Once here, copy and paste all your user files from this old account to the new one. You'll want to do this individually for each folder; otherwise, you might accidentally bring across some hidden and problematic system files.

To highlight all files in a folder, press Ctrl + A. To select specific ones in bulk, hold down Ctrl as you left-click. Alternatively, hold left-click and drag around the files.

Then press Ctrl + C to copy them. Navigate back to the Users folder, enter the new account, and press Ctrl + V to paste your files.

Once done, sign out of the administrator account and into your new account. All the files you transferred will be there.

 

Remember to Keep Your Data Backed Up

Now your Windows profile has been restored, and you have a permanent user account again. To try and stop this from happening in the future, don't shut your computer down while it's installing an update.

Luckily, in this scenario of profile corruption, it doesn't result in much lost data. Regardless, you should regularly back up your files to protect against all eventualities.

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1.12. Fixing: “Total identified Windows installations: 0”

Fixing: “Total identified Windows installations: 0”

Bootrec /fixmbr

Bootrec /fixboot (Note: If this fails with access denied try BOOTSECT /NT60 SYS and then issue the command again)

Bootrec /scanos

Bootrec /rebuildbcd

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup

C:

cd boot

diskpart
sel disk 0
list vol

sel vol x (where x is the volume number)

assign

remove

attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd

wpeutil reboot

1.13. How to Pin “This PC” to Taskbar on Windows 11

2.1. Set up the Outlook app for iOS

Note: If you have a work account that requires the Intune Company Portal app, install it from the App Store before setting up Outlook for iOS. Your IT admin may or may not also require you to Enroll your iOS device in Intune.

Download Outlook for iOS from the iOS App Store and then open it. The icon looks like this:

Note: See system requirements for your iOS devices here.

If it's your first time using Outlook for iOS, enter your full email address, then tap Add Account.

If not, open the Menu > tap Settings  > Add Account > Add Email Account.

If you're asked to select your email provider, please contact your IT admin for support as there may be a misconfiguration.

You can also set up your email account manually or use IMAP/POP.

Enter your email account password and tap Sign In.

Note: The sign in screen may look different for you depending on your email provider.

If multi-factor authentication is enabled, verify your identity. For more information, see Security info overview.

Accept any prompts for permission you may receive.

Swipe through the features and you're now ready to use Outlook for iOS!

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2.2. How to Disable Security Defaults in Office 365

Security Defaults are a set of policies that are enabled by default for Microsoft 365 (Office 365) accounts to provide increased account and organizational security. These settings include using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for logins, disabling legacy mail protocols (IMAP, POP3, and SMTP), etc. In some cases, the Microsoft 365 administrator needs to turn off some of the Security Defaults settings in Microsoft 365 tenants.

Azure Ad security defaults are a set of identity security mechanisms recommended by Microsoft. When enabled, these recommendations will be automatically enforced in your organization. Administrators and users will be better protected from common identity-related attacks. Security Defaults are free for all Microsoft 365 subscriptions and replace the Baseline Conditional Access policies.

Security Defaults enable the following settings in the Azure tenant:

• Multi-Factor Authentication for administrators and users (a request to configure MFA appears on each user sign-in);
• Legacy authentication protocols are disabled, and this blocks access to Office 365 mailboxes from old clients and legacy protocols that do not support Modern Authentication (Office 2010, IMAP, POP3, SMTP, ActiveSync), as well as connecting to Exchange Online via Remote PowerShell;
• Force MFA for privileged accounts in Azure AD when accessing management tools that use the Azure Resource Manager API (Azure Portal Access, Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI).

You can enable or disable Security Defaults in your Azure tenant settings:

1. Open the Microsoft Azure Portal login page and log in with an Azure or Microsoft 365 tenant Global Administrator account;
2. Select Azure Active Directory > Properties;
3. At the very bottom of the tenant settings page, click on the Manage Security Defaults link;
   
4. You will see a window in which only one Enable Security defaults (Yes/No) switch is available. Security Defaults are enabled by default for all new Azure (Microsoft 365) tenants. If you want to disable Security Defaults, select No, and walk through a small Microsoft survey:
   

   We’d love to understand why you’re disabling Security defaults so we can make improvements.
   – My organization is using Conditional Access;
   – My organization is unable to use critical business applications;
   – My organization is getting too many MFA challenges;
   – Other.

5. Press the Save button;
   

Now users will no longer be prompted to configure the MFA when sign-in. If Multi-Factor Authentication is already configured for some users, you can disable it.

1. Sign in to Microsoft 365 Admin Center (https://admin.microsoft.com/#/users);
2. Select Users > Active Users;
3. Press the Multi-factor authentication;
   
4. Find the user you want to disable MFA for, select it, and click Disable;
   
5.  

To enable the use of legacy email protocols, you need to:

1. Go to the https://admin.microsoft.com;
2. Select Settings > Org Settings > Modern authentication;
3. Select the legacy protocols that you want to allow to use for email clients;
   

The following protocols are available:

• Outlook client — Includes ‎Exchange Web Services‎, ‎MAPI over HTTP‎, ‎Offline Address Book‎ and ‎Outlook Anywhere‎ protocols;
• Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) — Used by some email clients on mobile devices;
• Auto discover — Used by ‎Outlook‎ and ‎EAS‎ clients to find and connect to mailboxes in ‎Exchange Online‎;
• IMAP4 — Used by ‎IMAP‎ email clients;
• POP3 — Used by ‎POP‎ email clients;
• Authenticated SMTP — Used by ‎POP‎ and ‎IMAP‎ clients to send email messages;
• Exchange Online PowerShell — Used to connect to ‎Exchange Online‎ with remote ‎PowerShell‎.

Now you will be able to authenticate with Legacy email clients.

Original Source

2.3. Office Setup Error Code 30015-11

Before continuing below to resolve the Office installation problems, try the following:

1. Temporarily disable any third-party Antivirus or Firewall program before starting the Office installation.
2. Install all available Windows 10 Updates.
3. Update Windows 10 to its latest version.

Method 1. FIX Error 30015-11 by Uninstalling all Office versions from your PC.

The first method to solve the error codes 30015-11 (-1073741790) & 30015-11 (3221225506) in Office installation is to remove all Office installations, by following the steps below:

1. Download the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant (SARA) utility.
2. When the download is completed double click to run the SetupProd_OffScrub.exe application.
3. Click Install to install the SARA utility.

4. When the installation is completed, click Agree and then click Yes.

5. Wait until the 'Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant' troubleshooting the issue.
6. Select the checkbox, at the left of the Office product name to select all the installed Office products and click Next.

7. Now wait until the Office removal process is complete and when this is done, restart your computer.
8. After restart, proceed and reinstall Office by following the instructions from these links:

• Office 365
• Office 2019
• Office 2016
• Office 2013

Method 2. Repair Windows Component Store & System Files.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. In command prompt give the following command and press Enter:

• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

3. When the process is completed, give the following command:

• DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

4. When the DISM operation is completed, type the following command and hit Enter:

• sfc /scannow

5. Now wait until the System File Checker repairs the Windows System Files.
6. When the repair is completed, restart your PC and check if the problem has resolved.

Quick copy and paste for the commands to run it as quickly as possible:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
sfc /scannow
shutdown /r /t 0

Method 3. Check if the Software Protection service can Start.

1. Open Windows Services control panel: To do that:

• Press Windows  + R keys to open the run command box.
• In the Search box, type: services.msc  & click OK.

2. In the right pane, make sure that the Startup Type of the Software Protection service is set to Automatic and the Log On As is Network Service.

3. Now try to start the Software Protection service manually, by right-clicking on the service and choosing Start.

4. Now according to your situation, proceed as follows:

A. If the service can start without errors (Status: Running), try again to install Office again.

B. If the service cannot be started for any reason or if you got an "access denied" error:

a. Right-click on the Software Protection service and choose Properties.
b. At Log On tab, choose This account and type Network Service. Then clear the password fields and click OK twice to save the changes.

5. Restart your computer and perform the steps 1-3 above to ensure that the Software Protection can be started without errors. If this happens, go ahead and install Office.

Method 4. Clean install Windows 10.

If after applying the above methods, you still cannot install Microsoft Office, I suggest to perform a clean Windows 10 installation.

Important: The clean Windows 10 installation means that all your files and settings will be lost during the installation process. So, proceed and backup all your important files and settings to another storage media before continue. (e.g. to an external USB drive).

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2.4. How to Fix Microsoft Office Error code 30175-45

Error code 30175-45 (193) : Microsoft office application is now an important element of our day to day life as it deals about our studies, work, business etc. And as it is a development era Microsoft has launched the well developed and secured products such as Office 365 and Office 2016 and also Office 2013 which was precede of Office 365 and Office 2016. You could buy the Office product from Microsoft product list or store .And in some cases the installation or update of Office may end up with Error code 30175-45 (193)

Step 1. Temporarily disable Firewall and Antivirus

Error code 30175-45 (193)  while installing or updating the Microsoft Office may occur in case of Network or firewall restriction. The network rules or firewall rules in the network/computer may block the installation of Office program or its updating as a part of their security measurements. These firewall rules and Antivirus are implemented on the computer by the network provider or the computer user on its core system or registry.

You could fix the Error code 30175-45 (193) by disabling the firewall or antivirus temporarily or you could fix the Error  by making creating an exceptional rule for Microsoft Office installation or update.

Follow the steps to disable Firewall:

Step 1. Open “control panel”

Step 2. Navigate to “system and security” and then to “Windows Firewall”

Step 3. Click on “turn windows firewall On or Off”

Step 4. Select Turn Off firewall for both private and public network.

Step 5. Try installing or updating Microsoft Office and check whether the Error is fixed.

For more information: click here to view Microsoft Reference article to disable windows firewall.

Follow the steps to disable Antivirus to fix Error code 30175-45 (193):

Step 1. Open Antivirus application installed on the computer.

Step 2. Click on settings and navigate to real time protection.

Step 3. Turn Off real time protection.

Step 4. Navigate to Antivirus firewall.

Step 5. Turn off Antivirus firewall.

Step 6. Click on YES or OK confirmation prompt if prompted.

Step 7. Try installing or updating Microsoft Office and check whether the Error is fixed.

Step 2. SFC Scan to fix Error code 30175-45 (193)   

Error code 30175-45 (193) also occurs in case of system file errors or corruption. If the Error code 30175-45 (193) is occurred due to the system file corruption, it could be fixed easily by the SFC scan. The SFC scan or system file checking scan is the process of replacing or repairing the corrupted copy of system files using the cached copy of the file from the directory.

Follow the steps to initiate SFC scan:

Step 1. Open command prompt in administrative privileges.

Step 2. Type “ sfc /scannow “ and click enter.

Step 3. The scan will begin automatically .

Step 4. Do not close the command prompt until the scan get completed.

Step 5. Try installing or updating Microsoft Office and check whether the Error is fixed.

For more information: Click here to view Microsoft reference kb article 929833 for sfc scan

Step 3. Registry repair to fix Error code 30175-45 (193)

Error code 30175-45 (193)  also occurs due to registry corruption or key value errors. A single key value corruption or change may lead to malfunctioning of the entire Microsoft Office program.

In order to fix the Error, it is required to repair the registry keys and rebuilt the string values. And we request you to back up the registry before initiating the registry repair as registry is a highly sensitive element of a computer system and it is recommended to be done in the presence of Online or offline technician.

For more information on back up of registry follow the Microsoft kb article 322756

Follow the steps to repair registry:

Step 1. Open registry editor

Step 2. Delete the preinstalled or older registry key which block the installation of latest version or update.

Step 3. Navigate the below keys and delete it.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\11.0

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\12.0

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\14.0

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\15.0

Step 5. Also change the DWORD values in below keys from 0 to 1 in Office common registry folder.

LicenseServers

LicenseServerRedirection

AutoExpandDLsEnable

PassportAuthProvider

Solution 4. Remove and reinstallation.

If Error code 30175-45 (193) is not fixed in registry repair, SFC scan and firewall/antivirus exception, it is required to remove the Office suite completely from the programs and features, and then to reinstall the product for a proper use.

Follow the steps given below to fix Error code 30175-45 (193) completely.

Step 1. Open control panel

Step 2. Click on uninstall programs and features

Step 3. Search for Microsoft Office in the list.

Step 4. Select Microsoft Office and click on uninstall.

Step 5. Once uninstall is finished, try running Office setup to install Microsoft Office.

For more information: Click here to view Microsoft reference kb article to uninstall a program.

How to install Microsoft Office

Step 1. Open Office My Account

Step 2. Login to Office account using your registered email ID and password.

Step 3. Click on install Option under the Office product in your account.

Step 4. Save the installer setup if prompted and run it once download is completed.

Step 5. Do not go offline or reboot the computer once installation is initiated.

Step 6. Click on finish button once the program is installed completely.

Please note: If you are trying to install School or college or company version of Office suite click here to login to your office account and then follow from step 2.

2.5. Error 'This web browser does not support JavaScript or scripts are being blocked' when adding a Google Workspace account

ISSUE

When adding a Google Workspace account to Outlook desktop you encounter the error, “The browser you’re using doesn’t support JavaScript, or has JavaScript turned off." 

WORKAROUND

1. From the Start menu, type regedit.exe in the search box, and then press Enter.
   
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

2. In Registry Editor, navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION

3. Find the REG_DWORD OUTLOOK.EXE and double-click to edit.

4. Select Decimal and change it to 11001 and select OK.

5. Close Registry Editor and restart Outlook.

3.1. Add new account to OneNote for Windows 10

Add new account to OneNote

To add a new personal, school, or work account to OneNote, use these steps:

1. Open OneNote on Windows 10.

    

2. Click the Settings and More (three-dotted) button in the top-right.

3. Click on Settings.

4. Click on Accounts.

    

   

5. Click the Add account option.

    

   

6. Select the Microsoft account or Work or school account option depending on the account you want to add.

    

   

7. Click the Continue option.

8. Confirm the email address of the account.

9. Click the Next button.

10. Confirm the account password.

11. Click the Sign in button.

12. Click the OK button.

Source: https://pureinfotech.com/add-notebooks-multiple-accounts-onenote/

3.2. Add new notebook to OneNote for Windows 10

1. Open OneNote.

2. Click the Show Notebooks button from the left pane.

3. Click the Notebook menu in the top-left and select the More Notebooks option.

    

   

4. Check the notebook from the other account.

    

   

5. Click the Open button.

Source: https://pureinfotech.com/add-notebooks-multiple-accounts-onenote/

3.3. Remove notebook from OneNote for Windows 10

1. Open OneNote.

2. Click the Show Notebooks button from the left pane.

3. Click the Notebook menu.

4. Right-click the notebook in the top-left and select the Close This Notebook option.

    

   

Source: https://pureinfotech.com/add-notebooks-multiple-accounts-onenote/

3.4. Remove account from OneNote for Windows 10

1. Open OneNote.

2. Click the Settings and More (three-dotted) button in the top right.

3. Click on Settings.

4. Click on Accounts.

    

   

5. Select the account and click the Sign out option.

    

   

Source: https://pureinfotech.com/add-notebooks-multiple-accounts-onenote/

3.5. Change name of user profile folder in Windows 10

1 Sign out the user account (ex: "Brink2") you want to change the name of its user profile folder (ex: "C:\Users\Brink2.BRINK-W10PC").

2 Sign in to any administrator account on the PC that you are not changing its user profile folder name.

If you do not have another administrator account, then you can enable the built-in Administrator to sign in to do these steps in.

3 Open a command prompt.

4 Type the command below into the command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

Make note of the SID (ex: "S-1-5-21-237214570-1361766723-3061440971-1015") for the account (ex: "Brink2") you want to change the name of its user profile folder. You will need to know this SID in step 6 below.

 wmic useraccount get name,SID

5 Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

6 Navigate to the registry key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)

 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\<SID>

Substitute <SID> in the registry key path above with the actual SID (ex: "S-1-5-21-237214570-1361766723-3061440971-1015") from step 4 above for the account name (ex: "Brink2") you want to change the name of its user profile folder.

For example: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-5-21-237214570-1361766723-3061440971-1015

7 In the right pane of the SID key (ex: "S-1-5-21-237214570-1361766723-3061440971-1015"), double click/tap on the ProfileImagePath expandable string value (REG_EXPAND_SZ) to modify it. (see screenshot above)

8 Change the current name of the user profile folder in its full path (ex: "C:\Users\Brink2.BRINK-W10PC") to what you want (ex: "C:\Users\Brink2") instead, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

Make note of the current full path and name (ex: "C:\Users\Brink2.BRINK-W10PC") and new name (ex: "Brink2") for this account's user profile folder.

You will need to know both in step 10 and step 12 below.

9 When finished, you can close Registry Editor and command prompt if you like. (see screenshot below)

10 Open File Explorer (Win+E), and navigate to the original full path of the user profile folder (ex: "C:\Users\Brink2.BRINK-W10PC") from step 8 above.

11 Right click or press and hold on the user profile folder (ex: "Brink2.BRINK-W10PC"), and click/tap on Rename. (see screenshot below)

12 Change the current name of the user profile folder (ex: "Brink2.BRINK-W10PC") to the same new name (ex: "Brink2") from step 8 above. (see screenshots below)

 

13 You can now close File Explorer if you like.

Source: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/89060-change-name-user-profile-folder-windows-10-a.html

4.1. How to Quickly Clean Up Your Microsoft Outlook Inbox

We see all sorts of advice and methods for tidying up our inboxes, from using search folders to sorting and prioritizing. But check out the built-in cleaning tools in Microsoft Outlook for a super quick cleanup of your inbox. You can clean up conversations, folders, and subfolders with little effort.

Conversation Clean Up Settings in Outlook

Before going through the Clean Up tool options, it’s important to note the emails you “clean up” move to your Deleted Items folder by default. In addition, certain emails will not be moved like flagged or categorized emails. Luckily, you can adjust these settings, and it may be best to do so before using the tool.

1. Open Outlook and click File > Options.
2. Select Mail on the left.
3. Scroll to the Conversation Clean Up section on the right. You’ll then see the options you can adjust.
4. To select a folder to send your clean-up items to instead of Deleted Items, click Browse and choose the folder.
5. For the remaining settings, check or uncheck the boxes per your preferences.
6. Click OK when you finish.

Now that you have the settings you want to use for the Clean Up tool, let’s get to it!

Clean Up Conversations, Folders, and Subfolders in Outlook

Conversation Clean Up in Outlook works by moving redundant emails to Deleted Items or the folder you select. These include those back-and-forth emails you have using replies. As you already know, you can end up with 10 emails on the same topic from many people. Most times, those replies include the other replies in the messages. Conversation Clean Up can remove the messages that are all included in the latest reply.

To clean up a particular conversation, select it and go to the Home tab. Click Clean Up > Clean Up Conversation. You’ll see a pop-up message informing you that the messages will be moved. To continue, click Clean Up.

To clean up a folder, move to it and click Clean Up > Clean Up Folder on the Home tab. Confirm that you’d like to continue by clicking Clean Up Folder in that pop-up window.

To clean a folder and its subfolders, move to the folder and click Clean Up > Clean Up Folder & Subfolders on the Home tab. Again, click Clean Up Folder to confirm and continue.

You’ll notice in each of the above confirmation messages an option for Settings. If you did not adjust the settings described before you began your cleanup, click this button to make changes anytime.

And if you change your mind about the cleanup, click Cancel to return to your inbox without moving any items.

Keep It Clean, Tidy Up Your Outlook Inbox

The Conversation Clean Up tool in Outlook gives you a quick and easy way to clear out unneeded messages. The only manual steps involved are selecting a cleanup option and confirming. So, give it a try and see if your Outlook inbox is happy!

The cleanup feature is not currently available in Outlook on Mac.

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4.2. Instantly Declutter Your Inbox with Search Folders in Outlook

How out of control is your inbox in Outlook? If finding emails feels like searching for a needle in a digital haystack, then Search Folders may be just the thing you need. Instead of painstakingly reviewing, sorting, and organizing emails into folders, Search Folders lets you instantly pull up emails that meet certain criteria. This is a major timesaver, especially if your inbox is a veritable firehose of incoming emails. While you may still want to tag and organize your emails in greater detail, Search Folders help you quickly narrow down the emails that deserve your immediate attention.

Creating Search Folders and Custom Search Folders in Outlook

The beauty of search folders in Outlook is that you will be able to see the exact emails that you need without having to dig through your ballooning inbox. In Outlook 2016 and above, it is easy to create new search folders:

1. Go to the Folder tab in the ribbon and select New Search Folder.

2. The New Search Folder dialog box will open up. It gives you many different options to create Search Folders.

3. If you like to have things more customized to your needs, all you need to do is scroll down in the New Search Folder dialog box to create a custom Search Folder.

4. When you select Create a custom Search Folder, you will see some text appear below it that says To specify criteria, click Choose. Just click on the button that says Choose…

5. Another dialog box will open; click on the button that says Criteria… This is where you will specify the criteria for your custom Search Folder.

6. Now, you get to choose what Criteria you need your custom folder to have. You can create folders for specific people, subject titles, emails with attachments, and more options.

Search folders in Outlook make your email and inboxes more manageable. You won’t have to dig through months’ worth of emails to find one single message.

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4.3. Sort Important Emails Using Focused Inbox for Outlook

We’ve long ago abandoned the notion of sending and receiving fewer emails. Now, we accept an overflowing inbox as the norm and instead look for ways to manage the mess. Years ago, Google launched an inbox decluttering initiative that gave us Gmail categories and Inbox by Gmail. Microsoft Outlook has taken a swipe at it, too, with its Clutter folder, which contains low-priority emails. Now, Microsoft is rolling out another feature aimed at helping you sort through the avalanche of emails: Focused Inbox.

Organize Important Email Using Focus for Outlook

Focused Inbox is still being rolled out across all of Microsoft’s Outlook clients, including Outlook.com, Outlook on the Web, and Outlook 2016 for Windows and Mac. For me personally, I only have it on my iPhone. Users running Outlook for Android should also have it. Focused appears as a separate tab in your inbox; if you don’t see it, you might need to enable it, or the feature has not been rolled out to your account. Focused Inbox works similarly to the current Clutter technology. In fact, Focus is also powered by the same technology. Here is how you enable it on your account:

Enable Focused Inbox for Outlook on the Web and Outlook.com

1. Click Settings > Display Settings
2. Click the Focused Inbox tab
3. Select Sort messages into Focused and Other
4. Click OK

You will now have a separate Focused tab in your inbox.

Set up Focused Inbox in Outlook for iOS

Tap Settings, Badge Account, then tap Focused Inbox

After setup is complete, you should see two tabs in your inbox called Focused and Other.

Focused Inbox will display messages that are intelligently prioritized based on an algorithm. Of course, this is software, so it might not be perfect. You can check the Other tab if you do not see a prioritized message.

Are there any immediate benefits to using Focused Inbox? It’s hit or miss so far, but Focused Inbox does ensure you see messages from the contacts you communicate with often based on my testing. This does not mean you should put all your faith in it and ignore the Other tab. Users can customize the behavior by moving messages to the Focused Inbox or vice versa, so the algorithm improves over time. I noticed quite a bit of spam messages within the Focused tab, which proves that Outlook has a little bit of a learning curve to start. Another issue I noticed is the inconsistency between functionality across clients. Focus on Outlook for iOS lacks the functionality found in desktop versions, such as moving between Focused and Other inboxes. Hopefully, it will get better with time, but if you don’t like it, you can always disable it.

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4.4. Sender Name isn't showing in Message List view

If the view of your emails is suddenly showing your name where the sender name typically is, or even some other item in its place, here is how to correct that:

The view that you want:

The view you currently have:

First lets expand the list view to show the columns:

See above how the Recipient Name field is first before the From field? This is causing the view when condensed to only show the Recipients Name where normally the Senders name would appear. To correct this, drag the From column to the left of the Recipient Name column. Then to ensure that the view is how it really should be, drag the Recipient Name column all the way to the right past Size. This allows the subject to appear as well in the condensed view.

After rearranging the columns:

The corrected condensed message view:

4.5. Increase maximum size for pst-files and ost-files

In Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007, the maximum recommended size of a Unicode pst-file and ost-file has been limited to 20GB.

In Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and Microsoft 365, this recommended  limit has been set to 50GB.

You can increase (but also decrease) this limit via the Registry or via Group Policies.

Note: This tip does not apply to pst-files and ost-files which are in the Outlook 97-2002 format (ANSI formatted pst-files).

Via the Registry

To increase the maximum size of pst-files and ost-files in Outlook, you’ll need to create and set 2 values in the following location in the Registry;

• Outlook 2003
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\PST
• Outlook 2007
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\PST
• Outlook 2010
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook\PST
• Outlook 2013
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\PST
• Outlook 2016 / Outlook 2019 / Microsoft 365
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\PST

The following 2 new DWORD values must be created or set;

• WarnLargeFileSize
  Don’t set this higher than 4090445042 (decimal) or f3cf3cf2 (hexadecimal)
• MaxLargeFileSize
  Don’t set this higher than 4294967295 (decimal) or ffffffff (hexadecimal)

The first value is how many MB a user can write to a pst-file or ost-file before receiving a warning that the file is full. The second value is how many MB the system can write to a pst-file or ost-file. This difference has to be at least 5% since there is more written to a pst-file and ost-file than just user data.

In this example the maximum size of pst-files and ost-files has been set to 100GB with a warning at 95GB.

Note: Although the Registry path says “PST”, it also applies to ost-files.

Via Group Policies

If you are a corporate administrator and want to adjust the maximum allowed sizes of pst-files and ost-files, then you can use Group Policies as well. For detailed instructions on how to use and deploy Group Policies see this guide.

The settings for adjusting the maximum file size for pst-files and ost-files can be found in the section;

• User Configuration-> Administrative Templates-> Microsoft Outlook <version>-> Miscellaneous-> PST Settings.

The following 2 settings need to be modified;

• Large PST: Absolute maximum size
  Don’t set this higher than 4294967295
• Large PST: Size to disable adding new content
  Don’t set this higher than 4090445042

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4.6. How to Automatically BCC Emails Using Rules in Outlook

Sometimes, you might want to copy your sent emails to another address without the recipient knowing. In Microsoft Outlook, you can set up rules for doing this. We’ll walk you through the process and share an important caveat.

Most people are familiar with the CC (carbon copy) option in their email program. CC’ing someone means you’re sending them a copy of the message. The other recipients can also see who’s been CC’ed.

There’s also a BCC (blind carbon copy) option. Anyone you BCC will be hidden from the other recipients, but he or she will be able to see the sender and the recipients.

In Outlook, you can add the BCC field to emails with a simple toggle switch. To do so, open a new email, switch to the “Options” tab, and then click “Bcc.” This will make the “Bcc” field visible on this and all new emails. To hide it once again, click Options > Bcc on any new email.

If you want to BCC someone on a specific email, simply type that person’s email address in the “Bcc” field the same way you would in the “To” or “Cc” fields.

The “Bcc” field is most commonly used when sending bulk emails to lots of recipients, such as a newsletter. Depending on where you are in the world, you might be legally obliged to hide people’s email addresses for data protection reasons.

Even if there isn’t a compelling legal obligation, it’s still a good practice (and common courtesy) not to broadcast people’s email addresses without their consent.

There are other scenarios in which you might want to BCC someone. For example, if you’re dealing with a troublesome employee or coworker, you might want to keep a record of your email interactions in case you need to raise a grievance. BCC allows you to send copies of the messages to any address you want, without the recipients knowing about it.

If you want to add a BCC recipient to every email automatically or to specific emails—such as those to a certain individual or that contain specific words in the subject line—there’s no simple way to do so. If you’ve used Outlook rules, you might expect this to be an option, but unfortunately, it isn’t.

It is possible to use rules, but you have to create more than one. Specifically, one rule to apply a category to emails you want to BCC, and another to auto-forward emails within that category to another address. This isn’t quite the same as a BCC, but it achieves the same thing.

The important caveat we mentioned earlier is a lot of businesses block their staff from auto-forwarding emails outside the company. This is because auto-forwarding rules are a common method cybercriminals use to get data from businesses.

If your company blocks auto-forwarding, you’ll have to add the BCC manually if it’s going to an external email address. If you’re forwarding to another mailbox within your company, or your company doesn’t block auto-forwarding, though, you’re good to go.

With that caveat in mind, here’s how to set up the two rules.

Rule 1: Apply a Category

Make sure you’re in your Outlook Inbox, and then, while viewing the “Home” tab, click Rules > Manage Rules and Alerts.

In the “Rules and Alerts” panel, click “New Rule.”

Select “Apply Rule On Messages I Send” in the “Rules Wizard” that appears, and then click “Next.”

Next, you choose the emails to which you want to automatically apply the category. If you want to categorize all emails, click “Next.” A warning will be displayed; click “Yes.”

If you only want to categorize specific messages, you’ll have to choose which kind. There are a large number of conditions to choose from, including those with certain words in the subject line or the body, those with attachments, and so on.

We click the “People or Public Group” link to choose the recipient.

We can select the person from our address book or type the email address directly in the “To” field, and then click “OK.”

We click “Next.”

On the next page of the wizard, we select the “Assign It to the Category Category.”

We then click the “Category” link to assign a category.

In the “Color Categories” window that opens, we choose the category to which we want this to apply. You can also click “New” to create a new one, and then click “OK.”

To avoid auto-forwarding the wrong emails to yourself, consider creating an entirely new category just for this.

Click “OK” in the confirmation box and your first rule is created.

Rule 2: Auto Forward the Emails

Now you have to set up a rule which auto forwards emails that have the category you chose in Rule 1.

First, click your “Sent” items folder to switch to it. This step is essential, otherwise, the rule will only run on emails in your Inbox.

Select “New Rule.”

In the “Rules Wizard,” click “Apply Rule On Messages I Receive,” and then click “Next.”

On the next page of the wizard, select “Assigned to Category Category.”

Click the “Category” link to choose the category to which you want to assign it.

In the “Color Categories” window, choose the category you set in Rule 1, and then click “OK.”

The category in the wizard will change to the one you selected. Click “Next.”

On the next page, select “Forward It to People or Public Group.”

Click the “People or Public Group” link to choose a recipient.

You can select the address to which you want to forward the emails from your address book or type it in the “To” field. Then, click “OK.”

Click “Next” twice to get to the final page of the wizard. Give your rule a name, make sure it applies to the “Sent Items” folder, and then click “Finish.”

Your rules are now created! Whenever you send an email to the person you specified, a category will be added to the email (Rule 1). Once the email reaches your “Sent Items” folder, it’ll be automatically forwarded to the address you specified in Rule 2.

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