Sunday, February 21, 2021

Windows 10 Issues Can Be Frustrating

This Sunday Morning...my query on the Web for this process "WaasMedicAgent Exe" running in the background of Windows 10 Pro, currently up to date per Windows Update.  I view Windows Task Manager when my System is running Slow or has been Cause to Stop Anything I am/was doing at the time.

1) My Issue being of any version of Microsoft Windows 10 Home, Enterprise, or Pro I am encountering

2) Searching the Web for a Description & Explanation learning what "WaasMedicAgent Exe" its purpose i.e. what is and does in Windows 10

Only to find that the Results for my query "WaasMedicAgent Exe" may contain About 3,200 Results found within 60 seconds.  Amazing Speed.

3) Answers.microsoft May not be listed as the first or with in the first few results depending on the Search Engine you may have used.  Nor support.microsoft

4) The Resulting Link addresses may Dupe you into believing they are from Microsoft about Windows 10 of the Issue/Query you typed in...i.e. thewindowsclub, windowsreport, windowsphoneinfo, windowsbulletin, tenforums, 

5) If by chance one of the first results listed is from Answers. microsoft. com  

or you visit https: // support. microsoft .com/  and enter WaaSMedicAgent.Exe 

Results for "WaaSMedicAgent.Exe"

Sorry, there are no results for WaaSMedicAgent.Exe

Try rephrasing your query.

6) Answers.microsoft might be First for this Query the post dates may/will vary i.e. 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and indication this issue you might be experiencing is ongoing.  Windows 10 initial release date was 29 Jul 2015.

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Post Topic "WaasMedic Agent Exe stopping me from working".  Replies can be many plus the amount of Views 3,686 of this same Topic.

A User Reply Asking "Did you ever find out how to fix this?? 270 other people with the same question and not one reply.

I have the same issue now and my PC is currently unusable. 

I was hoping it would fix itself and the app stop running after a while but my disk usage is at 100% constantly.  Is it safe to just end the process??

Bit of a joke really from Microsoft when there's no warnings or prompts, just take over my PC."

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Another Answers.microsoft Question Query, 22 Nov 2017

"What is this WaasMedic? and Why it required to connect internet and make changes on MY COMPUTER?"

User's comments to his question "I've seen some people asked the same question but Microsoft reps are continuously ignoring and reluctant to answer what this file actually is ?

Please tell about this in detail !!

A User's Reply "Windows Update includes tasks to repair itself, because it's a critical part of Windows.

WaaS stands for 'Windows as a Service' - that's how Windows 10 is different from earlier versions of Windows. Windows 10 is delivered as a service, while earlier versions were discrete products.

Medic is just slang for healing.  A medic, as you probably know, is another term for a doctor.

WaasMedic is one of the utilities that try to repair Windows Update when it gets damaged.

Searching the internet is a skill worth developing.  With the right search term and a discerning eye there is a world of valuable information.  Unfortunately, it takes practice to craft the right search term and time to develop a discerning eye."

Just an ordinary guy, with no fancy titles or boasts, who can't get enough of technology.

___________________________________________

Consequently, and most likely there is "No Fix It Answer" probably many User's of different levels of Microsoft Windows experiences may suggest trying this or that.

Possibly an Hour Later, leaves you only more Frustrated, with no resolve.

So the Question may become, How Patient are You, How Much Time are you willing to Spend, How Important is it to You, to Learn You are Not Alone.  

The Web is mostly inundated with many Frustrated Windows Users in the millions one Estimate as of Apr 2017

Suggest there are more than 1 billion Windows-powered PCs in use in the world, Microsoft officially claims there are 400 million active users of Windows 10 itself.

As of Aug 2019, How many computers are in the World 2020?

In 2019, there were over 2 billion computers in the world, including servers, desktops, and laptops.

Nov 2020 - In October, Windows was the OS on 88.8% of all PCs worldwide

I began using Computers 1983 IBM PC DOS, then onto MS-DOS 3.0 (1984), MS-DOS 5 (Jun 1991)

The Computer Experience I have for 37 yrs and as a Windows User of 30 yrs from Windows 3.0 (1990), 3.11 (Aug 1993), 95 (Aug 1995), 98 (Jun 1998), ME (Sep 2000), XP (Oct 2001), Vista (Nov 2006), Win7 (Oct 2009), I skipped Win8 (Aug 2012) 8.1 (Aug 2013), finally Win10 since 31 Aug 2015, a month after Windows 10 initial release.

The Multiple Updates/Downloads/Install/Re-Install, errors, how to fix/correct/overcome by a work around and downtime probably an astronomical measurement of my time.

Recently Up-Dating Windows 10 Home Edition of this PC-1, last Oct 2020, has taken almost 4 months to complete, due to issues with Windows 10 Home, not able to perform Current Updates at that time.

Win10 Home v1999

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Step 1) to Run SFC /scannow (Command Prompt as Admin)

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Step 2) Command Prompt as Admin or Windows PowerShell ISE as Admin

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Checkhealth  

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth

DISM.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

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Both SFC (System File Check) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) I ran multiple times.

Which SFC returned with the same Error of Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files BUT was unable to Fix Some of Them.

And Good Look viewing the CBS Log file that tells supposedly For Online Repairs, details are included in the CBS Log file located at windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

This repeated itself even after running the 3 DISM commands multiple times and then SFC \scannow after each time.

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Step 3) Command Prompt as Admin or Windows PowerShell ISE as Admin

ran this command:  chkdsk C: /f /r /x

The “/f” parameter tells CHKDSK to fix any errors it finds; “/r” tells it to locate the bad sectors on the drive and recover readable information; “/x” forces the drive to dismount before the process starts

The CHKDSK command can take a long time, especially when performed on larger drives.  (My Drives are 2TB)

CHKDISK found no errors, I even made sure my 2TB hard drive was analyzed and if fragmented, to run Defrag and Optimize.  Which is something I perform monthly, of my Hard Drives this PC-1 is almost 4 yrs old.

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Even as often I clear Caches, File Clean-Ups, other preventive steps I take, I do encounter issues now and then.

I also run Norton 360 Premium and Malwarebytes Premium, as no Security Software is Guaranteed 100% to Protect your System.  

I do not trust Windows Defender or Windows Security is to manage the tools that protect your device and your data: Virus & threat protection.  Monitor threats to your device, run scans, and get updates to help detect the latest threats. (Some of these options are unavailable if you're running Windows 10 in S mode.)

Hence: Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows 10 is not sufficient.  The short answer is that the bundled security solution from Microsoft is pretty good at most things.  But the long answer is that it could do better—and you can still do better with a third-party antivirus app.  Why I Use Norton & Malwarebytes, in place of MS Security no matter was Microsoft may Call it.

Nor Do I Like Windows System Interrupts as to when it decides to Run and Use CPU 100%.

A failing power supply (or laptop battery) can cause a spike in the CPU use of “System interrupts” and so can a failing hard drive.  You can test your hard drives with Windows' built in Check Disk tool.

Recently as Jan 2021, I did replace my Acer Power-Supply.  That Acer PC-1 (2017), I use heavily 8-16 hrs a day x365.  

PC-2 an Acer (2011), is a back-up in the event I experience difficulties with PC-1. Which periodically I run to Update and Maintain Security Updates, runs almost Identical Programs as PC-1 does.

Backing Up is Important, why I also use an External 2TB drive, and a 1TB SSD Drive, 2 250GB Thumb Drives.

Problem may exist with your Back-Up if you backed up the issue, or have a virus undetected, and your Back-up is also corrupted.

Software Compatibility and Updates are Important for Programs/Software/Hardware of your System. As is Preventive Maintenance to improve performance.

I also Run DriverEasy Pro frequently, as the name implies of Updating Drivers, possibly more than Windows 10 would ever.  

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I performed other Tasks as Suggested by Microsoft as well to no avail.

The Moral of this Story is Patience, Time, Diligence, Perseverance, Methodical Approach, as you will learn along the way.

I went as far as to Create a User Account Control (UAC) of PC-1 Acer, this did not resolve Windows 10 Home Update Issues, nor had Steps 1-3.

2 Dec 2020, I performed a System Reset, hours and days later same issues with Windows 10 Home Update

I then decided to Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Pro.  At a cost of $106


As you would have it, Attempt 1 Failed Error Code: 0x80070005 means Access denied and it usually occurs because of lack of permissions. 

Onto the Next Issue was with Activation

Perplexed, not able to know if in fact Win10 Pro, did download and install itself from Microsoft Store, was I did see under then My Computer Properties Windows 10 Pro Edition.

Once I learned after Live Chat with Microsoft, how to obtain a Default Activation Key to use for changing product key.  Now my copy was activated.

Only Windows 10 Pro Update had the same Issues as Home.  So for a little over a Month until 9 Jan 2021, I used Win10 Pro as is.

9 Jan 2021, became my 2nd System Reset...no getting around Hours and Days of this process which as before on 2 Dec had Wiped out all Software and Files associated with those programs.  My Personal Files are/have been backed up to that of 2 other locations.

However, once again I was re-installing all Software, Re-Configuring Windows to my Preferences, same would be of all my Programs Settings I may have Tweaked over the years.

Once this System Reset was complete Win10 Version now was Enterprise, not Pro.  

Win10 Enterprise v2004

I had save the Key Code for Win10 Pro. 

I am as far as I know back to A OK System Performance, as of 21 Feb 2021.  Unknown the culprit that caused Windows Update to fail repeatedly, nor all Supposed Fixes had not worked.

Not to mention Full System Scans for Viruses, Malware and using Norton Power Eraser Option to seek out any Foreign Virus & Malware, was not found.

Win10 Pro v1511

All Systems are different Configurations, OS Version and Updates, Installed Programs, daily usage and care for maintaining your Operating Device, be it PC Desktop Tower, Laptop, Notebook, Tablet/Phablet, SmartPhone or Other.

Win10 Pro v20H2


Tuesday, February 9, 2021

World of Electric Vehicles & Transportation

Envision to imagine or picture the New "World of Electric Vehicles"... How We Got Here, and their Future - Questions arise, Alternative Energy & Fuels. Not All Modes of Transportation Can or May Be Electrically Powered.

I am not a Scientist or Engineer, I try to power my brain with common sense...so many questions do arise, especially in a world of all electrical needs, means and uses. The following of my Imagination and what I Envision.

..What happens to the Oil, Oil-Workers, Plants Onshore and Off Shore...of the existing transportation of how Fuels, Oil, Gasoline are moved...no more vehicles needed to transport or for drivers of the same transportation vehicles.

The Service Stations at almost ever corner, to Gas Pumps become Electric Charging Stations and then there is THE TAX ON GASOLINE in the form of Federal gas tax revenue is pumped into a Highway Trust Fund (HTF). The HTF funds federal and state infrastructure projects for roads, bridges and public transportation systems. State gas taxes go into state-managed funds, and each state decides how to use them.

Will All Semi Tractor & Trailers be Electric, what about Trains in how they are powered, Aircraft the need for Aviation Fuels, the Electric Bus, 13 Feb 1970 was the MAN electric bus 750 HO-M10 E able to transport 99 passengers and had a range of 50 kilometers or 31 miles.

Back in the Day 1820-1880's, there were streetcars or trolleys using horses and sometimes mules, then those that rode along rails that could carry more fare paying passengers per day of operation.

Remember the Overhead Electrical wires the Street Car/Trolley or Tram Bus connected to. I remember them from the early 50's Now today modes of transportation are many, above the ground, in the air and below ground.

What fuels will all boats and ships use, electric, solar, nuclear. Our Navy, Air Force and other Military Air, if they were to convert to electric engines would require constant power conversion from solar, that energy stored in batteries fast enough to sustain flight, to run all electronics, provide speed and performance, plus enough electric power to weight ratio.

Back to Automobiles, Trucks, Motorcycles, 2-18 wheels...Will we need more Roads or Less Roads. As our Population Grows and Housing/Residency Expands into our undeveloped areas, less distance to travel...as more recent with the Pandemic of 2020, more and more People are Working From Home...remember those finding a Remote TV Control difficult to use, programming a VCR to record your favorite shows...all the fuss about the Computer and TV Games of our Children playing...glued to the TV aka Television...

...now that Generation are for some calling them "Nerds" a person seen as overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted or lacking social skills.

What !? Lacking Social Skills...wait what is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WebChat, aka Social Networking the use of dedicated websites and applications to interact with other users, or to find people with similar interests to oneself. Social Media interactive digitally-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation or sharing/exchange of information, ideas, career interests, and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks...I believe came from "Nerds"

That developed into...

Computer Programmers, write and test code that allows computer applications and software programs to function properly. They turn the program designs created by software developers and engineers into instructions that a computer can follow.

Computer Technicians, responsible for repairing and maintaining computers and servers,

IT technicians either provide general desktop and printer support for a company and/or its clients, or they provide network support. Network IT technicians install networking equipment, such as routers and switches, as well as cabling.

MIS Network Technicians, provide first level support for end user problems/issues. Provide technical assistance to end-users in design, installation and support of PC hardware/software systems. Troubleshoot and resolve PC hardware/software, printers, and network related problems.

Management Information Systems (MIS) is the study of people, technology, organizations, and the relationships among them. MIS professionals help firms realize maximum benefit from investment in personnel, equipment, and business processes

System Engineers, Network Engineers, Network Administrator, System Administrator are here to stay.

Lest We Not Forget the "Famous Nerds" of Inventors, Designers, Visionaries, as Einstein, Farnsworth II, Tesla, Edison, Marie Curie, Leonardo da Vinci, the Auto-manufactures oldest being Carl Benz 29 Jan 1886,Scientist, Chemist, Teachers...

There are those of Movie aka Film, although the start of the history of film as an artistic medium is not clearly defined, the commercial, public screening of ten of Lumière brothers' short films in Paris on 28 December 1895 can be regarded as the breakthrough of projected cinematographic motion pictures. Their Vision spread among the Viewers, from all walks in Life...who in turn became Inventors, Idealist (a visionary or impractical person. a person who represents things as they might or should be, rather than as they are) all fit into the definition possibly that of "Nerds" aka Visionaries themselves.

Traveling into Space, the Exploration of Outer-Space and those "Nerds Contributing to the birth of the Cyber World aka Cyber Space and Beyond...If you Will "Back to the Future" this expression refers to the time when one has to stop (over) thinking about the things they could, or not, have done in the past so that what happened wouldn't have happened. Do not dwell on the past! The past has been written with ink...the future in pencil!

Obviously...the Past is Our Future. I got tired of hearing Stop Thinking of the Past, when the Past Says a lot of who we are.

Moving onto the Present...What Life is Today, With Reverence I thanking all those before us

Today with all of the built in Safety Features of Our Vehicles today (some from the past still on our roads)...a Question comes to mind "Will there No Longer come a time that there will not be a Minimum Age Requirement to Drive. M.A.R.D.

Seat-belts, Airbags, Anti-lock braking, stability control, lights, mirrors, bumpers which some may take for granted...stronger vehicle frames, we now have moved into the world of vehicles that can parallel park themselves, detection capability of other vehicles, blind spot, anti-collision/avoidance system, unsafe lane changes, adjacent lane vehicles, night vision enhancement, possibly a heads up display, obstacle/object detection as pedestrians, animals, debris falling off another vehicle in your path or on the road, stronger windshields to prevent objects penetrating the passenger area, onscreen display rear camera...

or Autonomous Vehicles, let your vehicle drive itself, Autonomous Maneuvering Systems...with GPS, input your Point A and Point B...using your SmartPhone or the Vehicles Computer System. Or Voice Commands "Alexa" take me to the Bank, Hospital, Emergency Room nearest your present location. Alexa I am Hungry, I need to pick up Johnnie & Jennifer from School.

Alexa, take me to the Airport, Flight 746 Departing...your Autonomous Vehicle will drive you, let you off and take itself home. Return & pick you up when you have landed back home.

No Longer able to speed up on a Yellow Light or Run a Red Light...maybe No Traffic Lights in our Future at All...Save/Prevent Getting a Moving Traffic Ticket or Parking ticket...your vehicle will move and re-park itself, send you an alert to you SmartPhone. Alexa where did I park my car/truck/motorcycle/aircraft. Yes, flying cars of the future, Mom's drone taxi.

No Longer Able to Drive Drunk or Impaired. Be able to Ask Medical Questions and receive Treatment procedures.

A special license programed into the vehicle owned, you carry a smart license that communicates with your vehicle...Law Enforcement can verify while vehicle in motion, or having pulled your vehicle over without approaching the vehicle ascertain the owner and driver information, proof of insurance, and if you are a Car Thief could not have stolen the car in the first place, even if someone left the keys in the ignition...no more ignition...a Child, Teen, Young Adult no longer take Mom or Dad's vehicle. As the Parents can program the vehicle not to allow them to drive via aka “parental lock”

Also there is Telematics an interdisciplinary field that encompasses telecommunications, vehicular technologies, electrical engineering, and computer science.

More Questions Arise

Now that We have All Electric, Autonomous Vehicles...what about Power ?

Our Power Grid...When or If it Will Crashes/Fails...What Then ?

When A Power Outage that disrupts electricity and basic services such as communications, if the power grid goes down, water and natural gas will fail soon thereafter, planning becomes critical.

Which Recently 8 Feb 2021, in the News "Hackers Tried to Poison Water Supply of a Florida Town" for years, cybersecurity experts have warned of attacks on small municipal systems. The same can be said for Our Power.

The power grid is one of those things we take for granted, but it's time to acknowledge that it's getting older, reaching capacity and under attack.

As of 2020, the average age of the power grid is 30 years old. Power outages are over 2.5 times more likely than they were in 1984.

Converting to All Electric Vehicles, will place an additional Load of Our Power Grid, locally or nation wide.

Electric power utility industry professionals and experts, while Denying any Successful Hacker Attacks have resulted in power outages, clearly admit such attacks are possible, and that their systems are vulnerable to attack

What would we do without Power ? 

How would this affect your daily routine, life and what many may not think about, may or will happen. One word "Complacent" becoming too Complacent with Attitude can derail a career. Definition of Complacency “a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.”

Electrical Power caused havoc in California experiencing outages and brownouts in the summer 2019. PG&E in the cause of the "Camp Fire", 8 Nov 2018, was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. This Fire wiped out all of Paradise, CA, killing 84 people. PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) caused 1,500 fires in 6 years.

Moving On...the following is regarding Our Nations Types of Fuels Used...do we plan on being totally dependent on Electricity ? Look at Pros & Cons of the different types of Energy & Fuels in use.

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Natural gas is produced from shale and other types of sedimentary rock formations by forcing water, chemicals, and sand down a well under high pressure.

It is formed when layers of decomposing plant and animal matter are exposed to intense heat and pressure under the surface of the Earth over millions of years. The energy that the plants originally obtained from the sun is stored in the form of chemical bonds in the gas. Natural gas is a fossil fuel

Natural gas is made up of a mixture of four naturally occurring gases, all of which have different molecular structures. This mixture consists primarily of Methane, which makes up 70-90% of natural gas along with Ethane, Butane and Propane.

Advantages

Natural gas is one of the cleanest fossil fuels, releasing 45% fewer carbon emissions that coal and oil.
It does not produce waste products, such as coal ash.
If there is a gas leak is disappears quickly into the air, whereas oil leaks have a devastating impact on the environment and are expensive to clean.
Gas can be easily transported through pipelines, direct to industry and residential properties.
There are considerable reserves of gas around the world.
Gas can be used for both heating and cooking.


Cons

Gas is highly flammable, which means leaks can result in explosions.
Natural gas is toxic.
Gas infrastructure is expensive, pipelines cost a significant amount of money to construct.
Unless an odorant is added to the gas, leaks can go undetected.
Gas is highly flammable, which means leaks can result in explosions.
Natural gas is toxic.
Earthquakes have been caused by the controversial process of fracking.
Burning natural gas results in the release of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide.


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Electricity is a secondary energy source – we get it from the conversion of other sources of energy, such as coal, natural gas, oil, nuclear power and other natural sources.

Power stations convert fuels into electricity Coal and gas are burned to heat water and turn it into steam.

The steam, at a very high pressure, is then used to spin a turbine...The moving magnets cause electrons in the wires to move from one place to another, creating an electrical current and producing electricity.

Although Electricity is most often generated at a Power Plant by Electro-mechanical Generators, primarily driven by Heat Engines Fueled by Combustion or Nuclear Fission but also by other means such as the Kinetic Energy of Flowing Water and Wind.

There are Other energy sources including Solar Photovoltaic and Geothermal Power.

Static Electricity. Static Electricity is nothing but the contact between equal amount of protons and electrons (positively and negatively charged subatomic particles)

Current Electricity. Current Electricity is a flow of electric charge across an electrical field.

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Biomass is plant or animal material used as fuel to produce electricity or heat.

“Biomass is far from “clean” – burning biomass creates air pollution that causes a sweeping array of health harms, from asthma attacks to cancer to heart attacks, resulting in emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and premature deaths.”

Outside of contributing carbon dioxide emissions, burning biomass in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state can also emit other pollutants and particulate matter into the air, including carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides.

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Hydro Electricity - Hydroelectric power was the first and simplest electricity generation technology. Without Water means no power generated. Solar & Wind Power are catching up with the evaporating hydroelectric power, it still holds the largest share of the global electricity. In the 20th century, hydroelectric power was so large that it was called white coal for its power and plenty.

Pros

Renewable Energy Source
Clean Energy Source
Cost Competitive Energy Source
Contributes to the Development of Remote Communities
Recreational Opportunities
Fundamental Vehicle for Sustainable Development

Cons

Environmental Damage
High Upfront Capital Costs
Might Cause Conflicts - hydroelectric power typically build dams across the river to harness the water, can result in interruption of natural water flow from one specific direction to another.
May Lead to Droughts
Risk of Floods in Lower Elevations
Carbon dioxide and Methane Emission
Geological Damage
Concerns About the Safety of the Dam


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Solar Energy/Power = Electricity

Advantages of Solar Energy

Renewable Energy Source
Reduces Electricity Bills
Diverse Applications
Low Maintenance Costs
Technology Development


Disadvantages of Solar Energy

1) Cost. The initial cost of purchasing a solar system is fairly high. This includes paying for solar panels, inverter, batteries, wiring, and the installation. Nevertheless, solar technologies are constantly developing, so it is safe to assume that prices will go down in the future.

Solar energy has to be used right away, or it can be stored in large batteries. These batteries, used in off-the-grid solar systems, can be charged during the day so that the energy is used at night. This is a good solution for using solar energy all day long but it is also quite expensive.

2) Weather-Dependent. Although solar energy can still be collected during cloudy and rainy days, the efficiency of the solar system drops.

You should also take into account that solar energy cannot be collected during the night.

On the other hand, if you also require your water heating solution to work at night or during wintertime, thermodynamic panels are an alternative to consider.

3) Solar Energy Storage Is Expensive.

4) Uses a Lot of Space.

5) Associated with Pollution - Transportation and installation of solar systems have been associated with the emission of greenhouse gases.

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