Windows 11 has arrived and it is being adopted all around the globe as we are writing this article. People are adapting it daily and today we will take a look at some advanced security features of the new Windows and do you really need an antivirus in it.
It is not a secret that Windows 11 is the most secure Windows ever created, well at least up until now. It is packed with advanced security features like S-mode, Secure Boot, and Trusted Platform Module (TMP 2.0). All these new security features that Microsoft has advertised made people question are enough for security or do you still need third-party Antivirus software.
In order to get an answer to this question, let us first take a detailed look at what each one of them does, and then we will give you our opinion on a given subject.
Windows S mode
For everyday home use, Windows 11 S mode is the most secure feature to have on your PC. This is a safety protocol where only apps from Microsoft Store are allowed to be installed. This eliminates the risk of installing third-party apps that may contain viruses or malware. Furthermore, S-mode protects your web browsing activity through the Microsoft Edge browser. S-mode does not allow you to use other browsers for security reasons. If you are using Windows 11 in S-mode, your PC and data will be secure in most parts. You need not buy antivirus when using Windows 11 in S-mode.
Windows Defender
The inbuilt security suite, Windows Defender was launched for the first time in 2006. Earlier to that it had existed and was known as Microsoft AntiSpyWare. Windows Defender has undergone significant improvements over the years. In its latest version available with Windows 11, Windows Defender offers a comprehensive range of security features. It is available under the Windows Security system. Some key security features include real-time virus and threat protection, account protection, firewall & network protection, app and browser control, parental controls, and device (hardware) security. This is comparable to security features offered by third-party antivirus programs.
Microsoft Account
In Windows 11, it is necessary to use a Microsoft account that will be linked to your device. This ensures the security of your data in case your device is lost or stolen. You just need to make sure that you have set a strong password for your device. Windows 11 also has Bitlocker that keeps your data in encrypted form.
Ransomware protection
In view of rising cases of ransomware, Microsoft has introduced dedicated ransomware protection in Windows 11. It works by stopping apps from carrying out unauthorized changes to files and folders. Users can choose their important files and folders that they want to be protected from ransomware.
Conclusion
As we went through Windows 11 security features, we can clearly see that it is packed heavily with many security features that aim to protect your data and your identity. Looking at them, one can clearly come to the conclusion that you do not really need any third-party software and that Windows itself can catch and protect most of the issues, and they would be right.
If you use Windows 11 carefully, meaning that you go only to trusted websites, do not open suspicious emails, and click on suspicious links, if you do not use extensively external USB devices or mass media you really do not need any kind of third party protection, Windows built-in tools will do well and keep you protected.
However, if you do come in contact with other people's USB devices if you surf over the net, and overall if you really want to be at peace of mind that you are protected you will still need a well-established third-party software protection solution.
Windows 11 has great security features, best so far in any Windows but it is still far from being a solution that does not require dedicated protection solution. So do yourself a favor and grab one.
We recently had a top antivirus software review, find the article here and pick one that is best for you.
HDMI which stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface is an audio/video interface that can be used to interconnect various multimedia devices. One of the common use for HDMI is when a CPU is connected to a monitor and a projector. Aside from that, it can also be used in connecting Blu-ray players and laptops to televisions as well as monitors.
One of the main advantages of using HDMI is that it can transmit both audio and video at high qualities such as 4K using only a single connection. However, you may also experience some issues in using it every now and then and one of them is when you find that after connecting the devices using the HDMI port, the screen appears to be black and there is no audio output. In such cases, there are a variety of hardware malfunctions that could be causing the problem with the HDMI connectivity. Although there a lot of potential causes, there are also potential fixes you can try to fix the problem.
Before you troubleshoot the HDMI Port problem, you might want to perform System Restore first as it might help you in fixing the problem. It could be that you’ve made some changes in some of the settings in your computer that triggered the problem. Thus, you can try run System Restore to undo them, refer to these steps:
First, press the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the Stop error is fixed or not.
If the problem still persists after System Restore, then follow the given options below to further troubleshoot the problem.
Option 1 – Try to physically check the hardware of your computer
The first thing you can do is to check the physical status of the hardware in your computer. You can clean the dust off the hardware components like the Network Card or Graphics Card of the computer. You might want to use a small blower or you could also use a soft cloth and run the components gently. Make sure that you don’t damage any parts with moisture or cause harm to any circuits while you carry out this task.
Option 2 – Run the Video Playback troubleshooter
You might also want to run the Video Playback troubleshooter. To do so, refer to these steps:
First, open the Windows settings app.
Then navigate to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
From there, scroll down until you see the Video Playback section and click on it.
After that, you’ll see the Run the troubleshooter button, click on it to run the Video Playback troubleshooter, and follow the next on-screen instructions.
On other hand, you can also run the Hardware and Device troubleshooter if the Video Playback troubleshooter wasn’t able to fix the problem. You can run it from the same page that you run the Video Playback troubleshooter.
Option 3 – Try to rollback, update, or disable the Graphics card drivers
To fix the problem with the HDMI port, you can either roll back, update or disable them depending on your preference in order to resolve the problem.
First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. From there, look for the Display Adapters and click on them.
After that, right-click on each entry under the Display Adapters. Note that the rollback option is only available if the update was recent. So if it isn’t there, just click on the Update Driver option.
From there, Windows will automatically check for problems and update the Graphics card drivers.
Now restart your computer.
After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.
Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturers like NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it.
Option 4 – Try to reset the Monitor
You could also try resetting the monitor or television using its hardware keys and see if it can resolve the problem. You can just refer to your TV or monitor’s guide for more information on how to reset them.
Option 5 – Try some miscellaneous fixes
Apart from the four given options above, you can also check out some miscellaneous fixes to fix the HDMI connectivity issue and here they are:
You can try to plug out the HDMI cord/cable from both source and destination and then plug it back in after a couple of minutes.
You can also check if the HDMI cable you are using is still in working condition.
You can also try to change the source and the destination of the video and see if either one of them is in a non-workable state.
Try checking if your settings are how they should be as intended in the “Project my screen” option by tapping the Win + P key combination on your keyboard.
From photo editing and compositing to digital painting, animation, and graphic design you can do it all in Photoshop. Bring ideas to life across desktop and iPad. Magically transform images with the power of AI. Learn new skills and share your projects via Livestream.
Started as a photo editing application, photoshop has surpassed the original ideas and designs in the following years growing with each release and including more tools and flexibility not matched in other applications. Photoshop was the first to introduce many new features and set standards for other applications.
How years have passed product grew and innovation was pushed forward, it took some time but eventually, photoshop was able to set itself as the industry-standard application for pixel editing and it holds that position even today. Throughout the world artist all over the globe are using it to create digital art in various fields be that illustrations, film, photography, texturing, etc.
Its vast majority of tools and possibilities as well as its extensibility with plugins, actions, brushes have cemented it in the highest place in any designer or artist toolkit.
Today you can get it as a part of a creative suite for a monthly fee on the official adobe website and even if you do not need other creative suite applications photoshop is worth the fee alone. Simply you have to try it, learn it, and then harvest its power.
If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.
If you suddenly encountered Error Code 0xc1900130 while trying to update your Windows 10 computer, read on for this post will help you fix the problem. This kind of Windows Update error may occur when the network connection between the Windows Update server and the client machine is interrupted and the install can’t continue since the instance hash was not found. In such cases, you will see the following error message in Settings:
“Failed install attempt – 0xc1900130”
Here are the technical details of the error:
“Error Code: 0XC1900130Message: MOSETUP_E_INSTALL_HASH_MISSINGDescription: The install cannot continue because the instance hash was not found.”
If you are currently facing this problem when you tried to install a Feature Update, you might have to check your internet connection and then try to install the Windows Update again. However, if it didn’t work, then you can refer to each one of the given options below to fix the error.
Option 1 – Reset the Windows Update components
If by any chance that the second option didn’t work, resetting the Windows Update components could also help you resolve the problem. How? Refer to the following steps:
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptsvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS, and MSI Installer.
After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
net start wuauserv
net start cryptsvc
net start bits
net start msiserver
Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.
Option 2 – Try configuring the Windows Update-related Services
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “cmd” in the field and tap Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
Next, execute the following commands. Note that you have to type and enter each command one after the other.
SC config wuauserv start= auto
SC config bits start= auto
SC config cryptsvc start= auto
SC config trustedinstaller start= auto
The commands you executed will make sure that the Windows Update-related services are available. Once it’s done, restart your computer and see if the Windows Update error is now fixed.
Option 3 – Try downloading and installing the Windows Updates manually
Windows Upgrade Error Code 0xc1900130 might be due to a Windows Update that has failed. So if it is not a feature update and only a cumulative update, you can download the Windows Update and install it manually. But first, you need to find out which update has failed, and to do so, refer to the following steps:
Go to Settings and from there go to Update and Security > View Update History.
Next, check which particular update has failed. Note that Updates that have failed to install will be displayed under the Status column which has a label of “Failed”.
After that, go to the Microsoft Download Center and look for that update using its KB number and once you find it, download and then install it manually.
Note: You can also use the Microsoft Update Catalog, a service from Microsoft that provides a list of software updates that can be distributed over a corporate network. With the help of this service, it can be easier for you to find Microsoft software updates, drivers as well as fixes.
Option 4 – Try to run the Windows Update troubleshooter
Windows 10 have various troubleshooters that can help you resolve many system issues. So if you’re dealing with Windows Update errors like Error Code 0xc1900130, you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter to resolve it.
To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.
Option 5 – Try to flush the DNS cache
You could also try to flush the DNS cache as it might fix the problem. To do so, follow these steps:
Right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator) so you can pull up an elevated Command Prompt.
After that, execute the following command to flush the DNS cache
ipconfig /flushdns
Next, restart your PC and check if the problem’s fixed.
Note: You might also check your internet connection or reboot your router or plug out and then plug in your Ethernet connection manually to verify the reliability of your internet connection since intermittent connection could also cause Windows Update errors like Error Code 0xc1900130.
Download the nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_mac_universal.tar.gz file to the Desktop.
To install the Autodesk Network License Manager:
Double click on nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_mac_universal.tar.gz to unpack the installer package.
After unpacking nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_mac_universal.pkg, will be /Downloads/adlm/FLEXnet folder.
Double click on nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_mac_universal.pkg to start installation and follow the installation wizard.
The license server will be installed in /usr/local/flexnetserver/ directory.
Change permissions for /usr/local/flexnetserver/ directory to 777
Open Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities/Terminal) and enter the following command:
sudo chmod -R 777 /usr/local/flexnetserver
Note: Administrator password may be asked. While typing no characters are shown, just type out the password and hit return key.
Note: To start the license server only with elevated permissions (using sudo command), change permissions to 755 instead of 777.
Create /usr/local/flexnetserver/licenses directory for network license file location
sudo mkdir /usr/local/flexnetserver/licenses
Find the license server Host Name and Host ID.
Generate the Network License File in the Autodesk Account
Once the license file is generated, make sure it has a .lic extension (e.g. adsk_license.lic) and is in a plain text format and place it in /usr/local/flexnetserver/licenses directory
Note: In this article we will refer to adsk_license.lic as network license file name. Feel free to change the actual name of the license file, but make sure to reflect the new name when using the commands below.
Create a debug.log file in the /usr/local/flexnetserver/ directory using the following command:
touch debug.log
To start the Network License Server use the following command:
To configure the license manager use the following steps:
Download Autodesk Network License Manager v. 11.16.2 for Linux from this link
Download the nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_linux64.tar.gz file to your desktop.
To install the Autodesk Network License Manager run following command as root.
tar –zxvf nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_linux64.tar.gz
rpm -vhi nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_linux64.rpm
The license server will be installed in /opt/flexnetserver/ directory.
Find the license server Host Name and Host ID
To obtain the license server system hostid run the following command
/opt/flexnetserver/lmutil lmhostid
From the command output note the hostid in quotes, if the system has two active NIC cards, select the first MAC address.
lmutil - Copyright (c) 1989-2018 Flexera. All Rights Reserved.
The FlexNet host ID of this machine is "000c297949e0"
To obtain the license server system hostname run the following command
/opt/flexnetserver/lmutil lmhostid hostname
From the command output note the hostname of the license server.
mutil - Copyright (c) 1989-2018 Flexera. All Rights Reserved.
The FlexNet host ID of this machine is "HOSTNAME=Centos7.localdomain"
Generate your Network License File in Autodesk Account
Once the license file is generated, make sure it has .lic extension (e.g. adsk_license.lic) and place it in /opt/flexnetserver/licenses directory. If the directory doesn't exits, create it with this command: sudo mkdir /opt/flexnetserver/licenses
Note: in this article we will refer by adsk_license.lic your network license file name.
/opt/flexnetserver/lmutil lmstat -a -c /opt/flexnetserver/licenses/adsk_license.lic
To stop your license server service
/opt/flexnetserver/lmutil lmdown -q -force
alternatively you can also run ps command to obtain process ids for lmgrd and adskflex and then kill those processes
ps -aw | grep lmgrd
ps -aw | grep adskflex
kill -9 (provide process ids obtained by previous commands individually)
To start the license server automatically after the system reboot
Open /etc/rc.d/rc.local script as root and enter license server start up command in it.
touch /var/lock/subsys/local
/opt/flexnetserver/lmgrd -c /opt/flexnetserver/licenses/adsk_license.lic -l /opt/flexnetserver/server_log.logNote: To ensure that the script will be executed during boot, run following command as root.
chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.local
Make sure that all necessary ports are open:
lmgrd.exe needs ports 27000 to 27009.
adskflex.exe needs port 2080.
Note: Errors may occur if the network license file is corrupt or in the case of a combined network license it has incorrectly combined licenses. To learn more about combining licenses, see Combining License Files for Multiple Autodesk Products. Use the License File Parser to verify that the license contains the appropriate products and FLEXnet feature codes and does not display an error
Verify that TCP ports (2080, 27000-27009) used by Autodesk Network License Manager are not blocked by Firewall.
The FLEXlm® based version uses the following incoming ports:
TCP ports 2080 (for the adskflex vendor daemon)
TCP ports 27000 to 27009 (for the lmgrd master daemon, which uses the first open port in the range)
Note: If these port addresses are restricted by a router or firewall software, users on the remote side of the router will not have access to licenses controlled by the Network License Manager.
Verify that the client computer is configured with the correct license server name or IP.
Windows:
Clear license server information from the system registry.
Type regedit in the Windows Search box and hit Enter key.
As the key is selected, in right panel ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE will be visible.
Right click on the key and delete it.
Specify the license server in ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE system variable
Go to Start > Control Panel > System and Security > System.
Select Advanced system settings.
On the System Properties dialog, click Environment Variables.
Under System Variables, click New.
Enter ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE for the variable name and 2080@SERVER_NAME _OR _IP for the variable value.
Note: the license server information most often is recorded in LICPATH.lic file and can be verified there too. ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE system variable supersedes LICPATH.lic. Thus, setting the system variable is preferable when this error is seen.
If the license server is on a VPN or a remote network set the FLEXLM_TIMEOUT environment variable:
Go to Start > Control Panel > System and Security > System.
Select Advanced system settings.
On the System Properties dialog, click Environment Variables.
Under System Variables, click New.
Enter FLEXLM_TIMEOUT for the variable name and 5000000 for the variable value.
Click OK to save the setting.
Note: if needed the variable value can be increased to 10000000.
Mac/Linux:
Specify the Autodesk Network License server information in $HOME/.flexlmrc file.
Use a text editor to create a flexlmrc.txt file and save it in Plain text format (In TextEdit on Mac: Format - Make Plain Text) on desktop.
The file content should look like this, except with the name or IP address of the license server.
ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE=@SERVER_NAME _OR _IP
If the license server is on the same machine as the Autodesk software, use localhost as the license server name. Thus, the content of flexlmrc file could look like this:
ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE=@localhost
Note: On firewall restricted network or when accessing the license server via VPN, need to include TCP port/s (usually 27000 or 2080) into Autodesk License Server service as follows: ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE=2080@SERVER_NAME _OR _IP
Once flexlmrc file is created move it to user's $HOME folder as follows:
Open a Terminal window
Type open ~ (Mac) or nautilus ~ (Linux) to open $HOME folder
Drag and drop flexlmrc.txt file from Desktop to the home folder.
To make the file a configuration file, rename it to .flexlmrc (please note . [DOT] in front of the file name) by running the following command:
mv flexlmrc.txt .flexlmrc (Mac)
mv flexlmrc .flexlmrc (Linux)
Verify that the license server information registered with the product is correct (versions 2020 and later only)
In versions 2020 and later, the license server information is registered with the AdskLicensing service running locally on the workstation. When changing to a new license server, the old server information may still be registered with AdskLicensing and result in the error above, if this is not appropriately updated.
See the below steps to solve this:
Click the Start menu and type cmd.
Right-click on the Command prompt and choose "Run As Administrator."
In the Command prompt, run the following command, followed by ENTER:
Booting the Windows computer system includes loading it from the various boot devices such as drivers, network as well as USB drives when the computer is turned on. The instant the startup sequence is done loading the operating system the system hardware will be ready to perform some complex operations – in this process, the Boot Log in Windows 10 is a record that maintains the list of success or failure of many pieces of Windows 10 system during the booting process. In other words, the Boot Log is the one that keeps a record of all that has happened while loading from the computer storage system to the memory during the boot process. It is available for several devices like network, hardware devices, and the operating system which assist in detecting issues during the boot process and other issues with regards to troubleshooting. Through Boot Log, you’ll know which drivers were unloaded and loaded from the start of the system during the boot process. You have the option to either disable or enable this feature on your Windows 10 PC.
Named as “ntbtlog.txt”, the log file lists all the successfully loaded processes and the unsuccessful ones during the boot process. It is saved to the drive C:Windowsntbtlog.txt. As mentioned, you can enable or disable this feature in two ways – the first one is by using the System Configuration or MSConfig while the second one is using the Command Prompt. In this post, we’ll show you how you can enable or disable Boot Log in Windows 10 either way.
Option 1 – Enable or Disable Boot Log using System Configuration
Enable Boot Log:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type in “msconfig” and click OK to open System Configuration.
After that, go to the boot tab and check the checkbox labeled “Boot Log” under the Boot options so that you can enable the Boot Log feature.
Then click on OK to save the changes made.
Next, click on the Restart button in the prompt window to get started with the Boot Log process.
After restarting your PC, go to C:Windowsntbtlog.txt to open the boot log.
Note: As pointed out earlier, the log file contains a list of all the successfully loaded drivers and also the list of drivers that failed to load during the boot process and every time you restart the system, the boot log file will keep on updating and will eventually increase the list of entries. For you to locate the drivers and make your troubleshooting a lot easier, I advised disabling the boot log after troubleshooting. To disable the boot log using System Configuration, refer to the steps below.
Disable Boot Log:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type in “msconfig” and click OK to open System Configuration.
After that, go to the boot tab and unmark or uncheck the checkbox labeled “Boot Log” under the Boot options so that you can disable the Boot Log feature.
Then click on OK to save the changes made.
Option 2 – Enable or Disable Boot Log using Command Prompt
Enable Boot Log:
Go to the Start Menu and then type in “command prompt” in the search bar.
After that, right-click on the Command Prompt option and select the “Run as administrator” option.
After opening Command Prompt, type in “bcdedit” and tap Enter.
Note: You have to find the Identifier of the current operating system first to enable the Boot log. You can find it under the Windows Boot Loader section in the “Description” field and in this case, it’s Windows 10. You can also find the operating system identifier under the Windows Boot Loader section next to the field name identifier.
To check if the boot log entry is disabled or enabled, go check the “Bootlog” field under the Windows Boot Loader. And if it turns out that the “bootlog” entry is enabled, the entry will be “Yes”. Otherwise, the entry will be “No”.
Next, type in the following command with the operating system identifier to enable the boot log.
bcdedit /set {identifier} bootlog Yes
Note: In the command given above, make sure that you replace the given system identifier with your computer’s system identifier. For instance:
In this example, the identifier was replaced with the actual operating system identifier as current.
bcdedit /set {current} bootlog Yes
Afterward, restart the system to start the Boot log process.
After the restart, go to C:Windowsntbtlog.txt to open the boot log.
Note: Every time you restart your computer, the boot log file will keep on updating which will increase the size of the log eventually. So if you want seamless and easier troubleshooting, it is advised to disable the Boot log after you troubleshoot. To disable it using the Command Prompt, here’s what you have to do.
Disable Boot Log:
Go to the Start Menu and then type in “command prompt” in the search bar.
After that, right-click on the Command Prompt option and select the “Run as administrator” option.
Once the Command Prompt is opened, type in the following command and then tap Enter to disable the boot log feature.
bcdedit/ set {identifier} bootlog No
Note: In the command given above, you need to replace the given system identifier with your computer’s system identifier. For instance:
In this example, the {identifier} was replaced with the actual operating system identifier as {current}.
Windows comes with a built-in backup solution. However, if it failed because of an internal error, you will encounter an error message saying, “The backup application could not start due to an internal error, Server execution failed (0x80080005)”. When you get this kind of error, it means that it did not start and the process failed with a Server execution error. If you got this kind of error worries not for this post will guide you in fixing the problem in your Windows 10 computer.
The Windows Backup service is an excellent feature in Windows that only works on the NTFS file system and if you want to use this make sure that you have formatted your files system to NTFS. It is performed by the Volume Shadow Copy, all you have to do is right-click on any folder and if you see the “Previous versions” option, this means that a backup process runs from time to time and can bring back old files when needed.
To resolve the “The backup application could not start due to an internal error”, here are two suggestions you can check out.
Option 1 – Check if the Volume Shadow Copy service is running and restart it
The first thing you need to do is check if the Volume Shadow Copy service. To do that, refer to the following steps:
Click on Start and type “cmd” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
Then select the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After that, type “net stop sdrsvc” and hit Enter to execute the command in stopping the Volume Shadow Copy service.
Next, type the “net start sdrsvc” command and hit Enter to start the service again.
Note: You can also restart the service using the Windows Services Manager.
In the Cortana search box, type “services” and click on the Services icon to open the Services Manager. Alternatively, you can also tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run prompt and then type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
From there, look for the Volume Shadow Service (sdrsv) from the list of services. Its Startup type should be set to Manual by default.
Restart the service and if you don’t encounter any error while you turn it on, re-run the backup service and see if the backup process runs successfully.
Option 2 – Try to run the Volume Shadow Copy Service in a Clean Boot State
If the first option didn’t work and the service still keeps on failing even though the service is running, you can try putting your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try to run Windows Backup again.
Log onto your PC as an administrator.
Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
Click Disable all.
Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
Now try to run the Volume Shadow Copy service again and see if the process goes smoothly.
Note: You might also want to delete all the files in the backup solution if you want to start fresh with the backup solution. Just go to C:/System/Volume/Information/Windows Backup and take ownership of the folder. After that, make sure to stop the Volume Shadow Copy service and then delete all the files inside it.
OpenCandy is an application that downloads and installs software, including other Internet Browsers to a computer system. Used as a bundle, this application installs additional programs that you may knowingly or unknowingly agree to install. Since most users don’t accept the challenge of reading the EULA in its entirety, they tend to download bundled applications unknowingly.
Assessment of OpenCandy PUP
During the initial assessment of OpenCandy, I was a little skeptical about what to look out for or expect. In fact, I had to install the OpenCandy.exe file twice to discern its behavior. I’m not sure how this application got its name but I do believe it has something to do with the fact that it supposedly helps Internet users open a new world of Internet browsing. That conclusion was arrived at after realizing that OpenCandy.exe installed mostly Internet browsers along with a tune-up tool on the test computer. However, as a result of the system requirements, there was a pop-up message indicating that Internet Explorer 8 was not compatible with the computer system in question.
In comparison to the malware I’ve encountered since I started researching malware, OpenCandy is everything but malicious. In fact, this application is only categorized as malware because of its’ subtle covert nature of installing bundled programs unsolicited by the user.
Additionally, OpenCandy coerces users into changing their Internet Browsers by installing those unrequested by the user. In fact, it’s no shock that OpenCandy chose to install the Internet Browser ‘Opera’ as a part of this bundle since it’s one of the least used browsers according to the Federal Government. Clearly, this was a smoothly disguised advertisement or promotion to force users into using the Opera Browser, along with Internet Explorer 8.0.
While these aforementioned browsers in themselves aren’t malicious and are in no way considered malware, they were installed as a promotional tool and without the request of the user. Despite being mentioned within the EULA, advertisers are capitalizing on this since most users do not bother to read the agreements when installing a program.
Furthermore, OpenCandy, like most other bundled applications I’ve dealt with, threw in a tune-up tool as a part of the promotion. I found this tune-up application annoying since I had to hassle my way into getting it to close from the computer screen. I can only imagine the hassle users would go through trying to remove this software.
Image 7: Depiction of a scan performed by Tuneup Utilities. The scan detected that several areas on the test PC could be optimized/tuned up.
Image 8: After a scan was completed using the Tuneup utility program, I was given an option to buy the full version. Nothing is wrong with this marketing strategy. In fact, most utility tools if not all will scan your computer to detect threats or loopholes, but they won't exactly allow you to fix those problems unless you buy the full version. It's not unfair, it's just business.
Programs installed during the installation of OpenCandy include:
Web Companion: Developed by Lavasoft, Web Companion is said to be an application that serves as a security defense for your Internet browsers by preventing unauthorized changes (see image below)
Tuneup Utilities: Tuneup Utilities does exactly as it says. It cleans up a computer system, whereby preventing unused programs from slowing it down.
Opera Stable 30.01.1835.88: Opera is a fast, simple, and effective Internet browser that allows users to get around on the web.
All in all, the intent of installing an application such as OpenCandy is to unleash a world of promotion or advertisements on your computer. They are pretty annoying and in some cases difficult to remove. Furthermore, as a user, you want to control what gets installed on your computer without being dictated to or coerced in some EULA that you probably overlook.
To completely remove OpenCandy PUP from your computer, click here to download and install Spyhunter.
If your Windows 10 computer or laptop keeps on going to sleep randomly even when you’re using it, read on as this post will walk you through the process of resolving the problem.
There are a number of users who reported about how their Windows 10 computers would automatically go into Sleep Mode. One particular user claimed that when he installed a fresh Windows 10 version he began experiencing the same problem.
It turns out that the screen goes to sleep but what’s odd is that the power lights and the keyboard are still working. The computer is also warm to touch which shouldn’t be the case when it is in sleep mode. And when some users tried checking the event log, it showed them that the computer didn’t actually go into sleep mode but it shut down instead. To fix this issue, here are some possible fixes that could hopefully work.
Option 1 – Edit the Power Plan settings using Control Panel
Click the Cortana button and type “control panel” in the field and select the appropriate result to open Control Panel.
After opening Control Panel, click on the Power Options.
From there, select the “Edit Plan Settings” option and make sure that the option to “Put the computer to sleep” is set to Never.
Option 2 – Edit the Power Options using Settings
Tap the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
After that, select Settings and go to the Power & sleep section.
Next, set the system to “Never” when the device is running on battery power or plugged in.
Now restart your computer to make sure that everything is working properly.
Option 3 – Try running the Power Troubleshooter
Another option that could help resolve the problem is the Power Troubleshooter. This built-in troubleshooter in Windows can help you get things up and running again.
Option 4 – Troubleshoot Sleep Mode issue in a Clean Boot State
The issue with Sleep Mode might be caused by some third-party programs installed on your computer. This program might be the one that puts your computer to sleep and so to isolate this possibility, you have to put your PC in a Clean Boot State using the steps below.
Log onto your PC as an administrator.
Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
Click Disable all.
Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
After that, try to install the Windows Updates or upgrade again.
Option 5 – Try checking the Sleep Advanced Settings
Click on the Windows key and type “control panel” in the field and select the related search result.
Next, select the Security and Maintenance option and click on the Power Options.
After that, you have to select the Change Plan Settings but keep in mind that this option is barely readable so you need to read each option carefully.
Now click on the Change advanced power settings button and a new window will appear.
Then look for the “Sleep” option and expand it to select the Allow hybrid sleep” option. Turn this option off and close all the opened windows.
Reboot your computer and check if your computer now functions properly. If it still didn’t work, you may have to reverse the changes you’ve made.
Option 6 – Try installing v9 or 10 of the MEI or Intel Management Engine Interface
Note that this option only applies to users who are using an HP laptop. And if your motherboard does not support Hybrid Sleep, you might have to downgrade the Intel MEI to version 9 or 10. To install v9 or v10, you need to go to the HP Drivers & Downloads page and look for the MEI driver version 9 from the website’s Driver Chipset section. Once you’ve downloaded the driver, install it and if a dialog box warning pops up, simply ignore it and proceed.
Option 7 – Update the device drivers
Reboot your computer into Safe Mode with networking support.
Tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
After that, type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
After opening the Device Manager, update all the outdated Device drivers on your computer.
Next, right-click on all the driver entries that are appropriately labeled, and then click the Update driver option.
Now restart your PC and check if your computer is now back to normal.
Hello and welcome to our software series review. Weel this time we could say this is more of a service review since the application we are going through today is online and you can use it freely without ever needing to install it.
When we choose software that we are going to review and recommend we really try to recommend something that is worth your time and money, Cartoonize fits in both categories in my opinion.
First of all basic plan of this graphic software is completely free and as mentioned it is working online, also as one more feature basic plan does not even require you to have an account of any kind, all you need to do is go to the website of the application and you can start using it right away. There is also paid plan for extra features if you need them billed monthly or annually.
Features
First things first, this is not Photoshop or GIMP and it does not aim nor want to be. This is something else, directed and pointed at the different types of users. This application is aimed at people that want to make some quick graphics and post them on social media and it does that very well. Even without knowledge to use graphic software this one is so well designed and straightforward that even a complete newcomer can do something right away.
So as the application that wants to be used by people that want to place some cool pictures or ads on their social media what it offers. For starters simplicity and ease of use, every option that you can use is on the left side of the screen nicely packed into the vertical toolbox. Inside the toolbox, you have access to various tools, effects, and filters that you can apply to your image.
Tools explained
Image manager
The first section on the tool panel is the image manager, here you can upload your images, delete them, search stock images, and so forth. nothing more to say about this one as it is only a basic file manager.
Edit
In this tool panel, there are a lot of basic settings for your image manipulations divided into 3 sections: Basics, Enhance, and Creative. In the basic section, you can crop, resize and rotate your image. Enhance panel will let you set exposure, color, vibrance, tint, and details (sharpen). Finally, the Creative part will let you remove the background with AI in a single click, replace colors in the image, and add a vignette and round image.
Effects
In the effects panel, you will be given 4 options to choose from Cartoonizer, Digital art, Sketcher, and painting. Each option once clicked will open another set of options tied to chosen preset where you will be able to choose a different style from chosen template. Once you click on the desired template it will be applied to your image and in the upright corner, you will have edit options to tweak it to your liking. You can play around as much as you want because only once you click on the apply button, the effect will be applied to your image.
Filters
Same as in the effects tool panel here you will also get a series of different filters that you can apply to your image. As in the previous tool once clicked on the chosen filter, you will be given options for its variations and details edits. How there is really plenty of filters options and combined with its own presets I will not focus on explaining what each one is doing since picture thumbnails are pretty accurate and just one look at them will explain to you everything you need to know.
Overlays
In the overlays panel, you can as the name says overlay different kinds of effects on your image. You can add snow, fog, sun flares rain, and many more. Presets work identically to previous effects and filters.
Masks
If you want to place your image in a certain shape or in-text this is the section for you. You will be presented with sections as custom text, shapes, brushes, floral, animals, and patterns. Each section will once again lead to plenty of variations on the chosen subject where you can pick one that you like the most and tweak its options.
Text
As the name suggests, this section is to add text to your picture or design. If you are making some cool ad for Facebook, Instagram, or other social media I believe that you will spend most of your time in this section adding text and tweaking it so it looks best. You have all the tools that you will need to make a catchy title or smaller block of text and you can add multiple texts to your picture tweaking their own visual appearance, the font used, color, and some effects like a drop shadow.
Draw
In the draw section, you will be able to freely draw whatever you like with your mouse or pen if you have one. you have basic options for a brush and eraser so you can erase stuff. Pretty basic tool but it gives a nice touch to underline something, circle it, etc.
Graphics
This panel will let you place various already made graphic assets into a picture. You have hearts, hats, glasses, etc. There really are tons of premade graphics along with thematic ones like new year, st. Patric day and more.
Frames
As the name suggests this section will place a frame of your choice around your picture. You can choose the style of frame, position, color, and many more. There are various styles and each style has its own options.
Conclusion
Cartoonize is a great online application that will let you quickly and easily do cool and nice image edits. As mentioned you can also add various effects, text, and graphics and use this app to make some quick and nice ads for social media. You have the option to publish to your social media right from the app in the save dialog but you can also of course download your image or design to your local computer.
Please note that for this review we used the pro, paid version so all of the features were unlocked. We wanted to give you a full overview of the full potential of the app. In my opinion, the small monthly fee that they charge is well worth it when you see all things that you can do with it.
Go to the cartoonize website and check it out, basic option is completely free and it does not even require making an account. Have fun, be creative and take care, I hope to see you again tomorrow.
DuckGoGo a popular private search engine is releasing its first browser soon that is focused on privacy like its search engine.
From the recent blog, Gabriel Weinberg, CEO of DuckDuckGo, has stated:
“Like we’ve done on mobile, DuckDuckGo for desktop will redefine user expectations of everyday online privacy,”
From everything that we have learned so far, the browser will be focused on making privacy super easy and simple, eliminating tons of different settings about privacy, and making the whole environment robust privacy protection all set by default. Settings will be applied in all fields, across search, browsing, email, and more. Gabriel also said that aim of the browser is not just a privacy browser, it is meant to be built and used as your everyday browser, for everyday use that protects your privacy as a bonus.
One interesting thing that was stated is that browser itself is built upon OS-provided rendering engines instead of typical Chromium. DuckDuckGo says this approach will strip away a lot of the unnecessary cruft and clutter that's accumulated over the years in major browsers. Also, the company stated that when compared to Chrome, the DuckDuckGo app desktop is cleaner, way more private and that early tests have found out that it is significantly faster as well.
Is this just corporate advertising or reality? We will see once the browser is released, or once it is released for public testing. Until then take care and happy holidays.