Windows 11 has been rolling out for a while now so many PC users ask the question is it wise and good to upgrade your Operating System to the latest Microsoft incarnation.
No
Thank you for reading, cya tomorrow in next article.
Jokes aside, I truly believe that choosing to upgrade your System to Windows 11 at this point in time is a bad decision and I will explain why I do believe it.
Reasons to upgrade to the new OS
First of all, let me say what is good in Windows 11 and provide reasons why you should upgrade your computer.
The new fancy look made for modern computers.
New Windows new look, Microsoft has tried their best to bring a new modern look to its flagship operating system and I must say that they have managed it. I could argue that it is a little bit late since Apple had this kind of look in years but hey, better late than never I guess.
Increased security
This point is very valid but it will play a role only if you have all system requirements including TPM 2.0. If that is the case new security features of OS are really well done and are perhaps one thing that might nudge some people in installing W11 on their system.
New settings app
The New and redesigned settings app inside Windows 11 is really great and it provides a great workflow and easy management of system settings. This is not some radical change but it will save time and make life much easier.
It is better suited to the newest hardware
Windows 11 was made with the newest hardware in mind and its performances on it are great so if you are punching the latest tech this reason is sufficient to make a switch, however, if you are still on an older system you will not gain much by switching.
Reasons to avoid Windows 11 for now
Almost just a visual update to Windows 10
Some features of Windows 11 are great but they are not plenty of them to justify a new number and new version of OS. Considering what we really got new under the hood Windows 11 could have been just a patch and update to Windows 10 since the architecture is the same.
Bugs
Each day there are new bugs reporting for Windows 11, most of them are at the moment unsolvable and are caused because hardware manufacturers' drivers and software overall is not W11 ready. This hinders the stability of some systems and introduces headaches to others.
Runs poorly on unsupported hardware
Strange behavior has been reported on some older systems, granted systems are not officially supported but the point is OS is simply not working at the top of its game on older hardware.
No updates on non supported systems
Officially stated if you install Windows 11 on non-supported hardware you will not get any security updated on in. This is a deal-breaker as far as I am concerned.
It is still under development
When Windows 11 was released, Android native apps were not working on it, it later came with an update, this is just one example but there are more features that were promised but are not delivered on release and constant updates are fixing these things. It is obvious that Windows 11 is still under active development and not the final product that was promised.
Microsoft’s edge pushing
And not just edge, some other things as well but most notably is edge pushing to borders they are risking lawsuit similar as they did in the past pushing and disabling any other browser except internet explorer.
Conclusion
Firstly I want to point that this is my personal opinion but going through facts and taking into account the current state of Windows 11, at this point, it is not worth making a switch. I am sure that in time it will become a system that will be worth upgrading to but until that time comes, my advice would be to stay with Windows 10.
You might be trying to play music files using the Windows Media Player, but were unable to do so since you encountered an error saying, “Windows Media Player Error – Server Execution Failed” error. If you encountered this error, worry not for this post will guide you on how to fix it using some potential fixes.
In the error message, the “Server execution failed” indicates that the “wmplayer.exe” is still running or shutting down at that point and it is possible that it is stuck which is not able to close properly. To fix this error, there are several potential fixes you can try. The first one is to run the Video Playback troubleshooter. While you could also try to disable the WMP Network Sharing Service or register both the jscript.dll and vbscript.dll files. For more information, refer to the options provided below.
Option 1 – Try to run the Video Playback troubleshooter
The first thing you can do to fix the problem, you can try to run the Video Playback troubleshooter instead. To run it, simply go to Settings > Update & security > Troubleshoot. From there, scroll down until you see the Video Playback option and then click on the “Run the troubleshooter” button to get started. This troubleshooter will detect and automatically fix any problems related to video playback so it should help fix the error.
Option 2 – Try to disable the WMP Network Sharing Service
If the Video Playback troubleshooter didn’t work in fixing the problem, the next thing you need to do is disable the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service. The WMP Network Sharing Service is used to share the libraries of the Windows Media Player to other users on the network as well as media devices using the Universal Plug and Play. And since you are not using any network here, then you can disable this service to fix the problem. How? Refer to the given steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “services.msc” in the field and tap Enter to open the Services Manager.
Next, look for the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service from the list of Services and right-click on it.
After that, click on the Stop option and see if it fixes the Windows Media Player error.
Option 3 – Try to register the jscript.dll and vbscript.dll files
Tap the Win + X keys and from the menu select the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option to open an elevated Command Prompt.
Next, type this command to register the jscript.dll file and click on the confirmation box: regsvr32 jscript.dll
After that, execute the regsvr32 vbscript.dll command to register the vbscript.dll file.
Once you’re done, these DLL files will be re-registered and should fix the Windows Media Player error.
Marine Aquarium Lite is a Browser Extension for Google Chrome. This extension changed your default search ending and home page to MyWebSearch.com. It is published by Mindspark Interactive and is considered a browser hijacking extension.
While installed, users will see additional ads and sponsored links in their search results. This extension also collects user website data, which allows it to better target ads. Several anti-virus scanners have marked Marine Aquarium Lite as a Browser Hijacker and are marked for removal.
From the Author:MyWebSearch is an incredibly popular toolbar (over 20 million active users each month!), that gives you access to the web’s leading search engine Google;includes some of the most popular products on the web for making communication easier, more expressive, and more entertaining.The MyWebSearch toolbar platform allows you to take advantage of more than a dozen interactive features and websites.
About Browser Hijackers
Browser hijacking is a very common type of online fraud where your web browser configuration settings are altered to make it carry out things you never intend. They’re created to interfere with web browser functions for a variety of reasons. Typically, hijackers will force hits to websites of their choice either to increase traffic generating higher ad earnings, or to obtain a commission for each and every user visiting there. Even though it may seem naive, all browser hijackers are damaging and thus always classified as security risks. Once the malware attacks your PC, it begins to mess things up a whole that slows your system down to a crawl. In the worse case, you will be pushed to deal with serious malware threats too.
Major signs that your browser has been hijacked
There are many signs of browser hijacking: home-page is changed; you observe new unwanted bookmarks or favorites added, typically directed to ad-filled or porn websites; The default search page of web browser is altered; you find multiple toolbars in your browser; you’ll notice random pop-ups start showing on a regular basis; your web browser starts running slowly or displays frequent glitches; you have prohibited entry to specific web pages, for example, the site of an anti-malware software developer like SafeBytes.
How they get into your computer or laptop
Browser hijackers infect PCs by numerous means, including through a file-share, a drive-by download, or an infected e-mail. They also come from add-on software, also referred to as browser helper objects (BHO), web browser plug-ins, or toolbars. Also, some shareware and freeware can put the hijacker inside your PC through “bundling”. An example of some notorious browser hijacker includes Conduit, Anyprotect, Babylon, DefaultTab, SweetPage, RocketTab, and Delta Search, but the names are constantly changing.
Browser hijacking could lead to serious privacy issues and also identity theft, affect your web browsing experience by taking control over outbound traffic, drastically slows down your PC by deleting lots of resources, and result in system instability as well.
How you can fix a browser hijack
Some hijackers can be simply removed by uninstalling the free software they were included with or by eliminating any extension you have recently added to your computer system. But, the majority of hijacking codes are certainly not easy to get rid of manually, as they go deeper into the operating system. And there is no denying the very fact that manual fixes and removal could be a difficult job for an amateur computer user. Besides, there are several risks connected with fiddling around with the system registry files.
You can choose automatic browser hijacker removal by simply installing and running efficient anti-malware software. SafeBytes Anti-Malware discovers all types of hijackers – including Marine Aquarium Lite – and eliminates every trace quickly and efficiently. Utilize a system optimizer (such as Total System Care) together with your anti-malware software to fix various computer registry issues, eliminate computer vulnerabilities, and enhance your computer performance.
Can't Install Safebytes Anti-malware because of Malware? Try This!
Malware may cause several different types of damage to computer systems, networks, and data. Some malware sits in between your PC and the net connection and blocks a few or all websites that you want to visit. It will also prevent you from installing anything on your PC, particularly antivirus applications. If you are reading this right now, you have probably realized that virus infection is the reason behind your blocked net traffic. So what to do when you want to install an anti-malware program such as Safebytes? Even though this sort of issue will be tougher to circumvent, there are some actions you can take.
Boot your system in Safe Mode
In Safe Mode, you could adjust Windows settings, uninstall or install some programs, and eradicate hard-to-delete viruses and malware. In the event the malware is blocking access to the internet and affecting your PC, running it in Safe Mode allows you to download anti-virus and run a diagnostic scan whilst limiting potential damage. To enter into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press the F8 key while the system is booting up or run MSConfig and find the “Safe Boot” options in the “Boot” tab. As soon as you restart the PC into Safe Mode with Networking, you may download, install, as well as update the anti-malware program from there. At this point, you could run the anti-virus scan to get rid of viruses and malware without interference from another application.
Switch over to some other internet browser
Some malware mainly targets certain web browsers. If this is your situation, use another browser as it may circumvent the computer virus. When you suspect that your Internet Explorer happens to be hijacked by a virus or otherwise compromised by cybercriminals, the best thing to do would be to switch to a different web browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari to download your chosen security software – Safebytes Anti-Malware.
Make a bootable USB anti-virus drive
To successfully get rid of the malware, you will need to approach the issue of running an antivirus software program on the infected computer system from a different angle. Do these simple measures to clean up your affected computer by using a portable antivirus.
1) Use another virus-free computer system to download Safebytes Anti-Malware.2) Plug the pen drive into the clean PC.3) Double-click on the downloaded file to run the installation wizard.4) Select the drive letter of the pen drive as the place when the wizard asks you where you want to install the anti-virus. Follow the instructions on the computer screen to finish up the installation process.5) Now, plug the thumb drive into the infected computer.6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the pen drive by double-clicking the icon.7) Click on the “Scan” button to run a full computer scan and remove viruses automatically.
SafeBytes Security Suite Benefits"]If you are looking to install an anti-malware program for your computer, there are various tools out there to consider but you just cannot trust blindly anyone, no matter whether it is a free or paid program. Some are good ones, some are decent, and some are simply just fake anti-malware programs that will harm your personal computer themselves! You must be careful not to choose the wrong product, particularly if you purchase premium software. One of the highly recommended software by industry analysts is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, a well-known security application for Microsoft Windows.
SafeBytes anti-malware is a powerful, highly effective protection software intended to assist users of all levels of IT literacy in detecting and removing harmful threats from their PC. Through its cutting-edge technology, this software protects your personal computer against infections brought on by different kinds of malware and similar internet threats, including adware, spyware, trojans horses, worms, computer viruses, keyloggers, potentially unwanted program (PUPs), and ransomware.
SafeBytes anti-malware provides an array of advanced features that sets it aside from all others. Here are a few popular features present in this computer software:
Robust Anti-malware Protection: This deep-cleaning antimalware software program goes much deeper than most antivirus tools to clean your personal computer. Its critically acclaimed virus engine locates and disables hard to remove malware that conceals deep within your PC.
Real-time Active Protection: SafeBytes offers an entirely hands-free active protection and is set to check, block, and get rid of all threats at its first encounter. This tool will constantly monitor your computer for any suspicious activity and updates itself regularly to keep abreast of the latest threats.
Web protection: SafeBytes gives an instant safety rating on the web pages you’re going to visit, automatically blocking risky sites and making sure that you are certain of your safety while browsing the web.
Lightweight Application: The program is lightweight and will work silently in the background, and will not have an effect on your computer efficiency.
Fantastic Tech Support: For any technical questions or product guidance, you can get 24/7 professional assistance through chat and e-mail.
SafeBytes has developed a fantastic anti-malware solution to help you conquer the latest malware threats and virus attacks. You can rest assured that your computer will be protected in real-time as soon as you put this software program to use. If you want sophisticated forms of protection features and threat detections, purchasing SafeBytes Anti-Malware could be worth the money!
Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)
If you’d like to manually remove Marine Aquarium Lite without the use of an automated tool, it might be possible to do so by removing the application from the Microsoft Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser plug-ins, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. You’ll likely also want to reset your browser to its default configuration settings.
To be certain of complete removal, find the following Windows registry entries on your system and delete them or reset the values accordingly. Please be aware that this is for skilled users only and could be challenging, with wrong file removal resulting in additional PC errors. In addition, some malicious programs have the capability to defend against its deletion. Doing this in Safe Mode is suggested.
Recently, a number of users reported that their Google Chrome browser does not remember any accounts, login sessions, as well as passwords. So if you are one of the users who experience the same problem, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on what you can do your Chrome browser does not save passwords, remember accounts and login sessions in Windows 10.
This issue in Chrome could be caused by a lot of factors. It is possible that there is a setting in Chrome that prevents the browser from saving any data. It is also possible that the Google Chrome profile or the Cache folder for Chrome has become corrupted. Moreover, a third-party antivirus program could also be blocking the browser’s functionality in saving data. Whatever the cause is here are some suggestions you could follow that will help you fix the problem but before you do that, you can try to update your Chrome browser to its latest version first. If it didn’t work, then proceed to the given options below.
Option 1 – Try to clear browser cache
Open your Google Chrome browser.
After that, tap the Ctrl + H keys. Doing so will open a new panel that allows you to delete the browsing history and other data in your browser.
Now select every checkbox that you see and click on the Clear data button.
Then restart your Chrome browser and check if you can now complete the download again.
Option 2 – Try to delete the cache files for Google Chrome
The next thing you can do is to delete Chrome’s cache files or its store information which helps it in loading cached webpages faster when you pull them up. However, if it turns out that the cache files are corrupted, then it’s no wonder why Chrome is unable to save passwords. To fix this, you can try to delete the cache files for Google Chrome webpages and you can do it by following these steps:
First, open Google Chrome.
Next, open this address in Chrome – chrome://settings/clearBrowserData
After that, go to the Advanced tab and select all time as well as the first four options.
Now click on the Clear data option and then restart the Chrome browser once the cache has been cleared.
Option 3 – Try allowing Google Chrome to keep local data
If the option to keep local data is disabled in Google Chrome’s settings, it won’t be able to store local data in the browser. Thus, you need to enable it by following these steps:
Open Chrome and enter this address – chrome://settings/clearBrowserData
After that, drag the toggle button off for the “Keep local data only until you quit your browser” option.
Once done, restart Google Chrome and check it fixed the problem or not.
Option 4 – Try to enable the setting that offers to save password
As you know, a lot of websites offers users a choice to save a password and you can also do the same with the Chrome browser. You just have to enable this particular setting by going to the address, chrome://settings/passwords. From there, drag the toggle button for the setting Offer to save passwords, off.
Option 5 – Try to create a new profile for Chrome
If your user profile in Google Chrome ends up getting corrupted, it is most likely the reason why Chrome is unable to save passwords. Thus, you need to create a new user profile. How? Follow the steps below.
First, click on the account icon located at the top-right corner of the profile.
Next, go to the Manage People section and select Add Person > Add.
After that, enter the details to add the new account and then restart Chrome.
Option 6 – Reset Chrome
Resetting Chrome can also help you fix the problem. This means that you will be restoring its default settings, disabling all the extensions, add-ons and themes. Aside from that, the content settings will be reset as well and the cookies, cache, and site data will also be deleted. To reset Chrome, here’s what you have to do:
Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
After that, click on Settings.
Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
Now restart Google Chrome.
Option 7 – Try to clean reinstall Chrome
There are instances when programs leave files behind after you’ve uninstalled them and the same thing can happen to Chrome so before you reinstall Chrome, you have to make sure that you have deleted the User Data folder. To do so, refer to the following steps:
Hit the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser Data” in the field and hit Enter to open the User Data folder.
From there, rename the default folder and name it something else, e.g. “Default.old”.
After that, install Google Chrome again and check if the issue is now fixed.
Microsoft wants to escalate the situation from Australia to the EU, what a surprise.
Hello all and welcome to another news article, this time we are focusing on Microsoft pushing the EU to accept law proposition from Australia.
For all of you who are not familiar with the given situation let me quickly explain. The feud began when the Australian government proposed a new law that targeted Facebook and Google specifically. The government said that it believed that both of the tech giants were using content from news outlets without paying.
Have you ever seen the little news snippets that Google or Facebook sometimes show its users to keep them up to date? These are lifted directly from news websites, and the Australian government claimed that this practice meant that people didn't bother visiting the news website. This then staved news websites of revenue.
As such, the government put forward a new law that would mean Google and Facebook would have to pay the source website for every time they displayed a news snippet. Facebook responded by removing its Australian news coverage in light of the law.
Google, however, put up a fight. It argued that its snippets encouraged people to click on it to read more, thus driving more traffic to the news website. It also said that such a law would be too expensive to maintain in the long run.
As such, Google threatened to remove itself from Australia if the law passed. This was likely a scare tactic, as 95 percent of Australian web users use Google; however, it actually opened the door for its rival, Microsoft.
Microsoft saw how it could push its own search engine BING to replace google. It of course went and reached the Australian government to assure them that BING is more than capable to fulfill its needs and fully abide by the proposed law.
Now Microsoft knows that if this law passes it could see a similar situation happening in Europe and it is pushing it. US News reported on how Microsoft plans to encourage EU countries to adopt this new law too. The company has teamed up with the European Publishers Council and News Media Europe to make the following statement:
Publishers might not have the economic strength to negotiate fair and balanced agreements with these gatekeeper tech companies, who might otherwise threaten to walk away from negotiations or exit markets entirely
There has been recently discovered in the field of malware targeting Android devices. Affecting more than 10 million users of Android phones, the malware GriftHorse is doing its attacks via phishing and premium services scams. A lot of applications have been discovered that are hosts for this malware and many of them are inside the Google store and available for download.
According to Zimperium zLabs, this malware that was recently detected has been doing its scams and attacks even in November of 2020 and has thus far accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in its scam.
On the surface it looks very harmless, asking for typical permissions like internet access, calls, and other related needed functions, and then it waits. After few months the real attack happens when users get charged with premium service they never subscribed to in the first place.
List of Infected Applications that Carry GriftHorse Trojan
Zimperium zLabs listed out some of the apps with this malware. Users are advised to avoid installing them.
Amazing Video Editor
Bag X-Ray 100% Scanner
Bus – Metrolis 2021
Call Recoder Pro
Call Blocker-Spam Call Blocker
Cinema Hall: Free HD Movies
Coupons & Gifts: InstaShop
GPS Phone Tracker – Family Locator
Fingerprint Changer
Fitness Point
Free Calls WorldWide
Geospot: GPS Location Tracker
GPS Phone Tracker – Family Locator
Handy Translator Pro
Horoscope : Fortune
iCare – Find Location
iConnected Tracker
Instant Speech Translation
Lifeel – scan and test
My Chat Translator
My Locator Plus
Plant Camera Identifier
Racers Car Driver
Safe Lock
Screen Mirroring TV Cast
Slime Simulator
Smart Spot Locator
These are only some of the many infected apps available on the internet.
Zimperium zLabs also warned that GriftHorse Trojan exists in over 70 countries worldwide. The infected app quickly changes the language and displays content depending on the user’s IP address.
Anxiety from all these digital threats lurking everywhere? An antivirus program can help put your mind at ease.
What can a virus do to your device?
A virus is malicious software that can affect pretty much any device and does so in a variety of ways. Be it your computer, your phone or your smart lightbulb - as long as there’s access to the internet, malware can get to it.
How exactly does this kind of attack manifest itself? Well, there’s a wide variety of effects ranging from mild to severe. Among other things, they depend on which type of malware attacks your device - a virus, spyware, ransomware, adware or something else.
These are some of the things you can expect to happen:
Slow performance
System crashes
Theft of data and sensitive information
Connectivity issues
Constant browser redirects
Strange messages sent to your contacts
Interference with files
It really can be the stuff of nightmares. So, if you want to sleep peacefully knowing that your devices are completely safe, you should definitely consider getting an antivirus.
P.S. don’t let its name fool you - an antivirus does indeed protect your devices against more than just viruses.
What is antivirus software exactly?
Antivirus software is designed to help you battle and ward off malware. Basically, it scans your device to detect any suspicious activity and offers tools to get rid of the culprit.
At first, antiviruses were developed to fight against viruses only, but nowadays they cover a lot more ground. Here are some of the biggest benefits of getting yourself a powerful defender.
Advantages of antivirus software
1. It fights those pesky ads
Look, constant ads that pop up everywhere aren’t the absolute worst thing that can happen on your computer. If anything, they are annoying, like when you’re trying to sleep but that one fly in your room just won’t stop buzzing.
Now, there’s a free, well-established solution for that - installing an ad blocker. And we’re about a hundred and ten percent sure you’ve already done that on each and every browser you use.
However, “if I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist” isn’t the most ideal approach for your online safety. Ad blockers can’t block everything and they won’t protect you from potential adware. An antivirus on the other hand offers that layer of protection against malware snuck into pop-ups and spammy websites.
2. It protects you from hackers
Hackers don’t target government institutions only. They’ll target regular people too if they have something to gain.
Credit: Clint Patteron (Unsplash)
There are different types of hacking, such as phishing e-mails, transmission of malicious programs, credential reuse, denial of service and more. In any case, they take control of your device and hijack your data.
The good thing is that, as threats evolve, antiviruses evolve too and there are tons of quality programs on the market that can keep you secure for an affordable price.
3. It keeps your files and data safe
When malware enters your device, it can target pretty much any file and get access to any and all data.
Installing an antivirus program will make sure that every single file, new or old, is monitored at all times, warning you against threats immediately. That way, you can make sure to react before your other files become infected and data is lost or stolen.
Another great thing for data protection is that the best antivirus software normally comes with a password manager, so no one can use malware to steal your passwords.
4. It blocks all kinds of malware
As we already stated, malicious attacks can be performed in many ways and malware comes in in different shapes an sizes, such as:
Trojan horse
Spyware
Ransomware
Adware
Rootkit
RAT (remote access Trojan)
Keyloggers
Worms
Botnets
Credit: Growtika (Unsplash)
Nowadays, antivirus software is designed to fight against all of these types. That’s why more often than not we hear the term 'antivirus' used interchangeably with 'anti-malware,' like in this article.
5. It keeps your children protected
You can’t keep your eyes on your kid every second of the day and you can’t protect them from everything. But at least you can limit their exposure to the threats they can encounter at every corner of the digital world.
An antivirus program will block harmful or suspicious websites and ads, which is great both for you and your children. To take it a step further, though, many such programs come with special parental controls and offer monitoring as well. It’s a great solution for keeping your kids safe online without sounding like the irritating, overbearing, controlling parent who “just doesn’t get it!”
How to pick one
There are definitely lots of different antivirus programs out there, both free and paid. We recommend you look for a paid option, since free ones are unfortunately a lot more susceptible to being compromised through malicious attacks.
Now, there are a few factors to consider when choosing the right software. If you use your PC for basic things then a basic antivirus will suffice. However, the more complex your use and the more sensitive the data you deal with, the stronger it needs to be.
It’s also crucial that you take into account the features it includes. As we already mentioned, some programs have additional security options. For example, depending on the package you select, Bitdefender provides:
Some are included in plans and some are separate products, so make sure to check out all the offers.
And don’t worry if you have multiple PCs or you’re looking for protection for your smartphone or tablet as well; Bitdefender has suitable solutions for your needs. Of course, you can also just pick their classic antivirus software if you’re not in need of advanced protection.
Another important point is how regularly the software is updated and enhanced. The more frequent the updates the better, as bugs can make the program more vulnerable. Other things we advise you consider are user-friendliness, impact on performance, reputation (user reviews especially) and, of course, price.
The bottom line
Fact is: anyone can be a malware victim. Don’t let it be you.
You can’t put a price on peace and security, so don’t be reluctant to pay for yours - especially since a lot of options out there are extremely affordable. Is $159.00 a year really too much to pay for cross-platform protection for up to 10 devices? We don’t think so.
Explore your options and protect your files and data before it’s too late.
Recently, a number of users reported seeing plain white icons on their “.docx” files instead of the Word icon. This kind of issue is mostly caused by a conflict with the default program settings in Windows which is why you may not see any Microsoft Word icon on your .docx files. So if you suddenly find that the Microsoft Word icon is either blank or missing and does not show properly on .doc and .docx document files of Office on your Windows 10 computer, then you can check out the potential solutions outlined below.
Before you proceed, you can try to restart your computer as there are instances when a simple system restart can resolve some issues like this one. However, if it does not help, create a System Restore point first. This is to ensure that you can always undo the changes you are about to make in case something goes wrong. Once you have that covered, proceed to the following options.
Option 1 – Try to configure .docx files to open with “winword.exe”
You can try configuring the .docx files to open with the winword.exe in order to fix the problem.
Right-click on a .docx file and select the “Open with…” option.
After that, if a prompt appears with a message saying, “How do you want to open this file”, select the “More apps” option to proceed.
Next, scroll down and check the checkbox that says, “Always use this app to open .docx files” option.
Then click on the “Look for another app on this PC” link and choose the WINWORD.exe application from one of the following paths based on the installed Office version in your computer and click Open:
Word 2016 (64-bit): C:/Program Files/Microsoft Office/root/Office16
Word 2016 (32-bit): C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Office/root/Office16
Now check if you can now see the Word icon on the .doc or .docx files.
Option 2 – Try changing the default Word icon via Registry Editor
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility.
Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Next, navigate to this path located in the left pane: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTWord.Document.12DefaultIcon
From there, double click on the default value at the right pane and based on the Word version you are using as well as the architecture (32 bit or 64 bit) and then copy-paste the corresponding value in the Value data box:
For Word 2016 (64-bit) keep it as C:/Program Files/Microsoft Office/root/Office16/wordicon.exe,13
For Word 2016 (32-bit) Keep it as C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Office/root/Office16/wordicon.exe,13
Once you’re done, tap Enter and then close the Registry Editor.
Restart your computer and see if the problem’s fixed.
Option 3 – Try to rebuild the Icon cache
You may want to rebuild the Icon cache as it could also help fix the issue.
Tap Win + E to open File Explorer and then click Folder Options and click Views to show Hidden System Files.
After that, go to C:Users%username%AppDataLocal folder and look for a file named Iconcache.db and delete it.
Next, go to C:Users%username%AppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsExplorer.
From there, look for the following files and delete them.
iconcache_32.db
iconcache_48.db
iconcache_96.db
iconcache_256.db
iconcache_1024.db
iconcache_1280.db
iconcache_1600.db
iconcache_1920.db
iconcache_2560.db
iconcache_exif.db
iconcache_idx.db
iconcache_sr.db
iconcache_wide.dd
iconcache_wide_alternate.db
Restart your computer. This will purge and rebuild the icon cache.
Option 4 – Try fixing Office apps
Fixing the Office apps can help you resolve the Word icon issue. All you have to do is open Settings > Apps. From the app list, look for the Microsoft Office Desktop apps and select it and then click on the Advanced options and click Fix. After that, wait until the process is completed and restart your PC. However, if the problem still persists, repeat the steps again but this time, click on Reset instead of Fix.
Option 5 – Try to repair Office Installation
If the options given above didn’t work, you can try to repair the Office installation and see if it can fix the problem.
Open Control Panel and click on Programs and Features.
Next, right-click on the Office program that you want to repair which in this case is, Word.
Select Change and click Repair > Continue. After that, Office will start to repair Microsoft Word.
Wait until the process is done and then reboot your computer.
BSOD or Blue Screen of Death errors are one of the most common errors you can encounter on your Windows PC. One of these BSOD errors is the “ACPI_BIOS_ERROR”. If you suddenly get this error, it means that there is some problem in booting the operating system from your hard drive or Windows was not properly installed on your PC. In addition, this error could also mean that there is something wrong with the CMOS battery located in the motherboard.
Unlike other BSOD errors, the workaround for this error is a bit different as these workarounds require a bit more expertise in updating the BIOS as well as setting the correct boot configuration. If you know are capable enough in troubleshooting the problem, refer to the instructions laid out below to fix the BSOD “ACPI_BIOS_ERROR”.
Option 1 – Try to remove the SSD and update the BIOS
The first thing you have to do is to check the primary storage devices on your PC. If you have just installed a new hard drive or SSD recently on your computer, then it’s most likely the cause of the BSOD error. Moreover, you should also ensure that your BIOS is up-to-date to the latest available build.
Remove the SSD/HDD and inject a different HDD that was already preinstalled in your Windows PC.
After that, update the BIOS to the latest available build. After updating it, insert the old SSD/HDD and then try to boot your PC again. The problem should be fixed now. If not, refer to the next given option.
Option 2 – Try to check the CMOS battery and reset the CMOS module
As mentioned earlier, the CMOS battery might also be the one that’s causing the problem. It is a physical component of the motherboard and is a memory chip that contains all the settings configuration on your computer and is also powered by a battery. So if your battery loses power, the CMOS will be reset and as a result, all the configurations will be gone as well. It is also possible that the CMOS module is not properly working and every time things are saved, they are properly written due to the battery. That’s why you have to consider changing the CMOS battery and see if it fixes the problem. In addition, you also have to make sure that you completely reset the CMOS module and then try booting your PC again.
Option 3 – Try to check the BIOS settings
If the BIOS settings are incorrect, chances are that’s the reason why you’re getting the “ACPI_BIOS_ERROR” BSOD error. Every BIOS has different settings which you can make use of to enhance your computer experience. So make sure that your BIOS is up-to-date and that the settings are in accordance with your requirement.
Another thing you can try is to disable the Legacy USB and the Legacy BIOS in the BIOS settings if you are trying to install a 64 bit Windows version. Make sure that you also enable AHCI before plugging in the installation drive on your PC. Moreover, ensure that your PC is using IDE or Integrated Drive Electronics mode instead of SATA or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment. Aside from that, try to check the extracted setup if it is in NTFS format, if it is, you should extract the ISO in FAT32 and use it to install Windows.
Option 4 – Try to reset the ACPI Compliant Control Method
ACPI or Advanced Configuration and Power Interface provide an open standard that operating systems can use to detect hardware, perform power management, as well as monitor the status of your device and provide information for other processes. Chances are, there are some misconfigurations with this module on your PC that lead to believing that there is no battery present. That’s why you need to reset it and see if it fixes the BSOD error or not.
Boot your PC into Safe Mode.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Type in “devmgmt.msc” in the field and tap Enter to open the Device Manager.
After opening the Device Manager, go to the “Batteries” section and click it to expand it and then right-click on the “Microsoft ACPI-Complaint Control Method Battery” option and click on Uninstall.
After you disable the module, click on any empty space and then click the “Scan for hardware changes” option.
Then check if you can now boot your PC normally and without the BSOD error.
If you suddenly encounter the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA Blue Screen error then it means that your computer is under a heavy load. And if you look closely, you’ll see that it has a bug check value of 0x00000050. This kind of Blue Screen error also indicates that invalid system memory has been referenced. It could be that the memory address is wrong, or that it is pointing at freed memory.
The PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA Blue Screen error occurs when the requested data is not found in the memory. As a result, the system generates a fault which normally indicates that the system is looking for data in the paging file. However, in this case, the missing data is identified as being located within an area of memory that cannot be paged out to the disk.
This Stop error might be caused by a buggy system service, antivirus program, a corrupted NTFS volume, or faulty hardware. So if you’ve recently added hardware, you can try removing it and then check. If the problem still persists, refer to the suggestions given below to fix the problem.
Option 1 – Run Memory Check to test your memory
Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type exe and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
After that, it will give two options such as:
Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)
Check for problems the next time I start my computer
Select the option you prefer and afterward, check if the Blue Screen error is now fixed.
Option 2 – Run a System File Checker scan
You can also try to run a System File Checker or SFC scan in order to scan your computer for corrupted files that might be the cause behind the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA Blue Screen error. Once it finds any corrupted system files, it will automatically fix them. To run System File Checker, here’s what you have to do:
Tap Win + R to launch Run.
Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow
The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Restart your computer after the scan is completed.
Next, click on Properties and then click on the Advanced System Settings.
Go to the Advanced tab and then click on the Settings button under the Performance section.
Afterward, a new mini window will appear and from there, go to the Advanced tab.
Then click the Change button under the Virtual Memory section. Once you do, another mini window will appear.
Now uncheck the “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” option.
After that, you have to increase the Page File size by doubling the amount of memory allocated by default in the text field. For instance, the paging size given is a minimum of 16MB and so you have to change it to 32MB. And since the recommended value is 1907MB, you can make its maximum size around 4000MB. By doing so, it will allocate more space for paging into individual drivers.
Now click OK, close all the open windows and then restart your PC.
Option 4 – Update the Device Drivers
Updating the Device drivers can also help you fix the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA Blue Screen error. To do so, follow the steps below.
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. If you see a red or yellow sign that shows up against the driver, right-click on the driver and select “Update Driver Software”.
Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
Restart your PC and then check if the Blue Screen error is now fixed or not.
Option 5 – Perform a System Restore
Performing System Restore might help you in fixing the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error. You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.
Tap 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 problem is fixed or not.
Option 6 – Try disabling your antivirus programs
There are instances when antivirus programs trigger Stop errors like PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. Thus, you can try disabling your antivirus programs like Windows Defender or other third-party programs if you’re using one.
Option 7 – Use the Blue Screen Troubleshooter
The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error. It can be found on the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.
Option 8 – Disable Memory caching in the BIOS
You can also disable memory caching in the BIOS to fix the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error.
Open the BIOS Setup screen.
Next, go to Advanced > Cache Memory and then disable it.
Tap the F10 key to save the changes made and restart your computer.
The PST file could be around 2 gigabytes if you are using MS Outlook 2002 or any earlier versions for your own personal Folders. The 2GB filesize malfunction occurs when your PST memory both reaches or exceeds this limit.
The 2GB size problem code is, in addition, referred to as an outsize PST file error.
When this error happens you may be unable to deliver or receive e-mails via your Outlook account. Moreover, you'll likewise not be able to add any new data or even view your important calendar items, notes, and saved drafts.
MS-Outlook shows several types of problem codes which indicate the 2GB file size dilemma. Listed below are some of the messages that can be displayed on your monitor:-
The file could not be added to the folder. The action could not be completed.
Errors have been detected in the file xxxx.pst. Quit all mail-enabled applications.
Task 'Microsoft Exchange Server' reported error (0x00040820):'Errors in background synchronization. In most cases, further information is available in a synchronization log in the Deleted Items folder.'
xxxx.pst cannot be accessed - 0x80040116
Solution
Error Causes
The simple explanation for this malfunction is that you have maxed out the two gigabytes account limit. This happens in case you continue downloading fresh data and saving files and the old emails in your Outlook account.
Over time, the space becomes limited and along with it the 2 GB file limit error.
This error also presents a critical danger of data loss which is a possibility in your Outlook account, which hinders you as well from fully utilizing your email account.
For regular Outlook customers, who utilize this program for practically all email communication within as well as outside the office, this error is annoying and frustrating as it causes a great deal of annoyance as well as decreases their performance and productivity.
What exactly are the Symptoms?
Below are a few signs that will help you recognize the 2GB file-size error:
Inability to fill and open the OST and PST files
Error messages pop-ups
Failure to send emails
Failure to make or edit new contacts
Inability to synchronize the file
Further Information and Manual Repair
It is desirable to fix this error code right away especially if this is the preferred strategy to carry out communication in your office. Fix it immediately or else you might not receive e-mails that are important from your colleagues.
There are 3 ways to solve this issue.
Method 1
One is to remove the old e-mails and connections and replace them with new ones. This may not be the best option for you in case you don't wish to lose emails and your old contacts.
Method 2
The second alternative would be to install a fresh version of MS-Outlook like 2010. The file-size limits of OST and PST files in these editions are larger than in ms-outlook 2002.
On the other hand, this is a good idea for the long run but may not be the best idea for today as you will not have the ability to recover your previous e-mails and contacts that are outdated.
Method 3
The third and maybe the method that is best to resolve the 2GB file size limit error while ensuring the restoration of your old e-mails and contacts as well as increasing the limit to 4GB, is Restoro program's installation. Here may be the best recovery program on the market.
It is really easy to use, safe, exceptionally functional, secure, and especially can resolve this issue. Technical expertise isn't needed by you to perform your way around this device.
All you should do is:
Click here to download and install the Restoro repair tool on your computer. In your MS Outlook account, you can restore all your data in just a couple of clicks.
Talking of data recovery, this software can also help you recover all those other e-mails before the PST malfunction happened, or that you may have deleted. So, if you have deleted any significant email that you want to recover, this will undoubtedly be of use for you.
By installing it on your system you can double your Outlook account's quality to twice as much as the standard size.