Can the Adobe.Dll Error Be Fixed?

If you suddenly find your Windows 10 computer stuck on the “Preparing to configure” screen for quite a long time now after you run Windows Update, read on as you will be guided on how you can fix that issue in this post. During an update process, there’s a lot of things that go on in the background which is why Windows Updates take quite a while before it finishes. It can be at 25%, 50%, or even 100% but the only message you’re going to see on your screen is the “Preparing to configure Windows, Don’t turn off your computer”. However, if you notice that the Windows Update is taking a longer time than it’s supposed to, the first option is to wait some more but if it’s still the same, then there’s definitely something wrong. This kind of issue occurs when Windows Update fails to configure in short correctly download and install the update. When this happens, it will revert all the changes which are why you were advised to wait for a couple of hours. There are two possibilities why your computer is stuck on the “Preparing to configure Windows, Don’t turn off your computer” screen. The first one is that the Windows 10 operating system is installing any updates. The second one is when the user profile takes time to load or encounters an error. There are several options you can try to fix the problem. You can try running System Restore or boot your computer in Safe Mode or repair the corrupted profile via Registry Editor. You might also want to try using installation media to boot and repair your computer if the other options didn’t work.

Option 1 – Perform System Restore

• 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.

Note: If you can’t boot into the desktop of your computer, you can run System Restore in the Advanced Startup Options by following these steps:

• Boot your computer into the Advanced Startup Options screen.
• From there, you will see some options to troubleshoot when you can’t log in to Windows in the usual way.
• Now select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
• After that, type “rstrui” and hit Enter to execute the command which will start the System Restore process.
• Once it’s done, restart your computer.

Option 2 – Boot your computer in Safe Mode

You can try to tap the F8 key if you have it enabled in your Windows 10 computer, as you start your system to boot into Safe Mode. Once your computer is in Safe Mode, you can access the Start Menu and the Mouse and Keyboard. Aside from that, you can also access your files and other built-in tools in Windows such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, Computer Manager, Device Manager, Event Log Viewer, and many more. On the other hand, if you haven’t enabled the F8 key, you can just go to the Advanced Startup options to boot your computer into Safe Mode. Once you’re there, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart > Tap the number 4 key. After that, your computer will restart in Safe Mode. If you want to reboot into Safe Mode with Networking instead, you can tap the number 5 key and for Safe Mode with Command Prompt, tap the number 6 key. Once your computer is in Safe Mode, you can use any of the built-in tools to restore your computer or troubleshoot the problem that’s causing your computer to get stuck at the “Preparing to configure” screen.

Option 3 – Try to repair your corrupted profile via Registry

In this third option, you can try to repair the corrupted profile using the Registry but before you proceed, take note that you can only try this if you can boot into your desktop and if you can, make sure to create a System Restore Point and then follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, go to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList
• Once you’ve opened the registry key, you should see a list of all the user profiles on your computer. Now click on each S-1-5 folder and look for the “ProfileImagePath” entry and double click on it to check which user account it is related to. You will see a path like “CUsersACK” where “ACK” is the username.
• You should know which of the user account is corrupted. Just look for a key named “RefCount” and change its Value data to “0” and click OK. And if it isn’t available, simply right-click on the right pane and create it.
• After that, double click on the key named “State” and make sure that the Value data is “0” and click OK.
• Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 4 – Try to use installation media to boot and repair your computer

Another thing you can try to resolve the issue is to use the Windows installation bootable media so you can boot and repair the operating system. To use it, follow these steps:

• You need to first create an installation media which has the dame version of the operating system installed in your computer.
• After that, once you reach the Install Windows screen, click on the “Repair your computer” link.
• Wait until the repair is completed and then shut down your computer
• Now once your computer has restarted, check if it can now boot properly.

One of the most common brands of GPUs that comes in a large number of computers is AMD’s Radeon Graphics processing units. AMD included the Radeon Settings panel so that users can control how the hardware functions. However, as of late, a lot of users reported that the Radeon Settings panel throws an error that says, “Radeon Settings are currently not available. Please try again after connecting AMD graphics” when they try to use it. This kind of error in the Radeon Settings panel is most likely caused by either corrupted drivers or incompatible drivers. If you are one of the users who are facing this problem, worry not for this post will guide you in fixing this error. You can either use the Device Driver Uninstaller or change the driver version. For more details, make use of the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to use the Device Driver Uninstaller

The first thing you can do to fix the problem is to uninstall the AMD Radeon drivers by using the Device Driver Uninstaller software. After you’ve uninstalled the AMD Radeon drivers using this software, go to the official website of AMD to download the AMD Radeon drivers. Once you’ve downloaded them, you can install them by simply running the executable file. Once the installation of the new AMD Radeon drivers is done, try to open the Radeon Settings panel and see if the error is now fixed or not. If not, refer to the next given option below.

Option 2 – Try changing the Driver version

If you have followed the instructions in the first option then you can proceed to the next given steps below.

• Now that you’ve completely uninstalled the AMD Radeon drivers and reinstalled their latest working versions, check if the drivers are still updating. If they are, you need to stop them.
• To disable the drivers being automatically updated, you need to go to the Group Policy Editor by tapping the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and then type “gpedit.msc” in the field and tap Enter or click OK.
• After opening the Group Policy Editor, navigate to this policy setting: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Installation > Device Installation Restrictions
• From there, double click on the “Prevent installation of devices that match any of these device IDs” policy setting to open a new window, and from this window, you will see the following description of the setting:

“This policy setting allows you to specify a list of Plug and Play hardware IDs and compatible IDs for devices that Windows is prevented from installing. This policy setting takes precedence over any other policy setting that allows Windows to install a device. If you enable this policy setting Windows is prevented from installing a device whose hardware ID or compatible ID appears in the list you create. If you enable this policy setting on a remote desktop server the policy setting affects the redirection of the specified devices from a remote desktop client to the remote desktop server. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting devices can be installed and updated as allowed or prevented by other policy settings.”

• Now set the radio button of the policy setting to “Enabled”. This will turn off the delete confirmation prompt. Note that setting the radio button to either Not Configured or Disabled will turn off the driver being automatically updated.
• Next, click on the Show button under the Options section. And in the field that pops up, type in the Hardware ID of your GPU and click OK. You can find the GPU’s Hardware ID under this location: Device Manager > <DEVICE NAME> Properties > Details > Hardware IDs
• Once you’re done, click the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
• Close the Group Policy Editor and restart your PC and see if the “Radeon Settings are currently not available. Please try again after connecting AMD graphics” error is now fixed.

Although the Google Chrome browser is one of the most used browsers, a lot of things could still go wrong when browsing the web using it. One of the errors you might encounter is the “ NETWORK_FAILED ” error. This kind of error in Chrome indicates that Chrome wasn’t able to send your request through the network connection. It could be that your computer has trouble connecting to a stable internet connection or there is some plugin in your Chrome browser that is causing the issue. The worst-case would be malware. But worry not for this post will guide you on what you can do when you encounter the NETWORK_FAILED error in Google Chrome. Make sure to follow each one of the options given below and see which one of them worked best for you.

Option 1 – Disable or remove any unwanted extensions in Chrome

As you know, browser extensions help in enhancing the browsing experience but there are also times when it does exactly the opposite, and such is the case with the NETWORK_FAILED error in Chrome. It could be that one of the extensions in your browser is the one that’s causing the trouble. To disable or remove these unwanted extensions, here’s what you have to do:

• Launch Google Chrome, press Alt + F, move to More tools, and click Extensions.
• Look for Search.tb.ask.com or any other unwanted add-ons, click the Recycle Bin button, and choose Remove.
• Restart Google Chrome, then tap Alt + F, and select Settings.
• Navigate to the On Startup section at the bottom.
• Select “Open a specific page or set of pages”.
• Click the More actions button next to the hijacker and click Remove.

Option 2 – Run the Malware Scanner and Cleanup tool in Chrome

If removing or disabling the unwanted extension didn’t help in fixing the error, you can try using the built-in malware scanner and cleanup tool in Google Chrome. These tools help you get rid of any unwanted pop-ups, ads, unusual Startup pages, toolbars, and even malware.

Option 2 – Run the Malware Scanner and Cleanup tool in Chrome

• Launch Google Chrome and 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 the option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
• Now restart Google Chrome.

Option 3 – Try to disable the Proxy

If you are using a proxy, you might want to consider disabling it as it could have something to do with the NETWORK_FAILED error.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “cpl” and hit Enter or click OK to open the Internet Properties.
• After that, go to the Connections tab where you should see the LAN settings. Click on it.
• Next, uncheck the “Use a Proxy Server for your LAN” and ensure that the “Automatically detect settings” option is checked as well.
• Then click Ok and then Apply to save the changes made.
• Restart your PC.

Option 4 – Flush DNS and reset TCP/IP

• Click the Start button and type in “command prompt” in the field.
• From the search results that appear, right click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After opening Command Prompt, you have to type each one of the commands listed below. Just make sure that after you type each command, you hit Enter
  • ipconfig /release
  • ipconfig /all
  • ipconfig /flushdns
  • ipconfig /renew
  • netsh int ip set dns
  • netsh winsock reset

After you key in the commands listed above, the DNS cache will be flushed and the Winsock, as well as the TCP/IP, will reset.

• Now restart your computer and open Google Chrome then try opening the website you were trying to open earlier.

Option 5 – Delete the WLAN Profiles

Deleting the WLAN Profiles might be a good idea if you are not able to connect to the internet on your computer and if you’re using Wi-Fi. It could be that the networks that were connected previously have gone rogue which is why it is not connecting properly. And so deleting the WLAN profiles would be for the best. That should do it.

Rapid Media Converter is a Potentially Unwanted Program that usually comes bundled with other unwanted software. Many users reported being unaware they had installed the application. It also generates additional advertising, and for this reason, it is classified as Adware and flagged for optional removal by several AVs.

From the Author: Howard Software / Applon runs off an ad-supported platform. During general internet usage on sites where Applon Support operates, users may see advertisements in form of shopping results and new tabs. The type of ad is dependent on the content of the page as you generally browse the internet. Applon is not related to or endorsed by the underlying website. These advertisements will be identified with the Applon Name or Logo.

About Browser Hijackers

Adware is programs created to show advertisements on users’ PCs with or without their consent. A kind of malware, it comes bundled up with the software application that a person either installs or accesses. Shareware or free software programs are generally packaged with adware. When adware penetrates your computer without you knowing and transfers information about you or your PC to 3rd parties, then it happens to be spyware. Other sorts of adware might take control of your internet browser and redirects you to websites that you don’t really want to check out. Adware is a common problem in most computer systems and these are really detrimental to your device. Adware/Spyware is usually downloaded and/or installed accidentally by users while exploring the net and people face lots of difficulties at the same time when it comes to removing adware from their computers. Adware could be dangerous for computer users in numerous ways. It could cause advertisements (popups, ad banners, and in-text) to show up constantly when you’re online or perhaps disrupt your computer experience when not connected to the net. When infected with adware for a long time, your computer will perform at slow processing speed, take a longer time to start up and shut down, easily get frozen up while loading websites, and even get the blue screen of death (BSOD). More often than not, adware is a legitimate revenue source for many companies that offer software to customers at zero cost. But adware generated advertisements tends to be more aggressive than normal ads which can greatly impair system performance or possibly result in a total crash. The adware will damage your PC should you allow it on your personal computer for a long period. A sensible way to block adware from corrupting your PC is to employ a reliable antimalware program such as Safebytes Anti-Malware on your computer. This software will give complete all-around protection to make sure that your laptop or computer doesn’t get infected again with spyware and adware. Take the following measures to prevent adware from overtaking your system: Downloading software online should come from trustworthy websites and also be selective about what you install on your computer; Always read the end-user license agreement (EULA) of any application you plan to install; Beware of clickable ads particularly those that advertise special deals, coupons, or any other suspicious deals.; Avoid installing toolbars, because toolbars from less reputable websites always contain adware, which might slow your PC and in some cases infect your computer outright.

What to Do if Malware Stops You From Downloading Antivirus?

Every malware is bad and the extent of the damage will vary greatly with regards to the type of infection. Certain malware goes to great lengths to prevent you from installing anything on your computer system, especially antivirus software. So what you should do when malware prevents you from downloading or installing Anti-Malware? There are a few fixes you could try to get around with this particular obstacle. Start Windows in Safe ModeIf any virus is set to load immediately when Windows starts, getting into Safe Mode may block the attempt. Since just the minimum programs and services launch in Safe Mode, there are hardly any reasons for conflicts to happen. Listed here are the steps you have to follow to start into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers (visit Microsoft website for instructions on Windows 8 and 10 PCs). 1) At power-on/startup, tap the F8 key in one-second intervals. This should bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode with Networking and hit ENTER. 3) As soon as this mode loads, you should have the internet. Now, make use of your web browser normally and go to https://safebytes.com/products/anti-malware/ to download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 4) Following installation, do a complete scan and allow the software program to delete the threats it detects.

Obtain the anti-malware software using an alternate browser

Some malware only targets specific web browsers. If this is your situation, utilize another browser as it could circumvent the computer virus. If you appear to have a trojan attached to Internet Explorer, then switch to an alternate web browser with built-in security features, such as Firefox or Chrome, to download your preferred anti-malware program – Safebytes.

Create a bootable USB anti-virus drive

Here’s another solution which is using a portable USB antivirus software that can scan your computer for malware without the need for installation. Adopt these measures to run the anti-virus on the affected computer system. 1) On a clean computer, download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Connect the USB flash drive to a USB slot on the clean computer. 3) Double-click on the downloaded file to run the installation wizard. 4) Choose the USB flash drive as the destination for saving the software file. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation. 5) Transfer the USB drive from the uninfected computer to the infected computer. 6) Double-click the EXE file to open the Safebytes program from the thumb drive. 7) Click on the “Scan Now” button to begin the malware scan.

SafeBytes AntiMalware Overview

Are you looking to download the best anti-malware software program for your laptop or computer? You can find many applications in the market which come in paid and free versions for Microsoft Windows systems. A few of them do a great job in eliminating malware threats while some will harm your PC by themselves. You must be careful not to choose the wrong application, especially if you buy premium software. While considering the trustworthy programs, Safebytes Anti-Malware is certainly the highly recommended one. Safebytes is among the well-established computer solutions firms, which provide this all-inclusive anti-malware application. With its most advanced virus detection and repair technology, this software will help you protect your PC against infections brought on by different kinds of malware and similar internet threats, including adware, spyware, computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, keyloggers, ransomware, and potentially unwanted program (PUPs).

SafeBytes has fantastic features when compared with various other anti-malware programs. The following are some of the good ones:

Robust, Anti-malware Protection: Built on a highly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal application has the capacity to find and remove several stubborn malware threats like browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other common antivirus software will miss. Live Protection: SafeBytes provides totally hands-free live protection and is set to observe, prevent and eliminate all threats at its first encounter. It’ll regularly monitor your pc for hacker activity and also provides end-users with sophisticated firewall protection. High-Speed Malware Scanning Engine: SafeBytes Anti-Malware has a multi-thread scan algorithm that works up to 5x faster than any other anti-malware software. Safe Web Browsing: SafeBytes checks the links present on a webpage for possible threats and informs you whether the website is safe to check out or not, through its unique safety ranking system. Light-weight: This program is light-weight and can work quietly in the background, and that does not have an effect on your PC efficiency. 24/7 Customer Support: For any technical queries or product support, you can obtain 24/7 expert assistance through chat and email. To sum it up, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is really great for securing your computer against all sorts of malware threats. There is no doubt that your computer will be protected in real-time as soon as you put this software program to use. For top protection and the best value for your money, you can’t get better than SafeBytes Anti-Malware.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you don’t want to use malware removal software and prefer to get rid of Rapid Media Converter manually, you might do so by going to the Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and removing the offending software; in cases of web browser extensions, you can remove it by going to the browser’s Add-on/Extension manager. You will definitely also want to reset your web browser. To be certain of complete removal, find the following Windows registry entries on your system and delete it or reset the values appropriately. Please keep in mind that this is for advanced users only and could be difficult, with incorrect file removal causing additional system errors. Additionally, certain malicious programs have the capability to defend against its removal. Doing this in Safe Mode is advised.

Upgrading your Windows 10 computer does not always go smoothly and you often encounter not just one but various errors so, in this post, we are going to cover several Windows 10 upgrade errors such as 80240020, 8007002C, 80246007, 80070004. All these upgrade errors are related to the Windows Update folder. Thus, you need to clear the Software Distribution folder, repair the System Image and fix System Health in order to resolve all these Windows 10 Upgrade errors. Before you get started on the steps to resolve these tons of errors, you have to disable your security program for the meantime, disconnect your peripherals, remove USBs connected to your PC and then make sure that your PC is connected to the main power supply. Once you have everything covered, carefully follow the options given below.

Option 1 – Delete Windows 10 Update Files in the SoftwareDistribution folder

The Software Distribution folder in the Windows operating system is a folder that can be found in the Windows directory and is used to store files temporarily which might be required to install the Windows Update on your PC. Thus, it is required by the Windows Update and maintained by WUAgent. A lot of users tried deleting the files in this folder to fix the problem and so far it has worked. Like them, you can try clearing the Windows Update cache by simply deleting the contents of the folder named “SoftwareDistribution” since Windows apparently can’t clear and re-download the update contents once they are corrupted. Thus, deleting the contents of this folder will make Windows download the contents again which will fix the problem. To do that, follow the steps below.

• Open the WinX Menu.
• From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.

net stop wuauserv net stop bits

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
• Next, go to the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files thereby tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.
• Once all the contents in the Software Distribution folder are deleted, restart your PC and then go back to Command Prompt and input the following commands again.

net start wuauserv net start bits

Since the folder has already been flushed, it will be populated afresh the instant your restart your computer and open Windows Update.

• Now Open Settings and check for Windows Updates. Windows 10 should begin the download right away.

Option 2 – Try using the DISM tool

Running the DISM Tool helps in repairing the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in Windows 10. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.

• Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
• Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Note: If it happens that the Windows Update client is broken, you need to run the following command to repair it then restart your PC and click on Update once again.

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:RepairSourceWindows /LimitAccess

Note: The Windows Upgrade error, with error code 80240020 is an expected error message that happens when the upgrade requires customer user action. Thus, you need to do the following steps to resolve this particular Windows Upgrade error.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• After that, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWindowsUpdate
• Now right click on WindowsUpdate located in the left pane and then create a new key and name it as “OSUpgrade”
• Next, right-click in an empty space in the left pane and create a new DWORD and name it “AllowOSUpgrade” and enter “1” as its value.

Option 3 – Try running the Windows Update in a Clean Boot State.

Putting your PC in a Clean Boot state can also help you install Windows Updates or Upgrades without any trouble because, during this state, you can start the system with a minimum number of drivers and startup programs that will surely help you in isolating the root cause of the issue.

• 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” checkbox 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” checkbox.
• 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.

Error Code 0x80072ee7 - What is it?

Error Code 0x80072ee7 is an error code that is most commonly associated with Windows 10 and the use of the Windows Store. Several things can cause this error, which has been present as an error message in Windows 10 and all the way back through Windows 8.

Common symptoms include:

• An error message when you attempt to connect to the Windows Store.
• Inability to download or install purchases from the Windows Store.

Fortunately, there are several simple methods that can be used to attempt to resolve Error Code 0x80072ee7 on your Windows machine. These methods don’t require advanced computer knowledge or familiarity with high-level tools, so the average user should be able to complete them without help. However, if you feel like you need assistance in resolving Error Code 0x80072ee7, always contact a qualified Windows repair technician who can assist you.

Solution

Error Causes

There are four basic things that can cause Error Code 0x80072ee7 to appear on a Windows device. The first is that the connection to the Internet is limited in some manner, either due to a system or equipment error. Secondly, some parts of the update components could be missing. Next, an error within the DNS can be a cause. Finally, having any kind of compatibility errors on the machine (for example, between the antivirus software that you run and the Windows Update tool) can lead to the appearance of Error Code 0x80072ee7.

Further Information and Manual Repair

There are a few different methods that you can try in order to resolve the appearance of Error Code 0x80072ee7 on your Windows machine. These are fairly simple to complete, but if you do not feel confident in your ability to carry them out successfully, you may want to get in touch with a qualified computer repair technician to help you.

Here are the best methods to employ as you seek to resolve Error Code 0x80072ee7 on your Windows device:

Method One: Check Your Connection

Make sure that you are able to connect to the Internet by visiting several common sites like Google in order to ensure that your issue is not related to your Internet service provider or the equipment that you are using to access the Internet.

Method Two: Use an Alternative DNS

If you believe that your DNS connection may be the problem, you can change the specific DNS that you are using to one that is provided by Google. This can resolve any conflicts that may occur because of the IP address detected on your device. In order to do this, simply follow these steps:

• Step One: Go into your control panel and click on the option for “Network and Internet,” then select “Network and Sharing Center.” You’ll want to find the option to “change adapter settings,” which is normally located on the left bar of the navigation panel.
• Step Two: Find the connection method that you are employing (i.e. Wi-Fi network).
• Step Three: Right-click and find the connection properties menu. Under the TCP/IPV4 menu, click on the option to change your DNS numbers to manual entry and set your preferred DNS server to “8.8.8.8” and your alternate server to “8.8.4.4”.

Once these steps are complete, you can reattempt to connect to the Windows Store. You may need to restart your computer before connecting.

Method Three: Run the Fix It Tool from Windows

Microsoft has created a great tool that can automatically scan your computer for a number of common errors and attempt to fix them as they are encountered. This can be downloaded directly from the Windows site and can be used to try to fix not only Error Code 0x80072ee7 but also many other error messages that may pop up on your computer.

After you have run the Fix It tool, it is always a good idea to restart your computer to allow any changes that have been made to fully take effect.

Method Four: Use An Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 10 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

New malware with extensive spyware capabilities steals data from infected Android devices and is designed to automatically trigger whenever new info is read to be exfiltrated. The spyware can only be installed as a 'System Update' app available via third-party Android app stores as it was never available on Google's Play Store. This drastically limits the number of devices it can infect, given that most experienced users will most likely avoid installing it in the first place. The malware also lacks a method to infect other Android devices on its own, adding to its limited spreading capabilities. However, when it comes to stealing your data, this remote access trojan (RAT) can collect and exfiltrate an extensive array of information to its command-and-control server. Zimperium researchers who spotted it observed it while "stealing data, messages, images and taking control of Android phones."

What happens when malicious software is installed

"Once in control, hackers can record audio and phone calls, take photos, review browser history, access WhatsApp messages, and more," they added. Zimperium said its extensive range of data theft capabilities includes:

• Stealing instant messenger messages;
• Stealing instant messenger database files (if the root is available);
• Inspecting the default browser's bookmarks and searches;
• Inspecting the bookmark and search history from Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Samsung Internet Browser;
• Searching for files with specific extensions (including .pdf, .doc, .docx, and .xls, .xlsx);
• Inspecting the clipboard data;
• Inspecting the content of the notifications;
• Recording audio;
• Recording phone calls;
• Periodically take pictures (either through the front or back cameras);
• Listing of the installed applications;
• Stealing images and videos;
• Monitoring the GPS location;
• Stealing SMS messages;
• Stealing phone contacts;
• Stealing call logs;
• Exfiltrating device information (e.g., installed applications, device name, storage stats).

How does it work?

Once installed on an Android device, the malware will send several pieces of info to its Firebase command-and-control (C2) server, including storage stats, the internet connection type, and the presence of various apps such as WhatsApp. The spyware harvests data directly if it has root access or will use Accessibility Services after tricking the victims into enabling the feature on the compromised device. It will also scan the external storage for any stored or cached data, harvest it, and deliver it to the C2 servers when the user connects to a Wi-Fi network. Unlike other malware designed to steal data, this one will get triggered using Android's contentObserver and Broadcast receivers only when some conditions are met, like the addition of a new contact, new text messages, or new apps being installed. "Commands received through the Firebase messaging service initiate actions such as recording of audio from the microphone and exfiltration of data such as SMS messages," Zimperium said. "The Firebase communication is only used to issue the commands, and a dedicated C&C server is used to collect the stolen data by using a POST request."

Camouflage

The malware will also display fake "Searching for the update.." system update notifications when it receives new commands from its masters to camouflage its malicious activity. The spyware also conceals its presence on infected Android devices by hiding the icon from the drawer/menu. To further evade detection, it will only steal thumbnails of videos and images it finds, thus reducing the victims' bandwidth consumption to avoid drawing their attention to the background data exfiltration activity. Unlike other malware that harvests data in bulk, this one will also make sure that it exfiltrates only the most recent data, collecting location data created and photos taken within the last few minutes. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.

Blue Screen of Death errors or Stop errors are indications that something’s wrong with your computer. So when you encounter one, you must find out what the root cause of the problem is before it gets out of hand. One of the BSOD errors you might encounter on your Windows 10 computer is the “DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL or SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED, Netwtw04.sys failed” error. As you know, system files or .sys files are some of the essential parts of the Windows operating system. It is a repository of system driver settings used by the Windows operating system in order to communicate with the connected hardware and devices. They are essential for the normal functioning of the operating system. A lot of Windows 10 users are facing this particular Blue Screen of Death error whenever they open an app or disconnect external devices from the system. The Netwtw04.sys file is a part of the Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi software. And so when you might encounter two kinds of Stop errors for the Netwtw04.sys driver file such as:

1. “DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL What failed: Netwtw04.sys.” – This kind of error message signifies that a kernel-mode driver tried to access pageable memory at a process IRQL that was too high.
2. “SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED What failed: Netwtw04.sys” – This error message indicates that the root cause of the error might be incompatible drivers with the operating system. In general, the root cause of the Netwtw04.sys BSOD error might be due to several reasons such as corrupted files, incorrect device driver configuration, malicious programs, outdated drivers, bad drivers, corrupted Windows Registry as well as some damaged or corrupted system files.

Whichever of the two error messages you got, you can try the troubleshooting options given below to fix the “DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL or SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED, Netwtw04.sys failed” BSOD error.

Option 1 – Try to rollback your Network driver

If you have updated the driver software as of late and you suddenly got this BSOD error, you might have to roll back the device driver – in other words, switch back to the previous working version. To do that, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
• Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the Network Adapters and expand it.
• Next, select the driver entries that are labeled appropriately other than anything in the context of the WAN Miniport.
• Then select each one of them and double-click to open a new mini window.
• After that, make sure that you’re on the Driver tab and if you are not, just navigate to it then click the Roll Back Driver button to switch back to the previous version of your Network adapters.
• Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

Option 2 – Try to update the Network drivers

If the present Network driver is giving you a headache that is the “DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL or SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED, Netwtw04.sys failed” BSOD error, then you need to update the Network drivers. To do so, here’s what you have to do:

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
• Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the Network Adapters and expand it.
• Then right-click on each one of the Network drivers and update them all.
• Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the BSOD error.

Note: If updating the network drivers didn’t help in fixing the problem, you can also try to uninstall the very same drivers and restart your Windows 10 PC. After that, the system itself will reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled. Alternatively, you can also download and install the drivers from the manufacturer’s website directly.

Option 3 – Try running the System File Checker Scan

The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the Netwtw04.sys failed BSOD error. SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• 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:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

Option 4 – Run the DISM Tool

The DISM tool is another command-line tool in the Windows operating system that could help users fix various corrupted system files. To use it, follow these steps:

• Open the Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in this command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
• The DISM command you entered will repair the corrupted system image. Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Option 5 – Run the CHKDSK Utility

Running the CHKDSK utility might also help you resolve the Netwtw04.sys failed BSOD error. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the CHKDSK utility comes in. The CHKDSK utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt, execute the following command and hit Enter:

chkdsk /f /r

• Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.

As you know, Windows operating system comes with tons of features. Some of which are not intended to be used by normal customers or users directly which means that only a small percentage of the huge user base of the operating system leverages the use of such features. However, they’ve added some major value to the feature list of the operating system. You can find these features under the “Turn Windows Features on and off” option. This indicates that if you want to, you can just type in “Turn Windows Features on and off” in the search box and then enable any feature that you want to enable. Aside from that, there are other ways you can disable or enable the optional Windows Features in your Windows 10 computer.

Option 1 – via Control Panel

• Open Control Panel and select Uninstall a Program.
• After that, select the “Turn Windows features On or Off” option on the left side.

Option 2 – via Command Prompt

• Tap the Win + X combination on your keyboard or right-click on the Start button and then click on Command Prompt (Admin). Alternatively, you can also type “cmd” in the Cortana search box and right-click on the Command Prompt icon, and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• If a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, click on Yes.
• Next, type in the following command to see the list of the available features.

DISM /online /get-features /format:table | more

• Now all you have to do is copy the name of the feature that you want to enable and for you to do that, you need to execute the following command:

DISM /online /enable-feature /featurename:[Enter the name of the feature here] –All

Note: Now if you want to disable a feature that’s already enabled in your computer, refer to these sub-steps:

• First, you need to check what features are enabled, and for you to find out, enter this command: DISM /online /get-features /format:table | find “Enabled" | more
• And if you want to check the detailed information about a particular feature, you can enter this command: DISM /online /get-featureinfo/featurename:[Enter the name of the feature here]

Option 3 – via Windows Powershell

As you know, the Windows Powershell is a very important tool in Windows 10, and a powerful one at that since you can do a lot of things using this command line. So while you use this tool you need to populate the list of available features first and then you have to download the feature your desired feature.

• Search for PowerShell in the Cortana search box and then run it with administrator privileges.
• Next, type in the following command to populate the list of available features:

Get-WindowsOptionalFeature –Online

• After that, enter the following command to install any feature you want to enable from the list of available features:

Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName *Type feature name*

• Now enter the following command to enable your desired feature:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName “Type feature name” –all

• And if you want to disable any enabled feature, just enter the following command:

Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName “Type feature name”

Option 4 – via an external installation source

You also have the option to fetch the latest features from an updated offline source. The source could be an ISO any other type of image or just a folder. So you need to decide if you want to use Windows Powershell or Command Prompt.

• If you want to use Command Prompt, just enter this command: exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:< /All /Source:<Enter the path of the feature here>
• If you want to use Windows Powershell, use this command: Install-WindowsFeature –Source “<Enter the path of the feature here>”

Note: If you want to get the latest features, you need to get the latest version of the image of the operating system that you are trying to install the feature from.