Fix the HTTP Error 304 Not modified

Driver state power failure error can be linked to three things happening in your computer. Incorrect power settings, driver issues, or incompatible hardware. Sadly when this error happens you only receive a blue screen of death with this message: Sadly receiving this blue screen does not really explain which of the three cases is the correct one and causing the unwanted issue. That being said, this article will not offer you a direct solution this time, it will be more like a guide on what to check and to do in order to remove this error, reason for this is the nature of the error itself. If your computer is booting properly and you can enter Windows without issues the first thing you can try is going into power options and set it to high performance, if you are on a laptop set high performance both ways, when plugged and when on battery. Power performance settings can reflect on some hardware and can cause mayhem. After setting reboot the computer and see if the error repeats itself. If the error persists go to the device manager and see if there is hardware that has any kind of warning beside it. If there is, update the driver or remove the driver of the device to see if this fixes the issue. If all of the previous two things fail there is another thing you could try. Turn off your computer and disconnect all hardware except the most basic one. Now, this may take a long period of time but boot your computer and then repeat this process but each time add a new piece of hardware to eliminate and find which one is causing the issue. When found try to see if it is repairable through driver updates or get a new device.

Recently, a number of users reported not being able to use the Restore, Minimize and Close buttons on their Windows 10 computers. This kind of issue can be quite annoying as you won’t be able to use your computer properly, especially when you navigate between programs and windows. In such cases, the buttons on the right side of the title bar won’t respond to any inputs which could be caused by a number of factors such as different input modes, corrupted system files, and many more. If you are one of the users who are currently facing this problem, worry not for this post will guide you on what you can do to resolve it. There are several potential fixes you can check out to fix the issue. You can try to check if Tablet Mode is enabled and if it is, you have to disable it. You could also boot your computer in a Clean Boot State to check if a third-party program is the one that’s causing the problem. In addition, you could also reinstall the program where you experience the problem or run built-in utilities like System File Checker and DISM tool.

Option 1 – Make sure that you are not in Tablet Mode

Since Windows 10 is designed to work on both desktop and mobile devices, it could be that your computer has slipped into Tablet Mode which explains why you’re not seeing the Taskbar. To check if your computer is really in Tablet Mode, follow these steps:

• Go to the Start menu and select Settings.
• Next, select the System setting and from the left pane select the Tablet Mode.
• From there, make sure that the buttons next to the options given below are set to the off position:
  • Hide app icons on the taskbar in tablet mode
  • Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode

Option 2 – Put your computer in a Clean Boot State

As pointed out, it is possible that some third-party program or service is the one that’s behind the problem. To isolate this possibility and to identify the culprit, you have to put your computer into a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Log onto your PC as an administrator.
• Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
• From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
• Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• Once your computer is in a Clean Boot State, try to open the program where the problem occurred.

Option 3 – Try reinstalling the program

If the first two options didn’t work, then you might want to consider uninstalling the program and then install it back with its latest version. This should resolve the problem.

Option 4 – Try to run System File Checker

System File Checker or 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 that might be the cause why the Restore, Minimize and Close buttons don’t work. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Type “cmd” in the Start search and then right-click on the appropriate search result.
• Next, select “Run as administrator” to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• 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.

• Now restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 5 – Run the DISM tool

You can try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the problem. 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. Once it’s done, restart your computer.

If you are checking for an update on your Windows 10 PC and you got the error 0x80070005 due to some ACCESS DENIED permissions issue, then read on as this post will show you what you can do to fix the problem. For some reason, the Windows Update does not have enough rights or permissions to continue further which is why you’re getting an error instead. Thus, the first thing you can do before you troubleshoot further is to make sure that you’re logged in as admin. However, if you’re already logged in as one, then here are some suggestions that might help you fix the Windows Update Install Error 0x80070005.

Option 1 – Restart your computer and try installing the Updates again

You can restart your computer and then try installing the updates once again. There are instances when a simple restart resolves Windows Update errors. Thus, after you restart your computer, check for updates once again and see if you’re still getting the error or not.

Option 2 – Delete the contents in the Software Distribution folder and Catroot2 folder

• 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 start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Cryptographic, and the MSI Installer
• 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.

After resetting the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to reset the Catroot2 folder to restart the services you just stopped. To do that, follow these steps:

• Type each one of the following commands.

net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After that, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer, and then try to run Windows Update once more.

Option 3 – Try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter is one of the things you can first check out as it is known to automatically resolve any Windows Update errors like error 0x80070005. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 4 – Take control of the User App Data

There are times when permission to access the files is not configured correctly. As a result, it blocks the downloading of the updates. Thus, you have to take full control of the User App Data which is placed at C:/Users/USERNAME/AppData.

• First, go to C:/Users/USERNAME/AppData and right-click on it then select Properties.
• Next, click on the Edit button in the Properties window and click OK to confirm if you got a User Account Control elevation request.
• After that, select user/group from the permission windows or click on the Add button to add another user or group. It would be best if you add “Everyone” to give permission.
• Then check “Full Control” under the “Allow” column to assign full access rights control permissions.
• Now edit the permission to Full Control for “Everyone”.
• Click OK to save the changes made and then exit.

Option 5 – Try to update Windows after a couple of minutes or an hour

There are times when the issue is from Microsoft’s end. It could be that there’s some issue with Microsoft’s server so it would be better if you give it a couple of minutes or an hour or so before trying to run Windows Update again.

Blue Screen of Death or Stop errors are definitely one of the most difficult issues to face in your Windows computer. One of them is the UNEXPECTED STORE EXCEPTION BSOD error. When you encounter this Stop error on your Windows 10 computer, this means that the store component has caught an unexpected exception. There are many potential causes for this error, but we’ve narrowed it down to a few specific causes – for one, this error could be caused by your antivirus program installed on your computer, two, it could also be caused by outdated hardware drivers on your computer, it could also be an error in the file system as well as some issue with the lock screen app, or even output to an unexpected port. Whichever the cause may be, you can use a couple of fixes laid out below. Make sure to carefully follow them.

Option 1 – Try to update your Display driver

• First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
• After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. From there, look for the Display Adapters and click on them.
• After that, right-click on each entry under the Display Adapters and select the “Uninstall Device” option from the menu.
• Now restart your computer.
• After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.

Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturers like NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it.

Option 2 – Run both the System File Checker scan and DISM tool

If the problem is caused by corrupted system files, then you can use both the System File Checker and the DISM tool. To use them, follow the instructions below.

• Tap the Win + X keys or right-click on the Start button and click the “Command Prompt (Admin)” option. Alternatively, you can also search for “cmd” in the Cortana search box and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results, and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After that, if a User Account Control prompt pops up, click on Yes to proceed.
• Once the Command Prompt window is pulled up, type the following command and hit Enter:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

• Wait for the process to be completed. Once it’s done, type the following command and hit Enter:

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.

• Restart your PC.

Note: You should see the “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them. Details are included in the CBS.Log %WinDir%LogsCBSCBS.log” message on your screen. On the other hand, if you see the “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Details are included in the CBS.Log %WinDir%LogsCBSCBS.log” message instead, then you should run the following command in Command Prompt:

findstr /c:"[SR]" %windir%LogsCBSCBS.log >"%userprofile%Desktopsfclogs.txt"

The command you entered will open up the logs on your Desktop where you can look for files that are causing the error on your computer manually.

Option 3 – Disable Fast Start-up

If you want your computer to boot faster, then you might have enabled Fast Start-up. This feature is ideal for computers that are using a hard disk drive. However, turning on this feature also means that when the computer boots, it might lag some drivers that are loaded when it initially boots up. Thus, it might be the potential cause of the UNEXPECTED STORE EXCEPTION BSOD error. Thus, you need to disable Fast Start-up. To do that, follow these steps:

• Boot your PC into Safe Mode.
• Then tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type in “control” to open Control Panel.
• After that, select Hardware and Sound and click on Power Options.
• Select “Choose what the power buttons do” from the left side menu pane and click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
• Afterward, uncheck the “Turn on fast startup (Recommended)” entry and click on Save Changes.
• Now restart your PC for the changes to take effect and then check if the problem’s fixed afterward.

Option 4 – Try to run the Chkdsk utility

You can also run the Chkdsk utility to resolve the UNEXPECTED STORE EXCEPTION 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.

If you encounter the BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO Blue Screen error in your Windows 10 PC, then read on as this post will guide you in fixing this issue. Usually, this kind of Blue Screen error is caused by some issues with the Boot Configuration Data file. The main issue inside of the Boot Configuration Data file is that either some boot order files or older files might be in conflict with the newer ones or the stable ones and thus triggering the BAD SYSTEM CONFIG INFO Blue Screen error. This kind of Stop error also indicates that there is an error in the Windows Registry which is why you need to update potential culprit drivers as well as edit some entries in the Registry if need be. But before you get started, make sure that you create a System Restore Point first. After creating a System Restore Point, try to boot your computer into Safe Mode and then restart your computer normally. However, if it doesn’t work, proceed to the given options below.

Option 1 – Run System Restore

Performing System Restore might help you in fixing the BAD SYSTEM CONFIG INFO Blue Screen 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 2 – Update or rollback your device drivers

If the first option didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.

• Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
• Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
• After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
• Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
• Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.

Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.

Option 3 – Try fixing the Windows Registry files

In order to fix the Windows Registry files, you need to make a bootable Windows 10 USB drive and then boot your PC using it. To do so, refer to the steps below.

• Once you see the Welcome Screen, click on Next.
• Then click on the “Repair your computer” option located on the bottom-left section of the window.
• Next, click on Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
• After opening Command Prompt, execute each one of the commands listed below in the sequence that they are given:
  • CD C:WindowsSystem32config
  • ren C:WindowsSystem32configDEFAULT DEFAULT.old
  • ren C:WindowsSystem32configSAM SAM.old
  • ren C:WindowsSystem32configSECURITY SECURITY.old
  • ren C:WindowsSystem32configSOFTWARE SOFTWARE.old
  • ren C:WindowsSystem32configSYSTEM SYSTEM.old
• After executing the commands given above, type in the next ones below and make sure to execute them in the given sequence below.
  • copy C:WindowsSystem32configRegBackDEFAULT C:WindowsSystem32config
  • copy C:WindowsSystem32configRegBackSAM C:WindowsSystem32config
  • copy C:WindowsSystem32configRegBackSECURITY C:WindowsSystem32config
  • copy C:WindowsSystem32configRegBackSYSTEM C:WindowsSystem32config
  • copy C:WindowsSystem32configRegBackSOFTWARE C:WindowsSystem32config
• Now type “exit” to close Command Prompt.
• Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.

Option 4 – Run a Memory Check to test RAM

On the other hand, you can also fix the BAD SYSTEM CONFIG INFO Blue Screen error by running a Memory Check using the Windows Memory Diagnostic. Refer to these steps to do so.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “mdsched.exe” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic.
• After that, the Windows Memory Diagnostic will give out two options such as:

1. Restart now and check for problems (recommended)
2. Check for problems the next time I start my computer

• Select any of the given options. After that, your computer will restart and check for memory-based issues upon the restart. If there are any issues, it will automatically them.

Option 5 – Rebuild BCD files and repair MBR files

Like what you did on the third option above, you also have to make a bootable Windows 10 USB drive for this option and then boot your Windows 10 PC using it.

• Once you get to the Welcome Screen part, click on Next.
• Afterward, click on the Repair your computer option located on the bottom-left part of the window.
• Then click on Troubleshoot.
• Next, select the Advanced Options and then Command Prompt.
• Once Command Prompt has been pulled up, enter each one of the following commands and in the sequence that they are given to rebuild BCD files and repair MBR files:
  • bootrec /repairbcd
  • bootrec /osscan
  • bootrec /repairmbr

• Now type “exit” to close Command Prompt and then restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

Error Code 0x803f7001 – What is it?

Error code 0x803f7001 results when users fail to update their Windows operating system. This often occurs when they seek to update from Windows 8 or 8.1 to Windows 10. Users will be able to identify error code 0x803f7001 because of the following common symptoms which occur:

• Inability to upgrade your Windows operating system to Windows 10
• Message box with error code 0x803f7001

Solution

Error Causes

The causes for error code 0x803f7001 are usually associated with the use of an unlicensed version of Windows 8 when upgrading to Windows 10. In such cases, the error code occurs when there is no valid Windows license or product key on your device.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To fix error code 0x803f7001, users may not necessarily need technical knowledge or the help of a Windows repair technician. Usually, the process is simple and can be resolved with the use of a valid product key. However, if users have trouble implementing the instructions found in the manual repair methods listed below, contact a Windows repair specialist for help or use an automated tool that provides the best solutions for problems like error code 0x803f7001.

Method One: Use a Valid Product Key

A product key is a 25-character code that enables users to activate their Windows operating system. To successfully activate your operating system and resolve error code 0x803f7001, enter the product key in the correct order. Once you have a valid product key in your possession, begin to resolve the error code by following the instructions below:

• Step one: Click the Start button then select Settings
• Step two: Select Update & security then Activation
• Step three: Click the Change product key
• Step four: Type in your valid product key. (Ensure you include the 25 characters of your product key in the correct order.)

Once you type in the valid product key, you should be able to successfully upgrade to the latest version of Windows. However, this method is only effective if the error code 0x803f7001 on your device is caused by issues related to the product key.

If the error code reappears after attempting manual repair method one, move to the next manual method suggested below.

Method Two: Reinstall Genuine Version of Windows 8

This method is crucial for you to perform if method one was not successful. Begin the reinstallation process by ensuring you have a genuine version of Windows 8. After reinstalling this version of your Windows operating system, attempt to upgrade to Windows 10 by following the instructions below:

• Step one: Type Settings in the search box near the Start button or click the Start button and select Settings
• Step two: After clicking Settings, select Update & Security
• Step three: Select Windows Update then the Check for updates tab
• Step four: Activate Windows 10 update

If this method is successful, you will no longer see error code 0x803f7001 pop up in a message box. You will also be able to access Windows 10, and all the benefits it provides users, on your device.

Method Three: Install an Automated Tool

Automated tools help PC users eliminate common issues such as Windows error codes. To address or rectify error codes like error code 0x803f7001 download a powerful automated tool on your machine. This tool enables users to access quick solutions. It also scans for and corrects issues that may result in error codes or poor PC performance.

As you know, Windows 10 is equipped with a Mobile Hotspot feature that allows users to share the existing internet connections to other devices over Wi-Fi. However, one of the downsides to this feature is that it does not stay on if there are no devices connected to it for over five minutes. In other words, if there are no devices connected to the mobile hotspot for five minutes, it will turn off automatically. Thus, if you want the mobile hotspot to stay turned on, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will walk you through how to stop the Mobile Hotspot from turning off in Windows 10. There are two scenarios tackled in this post wherein the Mobile Hotspot feature turns off automatically and where the hotspot disables when there is no internet connection. To remedy these scenarios, you can try turning off the power saving feature or use a PowerShell command to change the “PeerlessTimeoutEnabled” settings or increase the Mobile Hotspot idle timeout settings. You could also increase the timeout period when a cellular connection is not available or disable the Wi-Fi and network adapter power management options. For detailed instructions, refer to each one of the given options below.

Option 1 – Try turning off the power saving feature

The first solution you can check out is to turn off the power-saving feature. To do so, follow these steps:

• Open the Settings app and go to Network & Internet and from there, click on the Mobile Hotspot option.
• Next, toggle the “Share my Internet connection with other devices” option.
• After that, toggle the “When no devices are connected, automatically turn off mobile hotspot” option.

Option 2 – Execute a command in PowerShell

The next option you can try to keep the mobile hotspot turned on is through a command in PowerShell. To get started, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + X keys and select the “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” option.
• Next, execute the following command to make sure that the Mobile Hotspot stays on even when no devices are connected to it:

powershell -windowstyle hidden -command "Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList '/s,/c,net stop "icssvc" & REG ADD "HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesicssvcSettings" /V PeerlessTimeoutEnabled /T REG_DWORD /D 0 /F & net start "icssvc"' -Verb runAs"

• After the command is executed, here is what the script is doing in the background:
  • It stops the Mobile Hotspot service (icssvc).
  • It navigates to this registry path (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesicssvcSettings) and creates a DWORD key named “PeerlessTimeoutEnabled” which has a value of 0.

• It then restarts the Mobile Hotspot Service (icssvc).

Option 3 – Try increasing the Mobile Hotspot idle timeout settings

Another option you can try is to increase the idle timeout settings of the mobile hotspot. In case you don’t know, the default timeout when there’s no active connection is about five minutes. So if you don’t want to keep it on always but want to keep it on longer than five minutes, then this option is for you. All you have to do is change the same key (PeerlessTimeout) as mentioned above, at a different location. In fact, you can change it to a maximum of 120 minutes. To give this a try, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: HKLMSystemControlSet001ServicesICSSVCSettingsPeerlessTimeout
• From there, change its value to anywhere between 1 up to 120.
• Once done, exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Option 4 – Try increasing the timeout period when a cellular connection is not available

There are many times when you want to connect devices so it becomes part of the network. And as pointed out, the Mobile Hotspot turns off automatically when there is no internet or mobile data but when you use a registry setting, you can change any value between 1 and 60 inclusive.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: HKLMSystemControlSet001ServicesICSSVCSettingsPublicConnectionTimeout
• From there, set the value of the “Timeout” key between 1 and 60.
• After that, close the Registry Editor and restart your PC.

Option 5 – Try to disable the Wi-Fi and Network adapter in Power Management options

As you know, the Wi-Fi adapter and the network devices have properties that will turn off when on battery and when it’s not used for a long time so you can try to disable these options.

• Tap the Win + X + M keys to open the Device Manager.
• Next, expand the list of Network devices and select the Wi-Fi adapter.
• After that, go to the Power Management tab and make sure that anything related to power saving should be turned off. This will ensure that none of the network devices will turn off the Mobile Hotspot or trigger anything that will do that.

The first major update for Windows 11, 22000.65 has brought some bug fixes and some new features. The previous update was just a bunch of small fixes but this time Microsoft has brought much more with this one.

Bug and security fixes:

• Patch for the PrintNightmare vulnerability.
• Taskbar icons not displaying after you rotate the screen back and forth.
• Date and time not following format settings.
• Contrast issues with File Explorer title bar
• Search dropping the first keystroke when you press the Windows key and type
• Blurry windows in ALT + Tab

Besides bug and security fixed newest update has also brought us some functional changes:

• The start menu can no longer be moved from center
• A search box appears at the top of the Start menu.
• Taskbar appears on secondary monitors.
• The refresh option appears on the jump list when you right-click the desktop. It was on the "Show more options" list before.
• New look for certain dialog boxes such as "battery low" or "display change"
• New snap layouts for portrait mode screens.
• Option to troubleshoot sound problems when you right-click the volume icon.
• Power mode settings on Power & battery settings menu.
• Right-clicking .ps1 files offers a "Run with PowerShell" option.
• New GIFs in the emoji panel in China

Honestly, I really like a search box on top of the start menu but really dislike the option to move it to left, I am sure that there are a lot of users who would feel more like at home if they could still move and set Windows to function and work how they want. It is very strange to me that Windows 10 was made to be so user-focused and been able to be user specific and Windows 1 takes most of these things away. I am not sure why Microsoft is going this way but I cannot really see how moving the taskbar on left is a programming issue or why it is wrong for example.

PrivateSearchPlus is a browser extension that redirects all your searches through yonto. This way the extension claims you are browsing privately.

From the author: Search the web without tracking your search history or any personally identifiable information Access quickly to popular websites with icons sliding from this homepage is easy speedy and accessed ..Google Search, Yahoo, Aol, Facebook, Amazon, eBay, and more from all world without login However, PrivateSearchPlus monitors your browsing activity, the websites you visit, the links you click, and stores personal information that is later sent to server ads. This extension changes your default search engine to Yonto, it displays additional unwanted ads, may display pop-up ads, and hijacks your home page. Several anti-virus scanners have classified this extension as a Browser Hijacker and are therefore not recommended to keep on your computer.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is actually a type of unwanted program, commonly a web browser add-on or extension, which causes modifications in web browser’s settings. There are several reasons why you might have a browser hijack; but commercial, marketing, and advertising are the main purposes for their creation. In general, hijackers are made for the benefit of internet hackers often through income generation from forced ad clicks and site visits. Nonetheless, it’s not that innocent. Your web safety is compromised and it is also very irritating. Browser hijackers could also allow other vicious programs without your knowledge to further damage your computer.

How to know if your browser has been hijacked

When your web browser is hijacked, the following might happen: your browser’s homepage is suddenly different; you see new unwanted favorites or bookmarks added, usually directed to advertisement-filled or pornography websites; the default browser settings have been changed, and/or your default search engine is altered; you see unsolicited new toolbars added; you notice numerous ads show up on your web browsers or display screen; webpages load slowly and at times incomplete; Inability to navigate to particular sites, especially antivirus and also other security software websites.

So how does a browser hijacker infect a computer?

Browser hijackers might use drive-by downloads or file-sharing websites or an e-mail attachment in order to reach a targeted computer. They could also come from add-on applications, also referred to as browser helper objects (BHO), web browser extensions, or toolbars. Other times you may have unintentionally accepted a browser hijacker as part of a software program bundle (usually freeware or shareware). Some of the most well-known hijackers are EasySearchPlus, Babylon Toolbar, Conduit Search, OneWebSearch, Sweet Page, and CoolWebSearch. The presence of any browser hijacker malware on your system might drastically diminish the web browsing experience, monitor your internet activities that lead to major privacy concerns, produce system stability problems and ultimately cause your PC to slow down or to a nearly unusable state.

Browser Hijacker Malware – Removal

Some browser hijacking could be quite easily stopped by finding and eliminating the corresponding malware program from your control panel. Sadly, many of the software programs used to hijack an internet browser are intentionally created to be hard to detect or remove. Inexperienced PC users shouldn’t ever try for the manual form of removal methods, as it demands thorough computer knowledge to do repairs on the computer registry and HOSTS file.

What to Do if Virus Stops You From Downloading Or Installing Anything?

Malware can cause all sorts of damage once they invade your PC, ranging from stealing your personal details to erasing data files on your computer. Certain malware types alter internet browser settings by adding a proxy server or modify the computer’s DNS configuration settings. In these instances, you will be unable to visit certain or all websites, and therefore unable to download or install the necessary security software to get rid of the computer virus. So what to do if malware keeps you from downloading or installing Safebytes Anti-Malware? There are some options you can try to get around with this particular problem.

Install in Safe Mode with Networking

If the malware is set to load at Windows startup, then booting in Safe Mode should avoid it. Since only the minimal applications and services start-up in “Safe Mode”, there are rarely any reasons for issues to take place. You will need to do the following to eliminate malware in Safe mode. 1) Press the F8 key repeatedly as soon as your PC boots, however, before the big Windows logo appears. This will conjure up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Use the arrow keys to choose Safe Mode with Networking and press ENTER. 3) Once this mode loads, you should have the internet. Now, make use of your web browser to download and install Safebytes. 4) After installation, run a complete scan and let the software program get rid of the threats it detects.

Obtain the antivirus program using an alternate web browser

Web-based viruses could be environment-specific, aiming for a specific browser or attacking particular versions of the browser. The best way to overcome this problem is to pick a browser that is well known for its security measures. Firefox contains built-in Phishing and Malware Protection to help keep you secure online.

Create a portable USB antivirus for eliminating malware

Another method is to download and transfer an antivirus application from a clean computer to run a scan on the affected computer. Follow these steps to employ a flash drive to fix your corrupted computer. 1) Download Safebytes Anti-Malware or Microsoft Windows Defender Offline onto a clean computer. 2) Plug the Thumb drive into the uninfected computer. 3) Double click on the downloaded file to open the installation wizard. 4) Choose a thumb drive as the place when the wizard asks you where you wish to install the software. Do as instructed on the screen to finish off the installation process. 5) Now, plug the pen drive into the infected system. 6) Double-click the anti-malware program EXE file on the thumb drive. 7) Press the “Scan” button to run a full computer scan and remove malware automatically.

A Look at the Best Anti-Malware Program

To help protect your computer from various internet-based threats, it is very important to install an anti-malware program on your computer system. However, with so many anti-malware companies in the market, these days it is tough to decide which one you should obtain for your personal computer. A few are very good ones, some are ok types, while some are just fake anti-malware programs that can ruin your PC themselves! You have to pick a product that has got a good reputation and detects not only computer viruses but other sorts of malware as well. While considering the reliable applications, Safebytes Anti-Malware is certainly the strongly recommended one. SafeBytes is a highly effective, real-time anti-spyware application that is created to assist regular computer users in safeguarding their computers from malicious internet threats. With its cutting-edge technology, this software will allow you to get rid of several types of malware like computer viruses, PUPs, trojans, worms, adware, ransomware, and browser hijackers. SafeBytes anti-malware takes computer protection to a totally new level with its advanced features. Some of them are given as below: Real-Time Protection: SafeBytes provides an entirely hands-free live protection that is set to check, prevent and get rid of all computer threats at its very first encounter. It will continuously monitor your computer for hacker activity and also gives users advanced firewall protection. Anti-Malware Protection: Safebytes is based on the best virus engine within the industry. These engines can detect and eliminate threats even during the initial phases of a malware outbreak. Web Security: SafeBytes checks the links present on a webpage for possible threats and notifies you whether the website is safe to view or not, through its unique safety rating system. “Fast Scan” Abilities: Safebytes Anti-Malware, using its enhanced scanning engine, offers extremely fast scanning which can promptly target any active online threat. Light-weight: SafeBytes is a lightweight and easy-to-use anti-virus and antimalware solution. As it uses very low computer resources, this tool leaves the computer power exactly where it belongs to: with you actually. 24/7 Live Expert Support: For any technical questions or product support, you may get 24/7 professional assistance via chat and e-mail.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you wish to manually remove PrivateSearchPlus without the use of an automated tool, it may be possible to do so by removing the program from the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser extensions, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. You will likely also want to reset your browser. To ensure the complete removal, manually check your hard drive and registry for all of the following and remove or reset the values accordingly. Please note that this is for advanced users only and may be difficult, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. In addition, some malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. Doing this in Safe Mode is advised.

The following files, folders, and registry entries are created or modified by PrivateSearchPlus

What is Bandoo?

Bandoo application, specifically product version 5.0.2.4762, is a bundled program. What does this mean? Simply, Bandoo, upon installation, installs additional programs, extensions, and add-ons to a computer and computer’s browser, without the knowledge of the user. This version of Bandoo concentrates on providing features for entertainment and also functionality/tools for backing up your computer files. Once executed, the file installs the iLivid Download Manager Software. Additional tools installed within the bundle include a Movie Toolbar and the thriving search engine ‘Ask.com.’ Technical details about Bandoo include: 

Digital Signature/Publisher:  Bandoo Media, Inc. Product Version: 5.0.2.4762 Entry Point:  0x000038AF

Assessment of Bandoo Potentially Unwanted Program

Interestingly, before the installation of Bandoo product version 5.0.2.4762 was complete, Spyhunter detected that the software was a PUP. After the installation was complete, product version 5.0.2.4762 of Bandoo added add-ons and extensions to both Internet Explorer and Chrome Browsers (these were the only 2 browsers used within the assessment). These appeared in the form of a Movie toolbar, providing quick access to movie trailers, reviews, ratings, and other video functionality, and ‘Ask’ (Ask.com) search engine.

Areas of Infiltration by Bandoo

Bandoo product version 5.0.2.4762 infiltrated several areas of the computer system. After installation, folders were neatly placed as files within all programs. Within “All Programs” there were 3 newly added programs. These included:

• iLivid
• Movies Search App for Chrome
• Movies Search App for Internet Explorer

The iLiVid application seems to be the main offer while the others, namely Movies App for Internet Explorer by Ask was featured as promotions or advertisements. Additionally, just below the 'END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT AND PRIVACY POLICY' a request was made that the user set Ask.com as both their homepage, new tab, and default search engine. This is just another well-concocted plan to get Internet users onto the 'Ask.com' search engine. Along with the 3 programs installed as a bundle,  a new folder was found within the computer's local drive. This program was termed OLBPre.

What is OLBPre?

OLBPre.exe is reputed as dangerous adware that weakens the security settings of a computer system. It's also covertly used for dropping files on a targeted computer, often without the user's consent or knowledge.

Manual Steps for Removal of Movie Search Apps

I found this removal pretty simple. Depending on your Operating System, there will be slight discrepancies in the manual removal steps. Using the Windows 8 (8.1) OS on your computer:

• Step 1: from your desktop, right-click on the ‘Start Button’.  A menu box will then appear.
• Step 2: from the menu box, click ‘Search’.
• Step 3: enter “Programs and Features” within the Input Box.
• Step 4: locate the installed apps. You should be able to see “Movies Search App for Chrome” & “Movies Search App for Internet Explorer”.
• Step 5: right-click on the names of the Apps (the ones you want to remove) when you’ve located them.
• Note: you will have to remove the apps one after the other.
• Step 6: after right-clicking the app, click the uninstall option (probably the only option available anyway).
• Note: If a box appears asking If you wish to ‘block’ or ‘allow’, select the allow option. That’s just the Publisher’s way to annoy you out of uninstalling the app.
• Step 7: follow instructions until the app is fully removed.
• Step 8: Repeat steps for the other app.

Since Bandoo also changed your search engine, you’ll have to reset that manually for Internet Explorer and Chrome. Follow the steps below:

• Step 1: Open your Internet Explorer browser.
• Step 2: Click the tool option located in the top right-hand corner of the page.
• Step 3: Click the “Internet Options” option.
• Step 4: Under the “General” tab, you’ll be able to see approximately 3 buttons. Click the button labeled ‘Use Default”.
• Step 5: At the bottom right-hand corner of the pop-up menu, select the “Apply” button and “OK”. That should do the trick.

Removal for Chrome Extension

This removal is simple.

• Step 1: Open your Chrome browser.
• Step 2: A pop-up box will be visible.
• Step 3: Click the “Remove from Chrome” option.

After removing the extensions/add-ons, perform another scan with Spyhunter. You’ll pick up a few threats. The second scan should clear up everything. To completely remove Bandoo from your computer, click here to download and install Spyhunter.