One of the most useful utilities on a Windows 10 computer is the Windows File Explorer. It is undeniably one of the File Managers out there full of features on all the platforms. However, it is not without its issues and one of the most common ones most users encounter is when you are trying to open a folder or a location on File Explorer and it displays a message saying, “Working on it…” as it tries to load the content of that location or folder. This kind of issue mainly occurs to computers that run on an HDD although that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen to other computers that run an SDD.
And so if the File Explorer on your Windows 10 computer keeps getting stuck on the “Working on it…” message along with a green animation bar moving very slowly while loading the contents of the folder, then it’s best if you follow the options given below to resolve this problem.
Option 1 – Try deleting the contents of the Automatic Destinations folder
Tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run utility.
And then type “%AppData%MicrosoftWindowsRecentAutomaticDestinations” and hit Enter to open this location.
From there, select all the files and tap the Shift + Delete key combination.
After that, you will get a prompt that will ask you if you want to delete all the files permanently, just click on Yes. This will delete all the Quick Access cache.
Now check if you can now open a folder or a location without the “Working on it…” message.
Option 2 – Try to rebuild the Search Index
First, open the Indexing Options using the Search bar.
Next, click on the appropriate listing, e.g. Users folder.
After that, click on the Advanced button. This will open a mini-sized window and from there, go to the Index Settings tab.
Then click on the “Rebuild” option under the Troubleshooting section.
Now click on OK after the rebuilding is completed. This should rebuild the search index for all the files and thus, fix the File Explorer stuck on the “Working on it…” message.
Option 3 – Try to optimize the folder for General Items
You might also want to try optimizing the folder for General Items as it can help the File Explorer to load the contents faster.
Just right click on the folder that takes time to load the contents in it and is showing the “Working on it…” message.
After that, click on Properties to open the Properties mini window.
From there, go to the Customize tab and click on the drop-down menu to “Optimize this folder for” under the “What kind of folder do you want?” section and then select General Items.
Then check the checkbox with a label that says, “Also apply this template to all subfolders” and click on the OK button to save the changes.
Restart File Explorer and check if the problem is now fixed or not.
Option 4 – Try performing a System Restore
Running System Restore can also help you resolve whatever issue that’s causing the “Working on it…” message. 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.
There are instances when the Windows 10 installation needs interaction before it reaches the file process. And so if you suddenly encounter the Windows Update Installation Failure 0x80240020 error under the Windows Update History, then you need to get it fixed.
When you encounter this kind of Windows Update Error, you will see an error message that says, “The operation did not complete because there is no logged-on interactive user”. This error also indicates the “WU_E_NO_INTERACTIVE_USER” code. To resolve this issue, in this post we’ll walk you through a couple of steps but before you get started, know that you don’t have to run any troubleshooter or delete any file just to fix this error since all you have to do is enable one option that can automatically login with your account and complete the installation for you. With that said, just make sure to only try running Windows Update once you’re told to do so.
There are two ways you can enable the option that could resolve the Windows Update Installation Failure 0x80240020 error. One is via Settings while the second one is via Registry Editor.
Option 1 – via Settings
Step 1: Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in Options.
Step 2: From there, toggle on the “Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device and reopen my apps after an update or restart” option.
Step 3: After that, it will make sure that the interaction part is removed from the Windows Update process.
Note: If your device is joined in a domain or if some work or email policies are applied to your device by your company or organization, then you wouldn’t be able to see this option in Settings and that’s where the Registry Editor comes in. Just make sure that you’re logged in as an administrator and that you create a System Restore Point first since registry hacks are sensitive and could highly impact how your computer behaves or functions. Once you have that covered, follow the steps below.
Option 2 – via Registry Editor
Step 1: In the Start search, type “Regedit” and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Step 2: Navigate to the following registry key:
Note: If the above-given registry key does not exist, you can simply create it. All you have to do is right-click on the WindowsUpdate key and then select the New Key option and type “OSUpgrade” as its name. Afterward, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it “AllowOSUpgrade” and set its value to 0x00000001.
Step 3: Restart your computer and check if the error is now fixed. And then try to update your Windows 10 computer again and while you’re at it, make sure that you’re around your computer to interact with the prompts needed to complete the installation process.
Instaling and removing applications from your Windows can sometimes leave some traces that are unpleasant and can cause annoyances. One of these annoyances is the program in the startup section of the task manager.
If you ever opened task manager and went into the startup section trying to disable some of the startup items on your Windows boot there might be a chance that you have experienced and seen a program without any icon or information about it just sitting there.
This is due to some applications being removed from the system but for some reason, it still shows itself in startup and it is quite annoying. So here we will show you how to get rid of this annoyance so your startup is clean again without junk in it.
Removing a program from startup
Locating the source of the issue
The first thing of course is to open the task manager itself and navigate to the startup tab. Inside the startup tab right-click on the column header and tick or enable Startup type and command line. Now you will see the location of the supposed file (that is missing or you could just go there by right-clicking on the item, but here it is greyed).
99% of the time startup type will be registry since the file is missing, if it was a file fix would be just to simply delete the file in the folder but since it was installed and not properly removed registry key is still present but the file cannot be found. After confirmation that the file is indeed missing and that the startup type is registry open the registry editor by typing Regedit in search and pressing enter.
Removing the key from registry
Inside Registry editor navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. Inside on right part, you will see all auto-start entries added by installed applications.
Locate one that is causing issues by comparing its path with the path inside the task manager command line and delete the key. Once the key is deleted right-click on RUN on the left part and choose HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to quickly jump on that key location and repeat the process of key deletion if needed. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE will delete startup entry for all users and sometimes entry will not be present here since the application is not installed for all users or there are no other users on the machine.
After the procedure is finished, reboot your systems in order to apply changes.
The Windows 10 Telemetry and Data Collection features are auto-enabled and they collect all sorts of user activity and sends it to Microsoft. Microsoft says that the data collected only enhances the overall user experience and Windows functionality better but the number of data breaches happening across the globe has forced users to be extra cautious about their data privacy. So naturally, from stronger passwords and other services management, it is only logical to turn off Windows data gathering.
To do so:
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog.
In the Run dialog type: taskschd.msc
Press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER key combo to open Task Scheduler in admin mode.
On the left pane, navigate to the: Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Customer Experience Improvement Program
At the location, on the middle pane, right-click on the task named Consolidator and select Disable from the context menu...
Repeat the process with all other tasks listed in the middle pane.
If you suddenly encounter the SPECIAL POOL DETECTED MEMORY CORRUPTION Blue Screen error with a bug check value of “0x000000C1” while you are using your computer then it might be due to some problem with the hardware of your Windows 10 computer. According to security experts, it is most likely caused by the physical RAM which could be due to some error in the Realtek driver for Wireless USB 2.0 as well as corruption of the files inside the RAM, and so on.
This kind of problem indicates that the driver wrote to an invalid section of the special pool. On the other hand, system files like the rtwlanu.sys or nvlddmkm.sys can also trigger the SPECIAL_POOL_DETECTED_MEMORY_CORRUPTION Blue Screen error.
To resolve this Blue Screen error, you can use the options provided below as reference but before you do that, make sure to create a System Restore point first. After you have that covered, proceed to the given options below.
Option 1 – Delete the settings of the Driver Verifier Manager
Open the Driver Verifier Manager using the Start search.
After that, select or click on the “Delete existing settings” option and then click on Finish.
Reboot your computer and see if it fixes the Blue Screen error or not.
Option 2 – Try to update or 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 “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.
From the list of Network Drivers, look for “Realtek <Model> Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC” and then right-click on it and select Update Driver.
Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the BSOD error.
Note: If you see any of the following entries under the Network drivers, you might want to download their latest available versions from each one of their manufacturer’s websites.
Realtek High-Definition (HD) Audio Driver
Realtek Card Reader Driver
Realtek Local Area Network (LAN) Driver
On the other hand, if updating the Network driver didn’t help, you can also try to roll back to its previous version.
Open the Device Manager again and then look for Network Drivers.
Next, select Realtek <Model> Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC from the list of Network Drivers and then 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 the Realtek driver.
Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 3 – Try running the ChkDsk utility
You can also run the ChkDsk utility to fix the SPECIAL_POOL_DETECTED_MEMORY_CORRUPTION Blue Screen error.
First, open This PC and right-click on your operating system partition for Windows.
Next, click on Properties and navigate to the Tools tab.
Then click on Check under the Error Checking section.
After that, a new mini window will be opened and from there click on Scan drive and let it scan your disk drive partition for any errors and then restart your computer.
Option 4 – Use the Windows Memory Diagnostics
Since the problem has something to do with the physical RAM, you need to use Windows Memory Diagnostics. To run it, refer to these steps:
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
Once your computer has restarted, perform a basic scan or you could also go for the “Advanced” options such as “Test mix” or “Pass count”. Simply tap the F10 key to start the test.
Note: After you select the option, your PC will restart and check for memory-based issues. If it finds any issues, it will automatically fix them.
Option 5 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter
The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like SPECIAL_POOL_DETECTED_MEMORY_CORRUPTION. It can be found in 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.
As you know, installing Windows 10 is quite a complicated process in the background even though it may look like an easy task in the foreground. There are times when the setup is stuck on the “Hi there” screen where you won’t be able to input any information in the fields given and you wouldn’t be able to do anything else since the screen does not move ahead.
There are a lot of possible reasons why this issue occurs. It could be due to a damaged setup image, invalid boot configuration, and many more. To resolve this problem, there are several options you can check out. You can try to get a new setup image or run the Automatic Repair or you could also try to recreate the Boot Configuration files or BCD. To get started in checking out these solutions, make sure to follow the instructions provided below.
Option 1 – Try to run the Automatic Repair Utility
You might also want to use Automatic Repair in fixing the error. To do so, follow the steps below.
You can start by creating and booting from a bootable Windows 10 USB Stick.
After that, click on Repair your computer located on the bottom left corner when you are on the initial Windows Startup screen.
Next, click on Troubleshoot, and then on the other screen, click the Startup Repair option.
Now select the operating system you want to repair. Once you do that, it will start to repair your operating system. Wait until the process is completed and then check if the problem’s now fixed.
Option 2 – Try to rebuild the BCD files
You can also try rebuilding the BCD files to resolve stuck screen issue in your Windows 10 computer.
You can start by booting into the installation environment for Windows 10 from an installation media.
After that, click on Repair your computer and on the blue screen, select Troubleshoot and then select the Advanced options menu.
From there, select Command Prompt and once you open it, enter each one of the commands given below by sequence.
bootrec /FixMbr
bootrec /FixBoot
bootrec /ScanOS
bootrec /RebuildBcd
Once you’re done executing the commands given above, type “exit” to close the Command Prompt window and then restart your computer and see if it fixed error code 0xc000014c.
Option 3 – Try recreating the Windows 10 installation USB
Recreating the Windows 10 installation USB might help in fixing the problem. You can use a USB drive to do so but make sure that it has a great read-write speed. Follow the steps below to recreate Windows 10 installation USB”
Click this link and then click the Download Tool Now button.
Next, click the “Use the tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file)…” option and follow the next given instructions on the screen.
Now select the ISO file option in step 5.
After that, you should now have an ISO file.
Next, go to the location where you’ve downloaded the ISO file.
Then right-click on the Windows 10 ISO file and select the Open with option and then select File Explorer.
Now click on “setup.exe” and follow the next instructions that appear on the screen. When asked, you have to select either Nothing (clean install) or Keep personal files only option. Take note that you must not select the “Keep personal files, apps, and Windows settings since it doesn’t really work.
Option 4 – Try getting a new Windows image file
If none of the four given options above worked, you might want to get a newer installation image using the Windows Media Creation tool. After that, create the bootable USB drive and once completed and then try to run the Windows 10 setup again.
If you encounter an error while trying to burn files to a CD or disk on your Windows 10 computer, stating, “Windows Media Player cannot burn some of the files”, read on as this post will guide you in fixing the error.
Here’s the complete error message:
“Windows Media Player cannot burn some of the files. To investigate the problem, click the icon next to the files in the burn list.”
As you know, the Windows Media Player helps you burn songs or audio files to CD or disk but it does not always end up successfully as you could encounter some setbacks such as this particular error. Usually, this kind of issue occurs if an audio file does not comply with some restrictions so the Windows Media Player pops up this error instead. You can encounter this error message if:
You include a file that’s not an audio file.
If the total time limit exceeds 80 minutes (even though a CD has 700 MB storage capacity, you can’t burn audio of more than 80 minutes long)
To resolve the error, you have to remove the unsupported files from the burning list, change the burning speed or execute some tweaks in the Privacy settings. For more details, refer to the instructions provided below.
Option 1 – Get rid of the unsupported files from the burning list
You must get rid of the unsupported files from the list of files to burn. This list can be found on the right-hand side of the Windows Media Player. One of the indications that a file is causing problems is when there is a white cross in a red circle next to the file. You can simply click on that icon to remove the file from the burning list. Once you’ve gotten rid of all the unsupported files, try to burn your files to the CD or disk once more.
Option 2 – Try to modify the Privacy settings
In case you don’t know, the Windows Media Player comes with privacy settings that help you in various situations. However, on rare occasions, those settings could also trigger errors and this might be the one that’s causing the “Windows Media Player cannot burn some of the files” to pop up. Thus, you can try disabling these options to resolve the error. How? Refer to these steps:
Open the Windows Media Player.
Then go to Tools > Options. If you aren’t able to find the Tools menu, just tap the Ctrl + M keys. On the other hand, you can also tap the Alt key to display the menu options.
Once you’ve opened the Options window, go to the Privacy tab where you can the “Enhanced Playback and Device Experience” section.
In this section, you can find the following options. Make sure to disable them all.
Display media information from the Internet
Update music files by retrieving media info from the Internet
Download usage rights automatically when I play or sync a file
Automatically check if protected files need to be refreshed
Set clock on devices automatically
After you disable the options listed above, click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made and then try to burn the files again.
Option 3 – Try to change the burning speed
Since the burning speed is set to fastest by default, you can try to change the burning speed to resolve the problem. All you have to do is open the Options window and then go to the Burn tab. From there, select either Medium or Slow burning speed and save the changes made. Now try to burn your files to the CD or disk once again.
Gaming can be sometimes a very cheap hobby, sometimes can be really expensive. It really depends on your preferences or gaming habits. So for all of you game spenders, we have compiled a little list of WEB sites where you can find games cheap.
Provided sites are checked ones and not scam. You can purchase without concern. Also, note that some of these sites will require you to create an account in order to be able to make a purchase.
List of WEB sites for cheap purchases
Is There Any Deal
https://isthereanydeal.com/
Is there any deal really behaves as it sounds, it is basically a search engine tailored to find existing deals on required games. Type in the desired game and see if anywhere you can find a deal on it. The site also features wait for better price options as well as the price history of the game and the trend of its sales.
Cheap Shark
https://www.cheapshark.com/
On cheap shark by typing game name, you will get its listing on different online retailers, like Steam, EPIC, etc. so you can compare prices among them and pick the best deal. Site packs are also the cheapest ever feature so you can check the lowest price ever on the wished title and you can get alerts and notifications on prices.
Humble Bundle
https://www.humblebundle.com/
Humble bundle got famous for its pay what you want approach due to its origins where it was selling games and donate money to charities. Even today they go by this logic once they decide to place great games on sale for charity purposes and you can donate any amount you wish (there is the minimum amount, but it is very cheap). And regular cheap bundles make this site one of the best out there.
Fanatical
https://www.fanatical.com/
Fanatical is a site that will offer you to get titles in a bundle with a discount, the good stuff is that you can create your own bundle and get a discount on bulk purchases. And the site also offers flash deals and holds sales where you can buy stuff cheaper.
Slick Deals
https://slickdeals.net/deals/games/
If you are looking for the best deals on daily basis slick deals is the site for you. We could not found a better website that offers cheaper deals on a daily basis and you can subscribe to get notified in email about daily discounts.
Green Man Gaming
https://www.greenmangaming.com/
Green Man Gaming is one of the best stores and game discount sites out there, it might not be the cheapest but one very important thing about it is that keys for Stream and Xbox come directly from the game publisher so you can rest assured that they are all 100% legal and do not come from some third party benefits and resellers.
And that's it for now. We hope to see you again on our site for more articles and error fixing tips.
As you know, a Virtual Private Network or VPN is used to access a particular network from another network which is why it is also referred to as a mini-internet. Moreover, you can use it in two ways. One, you can use it to get you access to a closed server which means that you would not be getting access to the internet. Second, you can also use it to access a set of resources while at the same time get access to the internet. However, what if you want to access your resources at home even when you’re away? And what if you want to use the private server at home or at your office even when you’re away? This is where the callout for a VPN server for yourself comes in. And so in this post, you will be guided in how you can create a public VPN server on your Windows 10 computer. Follow each one of the given steps below to get started.
Step 1: Find your IP address.
This step is rather simple since all you have to do is open Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. From there, click on “Local Area Connection” and then click on Details where you’ll see your IP address next to “Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address”.
Step 2: Next, set up port forwarding on your router.
In this step, you will have to configure port forwarding in your router so that you would be able to connect to the VPN server through a public network like the internet.
Log in to the Admin Panel of your router. You have to do this since your router will be the gateway for your access to the network.
After you’re logged in, look for the “Port Forwarding” or “Applications and Gaming” or “NAT/QoS” menu tab and other similar names.
Now you need to set the port number to 1723 for connections based on Point to Point Tunneling Protocol.
Then save the configuration and reboot your router.
Step 3: Set up a VPN server on Windows 10.
In the Cortana search box, type “ncpa.cpl” and click on the related entry from the search results.
After that, tap the Alt + F keys to bring down the File Menu and then select New Incoming Connection which will open a mini window where you can allow the user accounts on the particular machine to access the VPN connection.
On the other hand, you can also click the “Add someone” button so that you can add someone else to the whitelist that can access the connection.
Now click on Next and you’ll see an option to select how people will connect to the network. Check the checkbox for the “Through the Internet” option.
After that, you will see a page where you have to configure the network. Just select IPv4 and then click on Properties.
From there, you will be asked to continue some additional settings like letting users access your Local Area Network or how IP addresses will be allocated to these users. Click on OK to save the changes you’ve made.
Click on Allow Access after you configure the network. And if you want to, you have the option to print this information for future reference or for the client machine.
Now click on Close to exit the configuration process.
Step 4:Allow the VPN Connections through the firewall
In this step, you will have to allow the VPN connections through the firewall.
In the Cortana search box, type “Allow an app through Windows Firewall” and click on the related search result to open the intended Windows Firewall settings.
Next, click on Change Settings.
Then scroll down to check if Routing and Remote Access is Enabled for both the Public and Private networks and click on OK.
Step 5: Set up a VPN connection on Windows 10
Now all that’s left for you to do is to set up a VPN connection on Windows 10.
Go to Settings > Network and Internet.
From the list of options given, click on VPN located on the left pane to see the related settings.
After that, click on the “+” icon to add a VPN connection.
Next, select Windows Default under VPN Provider and under the Connection Name, input your VPN’s name, and then enter the IP address you got from the VPN service provider under the Server name or address section.
Now select PPTP under VPN type since it is the most commonly used protocol for VPNs.
Afraid of the growing threats online? As you should be. But we’re here to show you what kinds of malware are out there and what you can do to keep them at bay.
Malware definition
Malware comes from the term malicious software. It’s software designed to attack and exploit devices and networks to the advantage of the hacker who made it.
Malware can be transmitted in different ways. Most commonly this happens via infected USB drives, downloadable files or malicious websites. Depending on the type and ultimate goal, the consequences of a malware attack can range from negligible to catastrophic.
Credit: Ed Hardie on Unsplash
What kinds of malware are there?
1. Virus
A virus is typically spread via infected files, websites or links. It’s one of the oldest malware types and one of the most difficult to get rid of. That’s because, once activated, it replicates itself - hence the name.
It can perform different kinds of attacks, depending on what the creator wants to achieve. The main characteristic of a virus is that it really doesn’t show itself until you activate the host. So that’s a scary thought for sure.
2. Adware
Sometimes an ad blocker isn’t enough to fight off unwanted ads. And some of them can, unfortunately, be malicious. They may redirect you to infected sites or prompt downloads of risky files. Even just opening a malicious site can lead to data theft.
So, definitely be careful when clicking around. Even if an ad seems completely legitimate, you can never be too sure.
3. Ransomware
Through ransomware, cybercriminals gain access to a user’s data and use it to extort them for money. Basically, the user is threatened with data deletion or even exposure if a ransom isn’t paid by a specific deadline.
This is a particularly nerve-wracking type of malware. If it targets an individual, it preys upon their sense of anxiety, fear, guilt and even shame. If it targets a business (which is a lot more common), it preys upon not only that business’s profit but also every single one of their customers and their data.
4. Trojans
This type of malware disguises itself very well as a legitimate-looking program. Once you download it, hackers can get full access and control of your device, data and network. They can even be hidden in games, apps and attachments. They cannot self-replicate, though, so we guess that’s… good news?
5. Worms
Worms can replicate, just like viruses, but you don’t need to actually activate the infected program for them to get going. They can be used for various purposes, ranging from data deletion to file encryption to support a ransomware attack.
Credit: Growtika on Unsplash
6. Spyware
Spyware refers to malicious software that stays hidden on your computer and monitors your activity. The best-known type is keyloggers. This can be used to steal sensitive data like passwords and banking information.
7. Rootkits
Rootkits are among the most dangerous types of malware. They allow administrative access and full control of a device, which lets hackers continue hijacking all your data and monitoring your activity without your knowledge.
8. Botnets
Botnets are networks made up of bots - computers that cybercriminals have infected with malicious software. Bots and botnets give hackers remote access to users’ devices and allow them to spy on your camera, take screenshots, memorize passwords and launch Distributed Denial of Service attacks. This one truly makes your hair stand on end.
What can you do about it?
You know the old adage - better safe than sorry. And trust us, malware attacks are such a pain in the you-know-what that you really don’t want to be sorry.
Luckily, there are simple solutions that can shield you from most digital threats these days. What you want to be looking at is a solid antivirus program. Well, technically, you need an antimalware program, but since the latter evolved from the former, we still mostly refer to them as antivirus software. The majority of antimalware programs these days don’t just shield you from potential risks online, but include additional features as well. For example, some Bitdefender antivirus packages also include parental control and a VPN. And Bitdefender is not just for PCs either - it offers protection for your beloved iPhone or Android as well. You can throw in a password manager in there too, for an additional layer of security.
Credit: Dan Nelson on Unsplash
If you aren’t too concerned about all these various threats or feel like you don’t need extra security, you can at least take a step to protect your information from being exposed to lurking cybercriminals as you’re browsing. This can be done through a good VPN like Surfshark, which hides your identity in the digital space and prevents your data from being tracked.
Choosing the right protective software is especially important if you have children with access to the Internet, since they’re unfortunately even more vulnerable to malicious attacks. If you aren’t sure what the right kind of antimalware program is right for you, you can reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help keep your entire household or office digitally secure.
The bottom line
The truth is that there’s no way to be 100% protected in the online world. Hackers are constantly coming up with new ways to infiltrate our devices. But malware-battling software evolves along with them and there’s still plenty you can do to keep risks away. Stay safe!
Hello everyone, last time we were talking about disk cleanup and its benefits, but as you need to keep your System clean you should also clean and keep your hardware clean as well. Many system issues could be traced and could happen due to dirty PC. In this article, we will give you tips on how to perform safely cleaning on your computer and hopefully point good sides to it so you can develop a healthy habit of regularly cleaning it and keeping it tidy.
Keeping your PC clean is not rocket science and you can do it with things you already and probably have in your house. One thing that I would recommend tho to purchase is antistatic gloves since they could prevent any kind of electrostatic discharges thus protecting your electric components.
If you have the option to disconnect your PC and get it outdoors, I would highly recommend this approach since all the dust will be dusted outside and not in the room where your computer is. If you can not it is still ok, but since some portion of dust will be set in the room, you might need to dust your room after cleaning your computer.
Cleaning outside case & redusting inside
The first thing after disconnecting your computer is to dust it from outside, here you will need a vacuum cleaner and a brush, gently brush outside dust from your casing and vacuum it with your vacuum cleaner. You can use dustcloth for larger parts but use the brush for fans and connectors.
After you have done cleaning the outside part, open the side of your computer casing, put on your antistatic gloves, and get a fine and soft brush, repeat dusting and vacuuming of the inner parts of your computer. If your computer is not regularly been cleaned this part will take a little longer since there would be excess dust inside and it will take a longer time to vacuum it all but keep going until you are left with no dirt.
Cleaning it inside
Fans are troublesome to clean since they will rotate when brushed and that could make you miss certain sports, in order to battle this get a tape and stick the fan into one position, brush areas that you can reach, then unstick it, rotate the head, stick it again in another position and dust off remaining areas which you could not reach before.
If your computer is very dirty and some hard dirt is at bottom of the connectors, disconnect desired component and clean the connection properly. plug it back in immediately after cleaning to avoid connecting it somewhere else.
Harder stains that could not be dusted could be cleaned with little alcohol. Get your dustcloth just a little wet with alcohol, just a corner, and gently wipe out sticky dust or spills if they are present. Leave it 10 minutes for alcohol to evaporate before plugging it back into an electric socket.
Thermal paste and cable management
If you have money and expertise, every 2 years would be a good idea to change the thermal paste on your processor, all you need to do is buy it from your local computer store online, remove the CPU fan clean the CPU and bottom of the fan and apply new thermal paste, place fan back and lock it. If you do not have expertise in this area, call someone who has to show you how it is done.
When cleaning it would be a good idea if you do not have any cable management to do it now, nice and tidy cables not only look good, they also improve your air circulation inside your casing making your computer cooling better.
once you are done with it, close back the casing side and plug it back in the wall.
Peripherals
When you are cleaning your computer, do yourself a favor and clean your keyboard, mouse, and screen as well. the keyboard can be quickly cleaned with compressed air in the can and screen and mouse with dustcloth.
That's it, remember, keep your PC clean and tidy and enjoy the benefits of non-hardware malfunctions caused by dirt and dust.