Best Free Stock Photo WEB sites of 2021

As you know, Microsoft constantly releases new updates with the main goal of fixing bugs as well as deliver users with new and exciting features. However, there are times when the latest update comes with an unwanted bug. One of these bugs is an error message saying, “Low Disk Space. You are running out of disk space on Local Disk (G:). Click here to see if you can free space on this drive.” So if you have recently installed a Windows 10 update, then you’ll most likely see a completely new drive on your computer which will appear right after the installation of the update and you’ll also start seeing the aforementioned error message. It gets irritating as this error message keeps on popping up even if you still have a lot of free space on your other drivers. Obviously, the main reason why this error message pops up all the time is the bug brought along by the Windows Update. This bug unhides the recovery partition drive and allocates it a drive letter which is why you are seeing a new drive in your computer. Thus, you can get rid of the pesky error message by simply removing the letter of the new drive. Just remember that you must not delete anything from the recovery partition drive nor format the drive. Formatting or deleting the recovery partition drive can heavily affect the recovery of Windows since the data on the drive is used by the Windows Recovery Environment or your system’s manufacturer. A lot of users have reported that removing the drive letter has resolved the issue. And if you worry that removing the drive letter will delete the drive, you are mistaken. This solution is basically harmless and is proven effective to make the notifications go away. Carefully follow the instructions below to get rid of the Low Disk Space notification by removing the drive letter.

• Step 1: Tap the Windows key once.
• Step 2: Next. In the Windows Start Search, type in “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and select the “Run as administrator” option or you could simply tap Win + R keys and then input “cmd” and hit Enter to open Command Prompt.
• Step 3: After opening Command Prompt, type in “diskpart” and tap Enter.
• Step 4: Next, type in “list volume” and tap Enter. After that, you will see a list of drives.
• Step 5: Take note of the letter associated with the newly created drive.
• Step 6: Afterwards, type in “select volume <drive letter>” and tap Enter. Take note that you must replace the <drive letter> with the drive letter you’ve found in Step 5.
• Step 7: Now type in “remove letter=<drive letter>” and then tap Enter. Once again, replace the <drive letter> with the letter you took note of in Step 5.

If you are familiar with the Dynamic Lock feature in Windows 10, then it has probably made it easier for you to lock your computer the instant you move away from it. This interesting feature does not need any special software like IR Cameras to use this feature as long as your Windows 10 computer supports Bluetooth which it most likely does. However there are times when the Dynamic lock feature is either missing or not working. When that happens, here are some suggestions that could help you. But before anything else, you need to create a System Restore point first since you will be modifying some critical system settings as well as registry files. After you’ve created a System Restore point, refer to the following options below to fix the issue with Dynamic Lock.

Option 1 – Try using the Settings app

• Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings app and then navigate to Accounts > Sing-in options.
• After that, scroll down until you see the Dynamic Lock section.
• Next, make sure that the checkbox for “Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you are away” is checked.
• Now that you’re all set, exit the Settings app.

Note: If for some reason the above-given solution didn’t work, you can try the next options below.

Option 2 – Try to pair your Bluetooth Device

If you get a message saying, “Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you are away” in the Notifications Center or in the Settings app, then you need to pair your Bluetooth device. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices.
• From there, make sure that Bluetooth is turned On and then pair your Bluetooth device.
• And if you open the Windows Defender Security Center, you will see the following message as well.
• Simply click on the Add Bluetooth device button and it will open the Bluetooth settings where you can also pair the device.

Option 3 – Try to reinstall or update the Bluetooth driver

The issue might have something to do with the Bluetooth drivers. It could be that it is outdated and needs to be updated or that you recently updated it and since then you have trouble removing the Bluetooth device and so to fix the issue, you can update, roll back or uninstall the Bluetooth drivers. How? Follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + X keys to open the Device Manager.
• Next, look for the Bluetooth device and right-click on it.
• Select the option “Update driver”.
• After that, a new popup window will appear. In there, select the option, “Search automatically for updated driver software”.

Note: Checking the update may take a few minutes so you’ll have to wait until it finishes. If it is able to find an update, you must install it. And if you want to reinstall the Bluetooth driver, just select the “Uninstall driver” option and follow the next on-screen instructions that follow.

Option 4 – Try to use the Registry Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• If a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click on Yes to proceed.
• After that, navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinlogon

• Next, look for a DWORD named “EnableGoodbye” located on the right-side panel and then make sure that its value is set to 1 which means that it is enabled while 0 indicates disabled.
• Now close the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made successfully.

Option 5 – Try checking the Group Policy setting

If your Windows 10 version has the Group Policy Editor, you can use it to fix the Dynamic Lock issue as well. Simply follow the steps below to use it.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “gpedit.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
• Next, navigate to the following path:

Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsWindows Hello for Business

• After that, look for an entry named “Configure dynamic lock factors” and double click on it to open a new window.
• Once you enable this Group Policy setting, the signal rules will be evaluated to detect the absence of a user and will lock the device automatically. On the other hand, if you disable or don’t configure this setting, you can continue locking your computer with existing locking options. Take note that it may be Not configured or Enabled but shouldn’t be set to Disabled.
• Now select the radio button for Enabled and set the Signal rules then click OK.
• Then exit the Group Policy Editor and restart your computer.

Error 2 - What is it?

Error 2 is a typical Battle.net error code. Battle.net is a desktop app that allows you to access all Blizzard games. It enables Blizzard gamers around the world to play multiplayer matches together, online. Error 2 occurs when you are unable to connect to the login server. This error code is displayed in the following format:

Battle.net Error #2: Unable to connect. Please try again later. If the problem persists, please contact technical support.

Solution

Error Causes

Error 2 may be triggered due to several reasons. These include:

• Program conflict
• Security software conflict
• Bad DNS cache entry
• Issues with network devices
• Viruses and malware
• Registry corruption

Error 2 is not a fatal error like the blue screen of death error codes. However, this error may hamper your ability to play Blizzard multi-player games. To overcome this problem it is advisable to fix error 2 immediately.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve this error you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to hire a professional and get it fixed. Here are some of the easy do-it-yourself methods to resolve this error on your PC. These methods require no technical expertise or knowledge. Let’s get started:

Method 1

Error 2 may sometimes pop up on the screen due to program conflict. This happens when you have Blizzard games and other programs running on your PC at the same time. In such a situation, it is advisable to close background applications to resolve conflicts between Blizzard games and other programs running in the background.

Method 2

Sometimes antivirus programs and firewalls can also hinder and interfere with the game’s connection to our servers. In this event, the best way to fix the error is to temporarily uninstall your security software.

Method 3

If error 2 is triggered by the issues with network devices then simply power cycle network devices to re-stabilize the connection. Power cycling router and modem allow you to reset and reestablish a connection to your ISP. To do this, shut down the computer then power down/unplug the router and the modem. Allow the modem to sit for 60 seconds, unplugged. Then turn it on and allow it to boot up till the front panel connection lights show a steady connection. Now turn on the router and do the same as you did with the modem. After that start the computer and allow it to completely boot up. Now try logging on to the Blizzard gaming server. This will hopefully resolve the issue.

Method 4

Viruses and malware infections can also trigger error 2. In such a situation install an antivirus and remove all malicious programs infecting your PC.

Method 5

If the cause of the error is related to registry corruption, then it is advisable to download Restoro. This is a user-friendly PC Fixer with a registry cleaner. The registry cleaner removes all unnecessary and obsolete files corrupting the registry, cleans and repairs the corrupted registry in a few minutes. Click here to download Restoro on your PC to resolve error 2. For further information you may be interested in these similar issues:

‘R6025 pure virtual function call’ is a runtime error that occurs suddenly on the screen and disrupts the program being run prior to it. This error display indicates that the program has been corrupted. R6025 runtime error usually occurs with the Visual C++ framework.

Solution

Error Causes

This error occurs when the C++ program crashes which is usually because of the malfunctioning or missing of the device driver or incomplete device driver files. It happens because your application indirectly calls a pure virtual member function in a context where a call to the function is invalid. Most of the time, the compiler detects it and reports it as an error when building the application. R6025 error is usually detected at run time.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To fix the R6025 pure virtual function call error, you need to find the call to the pure virtual function. After you find the call, you need to rewrite the code so that it is not called again. There are 2 ways to do this:

Alternative 1

One way to fix the R6025 pure virtual function call is to replace the function with an implementation that calls the Windows API function DebugBreak. The DebugBreak causes a hard-coded breakpoint. Once the code stops running at this breakpoint, it is easy for you to view the call stack. By viewing the call stack you can identify the place where the function was actually called.

Alternative 2

Another quick way to find a call to a pure virtual function to fix the R6025 error is to set a breakpoint on the _purecall function that is usually found in PureVirt.c. By breaking this function you can trace the problem occurring and rewrite the call to ensure the error does not occur and the program you are trying to develop on the Visual C++ framework is easily developed. If R6025 Error is related to Windows Registry Problem Then here’s how you can fix the problem: To fix the runtime error R6025, run registry cleaner software to scan and fix all errors.  This alternative is suitable if the R6025 error is related to the Windows registry problem and where the error has occurred due to corrupted or malicious registry entries. You can download the registry cleaner repair tool for free. Run it to scan errors and then click the fix error button to repair the problem immediately.

Code 0x800F0923 – What is it?

The Error Code 0x800F0923 is one that appears only when attempting to update from older versions of Microsoft Windows to Microsoft Windows 10. This error does not occur with every install and is believed to be the result of a driver incompatibility issue. It is unclear which specific drivers are having the compatibility issues, though it is widely believed that DuplexSecure's SPTD drivers are the ones at fault. When operating correctly, without errors, the update process should not take longer than 30 minutes. Common symptoms include:

• Error message window/pop-up during the install process, giving the Error Code 0x800F0923
• Inability to install and update from older versions of Microsoft Windows to version 10

Solution

Error Causes

There are various relevant factors associated with the error code 0x800F0923 incompatibility issue in Windows 10 installation/upgrade. These factors include but are not limited to:

• The Operating System (OS) upgrading does not support older hardware.
• Your computer’s specs did not meet the minimum requirements.
• Not enough hard disk space.
• The new software might lack software drivers for older hardware

Further Information and Manual Repair

Microsoft has recently released its Windows 10 operating system. While there are still a few kinks to be worked out, overall the reviews have been positive. As with any new Microsoft update, compatibility issues can arise. If you are unsure whether your current PC will be able to handle the new Windows 10, here is an easy way to check your system.

Method 1: Check if your computer is compatible

• Locate the “Get Windows 10” application icon in your notification tray (bottom right corner of your screen, white Windows logo).
• Right-click on this icon, then select the “check your upgrade status” option.
• Be prepared for the menu to take a few minutes to open.
• Click on the menu on the upper left-hand corner of this new dialog box. (It looks like three blue horizontal lines)
• Select “check your PC”
• After the system checks for compatibility, it will let you know whether or not your PC has the appropriate drivers, etc. (Keep in mind that this is not a foolproof method for checking compatibility status).

Method 2: Download or upgrade your drivers/software

If you have already attempted to update to Windows 10, and have received the Error Code 0x800F0923, this is the simplest way to solve the issue yourself.

1. Open the “Get Windows 10” application. 2. Open the menu in the upper left corner, looks like three blue lines. 3. Select “Check your PC”. 4. The system will tell you which drivers are incompatible. 5. Go to the Microsoft Support website to install and/or update the drivers that proved to be an issue. 6. Once the driver issue is corrected, retry the Windows 10 update.

Method 3: Create space on your computer

If your computer does not have sufficient space to accept the upgrade, you might want to clear up some space on your computer. Here’s how to do it. If you have not attempted to install Microsoft Windows 10 yet, it is a good idea to check your system's compatibility prior to installing. While it is not absolutely necessary, it will save time and frustration. Microsoft Support suggests contacting them directly if you are unable to solve your driver compatibility issues, or if the above do-it-yourself method is unsuccessful. To resolve this compatibility issue and get your upgrade going use a powerful and user-friendly tool to clean up the problem. Click here to download Restoro. Users should also be aware that those who choose to upgrade to Windows 10 have 30 days in which they may decide that they would rather use their old system. However, reverting back to the older system may not be a smooth process, and some data could be lost.

If your browser of choice is Google Chrome then sit back and enjoy the ride as we are going through some great productivity tips for it. So without further talking let's dive right into them.

Browsing using tabs groups in Chrome

If you have plenty of tabs opened during your browsing session clogging your screen then you will be happy to know that it is possible to group tabs under, well tabs groups. The good part is that you can name groups however you wish and even code them with color if you wish so. Right-click a tab for a website you want to put into a group. Select Add tab to the new group, then type in a name for the group and choose a color. Create as many groups as you want in this way. To put a tab into an existing group, right-click the tab, select Add tab to group, and select the group to which you want to add the tab. To remove a tab from a group, right-click it and select remove from group.

Send a highlighted text to another Chrome user

If you want to send some text or article you stumbled upon while surfing the internet, there is an easy way to do it providing that the target user is also on Google chrome. Highlight the text you want to share, then right-click it and select Copy link to highlight. That creates the link and puts it into your clipboard. Copy the link from your clipboard and send it to someone. When they click on it, they’ll be sent to the section of the web page with the text you want to share, and the text will be highlighted in yellow.

Sync Google Chrome via the account on multiple devices

If you use multiple devices there is an option to sync Chrome through all of these devices and get all of your bookmarks, history, etc. All you have to do is click on three dots in the upper right corner and click on synchronize. Take note that you will need a Google account in order to sync accounts and you will need to be logged in on all devices you are syncing.

Use multiple search engines

If you need or want to use multiple search engines inside Chrome like BING, DuckDuckGo, etc. now you can and you can do it very easily. Click the three-dot menu icon at the top right of Chrome and select Settings, Search engine, Manage search engines. Under the Default search engines section toward the top of the page, you’ll see a list of search engines you can search through without having to navigate to their sites. To perform a search using any of these engines, such as Bing.com, type bing.com into the address bar and press the Tab key. The leftmost part of the address bar changes, it will read Search Bing or whatever search engine you’ve typed in. Now just type in your search term and press Enter, and you’ll do a search with that search engine.

Search similar websites in content

When you are searching for content on google there is a very easy and quick way to find similar content on the internet. For example, if you want to find more sites similar to the searched site just type in the address bar in front of address related: For example, if you want sites similar to Microsoft, you would type related:www.microsoft.com

Open specific set of websites on Chrome startup

If you need and want to open a specific set of pages each time Chrome is booted know that you can. Click the three, dot icon at the top right of Chrome and select Settings, You and Google, then scroll to the On startup section at the bottom of the screen. Select Open a specific page or set of pages, then click Add a new page, type or paste in the page’s URL and click Add. Add as many pages as you want this way. That’s it for now on Google Chrome tips for better productivity, tune-up again to errortools.com for more articles.

Rundll Error - What is it?

Rundll Error, DLL is also known as Dynamic Link Library is a Window library that basically consists of instructions and codes used and shared by multiple programs installed on your system. It helps programs load and run smoothly. Rundll error is generated when the system fails to access DLL files thereby hampering your ability to successfully run your desired program.

Solution

Error Causes

The rundll error code is triggered due to multiple reasons such as:

• DLL file affected by virus and malware
• Poor program installation
• Invalid Windows registry entries

It is advisable to fix the run.dll error immediately without any delay because this error exposes your PC to serious threats such as system crash, freeze, failure, data loss, and even privacy threats like cybercrime, data breaches, and identity thefts.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve the rundll error on your system, here are some solutions that you can try:

Solution 1: Reboot your System

Sometimes rebooting your system can also resolve the issue. However, if it doesn’t then you need to try some other solution to fix it.

Solution 2: Identify the Program Triggering the Error

To fix rundll error, the first thing that you need to do is to identify the program generating this error and check it for validity. For this, simply analyze the rundll error dialog box. Let’s say you get the following run.dll error on your system Error loading

C:\WINDOWS\system32\usvdgpo.dll.

This error message indicates that the program ‘usvdgpo’ is causing the run.dll error on the system. Once the program is identified, the next step is to stop it manually. For this, you go to the start menu and click run, now type ‘services.msc’ in the dialog box, and press ‘Enter’. After that right-click the related process to your rundll error and then click the ‘Stop’ button to stop the program. Now close the window. Though this action will stop the process it will not remove the reference to the bogus items. To remove that you will have to remove the program from the Windows Registry. This can be done by typing ‘Regedit’ in the Run dialog box. This will open the registry editor. From the keys listed in the left panel, navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run. Now right-click on this key and click delete and then simply close the windows registry and reboot your system. After this, you will then have to uninstall the program to completely eradicate the rundll error. To do this, go to the control panel, Add/remove programs, and right-click to uninstall the program causing the run.dll error on your system. Click yes to confirm your decision. Once the program is uninstalled, reinstall the program using the program CD to get yourself an error-free program. This procedure is tricky, time-consuming, and maybe slightly challenging for you especially if you are not a computer programmer.

Solution 3: Run an Antivirus

If the cause of the run.dll error is a malware attack then you need to download an antivirus and run it on your system. However, this may impact the speed of your PC. Antivirus is notorious for slowing down PC speed.

Solution 4: Download Restoro.

If you are not a computer programmer, then running Restoro is possibly the easiest way for you to resolve rundll errors on your system in seconds. Restoro is an innovative, cutting edge, and multi-functional feature-filled PC repair tool that can be used to repair all kinds of system-related errors including rundll errors. The registry cleaner utility cleans up the RAM by removing unnecessary and obsolete files like junk files, invalid registry entries, and files from the uninstalled programs. It resolves disk fragmentation issues, repairs dll files, and the registry. In just a few clicks you can easily repair the registry and remove malware thereby resolving rundll errors on your system. Operating Total System Care is quite simple. It has a user-friendly interface and easy navigation. It is safe, efficient, bug-free, and compatible with all Windows versions Click here to download Restoro and resolve ‘rundll errors’ and access/run programs on your system smoothly.

Valve has announced the first gaming PC handheld console: Steam Deck. At its core, Stead Deck is just a portable, small PC in little casing. It uses AMD Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU architecture, has 16GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It is a portable device with both a touchpad and joystick packing a seven-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x800 (16:10 aspect ratio). The screen has an ambient light sensor for automatic light adjustments same as your modern mobile device. Stating to Valve battery will hold up from two to eight hours depending on the activity of the user and what exactly he is doing. The handheld comes also with a carrying case.

Steam Deck operating system and software

Out of the box, Steam Dock comes with the latest Valve’s version of SteamOS 3. Just for comparing, the steam box was coming SteamOS 2, so this new Linux-based OS is aimed to provide better performance and better compatibility. Naturally, all Linux games in your Steam library will work right out of the box but Valve has something called PROTON inside OS, it is emulation software based on Wine that will supposedly let you play all of your Library games on a given OS. One big thing to mention here is that this is PC after all meaning that if you do not like having SteamOS on it you can install Windows instead and so far as we know it will support Windows 11. Now with Windows 11, you will be able to play all of your Steam games and run any kind of Windows software on it including EPIC store, battle.net, and others.

Cost and release date

The initial release date is set for December 2021 and today on July 16^th Valve is opening you can reserve your copy if you want to pre-purchase. Follow this link if you want to reserve your copy. Reserve your Steam Deck device The price of the device will depend on the memory capacity which you would like to have. Please note that each of the 3 offered devices will have the same hardware, the only difference will be in memory available, and the most expensive version will also have anti-glare screen, everything else is identical. 64GB model will be $399, 256GB model will have the price of $529 and largest one with whooping 512GB will be $649

Conclusion

Valve ventures into the digital hardware domain again but it is unsure will they make it this time. Both Steam machine and their controller were in long run failed and later unsupported products so perhaps some customer caution is advised. Although having a handheld PC is tempting I would advise seeing how the overall market will accept this contraption before throwing money into it.

What software are you using to keep your information and all your files and memories safe? 

None? Yikes. Let’s hope no damage has been done to your data yet then. Because with how the digital world has evolved, your data might be getting leaked and you have no idea.

Why do you need to invest in security software?

There’s really no good excuse not to purchase a quality platform for PC protection. Especially since top security solutions are available at such affordable prices nowadays, your wallet would barely even notice it.

At this point, only people who barely use their PCs and have zero sensitive information on them can get away with simply using the built-in Windows 10/11 security software. But we guarantee that those people are extremely hard to find and that you’re not one of them, and here’s why.

Even if you don’t use your computer for things that are very obviously sensitive, such as internet banking, you still have some personal data at risk of being stolen. How so? Well, think about the data you enter into your social media profiles, for example. How devastating would it be if somebody got a hold of any of it? Yep, that’s what we thought.

In the hands of a skilled cybercriminal, your phone number alone could put you at risk of scams, ransomware, identity theft and more. Also think about the stuff you share in texts and social media chats. Think about the websites you visit and how many times you may have accidentally clicked on an ad, which could very well contain malicious software. Those all seem harmless until someone’s actually used them against you. 

Now imagine the dangers involved when you actually store truly confidential data on your PC and browsers. Sends shivers down your spine, doesn’t it?

In the case of a successful cyberattack of whatever type (virus, phishing, worms, etc.), there’s so much that is at stake. Businesses/legal persons will suffer from financial loss and damaged reputation, at the very least. Natural persons may be threatened or exploited, get their banking or medical information and even their identity stolen, etc. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

These are our biggest reasons for investing in Windows PC protection software:

• Cyberthreats are constantly evolving to the point where built-in or free software won’t cut it anymore.

• Those working remotely can have peace of mind knowing both personal and business data is completely secure.

• Businesses using top security solutions ensure their customers trust them. 

• Data breaches are a pain in the you-know-what to handle. Fighting a cyberattack and going back to normal is a demanding process, and not to mention the stress it’ll cause. We’d rather prevent all that by using trustworthy security products!

• It helps parents worry a little less about their children’s safety in the online world. 

• Added bonus: with most products, you get an ad-free browsing experience!

Obviously, there are a lot more reasons to get your PC secured. But we think you get it. So let’s cut to the chase and take a look at our 6 favorite protection solutions and the wonders they can do for you.

*Note that in this article we’re looking at products primarily suited for households and home offices, some for small businesses. No enterprise solutions will make the list today, but stay tuned for a future article on those.

Top 6 best PC protection solutions

1. Bitdefender Total & Internet Security\

One of the biggest security product vendors out there, Bitdefender offers several awesome solutions. We want to introduce two of our favorites, Bitdefender Total Security and Bitdefender Internet Security.

Bitdefender Total Security is great for both households and smaller offices. You can choose to protect 5 or 10 devices, and not necessarily just Windows devices. It also works for macOS, Android and iOS. It offers a range of powerful features, such as:

• Real-time data protection
• Webcam and microphone protection
• Device optimization options
• Anti-phishing/-fraud/-spam technology
• Ransomware protection
• Anti-loss and anti-theft tools
• VPN and privacy firewall 
• Anti-tracking technology
• Parental controls
• 24/7 support

Bitdefender Internet Security shares almost all of these features, but there are a few important differences to note. Unlike Total Security, Internet Security has more options in terms of the number of protected devices: 1, 3, 5 or 10. However it’s only compatible with the Windows platform and it doesn’t offer device optimization tools or anti-theft options. Whether or not this is a deal-breaker depends on your needs alone - we still find it a great security tool.

2. ESET Internet Security

An award-winning Windows security product, ESET Internet Security is essential on this list. It has an outstanding protection rate of 99.9% and a range of amazing options you’ll definitely want to make use of. It can be installed on up to 10 devices, making it an awesome tool for your household, home office or a small business. It’s also compatible with macOS and Android.

These are ESET Internet Security’s best features:

• Protection against ransomware and spyware
• Protection against malware specifically designed to avoid detection
• In-depth scans when the computer is not in use
• Firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your PC
• Anti-spam tool
• Anti-phishing and botnet protection technologies
• Tool to scan your router and smart devices for vulnerabilities
• Special browser for secure internet banking 
• Parental controls
• Prevention of unauthorized webcam access 

If you ask us, ESET has it all!

3. Kaspersky Total & Internet Security

Having a deja vu? Didn’t you just read Total Security and Internet Security somewhere? Oh, that’s right - the first entry on our list! But here we’re talking about Kaspersky, a vendor you’ve also definitely heard about before.

Just like Bitdefender, Kaspersky is another one of those renowned names in the cybersecurity world that always make it to every ‘best of’ list. And for good reason - its products really fulfill their purpose. So let’s take a closer look at the two we chose.

These are the features both Kaspersky Total Security and Kaspersky Internet Security have in common:

• Real-time virus and spyware blocking
• Webcam protection
• Wi-Fi security notifications
• Advanced identity theft protection
• Free technical support on several channels
• Remote security management
• Multiple devices (up to 10)

The main difference between Kaspersky Total Security and Internet Security is that the former offers more capabilities. These are the features KTS offers that KIS does not:

• System cleanup
• File shredding
• Password management
• Data backup and encryption

Both are excellent security tools, though we do prefer KTS a little more because of these additional options.

4. Norton 360 Deluxe

Of course one of the industry-leading solutions makes the list. Norton 360 Deluxe can protect up to 5 devices, be it Windows, iOS, macOS or Android. It’s worth noting that its features are best developed for Windows. Here’s what you get with Norton 360 Deluxe:

• Protection against viruses, hackers, malware
• 100% virus protection promise
• VPN included for all devices
• Unlimited VPN on Windows
• Password manager
• Parental controls

So is there anything aside from these standard protection features that makes it such a favorite among us techies? Let us tell you! Norton added a little bit of spice here with two really powerful capabilities. The Deluxe product offers 50GB of cloud backup and dark web monitoring. The latter means the software notifies you if any of your personal information is found on the dark web, which helps protect you against identity theft.

5. McAfee Antivirus

Don’t be misled by the name of this product. Antivirus software may have started as protection against viruses only, but it’s developed quite a lot. The name simply stuck. All that to say that McAfee Antivirus - another award-winning security solution - protects you against several different threats.

The basic and essential plan allow 1 and 5 devices respectively, while McAfee+ Premium and Advanced work on an unlimited number of devices. The latter two also offer more capabilities, as you can imagine. Here’s what you can expect from all of them:

• Secure unlimited VPN
• File shredder to delete sensitive files completely
• Ultimate safety while browsing
• Protection against hackers
• 100% virus protection promise
• Advanced firewall to block dangerous traffic
• Online support from specialists
• Protection score (shows how safe you are and detects vulnerabilities)
• Identity monitoring (notifies you if any of your information is on the dark web)
• Password management

Unlike the previous products, McAfee Antivirus does not offer parental controls. Otherwise it’s a pretty strong and comprehensive protection tool and might just be the right choice for you!

6. Trend Micro Maximum Security

Last but definitely not least, we’ve got Maximum Security by Trend Micro. And yes, you guessed it, Trend Micro is also an award winner in terms of cybersecurity. Its products have been recognized as industry-leading security solutions by AV-Test since 2003. Among all its fantastic solutions, our favorite for households or small offices is Maximum Security.

You can use Trend Micro Maximum Security to protect 3-5 devices for a year or two years before needing to renew your license. Aside from Windows, it’s compatible with iOS, Android, Mac and Chromebook devices. Here’s what you can expect from this protection software:

• Powerful malware protection
• Phishing detection and prevention (email)
• Password management and protection
• Maximum security for online banking and shopping
• System optimization
• Social media privacy protection
• Parental controls 
• 24/7 technical support
• No notifications during gaming

It’s truly one of the most effective platforms out there dedicated to protecting your digital life. Using this product, ransomware, identity thieves and malicious websites don’t stand a chance.

The bottom line

If you’ve made it all the way here, congratulations, you’ve made the right choice: to invest in securing your valuable data! Now the question is: which one of these 6 awesome antivirus/antimalware products to select?

The paradox of choice is a very real thing - we feel you. As mentioned, it comes down to what your specific needs are. So before you go ahead and purchase your security software, make sure to explore all options.

And if you really can’t handle the decision-making anxiety, feel free to reach out. We’ll happily assist you in finding the right product to keep your digital life secure!

The microphone has become from exclusive niche hardware to everyday requirements. In today's world when we live in a pandemic most of the work has shifted from office to home where people need working computers with microphones, working microphones. So what do we do when the microphone stops working? Keep reading on to find out and hopefully, we will fix this as fast as possible.

Check Microphone Privacy Settings

In 2019, Microsoft introduced new privacy features to Windows that give you more granular control over which apps are accessing your microphone. The side effect of this is that certain apps may be blocked from using your microphone without you even knowing. To find out if this is the issue, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone. Click Change and make sure the slider is set to On. This will broadly mean that the mic is now enabled on your PC. Next, make sure the slider under Allow apps to access your microphone is set to On, then look through the list of Microsoft Store apps to make sure the apps you want to use are selected. You’re likely to be using many apps, not from the Microsoft Store, so to make sure these are enabled, scroll down even further and set the Allow desktop apps … slider to On.

Check Microphone Driver

The outdated or corrupted driver could be the issue for the microphone not working in Windows 10. To check the driver status, follow these steps:

1. In your Start menu search for Device Manager
2. In the device manager window search for sound and expand it.
3. Once expanded, you should see your audio drivers. Note that the names of these will vary depending on the manufacturer.
4. On Audio, right-click, and select properties. On the General tab, check to see if the device is working properly.
5. If it is not working properly, click on the driver tab and select the update option.
6. Repeat for the other audio drivers.
7. Restart the computer.

Check the Sounds setting

1. In the taskbar, right-click on the speaker icon at the far-right corner and select the sound option.
2. On the Recording tab, click on the microphone and select the Properties option.
3. Select the levels tabs and increase the volume for both microphone and microphone boost.
4. Go to the Enhancement tab of the same pop-up and make sure that the immediate mode checkbox is checked.
5. Click Ok and restart the computer.

The sound troubleshooter

1. Right-click on the sound icon at the far-right corner of the taskbar and select troubleshoot sound problems.
2. The computer will detect any fault that exists with your audio and recommend fixes for you. You just need to read through the prompts and click the options that you think will work for you.

Try microphone on another computer

If previous steps have not produced results, try the microphone on another computer, if it is not working there then it is a hardware malfunction