Regular and gaming headphones have many differences between them and not knowing what they are can lead you to get yourself the wrong one. In this article, our goal is to analyze the differences between them so you can choose the right one for you.
Price
One thing that goes in both worlds is that the cheapest models on both sides are not really worth the purchase since both the quality and longevity will be very low. If we compare high-end models, regular headphones are far far more expensive than gaming ones. Hi-end gaming models can go as far as 400$, perhaps a little more but hi-end audio regular headphones are going even for over 2000$.
If we compare same-price headphones generally regular ones will offer you a little better sound quality but gaming headphones will offer some features such as positional audio that regular ones do not have.
Surround sound and positional audio
One of the main advantages of gaming headsets is positional audio and true surround sound. this technology is built-in so you can hear more clearly where your enemy is coming from that is a big help in competitive games. This is achieved by positioning multiple speakers in various positions and angles inside them. Each speaker has a different sound channel that is mixed with another speaker in order to provide you with a full surround experience.
Regular headphones have typically one or two speakers on both sides aimed at the same angle and can not offer precise surround or positional audio.
Noise cancellation
Both gaming and hi-fi headphones offer some sort of noise cancelation to minimize outside noise but if you really want to focus and have good noise cancelation you will have to look out for headphones with active noise cancelation or ANC.
Microphone quality
Let us say this right at the start, most middle and quality regular audio headphones do not have a microphone at all, and ones that might pack one usually have it at a lower quality than gaming ones. This of course makes perfect sense since regular headphones will focus on audio, and gaming ones will focus on playing games where having a good microphone is essential in order to game properly.
Speaker and sound quality
Speaker quality will reflect directly on the sound quality and fidelity. This is where audio regular headphones have an advantage over gaming ones. Since they do not have many small speakers positioned at various angled and instead have just a few, usually 2 or 1 large one, that one is of much better quality and range for audio than a pack of small ones. If you are searching for clarity and quality of the audio itself, especially if you are listening to some FLAC uncompressed music, then regular HiFi ones are a much better choice.
Longevity and durability
Another area where regular ones have an advantage but that is no surprise since their price goes far up compared to gaming ones. Most of the time everything in hi-end audio headphones is made from quality materials and designed to last a long time and therefore advantage. Most of the time gaming headphones will come in plastic versions whereas higher quality audio ones pack a lot of durable metal in frames and in buds making them much more durable. Of course, we are talking here about proper headphone use, not extreme cases of throwing, etc.
Error 0xe0434f4d displays when a remote computer runs an instance of the SQL Server 2005 but it fails to initialize. When the plan is started, this error displays in a status window on the SQL Server. Also, when the Update-OffilineAddressBook cmdlet is started in Microsoft Exchange Server, this error can occur.
Solution
Error Causes
Error 0xe0434f4d can occur for possibly two main reasons. The first one is when the System Attendant Service is not properly running, and the second when you don’t have the permission to run the update. Other causes are when the .NET Framework 2.0 security does not allow sqlplanlaunch access to run from a shared network. Another cause is when the Offline Address Book (OAB) is not found in the Configuration Domain Controller server that the server of OAB generation uses.
Further Information and Manual Repair
In case you didn’t know, the Offline Address Book generation server is a mailbox server, and in order to resolve error 0xe0434f4d, you will have to replicate the OAB object to the Configuration Domain Controller server. In order to do so, follow steps:
Go to start and click on All Programs, then go and click on Microsoft Exchange Server 2010. Click on Exchange Management Console
In Exchange Management Console, go to Server Configuration and click on Mailbox
In the details, go to mailbox server that generates Offline Address Book and right-click it, then go to Properties
In the Properties, click on System Setting and locate the domain controller name in the box that reads Domain controller servers being used by Exchange
Go to Start and click on Run. Type Adsiedit.msc in Open box and press Enter. Right-click on ADSI Edit and click on Connect to
Locate a list reading Select a well-known naming context, and from there select Default naming context. In a Select or type a domain or server window, type FQDN (fully qualified domain name) of the Configuration Domain Controller server which was determined in step 1, and click OK
Click on CN=Offline Address Lists and make sure the OAB object is listed on the details pane
When the OAB generation server receives this, then it will connect to the Configuration Domain Controller server and will locate the OAB object. If the OAB generation server is unable to find the OAB object, then the error will return on the cmdlet.
On SQL Server, you should change the .NET permissions to allow sqlplanlaunch application access to run from shared administration. For that, follow these steps:
On ArchiveIQ Server, open System from the Control Panel and note down the computer name
On SQL Server, log in as administrator and open the command prompt
On the command prompt type, ‘C:windowsmicrosoft.netframeworkv2.0.50727caspol.ece –m –ag l – url file:\[Archive IQServer Computer Name]AlQRemote$*FullTrust and Press Enter. Type yes and press Enter again to confirm the permission changes.
When it comes to booting an operating system on a computer, one of the most essential pieces of software you can use is the UEFI. In fact, a lot of users now prefer to use UEFI instead of BIOS. It also depends on whether the UEFI or the BIOS is supported on the motherboard. Recently, a number of users reported an issue with UEFI where they were unable to find it under the Advanced Options screen where it’s supposed to be located.
The missing UEFI Firmware settings in the Advanced Options could be caused by several reasons. It is possible that the access to the UEFI menu is blocked or it could also be due to the Extra Fast Startup feature being enabled. It is also possible that the operating system is installed in Legacy mode.
There are several options to try to fix this issue. You need to check if your computer supports UEFI or you could also try to disable Fast Startup or bypass the Extra Fast Startup feature. You can also use a boot to UEFI shortcut as well as check the CMOS battery.
Option 1 – Try checking if your computer supports UEFI
The first thing you have to do is to verify if your computer supports UEFI. If your computer does not support UEFI, then it’s no wonder why you don’t see the UEFI Firmware settings in the Advanced Options.
Option 2 – Try turning off Fast Startup
First, boot your computer in Safe Mode.
Once your computer is booted in Safe Mode, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type in “control” to open the Control Panel.
Next, click on the Hardware and Sound section and click on Power Options.
Afterward, select the “Choose what the power buttons do” option from the left side menu pane.
Now click on Change settings that are currently unavailable and uncheck the entry that says, “Turn on fast startup (Recommended)”.
Then click on Save Changes and restart your computer and see if it has fixed the problem or not.
Option 3 – Try bypassing the Extra Fast Startup feature
As mentioned, the missing UEFI Firmware settings could be due to the Extra Fast Startup feature. To fix it, you have to disable this feature. All you have to do is tap and hold the Shift key and click on the Shutdown button from the Start button. This will boot your PC with the UEFI booting from the beginning and then use the hotkey for your motherboard to boot into the UEFI setup.
Option 4 – Try using a boot to UEFI shortcut
Right-click on any empty space on your Desktop and select New > Shortcut.
This will open a new mini window. And here, you have to type this in the text field: shutdown /r /fw
After that, click on Next and name the desktop shortcut and then click on Finish.
Next, right-click on the newly created shortcut and select Properties.
Click on the Advanced button and select the “Run as administrator” option.
Now click OK to save the changes made. Each time you execute this shortcut, your computer will automatically be booted to the UEFI Firmware Settings.
Option 5 – Try to check the CMOS battery
Another thing you can do is check the CMOS battery physically on the motherboard and see if it has to be replaced since a damaged CMOS battery can also cause the issue with the missing UEFI Firmware settings.
Option 6 – Set your computer from Legacy to UEFI
If applicable, you can try to set your computer from Legacy to UEFI to resolve the problem.
In the Windows Search box, type “command prompt” and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
After that, execute this command: mbr2gpt.exe /convert /allowfullOS
Now, wait until the process is completed since you can track its process on your screen.
Once it’s done, go to Settings > Update & Security > Advanced Startup options and from there, click on Restart Now. This will restart your computer and give you advanced options.
Next, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options where you will see further options including System Restore, Startup Repair, Go back to the previous version, Command Prompt, System Image Recovery, and UEFI Firmware Settings.
Now select the UEFI Firmware Settings. This will take you to the BIOS. Boot Mode is typically available under Boot > Boot Configuration. Once you’re there, set it to UEFI and then save the changes you’ve made. After that, your computer will restart.
In an operating system, it is ideal for an administrator to have permission to access all the folders and files. However, there are times when you try to access the security settings or attempt to view the properties of a file, you could encounter an error saying, “You do not have permission to view this object’s security properties, even as an administrative user”.
This kind of error may be caused by several reasons. For one, if your computer is infected with a virus or malware which might have caused some changes to the concerned folder or file. It could also occur if a program or service is using the folder or file simultaneously which explains why you’re not able to access the system. It could also be that the folder or file might have been owned by a user account that no longer exists or you might not have the permissions to view the targeted folder or file even though you’re logged in as administrator.
To fix the “You do not have permission to view this object’s security properties, even as an administrative user” error, here are some options that might help.
Option 1 – Put your computer in a Clean Boot State
You can also troubleshoot the problem in a Clean Boot state. It could be that there are some third-party applications in your computer that’re preventing you from accessing security settings or properties of a file and to isolate this possibility, you need to boot your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try installing the program again. Putting your computer in this state can help you identify which program is the culprit and thus isolates the problem. In a Clean Boot state, your computer will start using only the pre-selected minimal set of drivers and startup programs. Note that you have to disable and enable one process at a time.
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.)
After you’ve set your computer into a Clean Boot State, try to check if the error is now fixed and that you can now view the Properties.
Option 2 – Try booting your computer into Safe Mode and delete inactive users
Aside from the Clean Boot State, you can also reboot your computer in Safe Mode and then delete all the inactive users. There are instances when the folder was created or owned by a user account that’s either deleted or inactive now and so you need to get rid of these inactive user accounts to resolve the error.
First, boot your computer in Safe Mode.
Then right-click on the concerned folder or file and select Properties.
Next, select Advanced in the Security tab and click on Add.
A new window will appear and from there, click on “Select a principal”.
And then type the name of the user to who you wish to give permissions in the “Enter the object name to select” box.
Now select Check Names and this would resolve the user name.
After that, click OK to save the settings. This will close the window and take you back to the previous one.
Next, from the drop-down menu, change the Type to Allow and select the Full Control checkbox.
Click OK to save the changes made and then restart your computer in a normal mode.
Option 3 – Try to take ownership of the folder or file
Another thing you can do to fix the problem is to take ownership and force the system into giving permissions to the Administrator. How? Refer to these steps:
Type “command prompt” in the Windows Search bar and then right-click on the relevant search result and select “Run as administrator”.
After that, if a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click on Yes to proceed.
Next, type and enter this command: TAKEOWN /F <path>
Note that the <path> is the location of the folder or file in File Explorer.
Now type and enter this second command: ICACLS <path> /grant administrators:F
Finally, once the command has been executed, restart your computer and then see if you can now access the folder or file.
Option 4 – Try scanning your computer using Windows Defender
As mentioned, the error when accessing the security settings or properties of a folder or file might be due to a virus or malware. It could be that it had made some modifications that prevents you from accessing security settings or properties. To eliminate it, you have to scan your computer using security programs like Windows Defender.
Tap the Win + I keys to open Update & Security.
Then click on the Windows Security option and open Windows Defender Security Center.
Next, click on Virus & threat protection > Run a new advanced scan.
Now make sure that Full Scan is selected from the menu and then click the Scan Now button to get started.
Anxiety from all these digital threats lurking everywhere? An antivirus program can help put your mind at ease.
What can a virus do to your device?
A virus is malicious software that can affect pretty much any device and does so in a variety of ways. Be it your computer, your phone or your smart lightbulb - as long as there’s access to the internet, malware can get to it.
How exactly does this kind of attack manifest itself? Well, there’s a wide variety of effects ranging from mild to severe. Among other things, they depend on which type of malware attacks your device - a virus, spyware, ransomware, adware or something else.
These are some of the things you can expect to happen:
Slow performance
System crashes
Theft of data and sensitive information
Connectivity issues
Constant browser redirects
Strange messages sent to your contacts
Interference with files
It really can be the stuff of nightmares. So, if you want to sleep peacefully knowing that your devices are completely safe, you should definitely consider getting an antivirus.
P.S. don’t let its name fool you - an antivirus does indeed protect your devices against more than just viruses.
What is antivirus software exactly?
Antivirus software is designed to help you battle and ward off malware. Basically, it scans your device to detect any suspicious activity and offers tools to get rid of the culprit.
At first, antiviruses were developed to fight against viruses only, but nowadays they cover a lot more ground. Here are some of the biggest benefits of getting yourself a powerful defender.
Advantages of antivirus software
1. It fights those pesky ads
Look, constant ads that pop up everywhere aren’t the absolute worst thing that can happen on your computer. If anything, they are annoying, like when you’re trying to sleep but that one fly in your room just won’t stop buzzing.
Now, there’s a free, well-established solution for that - installing an ad blocker. And we’re about a hundred and ten percent sure you’ve already done that on each and every browser you use.
However, “if I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist” isn’t the most ideal approach for your online safety. Ad blockers can’t block everything and they won’t protect you from potential adware. An antivirus on the other hand offers that layer of protection against malware snuck into pop-ups and spammy websites.
2. It protects you from hackers
Hackers don’t target government institutions only. They’ll target regular people too if they have something to gain.
Credit: Clint Patteron (Unsplash)
There are different types of hacking, such as phishing e-mails, transmission of malicious programs, credential reuse, denial of service and more. In any case, they take control of your device and hijack your data.
The good thing is that, as threats evolve, antiviruses evolve too and there are tons of quality programs on the market that can keep you secure for an affordable price.
3. It keeps your files and data safe
When malware enters your device, it can target pretty much any file and get access to any and all data.
Installing an antivirus program will make sure that every single file, new or old, is monitored at all times, warning you against threats immediately. That way, you can make sure to react before your other files become infected and data is lost or stolen.
Another great thing for data protection is that the best antivirus software normally comes with a password manager, so no one can use malware to steal your passwords.
4. It blocks all kinds of malware
As we already stated, malicious attacks can be performed in many ways and malware comes in in different shapes an sizes, such as:
Trojan horse
Spyware
Ransomware
Adware
Rootkit
RAT (remote access Trojan)
Keyloggers
Worms
Botnets
Credit: Growtika (Unsplash)
Nowadays, antivirus software is designed to fight against all of these types. That’s why more often than not we hear the term 'antivirus' used interchangeably with 'anti-malware,' like in this article.
5. It keeps your children protected
You can’t keep your eyes on your kid every second of the day and you can’t protect them from everything. But at least you can limit their exposure to the threats they can encounter at every corner of the digital world.
An antivirus program will block harmful or suspicious websites and ads, which is great both for you and your children. To take it a step further, though, many such programs come with special parental controls and offer monitoring as well. It’s a great solution for keeping your kids safe online without sounding like the irritating, overbearing, controlling parent who “just doesn’t get it!”
How to pick one
There are definitely lots of different antivirus programs out there, both free and paid. We recommend you look for a paid option, since free ones are unfortunately a lot more susceptible to being compromised through malicious attacks.
Now, there are a few factors to consider when choosing the right software. If you use your PC for basic things then a basic antivirus will suffice. However, the more complex your use and the more sensitive the data you deal with, the stronger it needs to be.
It’s also crucial that you take into account the features it includes. As we already mentioned, some programs have additional security options. For example, depending on the package you select, Bitdefender provides:
Some are included in plans and some are separate products, so make sure to check out all the offers.
And don’t worry if you have multiple PCs or you’re looking for protection for your smartphone or tablet as well; Bitdefender has suitable solutions for your needs. Of course, you can also just pick their classic antivirus software if you’re not in need of advanced protection.
Another important point is how regularly the software is updated and enhanced. The more frequent the updates the better, as bugs can make the program more vulnerable. Other things we advise you consider are user-friendliness, impact on performance, reputation (user reviews especially) and, of course, price.
The bottom line
Fact is: anyone can be a malware victim. Don’t let it be you.
You can’t put a price on peace and security, so don’t be reluctant to pay for yours - especially since a lot of options out there are extremely affordable. Is $159.00 a year really too much to pay for cross-platform protection for up to 10 devices? We don’t think so.
Explore your options and protect your files and data before it’s too late.
The 0x80040600 error is a common error that becomes particularly distressing for Outlook users.
This error prevents users from sending or receiving emails through Microsoft Outlook. Users may also encounter this problem while altering an entry on the calendar or adding a new contact. There is no obvious message that is displayed to the user when this error occurs.
However, Outlook displays a vague message that includes the code 0x80040600.
Solution
Download available to recover all lost Outlook data
Error Causes
The primary cause of this error is a problem with the PST file. When the PST file is corrupt, missing, or damaged, this error occurs at once. The PST file is essentially an important file that stores crucial and personal information of an individual’s accounts.
Sometimes this error is because the file is corrupt while at other times, the reason that it occurs is that the file is too full to accommodate any further information.
Irrespective of the causes of this problem, it is important that this error is promptly fixed to ensure the proper and uninterrupted functioning of Outlook in the future.
Further Information and Manual Repair
The error occurs because the Outlook application encounters problems while attempting to receive, send or read emails. Some solutions that can work wonders and help you get rid of the problem are outlined below.
As soon as the error appears, the first solution is to restart the system. This is the first thing that must be done because a lot of times, these errors can be removed by simply restarting the system. This will, hence, save the user the inconvenience of manually fixing this problem.
If restarting the system doesn’t resolve the problem and the error message displays again, it is advised the user makes use of the ‘Inbox Repair Tool’.
This is the most commonly used and effective approach to fixing a corrupt PST file. The procedure to remedy this Personal Storage Table file or PST file is listed below.
Go to the start menu. Type Run and launch the Inbox Repair Tool by typing the following path: drive name: Program FilesCommon FilesSystemMapiLocale IDscanpst.exe. Now click Ok. A pop-up message will appear. Enter the file name and path of the damaged PST file. Now click on the Start button. Here it is important to mention that the inbox repair tool may take a long time depending upon the file size and the amount of data that has to be recovered. However, it is the most effective way of fixing this problem.
If you have just installed the latest Cumulative Update on your Windows 10 computer and you find that since then, the Windows 10 Start Search is not displaying any results when you try to use it to search for something in your computer, then this post might help as it will give you some suggestions to fix the problem.
This problem might be caused by some bugs brought in by the new cumulative update you’ve installed. It is also possible that Cortana is having some issues or that the Windows Search service hasn’t been initialized. Whatever the cause is, here are some suggestions you need to follow to fix this issue. You can try running the Search and Indexing troubleshooter or configure the
Run Search and Indexing Troubleshooter
Configure the Windows Firewall
Reinstall Cortana.
Option 1 – Try to run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter
The first thing you can do is to run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter in Windows 10 as it checks whether the settings for Cortana are in place and automatically corrects any issues if the update or software installation has changed the settings. To run it just click on the Start button and select Settings > Updates and Security > Troubleshoot. From there, select the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter.
Option 2 – Restart Cortana’s process in the Task Manager
Restarting Cortana’s process in the Task Manager could also help you resolve the problem. Refer to the steps given below to do so.
Tap the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys to open the Security options window.
From there, look for the Task Manager in the given list and open it.
Next, look for the process of Cortana and right-click on it, and then select the End Task option to end its process.
After that, the Cortana process will restart by itself and re-initialize.
Option 3 – Try resetting Cortana
Open Cortana and go to the Settings section where you’ll see the “Turning off Cortana clears what Cortana knows on this device, but won’t delete anything from the Notebook. After Cortana is off, you can decide what you’d like to do with anything still stored in the cloud” option. Turn this option off.
Restart your PC.
After your computer boots, launch Cortana again and check.
Option 4 – Try to configure the Windows Firewall
Tap the Win + Fn + Shift (Pause) keys to open Control Panel.
From there, open the Windows Defender Firewall applet and click on the Advanced Settings to open the Windows Firewall with the Advanced Security panel.
Next, click on the Outbound Rules section and look for Cortana and then double click on it to open its Properties.
After that, make sure that the “Allow the connection” is selected although this is the default working setting.
Option 5 – Try to reinstall Cortana
If none of the options given above works, you must consider reinstalling Cortana.
First, right-click on the Taskbar and select the Task Manager.
Next, select File menu > Run new task and type “Powershell” in the field and then select the “Create this task with administrative privileges” option.
Click on OK to open the PowerShell console.
After that, type the following command and hit Enter to execute it:
Easy Home Decorating is a Browser Extension for Google Chrome. It offers users tips and tricks on how to manage your home decoration, you can find ideas for certain rooms, combine and plan.
This might seem useful at the start, however, all this extension does is add a toolbar that links you to the most popular Home Decor Websites that you can find on any Search engine within seconds.
When installed it changes your default search engine and new tab page to MyWay.com or Ask.com (depending on the extension version). It monitors user browsing activity in the background, allowing it to gather visited websites, clicked links, search queries, and other user information. This data is later sent/sold to better target ads.
While using this extension you will see additional ads and sponsored content displaying throughout your browsing sessions. Several anti-virus applications have marked this extension as a Browser Hijacker and a potential security flaw and are therefore not recommended to keep on your computer.
About Browser Hijackers
Browser hijackers (sometimes referred to as hijackware) are a type of malware that modifies web browser configurations without the user’s knowledge or approval. These hijacks happen to be increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, and it could be actually nefarious and sometimes harmful too. Browser hijacker malware is developed for many different reasons. These are generally used to force visitors to a particular website, manipulating web traffic to earn ad revenue. It might seem naive, but the majority of these websites are not legitimate and can present a serious risk to your online safety. Moreover, hijackers could make the whole infected system vulnerable – other destructive malware and viruses would use these opportunities to get into your computer effortlessly.
How one can know if your browser has been hijacked
Here are some signs and symptoms that suggest you’ve been hijacked: your web browser’s home page is suddenly different; if you enter a URL, you find yourself regularly directed to a different site than the one you meant; the default online search engine is modified; unsolicited new toolbars are added to your web browser; you see a lot of pop-up ads on your computer screen; your web browser gets slow, buggy, crashes frequently; you can’t visit specific websites like home pages of security software.
How does a computer get infected with a browser hijacker?
Browser hijackers infect computer systems in numerous ways, including through a drive-by download, a file-share, or an infected email. They can also come from any BHO, extension, add-on, toolbar, or plug-in with malicious purpose. Other times you might have inadvertently accepted a browser hijacker as part of a software bundle (generally freeware or shareware). Examples of well-known browser hijackers are Fireball, GoSave, Ask Toolbar, CoolWebSearch, Babylon Toolbar, and RocketTab.
Browser hijackers could affect the user’s web browsing experience significantly, monitor the websites visited by users and steal private information, cause difficulty in connecting to the web, and finally create stability problems, causing programs and systems to freeze.
How you can fix a browser hijack
Certain kinds of browser hijackers can be effortlessly removed from your PC by deleting malicious software applications or any other recently installed shareware. But, many hijackers are very hard to identify or eliminate as they might get themselves associated with some important computer files which allow it to operate as a necessary operating system process. Rookie computer users should never try the manual form of removal methods since it requires comprehensive computer knowledge to carry out repairs on the computer registry and HOSTS file.
Anti-malware application is really efficient with regards to picking up and removing browser hijackers that normal anti-virus application has overlooked. To eradicate any kind of browser hijacker from your PC, you can download this certified malware removal program – SafeBytes Anti-Malware. Employ a system optimizer (like Total System Care) together with your antivirus software to solve various registry issues, remove system vulnerabilities, and improve your computer's overall performance.
How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected PC
All malware is bad, but certain kinds of malware do much more damage to your PC than others. Some malware is designed to restrict or prevent things that you wish to do on your personal computer. It may well not permit you to download anything from the net or prevent you from accessing some or all of the websites, especially the anti-virus sites. If you’re reading this article, you probably have got infected by a virus that prevents you from downloading a computer security program such as Safebytes Antimalware on your PC. There are some steps you can take to get around this issue.
Install in Safe Mode
The Windows OS has got a special mode known as “Safe Mode” in which just the bare minimum required programs and services are loaded. If the malware is blocking access to the internet and affecting your PC, running it in Safe Mode allows you to download antivirus and run a scan while limiting possible damage. In order to get into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press the F8 key while the computer is starting up or run MSCONFIG and locate the “Safe Boot” options in the “Boot” tab. Once you are in Safe Mode, you can attempt to download and install your antivirus program without the hindrance of the malicious software. Now, you can run the antivirus scan to eliminate viruses and malware without any interference from another application.
Switch to an alternate internet browser
Web-based malware could be environment-specific, aiming for a particular web browser or attacking specific versions of the browser. In case you suspect that your Internet Explorer has been hijacked by a computer virus or otherwise compromised by cybercriminals, the most effective course of action is to switch to a different internet browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to download your favorite computer security software – Safebytes Anti-Malware.
Run anti-virus from a USB drive
Another solution is to save and operate an antivirus software program entirely from a Thumb drive. To run antivirus using a thumb drive, follow these simple steps:
1) On a clean PC, download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware.2) Put the USB drive into the uninfected PC.3) Double-click the Setup icon of the anti-malware program to run the Installation Wizard.4) When asked, choose the location of the USB drive as the place in which you would like to store the software files. Follow the instructions to finish the installation process.5) Now, insert the pen drive into the infected PC.6) Double-click the EXE file to open the Safebytes program right from the flash drive.7) Click “Scan Now” to run a complete scan on the affected computer for viruses.
SafeBytes Anti-Malware Overview
To help protect your laptop or computer from various internet-based threats, it’s very important to install an anti-malware program on your PC. But with countless numbers of antimalware companies out there, these days it’s challenging to decide which one you should buy for your PC. Some of them are good, some are ok types, while some will harm your PC themselves! You must pick a company that builds industry-best anti-malware and has gained a reputation as reliable. Amongst few good programs, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is the highly recommended software program for the security-conscious user.
SafeBytes is a powerful, real-time anti-spyware application that is designed to assist the everyday computer end user in safeguarding their computer from malicious internet threats. With its cutting-edge technology, this application will allow you to remove several types of malware including viruses, trojans, PUPs, worms, ransomware, adware, and browser hijackers.
There are plenty of great features you’ll get with this particular security product. Listed here are a few of the great ones:
Real-time Threat Response: SafeBytes offers real-time active checking and protection from all known viruses and malware. It’ll monitor your PC for suspicious activity continuously and its unparalleled firewall shields your PC from illegal access by the outside world.
Antimalware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal tool can find and get rid of many obstinate malware threats such as browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other typical anti-virus software will miss.
Website Filtering: SafeBytes checks and gives a unique safety rating to every website you visit and block access to webpages known to be phishing sites, thus protecting you against identity theft, or known to contain malicious software.
Lowest CPU and RAM Usage: SafeBytes provides complete protection from internet threats at a fraction of the CPU load due to its advanced detection engine and algorithms.
Premium Support: For any technical questions or product support, you could get 24/7 expert assistance through chat and email.
Overall, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is a solid program as it has lots of features and could detect and remove any potential threats. You can be sure that your PC will be protected in real-time once you put this software program to use. You will get the very best all-around protection for the money you pay on SafeBytes Anti-Malware subscription, there’s no question about it.
Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)
If you don’t wish to use an automated tool and prefer to get rid of Easy Home Decorating manually, you might accomplish this by going to the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and removing the offending software; in cases of web browser add-ons, you could remove it by visiting the browser’s Add-on/Extension manager. Additionally, it is suggested to factory reset your web browser settings to their default state.
To make sure of complete removal, find the following Windows registry entries on your computer and delete it or reset the values appropriately. Please remember that this is for experienced users only and might be challenging, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. Also, certain malware is capable of replicating itself or preventing deletion. Completing this task in Safe Mode is suggested.
If you recently upgraded your computer or if you’ve just switched to a new Windows 10 PC, the most common errors you might encounter are the Windows Activation errors. This issue boils down to the Windows Activation server which has either failed to validate or recognize the license tied to the digital account. In this post, you will be guided on how to fix an activation error in an organization with an error code 0x8007007B. It contains this exact error message:
“We can’t activate Windows on this device as we can’t connect to your organization’s activation server. Make sure that you’re connected to your organization’s network and try again. If you continue having problems with activation, contact your organization’s support person. Error code 0x8007007B.”
Various computers are activated via the KMS licensing (Key Management Server) in organizations. Computers that are activated using this process do not get a permanent activation and have to stay connected to the organization instead of for at least 7 months or 180 days. It is common in Pro and Enterprise versions that are deployed in bulk for at least hundreds or thousands of computers. So imagine a user with a personal computer in the office who decided to leave the organization but will still have an activated Windows key. And so to prevent that from happening, organizations use the KMS licensing. Another possible cause of the error is in case some user used an organization key and later on, the PC just got upgraded or downgraded to a version that is not compatible with that copy of Windows.
To fix this Windows Activation error, here are some suggestions that might help.
Option 1 – You can try connecting to the organization’s network and activate the computer. But before that, you need to first check if the computer actually belongs to an organization or not.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Type “cmd” and hit Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
After that type the vbs /dlv command and hit Enter to execute it.
Next, check if the Product Key Channel says “GVLK”. If it does, then it means that your computer was activated using volume licensing.
Option 2 – Change Licence Key
If you’ve recently left an organization then it’s best if you buy another copy of Windows 10 and then change the license key. This time, make sure that the license key is for the same version of Windows. However, if it’s different, you need to format your computer.
Option 3 – You can try activating Windows 10 using a mobile phone
Activating Windows 10 can also be done using your phone. Just note that you have to call Microsoft to do so.
In the Start Search box, type in “Slui 4” and tap Enter.
Next, select your country and click on Next.
Keep the window open and call the toll-free number of the country you’re from.
Afterward, a confirmation ID should be given by the automated system which you must take a note of.
Finally, in the box on the window, type in the confirmation ID and click on the Activate button. That should do it.
Option 4 – If you think that the issue is caused by some hardware changes, you can try using the Activation Troubleshooter.
There are times when users already have the license keys and were able to activate Windows. However, it doesn’t last long and only works for a while and it’s suddenly throwing up an activation error like this one. To use the Windows Activation Troubleshooter, just go to Settings and to Activation and then run the troubleshooter from there.
If you've made some modifications to your hardware, you have to click the “I changed hardware on this device recently” option for further suggestions.
If the display of your Windows 10 computer turns on all of a sudden no matter how put it to sleep over and over again, it always wakes up, read on as this post will guide you in resolving this peculiar issue.
In case you don’t know, the Windows 10 computer Sleep state is made in such a way that if it’s really important, it wakes up. You may have configured this kind of behavior or there could be some hardware component that’s interrupting its Sleep state. Thus, this post will give you some troubleshooting tips to fix the Sleep state issue caused by the Legacy Kernel Caller. The Legacy Kernel Caller points to the external hardware that’s causing your Windows 10 to wake up even when it’s in a Sleep state.
Step 1: Find out what’s keeping your computer from going to sleep.
To figure out what really is keeping your computer from going to sleep, you can execute the “powercfg –requests” command instead of checking the power configuration of your computer. This command will look for requests from applications and drivers that prevent the computer from turning off the display or from going to sleep.
To execute the command, simply open Command Prompt and type “powercfg –requests” and hit Enter. After that, you will see part of the result that looks like this:
“SYSTEM[DRIVER] USB AUDIO DEVICEAn audio stream is currently in use[DRIVER] Legacy Kernel Caller.”
Step 2: The next thing you have to do is remove all the external hardware connected to your computer.
In this step, you have to disconnect external hardware from your computer. Based on reports from users who experienced the same issue, the “TV card” is the culprit so make sure you remove that one. Once you’ve removed it, open Command Prompt and run the “powercfg –requests” command again and you’ll see that the “Legacy Kernel Caller” will no longer be on the list. In addition, your computer will get into its regular sleep mode once the hardware is removed. Once you do that, the driver gets hung and won’t release the power request despite being used.
Step 3: Try using the request override option
The powercfg command also offers a request override option which allows users to disable the requests from applications and services to wake the computer from sleep mode. To run this command, simply open Command Prompt with admin privileges. After you open Command Prompt, type the following command and hit Enter to disable requests from applications and services that causes the computer to wake from sleep state.
Powercfg -requestsoverride Driver "Legacy Kernel Caller" System
Step 4: Check the streaming and media applications
You also have to check if your computer is running an audio or video service in the background. In such cases, your computer won’t be able to go to sleep mode if these services are running in the background. You might have noticed that when you play a video or audio, your computer never goes to sleep. And if you have put it to sleep in between watching the video, then it’s probably why your computer is waking up. Thus, you have to stop these services.
Step 5: Check the devices that can wake your computer
If you didn’t see the Legacy Kernel Caller in the result after you execute the ”powercfg –requests” command, then you can try to execute the following command instead.
powercfg –devicequery wake_armed
After you enter this command, it will give you a list of all the devices that can wake your computer. So if there is anything other than the mouse, keyboard, touchpad, you have to check the power configuration of that device. To do that, go to the Device Manager and disable the device’s “Allow this device to wake the computer” option in its Properties
Step 6: Check the Sleep Advanced Settings
Click on the Windows key and type “control panel” in the field and select the related search result.
Next, select the Security and Maintenance option and click on the Power Options.
After that, you have to select the Change Plan Settings but keep in mind that this option is barely readable so you need to read each option carefully.
Now click on the Change advanced power settings button and a new window will appear.
Then look for the “Sleep” option and expand it. Make sure that the “Allow hybrid sleep” option is on.
Reboot your computer and check if your computer now functions properly. If it still didn’t work, you may have to reverse the changes you’ve made.
On the other hand, you could also run the Power Troubleshooter to resolve the Sleep state issue. This built-in troubleshooter will automatically fix any power-related issues in your computer.
The issue with the abrupt system reboots to force Windows 10 updates on a computer has been lessened with Active Hours. This feature keeps a record of the hours during which a system remains active and prevents the installation of updates during such hours. For example, when a system restart is needed to complete the installation of an update, Active Hours delays the update and allows you to finish what you’re doing on your computer. Thus, if you haven’t heard of this feature, then now is the time you do, read this post to configure and use Active Hours in your Windows 10 computer.
There are three ways you can configure Active Hours. The first one is for general users, whereas the rest of the two methods are for users who knows their way about the Windows Registry and Group Policy. To get started, refer to every given option below.
Option 1 – Configure Active Hours via Windows 10 Settings
Go to Settings > Update & Security. From there, click on the “Change active hours” option under the Windows Update section.
Next, you can select a time (“Start time” and “End time”) during which the restart can occur.
After that, click on the Save button and exit.
Note: Keep in mind that the values you’ve entered indicate the hours during which your system is in use, namely, ACTIVE. It is important for your active hour’s interval period and it can be anything between 1 and 18 hours since you can’t go beyond 18 hours. In addition, there is no option to configure different active hours on different days and you can’t specify different active hours for weekends and weekdays as well.
On the other hand, Windows 10 also offer users an option to override Active Hours. All you have to do is go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Restart Options. From there, you can choose a custom restart time when your computer will restart to install the updates but this is only a one-time setting.
Option 2 – Configure Active Hours via Registry Editor
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter or click OK to open the Registry Editor.
Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsUpdateUXSettings
In the given registry path, you can choose to change “ActiveHoursStart” and “ActiveHoursEnd”.
Note: There are no extra settings available in the Registry Editor but you can change the remote computer’s Active hours settings using the Registry Editor.
Option 3 – Configure Active Hours via Group Policy
Note that this option is available for the Windows 10 Pro and Educational or Enterprise versions. It is mostly used by computers in Business or through remote access. To get started, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run and type “gpedit.msc” in the field and tap Enter or click OK to open the Group Policy Editor.
Next, navigate to this group policy setting: Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Updates.
From there, look for a policy labeled “Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours” and double click on it. This will open a new window.
Click on the Enabled radio button to enable Active Hours. You also have the option to choose active hours just like in the first given option above. It works just fine except when the following policies don’t override:
No Auto-restart with logged-on users for scheduled automatic updates installations.
Always automatically restart at the scheduled time.
Since Group Policy allows you to reduce the range of active hours, you can configure it if you want it to be less than 18 hours. Just find the policy setting labeled “Specify Active hours range for auto -restarts. The minimum is 8 hours”.
After you set the Active Hours, click the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
Error Causes
