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Computer viruses are malicious applications that have the ability to self replicate and spread over the system and various devices, just like viruses in organisms. We all know that computer viruses are bad and that you should avoid them however you can. So in this spirit, we are taking a deeper dive into what kind of viruses exist and how they function.

1. File-infecting Virus

A virus that attached itself to an executable program. It is also called a parasitic virus which typically infects files with .exe or .com extensions. Some file infectors can overwrite host files and others can damage your hard drive’s formatting.

2. Macro Virus

This type of virus is commonly found in programs such as Microsoft Word or Excel. These viruses are usually stored as part of a document and can spread when the files are transmitted to other computers, often through email attachments.

3. Browser Hijacker

This virus targets and alters your browser setting. It is often called a browser redirect virus because it redirects your browser to other malicious websites that you don’t have any intention of visiting. This virus can pose other threats such as changing the default home page of your browser.

4. Web Scripting Virus

A very sneaky virus that targets popular websites. What this virus does is overwrite code on a website and insert links that can install malicious software on your device. Web scripting viruses can steal your cookies and use the information to post on your behalf on the infected website.

5. Boot Sector Virus

These viruses are once common back when computers are booted from floppy disks. Today, these viruses are found distributed in forms of physical media such as external hard drives or USB. If the computer is infected with a boot sector virus, it automatically loads into the memory enabling control of your computer.

6. Polymorphic Virus

This virus has the capability to evade anti-virus programs since it can change codes every time an infected file is performed.

7. Resident Virus

A resident virus stores itself on your computer’s memory which allows it to infect files on your computer. This virus can interfere with your operating system leading to file and program corruption.

8. Multipartite Virus

A type of virus that is very infectious and can easily spread on your computer system. It can infect multiple parts of a system including memory, files, and boot sector which makes it difficult to contain.

One of the important functions in the Windows operating system is the Task Scheduler. It can automatically run various tasks at a certain time where you’ll have to add a task that needs to be executed and then choose the time it has to run at. So when that time comes, the Task Scheduler will run the task automatically. However, some users reported getting an Error 0x80070057 where the Task Scheduler fails to start. This kind of error may be due to a disabled service that prevents the service from running. It is also possible that the antivirus program interfered with the task – it could be that the Task Scheduler is somewhat in the block list since the antivirus adds it to the list automatically when it’s installed. On the other hand, it could be that you lack administrator-level privilege which is why the Task Scheduler was not able to carry out the task. To fix this issue, here are some suggestions you can try.

Option 1 – Try to restart the Task Scheduler service

As mentioned, it is possible that the Task Scheduler service could be disabled. You could have disabled it when trying to enhance your computer’s performance and whatnot. Thus, you need to verify if it’s running or not and then restart it.

• First, you need to tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “services.msc” in the field and click OK or tap Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• You will see a list of Services and from there, look for the Task Scheduler service and double click on it.
• After that, go to the General tab and click on the Startup Type options and then select “Automatically” from the given list.
• Click on the “RUN” option and select the “Restart the Service” option.
• And click on the “After Second Failure” option and then select the “Restart-Service” option again.
• Now click on the “After Subsequent Failures” tab and select the “Restart the Service” option.
• Finally, click on the Apply and OK buttons and then run the Task Scheduler and see if the issue is now fixed.

Option 2 – Try to temporarily disable the anti-virus program

As mentioned, the error could be due to the antivirus program or the Windows Defender Firewall installed in your computer. Thus, disabling them or any security software installed on your computer is always a good idea you can try when you’re not able to access the shared drive on your computer. There are times when you encounter problems like the Task Scheduler Error 0x80070057 due to interference of antivirus or security programs. Thus, you have to disable both your antivirus program for the meantime and check if it fixes the error or not.

Option 3 – Run the Task Scheduler with an administrator account

Like pointed out, the Task Scheduler Error 0x80070057 may be due to the lack of admin privileges. Thus, you have to log in to an administrator account and try running the Task Scheduler again. It is also recommended that the administrator account you’re going to use as a password when logging in.

Option 4 – Repair the Task Scheduler by deleting corrupted tasks

Note that a single corrupted file can cause big problems so this option is quite important. And for you to delete a corrupted task or any task from the Task Scheduler, you have to use the Registry Editor if you are not able to use the Task Scheduler interface. To do so, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the dialog box for Run.
• Next, type in Regedit and click on OK or tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Then navigate to this path: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheTree

Note: In this path, you can see all the tasks that are currently set in the Task Scheduler. And since it would be hard to tell which one of them is corrupted, you have to delete the latest one in Task Scheduler last. But before you do so, make sure that you take note of the ID of the tasks. And for you to get the ID, you have to select the task you wish to delete and double click on the ID string located on your right-hand side, and then copy it in the Notepad.

• Right-click on the task name and then delete it.
• After that, delete the very same GUID which you have copied earlier from these folders:
• ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheBoot
• ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheLogon
• ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheMaintenance
• ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCachePlain
• ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheTasks

Note: You might not see the same GUID from these folders but if you see it, delete it right away.

• Next, navigate to this location: C:/Windows/System32/Tasks
• Delete the very same tasks you just deleted from the Registry Editor.
• Restart your PC and check if the Task Scheduler is back to its normal state or not.

Windows 11 is getting adopted more and more each day, and how more and more users are installing it some smaller bugs show up. One of the things that have manifested lately is that in some cases installation assistant is not working throwing error 0x8007007f at you while you try to finish the update of Windows. If you are one of the users that are experiencing this kind of annoyance, we have a solution for you. Follow this guide as presented and repair this annoying error.

Run installation assistant as administrator

This is the most simple solution that can solve problems right away and it is advised to be tried first.

1. Download standalone Installation assistant installer from Microsoft website here
2. Go to the location where you had the file downloaded
3. Right-click on file
4. Click on Run as administrator
5. On the permission box, click YES

Disable antivirus and/or firewall software

Antivirus or firewall software can sometimes interfere with Windows’s update and prevent for any reason download or installation of files they consider not safe. If the first solution has not provided success turn off your antivirus or firewall software and try again to install updates by running them as administrator. Now, how many different antivirus or firewall applications are unique pieces of software it would take too much time to cover all of them but usually and most commonly if you right-click on the taskbar icon of security app most of the time you will have either option to open it and close it or simply just to snooze it for some time.

Set the compatibility

If you are still having issues with installing updates try setting compatibility mode for the installer.

1. Download standalone Installation assistant installer from Microsoft website here
2. Go to the location where you had the file downloaded
3. Right-click on file
4. Click on properties
5. Go to the Compatibility tab
6. Click on Run this program in compatibility mode for:
7. Choose Windows 7
8. Click on APPLY
9. Run installer

Run SFC scan

If you are still facing installation issues there is a high chance there is something wrong with Windows system files. Luckily Windows itself has a built-in tool to address these issues and fix them.

1. Open command prompt as administrator by pressing Start and searching for the command prompt and then on right-clicking on run as administrator
2. Once the command prompt opens type in SFC / SCANNOW and press ENTER
3. Wait for the whole process to complete and then restart your system

Blinking or Flashing Desktop After login - What does it mean?

Upon updating to Windows 10, some users might encounter a blinking or flashing desktop after logging in. This will result in a repetitive restarting of explorer or you won’t be able to make the start menu and shortcut keys work. In addition, the network icon might not appear in your taskbar as well. Other Windows 10 error messages include error code 0xc000021a.

Solution

Error Causes

Your blinking or flashing desktop after logging in might be the result of problems with the bushell.dll shell extension, which is a part of the Norton Security Suite. Another possible cause for this annoying problem is an issue with your display driver since not all systems will use the same display driver and will depend on what graphics card you use.

Further Information and Manual Repair

In fixing the bothersome blinking or flashing desktop after logging in problem, you can do a manual repair method to address the root problem. You need to be familiar with the Windows command line to successfully go through the process. However, if you are not knowledgeable or confident enough to do this on your own, it would be best to seek help from a professional. Or, you might want to consider using an automated tool to solve the issue.

You need to identify first what’s causing the blinking or flashing of your desktop after login to properly address the issue. The following methods can be done if your issue is caused by bushell.dll shell extension issue:

Method One: Forcefully Terminate Process

1. Press on Ctrl+Alt+Del then select Task manager
2. Start a Command Prompt as an administrator by choosing the File menu then Run New Task.
3. Type exe. Make sure to tick the checkbox “Create this task with administrative privileges.”

NOTE: Text input is most probably affected by the explorer restarts so you might need to repeatedly type some letters or to carefully input texts.

4. In the Command Prompt, type taskkill /f /im explorer.exe. This will stop the blinking or flashing.
5. Type cd “Program Files” afterward, type dir /s bushell.dll to locate where the dll is. (For example, purposes, use c:\program files\Norton Security Suite\Engine6422.5.2.15 as the location)
6. If the dll file is not found, you can try repeating step 5 but this time, use “Program Files (x86)” However, you can proceed with the next step if you already located where the bushell.dll is.
7. Type cd ”c:\program files\Norton Security Suite\Engine 6422.5.2.15” to change the name of the directory you found the dll in.
8. Type ren bushell.dll bushell-crash.dll
9. Restart now the system by typing shutdown /r /f /t o in the command line.

Method Two: Uninstall Programs

1. Log out then go to the sign in screen
2. Press the Shift key as you simultaneously click on the Power button on the screen.
3. Continue pressing on the Shift key as you click
4. Continue pressing on the Shift key as you wait for the Advanced Recovery Options menu to appear.
5. Once the Advance Recovery Options menu appears, click on Troubleshoot then select Advanced options.
6. Click on the Startup Settings then select
7. Boot on Safe Mode by pressing 4 on your keyboard.
8. Log in then press Windows key + X.
9. Select the Device Manager then expand Display Adapter.
10. On your Display Adapter, right-click then select
11. Exit Device Manager
12. If in case you also have an older Antivirus utility, you should uninstall it as well.
13. Restart

NOTE: You might need to download the latest Video Driver on a working computer. Save it in a thumb drive then copy and install it on your computer. If in case there is no native Windows 10 driver, you can also download the latest Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 video driver. Afterward, install it in compatibility mode.

Method Three: Use Microsoft System Configuration Utility

1. Log out then go to the sign in screen
2. Press the Shift key as you simultaneously click on the Power button on the screen.
3. Continue pressing on the Shift key as you click
4. Continue pressing on the Shift key as you wait for the Advanced Recovery Options menu to appear.
5. Once the Advance Recovery Options menu appears, click on Troubleshoot then select Advanced options.
6. Click on the Startup Settings then select
7. Boot on Safe Mode but this time, choose 5 to start in Safe Mode with networking.
8. Check if your problem is present or not in Safe Mode. If not, then you are on the right track.
9. Press on the Windows key + R then type msconfig to start up your exe file.
10. Click on the Services tab then choose Disable All. Afterward, click on
11. Once you’re prompted to reboot your computer, go ahead and reboot in Normal Mode. Check if the issue is still present.
12. If the blinking or flashing desktop after login is gone, then you can just do a process of elimination.
13. Start-up on your exe again then begin bringing up services a few at a time.
14. You can turn on all other services except for the following which causes the blinking or flashing desktop after login problem: Problem Reports and Solutions Control Panel Support •Windows Error Reporting Service.

The Windows update error 0x8024ce0e can happen as a result of improper installation, a virus, or due to file corruption. Follow this guide to easily fix errors and continue with your work.

1. Restart Windows

   As awkward as it seems this method actually works most of the time. Click on the start button and restart your system.

2. Check hard disk space

   Of course, when installing updates there should be enough disk space for updates to be downloaded and installed. Check your disk space to see if there is sufficient available space.

3. Disconnect external components

   External components can interfere sometimes with the update process, disconnect external hard drives, USB, and other devices, leaving only the keyboard, mouse, and core ones.

4. Check devices in the device manager

   Open device manager and visually check to see if there is a device with a yellow exclamation sign next to it. If there is such a device, right-click on it and choose update driver.

If you got an Activation Error 0xC004F211 after having installed or upgraded your Windows 10 PC, then this indicates that some hardware in your computer has changed which’s causing the error to pop up. Windows might not be able to determine if the key is used on a new computer or if it’s still the same one if you have just removed or upgraded old hardware. But worry not for this post will guide you in fixing the Windows Activation Error 0xC004F211 on your Windows 10 computer. When you encounter this error, you will see the following error message on your screen:

“Cannot activate Windows 10. Try activating again later. If that doesn’t work, contact support. Error code: 0xC004F211.”

Note that although hardware changes cause this error, the minor ones don’t really cause any issues with activation, however, if you have made any significant hardware change such as replacing your motherboard, it will most likely cause the activation error. In such cases, the Windows Activation system will treat this as new hardware and you will need a new license for that. Even if your Windows 10 computer has a genuine key, it might still fail to get activated which results in the Windows Activation Error 0xC004F211. Thus, before you do other troubleshooting steps, you need to run the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter first. To do so, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings and then select Activation.
• After that, click on the Windows Activation and then troubleshoot. This will help you address most of the commonly found activation issues in Windows devices.

In addition, there is an exception offered by Microsoft – if you are connected to a Microsoft account prior to the hardware change, then you can most certainly use the same license key to reactivate Windows 10 again. Microsoft calls this an “Exception path” which should be fixed easily by the Windows Activation Troubleshooter as pointed out earlier. However, if the Windows Activation Troubleshooter isn’t able to resolve the error you can try purchasing a new license. In such rate case, even if you do have a Microsoft account available on your Windows 10 computer, and if Windows was never activated, this solution will not work. And if you haven’t connected your Microsoft account with your Windows 10 computer prior to the major hardware change, then your only option left is to purchase a new license. For you to do that here are some steps you can follow.

• To purchase a new Windows license, the first thing you have to do is click on the Start button > Settings > Update & Security.
• From there, go to Activation and select the “Go to Microsoft Store” option.
• After receiving your new license, you need to go back to Update & Security then go to Activation and select the “Change product key” option.
• Now update your Windows 10 computer using the new key and it should automatically activate your computer.
• Next, you have to create a Microsoft account or connect your existing local account to your online account.
• Once the system links the key and the account, you need not buy a new license in case something like this happens again.

Note: If you are an IT administrator, you need to keep in mind that there is a limit to the number of times you can reactivate Windows on your computer. Moreover, if you don’t see any option to reactivate the license, and it is a work computer, you need to contact your organization’s tech support.

What is Mapi32.dll Outlook Error?

Mapi32.dll is a Windows Messaging Application Programming Interface that enables Windows to perform various email functions and launch messaging programs like Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office. The inability of the interface to execute email functions properly results in the Mapi32.dll Outlook Error. This error occurs mostly when you are attempting to upgrade the operating system to a new version.

Solution

Error Causes

The common causes of the Mapi32.dll Outlook Error during the OS upgrade are:

• Damaged or Corrupt Outlook user profile
• The software is overwritten by some other program
• Outlook PST file corruption

The Mapi32.dll Outlook Error message is displayed in either of the following forms:

• Mapi32.dll is missing
• Cannot start Microsoft Office Outlook. Mapi32.dll is corrupt or the wrong version.
• Mapi32.dll was not found
• Mail is not installed

Further Information and Manual Repair

So, what if you experience this issue and how do you fix it? Well, first there is no need to panic as Microsoft has recognized this issue and provided adequate solutions to fix this problem in no time. However, to ensure the Mapi32.dll Outlook error is a quick fix, you must first understand the cause of the issue and the message displayed on the screen.

1. Let’s say the errors occur because your Outlook profile is corrupt. In this scenario, the best solution is to create a new Outlook profile. Regardless of whether you have Windows Vista or XP, to create your new Outlook profile, first, you will have to click on the Control Panel, then User Account, and then Mail. Once you click on the Mail tab, the mail set up dialog box will open. In this dialog box there will be a ‘Show Profiles’ tab, click and then click the Add tab that appears next. Now type the name for your new Outlook profile and then click ‘OK’. After that, add an email account to go with the profile.
2. If Mapi32.dll is missing or corrupt, you will have to run ‘Fixmapi.exe’ to resolve the problem. It is located in the System32 folder inside the Windows directory in Windows Explorer.

• Therefore, first start Windows Explorer and then locate the following folder on your computer: C: /Program Files/Common Files/System/Msmapi1033
• Now find Fixmapi.exe and double click it
• After that locate the Mapi32.dll file and rename it to MSmapi32.old and press enter.
• Restart your computer when finished.

A word of advice for computer users is to scan for viruses with an antivirus program or a registry cleaner regularly to prevent the Mapi32.dll Outlook error from occurring in the first place. Viruses often latch onto .dll files and corrupt them. It’s always best to have a forward-looking approach.

Windows 11 will bring some old applications in new looks and some will get additional features as well. One of the old apps that will get new stuff is a calculator. The calculator was always a way to go application for quick calculations but Microsoft aims to expand on that and make the calculator a little more useful. The first thing that you will notice is the calculator look, the calculator has now an application theme setting that allows you to change the look of the application. It comes in standard and professional mode as usual but this time calculator will come with features that will enable it to handle some programming and engineering tasks. The new calculator features a full graphing mode that lets you visually analyze a graph to identify key features. It also packs a deep converter that can switch between more than 100 units and currencies.

Other Windows 11 apps

A new snipping tool will be delivered with this latest update as well packed with new functionality. We have covered new features of the snipping tool in another article, if you are interested you can find the article here: https://errortools.com/windows/new-snipping-tool-redesigned-in-windows-11/ Mail and Calendar apps will also get a redesign, sadly all redesign that they will include will be of visual nature to fit in the overall Windows 11 theme, functionality will remain the same.

Symptoms of Blue Screen of Death Errors

Symptoms of a blue screen of death problem are easy to identify: if you have a blue screen error, then your computer will display a blue screen. Also known as the infamous “Blue Screen of Death”, this screen will pop up when something goes horribly wrong with your computer. The screen displays cryptic information about the problem before automatically restarting the system.

Bluescreen Of Death Errors Solution

Download Available To Completely Repair Blue Screen of Death Errors

Recommended: Download the Automatic Repair Utility to correct this and other PC performance issues.

Bluescreen Error Causes

This one can be a bit more complex: blue screens are caused by hundreds of different things. In fact, any miscommunication between the hardware and software of the computer can lead to the dreaded Blue Screen of Death, blue screens reference a communication problem between the Windows operating system and the hardware in your PC.

Why do computer blue screens of death errors occur?

Most computer users have experienced a blue screen of death at least once in their life. But have you ever stopped to wonder why they occur? Blue screens of death can occur for a number of different reasons, but the most common reason is that your PC’s hardware failed to properly communicate with its software, resulting in a fatal error. If your video card, processor, hard drive, or any other vital system component encountered a serious communication error with your operating system, then your PC may automatically display the blue screen and shut down for its own safety. Blue screens can also occur as a self-protection mechanism if the PC is overheated.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Where do Windows blue screen errors come from?

Blue screen errors come from many different sources on your computer. However, the majority of blue screen errors seem to come from the Windows Registry, which contains important configuration information about the programs, data, and personal files on your PC. Windows constantly rely on the registry in order to operate normally, but since the registry is incredibly complex (it holds hundreds of thousands of files), errors naturally develop over time. Fortunately, registry errors are fixable. They can be repaired using special registry cleaning software. During a scan, registry cleaning software looks for any registry entries that have errors. Once these entries are found, the software automatically repairs each entry. In many cases, this can permanently repair the blue screen error and prevent blue screens from ever appearing again.

Blue screen Windows 7

Windows 7, despite being Microsoft’s most popular operating system to date, is not immune to blue screen errors. It’s more stable than previous versions of Windows, although many users will inevitably encounter blue screen errors in Windows 7. No matter which version of Windows you’re currently using, the error remains the same: the hardware on your computer has trouble communicating with the software, forcing the system to display the blue error message we all love to hate.

“Blue Screen of Death”

There’s a reason this error message is famously called the “blue screen of death.” Immediately after displaying a blue screen, the Windows computer will ‘die’, which means that it restarts itself. Another reason why the error could be called the blue screen of death is that it is often displayed at the end of a PC’s life cycle. As PCs get older and their hardware starts to fail, blue screen errors become more and more common. In real life, death isn’t reversible. In the computer world, blue screens of death certainly are. With the right software support – like Restoro – even the most novice computer technician can fix their blue screen errors and restore their PC to healthy working conditions.

Benefits Of Using Restoro, BSOD Error Codes

Restoro is one of the world’s most popular PC optimization programs. Used by professional PC technicians around the world, Restoro is a feature-rich software suite that has helped many PC users breathe new life into an old PC. Restoro optimizes computer performance in hundreds of different ways. It looks through the registry and repairs any erroneous entries it finds. It also hunts down and eliminates malware and goes to work with the press of a button. And most importantly for you – it’s also amazingly effective at repairing blue screen errors. Ready to experience the Restoro difference? Here are a few more advantages of our favorite software program:

• Easy for anyone to use: A few years ago, only the most tech-savvy individuals could optimize their computer’s performance.  Everybody else had to pay for expensive tech support or simply buy a new computer. Thankfully, the software development community has come up with innovations like Restoro which are easy for anyone to use. Just click a button and your computer will be clean within minutes. The process could not be easier.

• Surprisingly fast: There are hundreds of thousands of files in the Windows Registry. In spite of that fact, Restoro goes to work incredibly quickly. It scans the depths of your PC in an effort to uncover whatever is causing your blue screen errors. The entire scan is complete within just a few minutes, making it easy for anyone to scan their computer on a regular basis.

• Free trial: It’s good to be skeptical. And if you don’t think Restoro will fix any of the errors your computer is experiencing, then that’s okay. However, when you download the free Restoro, you can instantly scan your computer for errors. If any errors are found during this scan, then you can repair these problems with the click of a button.

• Fixes frustrating errors: Blue screen errors are incredibly frustrating. You can’t get any work done on your computer when experiencing a blue screen problem. For that reason, Restoro helps alleviate some of the most frustrating PC problems in the world today.

• More than just blue screen repairs: Sure, blue screens are annoying. But they’re only one of many different errors that a PC can develop over time. Fortunately, Restoro does more than just fix blue screen errors. The software also identifies and repairs other problem areas on your PC, making it easy to optimize performance.

Ready to get rid of your blue screen errors – permanently? Restoro today!

In case you don’t know, Windows 10 actually allows users to set the Keyboard Repeat Rate and Repeat Delay. Both of these terms are interrelated and when you make active, any text field or an editor and then press and hold a single character key, it will quickly type the character for the first time and will show delay until the second and later characters appear. This is what you call the Keyboard Repeat Delay. On the other hand, the rate at which the later character appears is known as Keyboard Repeat Rate. There are two ways you can set the Keyboard Repeat Rate and the Keyboard Repeat Delay on Windows 10. The first one is using the Keyboard Properties while the second one is using the Registry Editor.

Option 1 – Set up Keyboard Repeat Rate and Repeat Delay via Keyboard Properties

• First, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type in “control keyboard” in the field, and hit Enter to open the Keyboard Properties.
• From there, you can use the slider to make the respective options for both Keyboard Repeat Delay and Repeat Rate shorter or whatever you prefer them to be.
• You should also see a text field in the mini window where you can test out your preferences. Once done, click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.

Option 2 – Keyboard Repeat Rate and Repeat Delay via Registry Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelAccessibilityKeyboard Response
• From there, you can set your own value for both the AutoRepeatDelay and AutoRepeatRate registry keys so that you can set the Keyboard Repeat Rate and Repeat Delay in Windows 10.
• Once you’re done, exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to save the changes made.