Razer Hazel, an RGB mask for max protection

Users are reporting that randomly their screen will just go black for a second and come back. When this happens, it usually distorts any video currently on the screen; sometimes, they can resume working on the PC normally. However, when they view the event logs, they see the error message Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered. In this article, we will address solutions to this issue and how to not have it again.

1. Remove Aura iCUE plugin (applies to only ASUS motherboards)

   Some PC users discovered that iCue adds an Aura plugin for ASUS MOBOs. That, combined with EVGA Precision X1, was causing the error it seems – this was determined when the screen would turn off and on when opening EVGA x1 software. In this case, the issue was resolved by removing the Aura iCUE plugins.

2. Change Power Management mode

   Right-click the battery icon on the notification area on the right of the Taskbar. Select Power Options. In the Power Options window, locate your current Power Plan. Select High performance, if that’s not your current power plan. Now, click on Change plan settings next to it. Now click on Change advanced power settings. Expand PCI Express section. Expand Link State Power Management. Now set power saving to Off for both On battery and Plugged in state. This would fix any issues caused by the low power of the video card. Click Apply > OK to save changes.

3. Update graphics driver

   Go into device manager Expand display adapter section Right-click on adapter Click on update driver Reboot

4. Rollback graphics driver

   Go into device manager Expand display adapter section Right-click on adapter Click on Roll back driver Reboot

5. Uninstall and reinstall graphics card driver

   Go into device manager Expand display adapter section Right-click on adapter Click on Uninstall device Reboot

6. Replace the graphics card

   If everything else failed, replace the graphic card

Error Code 0xc1900106  – What is it?

One of the most common errors encountered by Microsoft users upgrading from Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 to Windows 10 is the Error Code 0xc1900106. Microsoft users experience a failure in the installation process. Either they will be notified that the installation process was ended but failed or that Windows is not able to install the update.

Solution

Error Causes

More and more Windows users are having trouble upgrading their operating system to Windows 10. There are a lot of errors being encountered by users and one of them is the Error Code 0xc1900106. This error is normally due to the misconfigured system files. If a Windows user encounters this error, most likely their device has some registry problems.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Fixing error code-related issues could be best resolved to do manual repair methods. Applying repair methods manually can help Windows users address the root causes of the errors they encounter, as well as apply definite solutions to rectify the issue.

Most Windows users can be able to implement manual repair methods themselves but there are some cases where help from a Windows professional is needed. If you’re not a very tech-savvy person and not confident performing the manual repair methods yourself, it would be advisable to seek help from a professional Windows technician who is knowledgeable enough to address the errors or problems you are encountering. However, if you don’t want to resort to seeking help from a professional, you can also consider using a powerful automated tool.

In trying to fix Error Code 0xc1900106, here are the following manual repair methods you can take:

Method One: Custom Installation

1. Make a backup of your personal files
2. Users of Windows 8/8.1 should Refresh first then proceed to upgrade.
3. If the Refresh process does not work, reset your device then try again.
4. If resetting your device still does not work, you can proceed with a custom installation.
5. When your Windows installation media is ready, you need to choose to boot from CD, DVD, or USB drive to begin setup. (For example purposes, this article will discuss booting from DVD).
6. When your device is all set to boot from DVD, you will be prompted to Press any key to boot from CD or DVD…
7. Once you’ve pressed any key, the screen will show the Windows logo which might take a while. No need to worry though, as long as you can see the indicator, you’re good.
8. Choose your Language, Time, and Keyboard method from the drop-down menu then hit Next.
9. Click on the Install Now button then wait until Setup begins.
10. Tick on the I accept the license terms check box then select Next.
11. Choose Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)
12. Choose the Primary partition then select Next. You will be prompted by the following warning: The partition you selected might contain files from a previous Windows Installation. If it does, these files and folders will be moved to a folder named Windows.old. You will be able to access the information in Windows.old, but you will be able to use your previous version of Windows. Just click the OK button then wait as the Windows continue to install. Windows will restart once this phase of the setup completes and will reboot into setup once again.
13. At this point, Windows will detect and install your hardware. Once this finishes, Windows will restart again.

Method Two: Reset Windows Update Components

1. From your device’s desktop, hit Windows key + X to open the command prompt as admin.
2. Once the command prompt window appears, you can type or copy and paste the following commands (all at once):

net stop wuauserv net stop cryptSvc net stop bits net stop msiserver ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 catroot2.old net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver pause

3. Exit the command prompt.
4. After you reset the Windows Update components, see if you receive Windows Updates which includes the firmware updates for your computer.

Method Three: Ensure Windows is Updated

1. If you have an antivirus, make sure to disable it during the upgrade process.
2. Run Windows Update to check if the system is updated.
3. Ensure that the latest firmware and drivers are installed. To be able to do this, go to the computer manufacturer’s website or you can also try contacting company support.

FoxTab Toolbar is a browser hijacking toolbar add-on for IE, Firefox, Chrome, and Opera browsers that claims that it allows you to access your favorite sites faster, and improving your overall search and browsing experience. 1-click access to search results, most popular websites, and web services directly from our Foxtab browser toolbar.

Fox tab will integrate itself into your browser, modifying the search engine, welcome page, and new tab. This toolbar may change some browser settings, display unwanted ads, and sometimes displays additional ads from its ad sponsor. Some of the settings that this toolbar changes can lower the security of your browser.

Upon installation the toolbar ads scheduled tasks in Windows, allowing it to run with your browser every time, and to automatically update itself. Several anti-virus programs have flagged this software as Malware and therefore it is classified as a browser hijacker and recommended for optional removal.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijackers (sometimes called hijackware) are a type of malicious software that modifies internet browser settings without the user’s knowledge or approval. These types of hijacks are rising at an astonishing rate across the world, and they can be actually nefarious and sometimes dangerous too. They are created to interfere with web browser programs for many different reasons. Often, hijackers will force hits to internet sites of their choice either to increase targeted traffic generating higher ad revenue, or to gain a commission for every user visiting there. Although it might appear harmless, these tools are made by malicious people who always try to take full advantage of you, so that hackers can earn money from your naivety and distraction. What’s more, hijackers can make the whole infected system fragile – other destructive malware and viruses will take hold of these opportunities to get into your computer system effortlessly.

How to know whether the browser is hijacked?

Symptoms that your internet browser is hijacked include: 1. your home page has been reset to some unknown webpage 2. bookmark and the new tab are also changed 3. default web engine is changed 4. you see unwanted new toolbars added 5. you’ll notice random pop-ups start showing regularly 6. your web browser starts running sluggishly or exhibits frequent glitches 7. Inability to navigate to particular sites, particularly anti-malware as well as other computer security software webpages.

How it infects your PC

Browser hijackers infect PCs in numerous ways, including via a file-share, a drive-by download, or an infected email. They can also be deployed via the installation of an internet browser toolbar, extension, or add-on. Also, certain shareware and freeware can put the hijacker in your PC through “bundling”. Browser hijackers can record user keystrokes to collect potentially invaluable information that leads to privacy issues, cause instability on systems, drastically disrupt the user experience, and ultimately slow down the PC to a point where it becomes unusable.

Tips on how to get rid of browser hijackers

Certain kinds of browser hijackers can be removed from your computer by deleting malicious applications or any other recently added freeware. Often, it can be a tough task to find and eliminate the malicious component because the associated file might be running as part of the operating system process. Also, manual removals require in-depth system understanding and thus can be a very difficult task for beginner computer users. Professionals always suggest users remove any malicious software including browser hijacker by using an automatic removal tool, which is easier, safer, and quicker than the manual removal process. Safebytes Anti-Malware detects all kinds of hijackers – including FoxTab – and eliminates every trace efficiently and quickly. Employ a pc optimizer along with your antivirus software to solve various computer registry problems, eliminate system vulnerabilities, and boost your computer performance.

Malware Blocking Access To Safebytes Website And Anti-Malware Downloads - What You Should Do?

Malware may cause many different types of damage to computer systems, networks, and data. Some malware is meant to interfere with or prevent things that you wish to do on your PC. It may well not permit you to download anything from the internet or prevent you from accessing some or all of the sites, particularly the anti-malware sites. If you’re reading this, you may have affected by a virus that stops you from downloading a computer security program like Safebytes Anti-Malware. There are a few steps you can take to get around this problem.

Download the software in Safe Mode with Networking

If any virus is set to load automatically when Microsoft Windows starts, getting into Safe Mode could very well block the attempt. Just the minimum required programs and services are loaded when you start your PC in Safe Mode. To start your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers in Safe Mode with Networking, please do as instructed below. 1) Tap the F8 key repeatedly as soon as your system boots, but before the large windows logo comes up. This would conjure up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Choose Safe Mode with Networking using arrow keys and hit ENTER. 3) When this mode loads, you will have the internet. Now, get the virus removal software you want by utilizing the internet browser. To install the software, follow the guidelines within the setup wizard. 4) Immediately after installation, do a complete scan and let the program remove the threats it finds.

Download the antivirus program in a different web browser

Some malware mainly targets particular browsers. If this is your situation, employ another web browser as it could circumvent the computer virus. In the event you suspect that your Internet Explorer has been hijacked by malware or otherwise compromised by online hackers, the ideal course of action would be to switch over to a different browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to download your favorite computer security application – Safebytes Anti-Malware. Create a bootable USB anti-virus drive Another option is to make a portable anti-malware program onto your USB flash drive. Try these simple measures to clean up your infected PC using a portable antivirus. 1) Make use of another virus-free computer to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Insert the pen drive into the clean PC. 3) Double-click the Setup icon of the antivirus software 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 on-screen instructions to finish the installation. 5) Disconnect the USB drive. You may now utilize this portable anti-virus on the affected computer system. 6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the thumb drive by double-clicking the icon. 7) Hit the “Scan Now” button to start the malware scan.

Protect Your PC and Privacy With SafeBytes Anti-Malware

Do you want to install the best anti-malware software for your computer? There are plenty of applications on the market that comes in free and paid versions for Windows computers. Some are very good ones, some are decent, and some are simply just bogus anti-malware software that will damage your PC themselves! You need to be very careful not to pick the wrong product, particularly if you buy a paid application. On the list of recommended software programs is SafeBytes AntiMalware. SafeBytes has a very good reputation for excellent service, and clients seem to be happy with it. SafeBytes anti-malware is a trusted tool that not only protects your computer system permanently but is also quite easy to use for people of all skill levels. After you have installed this application, SafeBytes' superior protection system will make sure that absolutely no viruses or malware can seep through your computer. SafeBytes has great features when compared with other anti-malware programs. Below are some of the great features included in the application. Active Protection: SafeBytes offers real-time active monitoring service and protection against all known viruses and malware. It’ll monitor your computer system for suspicious activity regularly and its unparalleled firewall guards your PC against illegal access by the outside world. World-class AntiMalware Protection: Built on a highly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal tool is able to detect and remove numerous obstinate malware threats such as browser hijackers, potentially unwanted programs, and ransomware that other common antivirus software will miss. Safe Browsing: SafeBytes checks and provides a unique safety rating to every single site you visit and block access to web pages known to be phishing sites, thus protecting you from identity theft, or known to contain malicious software. Low Memory/CPU Usage: This software is lightweight and will run quietly in the background, and that does not have an effect on your PC efficiency. 24/7 Online Technical Support: SafeBytes provides you with 24/7 technical support, automatic maintenance, and updates for the best user experience. Overall, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is a solid program since it has plenty of features and can detect and remove any potential threats. There is no doubt that your computer will be protected in real-time as soon as you put this software program to use. If you’re looking for the absolute best malware removal tool out there, and if you don’t mind shelling out some money for it, go for SafeBytes Anti-Malware.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

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

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

[/section][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

If you are typing inside the Search bar, Cortana, Taskbar, Windows 10 apps, etc., and then everything seems invisible then read on as this post will guide you in fixing this issue. At first, you might think that something is wrong with your keyboard but it really has nothing to do with it. The problem actually lies with the apps from Microsoft Store. Thus, if you can’t type anything in any of the apps from Microsoft Store in Windows 10, refer to the options given below to fix them.

Option 1 – Ensure that ctfmon.exe is running

Ctfmon.exe is a Microsoft process in Windows 10 that controls the Alternative User Input as well as the Office Language bar. In other words, it enables end-users to control the computer using on-screen keyboard inputs, speech, and even pen for various languages. It would be better if you launch the program once by going to the C:/Windows/system32 folder. Doing so will ensure that whatever API is needed for the keyboard typing to work properly again. You also have to make sure that its startup status is not disabled. In addition, you can also try the following steps, alternatively.

• Open the Task Scheduler.
• Then go to Microsoft > Windows > TextServicesFramework.
• And on the MsCtfMonitor, right-click and enable the task.
• Now restart your computer.

This will ensure that all the text boxes will start to work again. And if the task MsCtfMonitor is missing from the list of tasks, you can import it with the XML file from basics.net. Then download and create a task to run it each time you log in to your PC.

Option 2 – Use the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter

You might also try running the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter as it can help in resolving issues with the Windows Store apps. This built-in tool can resolve most of the app-related problems. To use it, go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshooting > Windows Store Apps and from there, click the start the troubleshooter button. The Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter will scan the computer for any issues with the Windows store apps and will automatically fix them if it finds any.

Option 3 – Re-register all the Windows 10 UWP apps using PowerShell

• First, make sure to close all the running applications on your computer.
• Next, in the Start search, type in PowerShell and right click on the result, and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After that, type the following commands to re-register the Windows 10 apps. Make sure to hit Enter on each line:
  • reg delete "HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionTileDataModelMigrationTileStore" /va /f
  • get-appxpackage -packageType bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "appxmetadataappxbundlemanifest.xml")}
  • $bundlefamilies = (get-appxpackage -packagetype Bundle).packagefamilyname
  • get-appxpackage -packagetype main |? {-not ($bundlefamilies -contains $_.packagefamilyname)} |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "appxmanifest.xml")}

Option 4 – Try to run the DISM tool

You can also run the DISM Tool as it helps in repairing the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in Windows 10. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth” which could help in fixing the problem.

• Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
• Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Option 5 – Run the System File Checker Scan

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Tap Win + R to launch Run.
• Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

• Restart your PC.

Enter Cooler Master XG850 PLUS PLATINUM, a new, in-house designed power supply from Cooler Master. I will admit that in last years I was a big fan of Cooler Master and their components, well not all but power supply and PC cases were always products from them that I liked and used. The latest power supply from them does not disappoint and I must say that I like it very much, it is hi-quality, it is silent, it has a large LCD display where you can see its current state and also has some RGB lights so it looks cool in your case.

Technical specifications

So without further detours here are the technical specifications and then we will talk a little about it.

Opinion about Cooler Master XG850 PLUS PLATINUM

If we put aside the technical characteristics of the power supply itself we are left with visual and real working experience. Now real working experience will not be covered here since yea it is working great but it needs some time and a long period of testing in order to be able to say that it is indeed reliable and great but considering I have never had any issues personally with power supplies from Cooler Master I will assume that this one is also very reliable and hi-quality.

That leaves us basically with looks and feels of supply itself and I must say that I like it, and I mean I like it a lot. It feels hi-quality and it looks hi-quality. The LCD display is very good looking and it is very crisp and readable. With power supply some proprietary software so you can choose what you want on display on the screen and also you can control RGB and display colors with it.

I have not opened the power supply to see how it looks inside but from what I could see I think this would be my new power supply if I were building a new PC now. I recommend it and if you decide to get it I hope it will serve you long long time.

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you next time.

Nvidia announced the third generation of GeForce RTX GPUs called Ada Lovelace. New technology is bringing 76 billion transistors with 18,000 CUDA cores along with new gen ray tracing cores and improved Tensor cores as well. The new lineup also comes with DLSS 3 which is vastly improved from its previous version pushing a 4 times increase in frame rates over native rendering.

RTX 4090, a better model of GPU will come with 16,384 CUDA cores and a boost clock speed of 2.52 GHz. Also, it is packed with stunning 24 GB of GDDR6V VRAM. In Nvidia's words, its performance is twice faster than the 3090 Ti in games like Flight simulator, three times faster on Portal RTX, and four times faster on RacerX.

RTX 4080 comes in two modes, one with 12GB VRAM and a stronger one with 16GB VRAM but differences do not end here. The lower model is packing 7,680 CUDA cores while the stronger one is going to 9,728 CUDA cores. We will wait to see how will these cores count impact real-world performance in games.

As for prices, the flagship model RTX 4090 will be $1,600 USD and it will hit the market on October 12th. RTX 4080 12GB model will be $900 USD and the model with 16GB VRAM will go up to $1,200 USD. This, of course, is the price for Founders Edition cards, OEM cards from third parties like ASUS, MSI, Gigatech, etc will cost more.

Windows users need to be on high alert. Microsoft has confirmed a critical vulnerability has been found in all versions of Windows which presents an immediate threat, and you need to act now. A critical new zero-day hack has been found which affects all Windows versions. Tracked as CVE-2021-34484, the “zero-day” flaw enables hackers to breach all versions of Windows (including Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2022) and take control of your computer. Microsoft mistakenly thought it had patched the vulnerability (which was first found in August) when it was publicly disclosed in October. But the fix itself was found to be flawed, something the company admitted, and this drew even more attention to the vulnerability. Microsoft subsequently promised to “take appropriate action to keep customers protected” but two weeks later, a new fix has still not arrived. Luckily the third-party security specialist 0patch has beaten Microsoft to the punch with a ‘micropatch that it has now made available for all Windows users “Micropatches for this vulnerability will be free until Microsoft has issued an official fix," 0patch confirmed. You will need to register for a 0patch account and install its download agent before the fix can be applied, but with 0patch fast becoming a go-to destination for hot fixes which beat software companies to the punch this is a no brainer. Hopes will be high that Microsoft can release an effective patch sooner rather than later but, until then, all Windows users must act now if they want to be safe. Download 0patch here: https://blog.0patch.com/2021/11/micropatching-incompletely-patched.html

This post will guide you on what to do if your keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys are not working on your Windows 10 computer. A lot of users use hotkeys as they make things easier for them as they use their computer. However, there are instances when these hotkeys suddenly stop working. It’s actually one of the most common problems with keyboards. And so to resolve this problem, you can try out some suggestions prepared on this post.

Option 1 – Clean the keyboard keys physically

Your keyboard might not be working properly due to some dirt or other corrosion. First, you need to shut down your computer and then unplug the keyboard if you are using a desktop computer and then prepare it for cleaning. After that, use a small cotton ear cleaning tool to get between the creases and clean them. You can dip it slightly in alcohol to make it more efficient in cleaning dust and dirt. And if you can, you have the option to pull apart the keyboard completely and then wipe away all the corrosion from the inside. Once you’re done, put the keyboard back together and then plug it back into your PC. Now turn your PC on and check if the hotkeys are now working.

Option 2 – Try running the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

The first thing you can do to fix the problem is by running the Hardware Troubleshooter. Although it won’t make much of a difference, there’s still a possibility that it could automatically fix the problem with these function keys. To use it, refer to these steps:

• The first thing you need to do is click on Start and then on the gear-like icon to pull up the window for Settings.
• After opening Settings, look for the Update and Security option and select it.
• From there, go to the Troubleshoot option located on the left-hand side of the list.
• Next, select Hardware and Devices from the list and open the Troubleshooter and run it. Once it is doing its job, wait for it to complete the process and then restart the system.
• After the system restarts, check if the problem’s now fixed. If not, refer to the next option given below.

Option 3 – Try connecting the keyboard to a different USB port

The problem might have something to do with the USB port that’s currently in use by your keyboard. It could be that it’s not working so it makes sense to unplug it and attach it to another USB port. You can also clean the USB port on both ends to ensure that they are not affected by corrosion.

Option 4 – Uninstall previously installed keyboard software

If you have been previously using another keyboard, it might be better if you make sure that the software for the old device has been removed since there are instances when multiple software can cause problems due to similarities in actions.

Option 5 – Update the keyboard driver

You can also update the keyboard driver to fix the problem. There are cases when an outdated or corrupted driver can fix the problem. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.
• From there, look for the keyboard driver and click on it.
• Next, right-click on the keyboard driver and select the Update driver option.
• After that, click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option to proceed.

Option 6 – Reinstall the keyboard driver

If updating the keyboard driver didn’t help, then you might want to reinstall it. How? Follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in MSC into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. Look for keyboard driver, right-click on it and then select “Uninstall device”.
• After that, unplug the device and restart your PC.
• Then plug your device back in. Assuming your device is connected to your PC, open the Device Manager again.
• Next, click on the Action button and click the Scan for hardware changes button. That should fix the problem.

Note: You could also completely uninstall the driver and go directly to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest driver for your hardware and then install it.

Option 7 – Enable Human Interface Device (HID) Service

Another thing to consider is the Human Interface Device Service. If this service is disabled, then no wonder why your hotkeys are not working. Thus, you need to enable this service. Refer to the following steps to do that:

• Tap the Win + R key to launch the Run dialog box.
• Then type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open Services.
• After opening Services, scroll down until you see the Human Interface Device service.
• Double click on HID and make sure that its Startup Type is set to “Automatic” and then click OK.
• Restart your PC and check if the hotkeys are now working or not.

Option 8 – Try resetting the keyboard

You might also want to try resetting the keyboard as it can also help in fixing the problem. Setting it back to its default state will surely help.

On September 18th, 2017, Cisco’s Talos announced that CCleaner, a popular utility with billions of worldwide users, had been compromised by hackers, and was used to unwittingly distribute hidden malware in its installer. Later in the day, Piriform, the publisher of CCleaner, confirmed the problem.

Undetected by all but 1 major antivirus including CCleaner’s own parent company, this occurred for over a month and impacted over 2.7 million users. Users of CCleaner v5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191 for 32-bit Windows are affected. These downloads were live on CCleaner’s official site from August 15th to September 12th, 2017. Anyone who downloaded the program during this time could be affected. The company claims that while the hackers set up the backdoor and many users were impacted, that the perpetrators have been arrested and that the malware never successfully performed its full task and compromised user’s PCs or sent out their data; in the wake of recent security breaches such as Equifax, users are understandably worried. Given the severity of the threat of hacking and data theft, users should take action immediately if they have CCleaner.

Technical Details of CCleaner Malware Injection

First reported by Talos, the malware, which was hidden in the CCleaner installer without the publisher noticing (despite them being owned by Avast, a massive Anti-virus company), modified a core program DLL file to evade detection, and creates several registry keys. Not only were these files not flagged by any major Anti-Virus, but they were also even digitally signed by Piriform via their Symantec certificate, meaning your PC and security program would likely whitelist and trust the malicious installer. The malware gathers personal information on a user’s PC, including IP address and running programs, and sends it to a remote server. In our testing, the program sent data to IP 216.126.225.148.

Restore Your PC (If Possible)

As of the publication of this article, there have been no assurances given that updating or even uninstalling CCleaner will remove the malware is installed. The only action thus far has been shutting down the remote server where user data was being sent has been shut down by authorities. For this reason, it is best to remove the underlying malware separately, as its presence represents a serious security threat. Unfortunately, as this could have been installed as far back as August 15th, 2017, your System Restore points may not go back that far, or even if they do, restoring to such an outdated point may cause unintended problems with other programs you use and potentially lost files and data. Manually backing up files and doing a full format or clean Windows installation would likely be successful in fully removing the malware, but is extremely time-consuming and can be difficult for many PC users. Unfortunately, this makes a PC Restore or format an unattainable option for many.

Update CCleaner to the Latest Version

While CCleaner has told users to update to the latest version of the program. Prior to doing so, we recommend fully uninstall CCleaner, ensuring you check its program files folders and registry keys, manually deleting any remnants, and then re-downloading the latest version from the official site and reinstalling clean.

Often when we connect to the internet were browsing indexed pages through some well-known search engine, usually Google. But beneath the so-called normal internet lurks deep and dark web. You might have heard of the deep web and dark web if you have some geeky friends and we are here to explain what exactly is the deep and dark web. The first thing to know is that the deep and dark web is not the same thing and they coexist separately from one another, you could say that beneath the deep web lies the dark web, yet another layer of the internet. So let us explore first the deep web. What is exactly a deep web?

Deep web, hidden web, or invisible web

as sometimes referenced are part of worldwide web not indexed by search engines, meaning that engines do not basically see and index content of deep web sites. The content of the deep web is hidden behind HTTP forms and includes many very common uses such as webmail, online banking, private or otherwise restricted access social-media pages and profiles, some web forums that require registration for viewing content, and services that users must pay for, and which are protected by paywalls, such as video on demand and some online magazines and newspapers. The content of the deep web can be located and accessed by a direct URL or IP address but may require a password or other security access to get past public website pages. While it is not always possible to directly discover a specific web server's content so that it may be indexed, a site potentially can be accessed indirectly (due to computer vulnerabilities). To discover content on the web, search engines use web crawlers that follow hyperlinks through known protocol virtual port numbers. This technique is ideal for discovering content on the surface web but is often ineffective at finding deep web content. For example, these crawlers do not attempt to find dynamic pages that are the result of database queries due to the indeterminate number of queries that are possible. It has been noted that this can be (partially) overcome by providing links to query results, but this could unintentionally inflate the popularity of a member of the deep web.

Dark WEB

The dark web is the World Wide Web content that exists on darknets: overlay networks that use the Internet but require specific software, configurations, or authorization to access. Through the dark web, private computer networks can communicate and conduct business anonymously without divulging identifying information, such as a user's location. The dark web forms a small part of the deep web, the part of the Web not indexed by web search engines, although sometimes the term deep web is mistakenly used to refer specifically to the dark web. The darknets which constitute the dark web include small, friend-to-friend peer-to-peer networks, as well as large, popular networks such as Tor, Freenet, I2P, and Riffle operated by public organizations and individuals. Users of the dark web refer to the regular web as Clearnet due to its unencrypted nature. The Tor dark web or Onionland uses the traffic anonymization technique of onion routing under the network's top-level domain suffix .onion.

Dark & Deep WEB difference

The dark web has often been conflated with the deep web, the parts of the web not indexed (searchable) by search engines. The dark web forms a small part of the deep web but requires custom software in order to access its content. This confusion dates back to at least 2009. Since then, especially in reporting on Silk Road, the two terms have often been conflated, despite recommendations that they should be distinguished. Darknet websites are accessible only through networks such as Tor ("The Onion Routing" project) and I2P ("Invisible Internet Project"). Tor browser and Tor-accessible sites are widely used among darknet users and can be identified by the domain ".onion". While Tor focuses on providing anonymous access to the Internet, I2P specializes in allowing anonymous hosting of websites. Identities and locations of darknet users stay anonymous and cannot be tracked due to the layered encryption system. The darknet encryption technology routes users' data through a large number of intermediate servers, which protects the users' identity and guarantees anonymity. The transmitted information can be decrypted only by a subsequent node in the scheme, which leads to the exit node. The complicated system makes it almost impossible to reproduce the node path and decrypt the information layer by layer. Due to the high level of encryption, websites are not able to track the geolocation and IP of their users, and users are not able to get this information about the host. Thus, communication between darknet users is highly encrypted allowing users to talk, blog, and share files confidentially.

Darknet

The darknet is also used for illegal activity such as illegal trade, forums, and media exchange for pedophiles and terrorists. At the same time, traditional websites have created alternative accessibility for the Tor browser in an effort to connect with their users. ProPublica, for example, launched a new version of its website available exclusively to Tor users.