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REvil vanishes over night without trace

REvilREevil is one of the most active and successful hacking groups connected to Russia and operating all over the world. The group recently demanded a huge bitcoin ransom for an attack targeting IT firm Kaseya in the USA.

Since Tuesday blog and payment site run by REvil group cannot be longer reached without any kind of explanation or why.

The reason behind the disappearance is unknown but has sparked speculation that the group may have been targeted deliberately by authorities.

US President Joe Biden said he raised the issue with Vladimir Putin during a phone call on Friday, after discussing the subject during a summit with the Russian president in Geneva last month.

Mr. Biden told reporters that he had "made it very clear to him...we expect them to act" on information and also hinted the US could take direct digital retaliation on servers used for intrusions.

The timing of Tuesday's outage has sparked speculation that either the US or Russian officials may have taken action against REvil - though officials have so far declined to comment and cyber experts say sudden disappearances of groups are not necessarily uncommon.

The development comes after a series of high-profile ransomware attacks which have hit major US businesses this year.

The FBI accused REvil - also known as Sodinokibi - of being behind a ransomware attack on the world's largest meat processing company JBS last month.

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Operation did not complete successfully
It is common knowledge that when you open a file that contains viruses, it will automatically infect the operating system. This is why most antivirus programs like Windows Defender won’t allow the opening of a file or execution of any associated program if they detected that the file or program could potentially harm the computer. In situations like this, you may get an error stating, “Operation did not complete successfully because the file contains a virus”. In addition, it is also possible that this error message can pop up even for known programs. To open the program or file that triggered the error, you will be given a couple of options in this post but make sure that the program or file is really safe to open and does not contain any virus. You can open the file or execute the program by disabling the Windows Defender or any antivirus program temporarily. You could also try to add an exclusion in your antivirus program or repair File Explorer or run the Disk Cleanup tool. For more details, refer to each one of the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to temporarily disable the Windows Defender program

Although you could encounter this error with any antivirus program, it is more common in Windows Defender. Thus, you can try to disable it for a while when you open the file or execute the program. To do so, follow these steps:
  • First, click on the Start button and go to Settings > Update and Security > Windows Security.
  • Here, select the “Open Windows Security” option located in the right pane.
  • After that, click on the “Virus and threat protection” option.
  • Next, click on Manage settings under the Virus and threat protection settings.
  • Then turn off the switch for both Real-time protection and Cloud-delivered protection.
  • Now restart your computer and try to open the file or execute the program again and see if it works.
  • Note: Do not forget to enable the Real-time protection and Cloud-delivered protection back in Windows Defender.

Option 2 – Try adding an exclusion in the Windows Defender program

  • Open the Windows Defender Security Center from the system tray area.
  • Next, click the “Virus & threat protection” option and then open the “Virus and threat protection settings”.
  • After that, scroll down until you find the “Exclusions” and click on the “Add or remove exclusions” option.
  • Then click the plus button and select the type of exclusion you want to add and from the drop-down list, select Folder.
  • Next, navigate to the path where the file or program is located.
  • When a User Account Control or UAC prompt, just click on Yes to proceed.
  • Now try to run the program or file again and see if it worked. If it did, then make sure to turn on your antivirus. However, if it didn’t work, proceed to the next given options below.

Option 3 – Try to run a 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 with good system files that might be the cause why you’re getting the errors 0x8024a11a and 0x8024a112. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.
  • Type “cmd” in the Start search and then right-click on the appropriate search result.
  • Next, select “Run as administrator” to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • 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.
 Now restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 4 – Run the Disk Cleanup tool

You can also try using the Disk Cleanup tool. To use it, refer to these steps:
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and then type “cleanmgr” in the field and hit Enter to open the Disk Cleanup window.
  • After that, select the drive you want to clean.
  • Now click OK to clean the disk and restart your computer.
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Changing the Primary and Secondary monitor
If you are using a dual monitor setup on your computer and you wish to change the Primary and Secondary monitor in Windows 10, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how exactly you can do that. A lot of users use more than one monitor to be more productive so having dual monitors helps a lot. So if you have more than one monitor, know that you can actually select any monitor as the primary monitor after installing Windows. Changing the primary and secondary monitor in Windows 10 does not really require you to install any third-party application since you can get the job done by simply making some alterations in the Windows 10 Settings panel. You won’t have any problem in making such alterations since it is quite simple – from modifying the wallpaper to scaling and so on.

To get started, follow the instructions given below carefully.

Step 1: First, tap the Win + I key combination to open the Windows 10 Settings app and go to System and click the Display tab. Step 2: Next, look for the Identify button located on your right-hand side and then click on it. This button will help you check which one is the primary and the secondary monitor. Step 3: After that, select the desired monitor that you want to set as the primary one from the drop-down menu. Step 4: After that, mark the checkbox for the “Make this my main display” option. Step 5: After choosing the primary monitor, this will automatically set the other monitor as the secondary monitor. Restart your computer. So that’s how you change the primary and secondary monitor on your Windows 10 computer. Note that you can always go back to the previous setting of your monitor by following the same instructions provided above.
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How to Fix MULTIPROCESSOR_CONFIGURATION_NOT_SUPPORTED error in Windows 10
If you are using a Windows 10 PC that has different processors clubbed together, chances are you might encounter an error saying, “MULTIPROCESSOR CONFIGURATION NOT SUPPORTED” during a Windows upgrade or software installation. This error is actually caused by a bug check with a value of 0x0000003E. This error also indicates that the processors in your computer are asymmetric in relation to one another. So if you want to upgrade you need to have all the processors of the same type and level. But worry not for this guide will help you in fixing this error. The MULTIPROCESSOR_CONFIGURATION_NOT_SUPPORTED error can occur in several cases such as during an installation of Windows 10, or when the driver is loaded, or when Windows Start or Shutdown and the chances of you getting a blue screen is very much high. To fix this error, refer to the options given below and make sure to follow them carefully.

Option 1 – Try to disable the Hyper-Threading in your BIOS

Hyper-Threading in the BIOS lets a processor (multi-threaded) run various tasks in a simultaneous manner. To disable this, here’s what you have to do:
  • Restart your computer and boot into it right after. To do that, tap the F2 key.
  • Once you’re in the BIOS, locate the Hyper-Threading option which should be located under the Performance section along with other options like Multi-core support, Rapid Start technology, and many more.
  • Disable Hyper-Threading and then make sure to save the changes and exit BIOS.
Note: Although Hyper-Threading is only used when necessary, there are some OEMS that don’t have the option to disable it and if that’s the case, you need to try other options given below.

Option 2 – Try to disable the Virtualization in the BIOS

Virtualization in the BIOS allows users to run a single physical resource such as the server or storage device to appear that it is running as multiple logical resources. It is also properly termed as “HYPER-V”.  To disable it, refer to these steps:
  • Boot into the BIOS as you did earlier.
  • Then look for the Security options.
  • After that, from Security options, look for Virtualization Technology or VTX among the options given.
  • Then turn it off and restart your computer.
Note: Although Windows 10 offers features such as the Device Security for Core Isolation and Memory Integrity, if you turn them off at the software level, it will not help at all. If you’re able to resolve the error, you can do some further research and see what software or hardware you can use to further help you.

Option 3 – Try checking if there are any BIOS updates available for your PC

Updating the BIOS may help you resolve the MULTIPROCESSOR CONFIGURATION NOT SUPPORTED error. You can just go to the OEM’s website as they offer utility software that can download BIOS firmware and update it without any problem. BIOS updates usually offer enhancements and fixes to some issues like this one.
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Calibrating Windows 10 display for HDR video
High Dynamic Range or HDR is a technique that’s used to create lifelike videos which have improved and better dynamic range, especially when it comes to details. And as you know, Windows 10 supports the steaming of HDR videos as long as the display supports it and it comes with the option to enable the HDR Playback for Windows 10 Video Streaming apps. However, before you can get the best viewing experience, you need to calibrate the display further for HDR video on your Windows 10 PC. Take note that even when you have the HDR Playback feature enabled on your computer, you still need a display that supports it. To make sure that your display supports this feature, you can use the DirectX Diagnostic Tool to have the display correctly wired and have the latest WDDM 2.4 drivers installed as well as set the other settings properly. Once you’ve made sure that your computer’s display really supports HDR and you’ve already enabled the HDR Playback feature, now it’s time for you to calibrate. Remember that when you calibrate the display, you should make an external monitor your primary display if you are using it for HDR and then adjust the settings to your liking. And if you are calibrating for primary display, you need to disconnect all other displays.

Follow the given steps below to calibrate the display of your PC.

  • Step 1: You need to open the Video Playback first. To do so, navigate to Settings > Apps > Video Playback.
  • Step 2: Under the Video Playback settings, uncheck the “Don’t increase display brightness when watching HDR video on battery” checkbox or plug in your PC.
  • Step 3: Next, click the “Change calibration settings for HDR video on my built-in display” link located on the right side.
  • Step 4: After that, click on the Play button located on the left side to play the video. Then move the sliders to the left or right so you can start to calibrate. Once you see that the quality of the image is to your preference, stop.
Note: Just a tip when calibrating – you just have to find the right balance between the details in the darker parts of a scene. For instance, you have Mountains in the background and buildings in the front – you need to drag the slider to the right to add more details to the snow on the mountain or drag the slider to the left to add more details to the buildings. After that, you can pause the video and exit the full-screen mode. Keep in mind that the quality of HDR depends on you as it is a personal choice. Some users might like a brighter shade while other ones want the darker shade so it really depends on your taste. If you are not satisfied with how your HDR turned out, you can just try calibrating the display again. Simply go back to the default HDR video calibration and click or tap the Reset calibration button. Another thing to remember. First, you can only see HDR content on the full screen and if you’re using a laptop, you need to make sure to watch videos when plugged in and check that the battery settings won't’ lower the brightness.
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FreeMaps Removal Tutorial

FreeMaps is a google chrome extension by Mindspark powered by Ask or MyWay. This extension offers users a quick and easy way to find the routes or locations that they desire. While all of this may seem appealing, this extension was classified as a Browser Hijacker by many anti-virus applications and was marked for removal.

When installed FreeMaps will change your home page, new tab and default search engine to MyWay.com, it will monitor your browsing activity and send it back to Mindspark ad servers. This data is later used/sold to better display targeted ads depending on your search queries.

While browsing the internet with this extension active you will see additional pop-up ads, sponsored links, and injected ads displaying throughout your browsing sessions, and even injected into websites that should be ad-free. Due to poor code optimization, these ads can sometimes cover a part of the page, making it unreadable or inaccessible.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is a form of unwanted software, commonly a browser add-on or extension, which then causes modifications in the web browser’s settings. Browser hijackers are capable of doing more than simply changing home pages. These are typically used to force hits to a specific site, manipulating web traffic to earn ad revenue. It could seem naive, but most of such websites aren’t legitimate and could present a major threat to your online safety. As soon as the malware attacks your laptop or computer, it begins to mess things up a whole that slows your computer down to a crawl. In the worse case, you will be forced to tackle serious malware threats too.

How you can know whether the browser is hijacked?

Signs that your web browser is hi-jacked include: your browser’s homepage is suddenly different; bookmark and the new tab are likewise modified; default web engine is modified; find new toolbars which you didn’t add; unstoppable flurries of popup adverts show up on your computer screen; your browser has instability issues or exhibits frequent errors; you cannot visit specific websites such as home pages of anti-malware software.

Exactly how browser hijacker finds its way onto your computer

A browser hijacker could be installed on your PC if you check out an infected website, click an e-mail attachment, or download something from a file-sharing website. They can also be deployed via the installation of a web browser toolbar, extension, or add-on. Some browser hijackers spread in user’s computer systems by using a deceptive software distribution method known as “bundling” (usually through freeware and shareware). Typical examples of browser hijackers include Conduit, CoolWebSearch, OneWebSearch, Coupon Server, RocketTab, Searchult.com, Snap.do, and Delta Search. Browser hijackers can record user keystrokes to gather potentially invaluable information that leads to privacy issues, cause instability on systems, drastically disrupt user’s browsing experience, and eventually slow down the system to a point where it becomes unusable.

Tips on how to remove browser hijackers

Some types of browser hijackers can be removed from your PC by deleting malicious software applications or any other recently installed shareware. Having said that, many hijackers are very tenacious and require specialized tools to eliminate them. You should think of carrying out manual repairs only if you are a tech-savvy person since there are dangers associated with messing around with the computer registry and HOSTS file. Professionals always suggest users to remove any malicious software including browser hijacker with an automatic malware removal tool, which is better, safer and faster than the manual removal procedure. One of the best tools for repairing browser hijacker malware is SafeBytes Anti-Malware. It will help you remove any pre-existing malicious software in your pc and provides you real-time monitoring and protection against the latest threats.

How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected Computer

All malware is inherently harmful, but certain kinds of malware do a lot more damage to your computer or laptop than others. Certain malware goes to great lengths to prevent you from downloading or installing anything on your PC, especially antivirus applications. So what should you do if malware prevents you from downloading or installing Safebytes Anti-Malware? Follow the instructions below to get rid of the malware in alternate ways.

Start Windows in Safe Mode

In the event the malware is set to run at Windows start-up, then booting in safe mode should avoid it. Only the bare minimum required programs and services are loaded when you start your PC in Safe Mode. Here are the steps you should follow to start your computer into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers (visit Microsoft website for directions on Windows 8 and 10 computers). 1) Hit the F8 key repeatedly as soon as your PC boots, however, before the big Windows logo or black screen with white texts comes up. This should bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Use the arrow keys to choose Safe Mode with Networking and press ENTER. 3) As soon as this mode loads, you will have an internet connection. Now, obtain the malware removal software you want by utilizing the internet browser. To install the program, follow the directions within the setup wizard. 4) After installation, run a full scan and let the program get rid of the threats it discovers.

Obtain the anti-malware software in a different internet browser

Some malware mainly targets specific browsers. If this sounds like your case, employ another web browser as it could circumvent the virus. If you appear to have malware attached to Internet Explorer, then switch to an alternate internet browser with built-in safety features, such as Chrome or Firefox, to download your preferred antivirus program – Safebytes.

Install antivirus on a flash drive

Here’s yet another solution which is using portable USB anti-malware software that can scan your system for viruses without the need for installation. Abide by these steps to run the anti-virus on the affected computer system. 1) Download Safebytes Anti-Malware or Microsoft Windows Defender Offline onto a virus-free PC. 2) Insert the USB drive into the clean PC. 3) Double click on the exe file to open the installation wizard. 4) Select the flash drive as the location for saving the software file. Follow activation instructions. 5) Transfer the thumb drive from the uninfected computer to the infected PC. 6) Double-click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the pen drive to run the program. 7) Press the “Scan Now” button to start the virus scan.

Protect your PC from Malware With SafeBytes Security Suite

In order to protect your computer from many different internet-based threats, it is important to install an anti-malware application on your laptop. However, with so many anti-malware companies out there, these days it’s tough to decide which one you should purchase for your PC. Some of them are great while some are scamware applications that pretend as legit anti-malware programs waiting around to wreak havoc on your PC. You have to be very careful not to pick the wrong product, especially if you purchase a premium application. When it comes to commercial anti-malware software options, the majority of people go with popular brands, like SafeBytes, and they are very happy with it. SafeBytes anti-malware is a highly effective and user-friendly protection tool that is designed for end-users of all levels of computer literacy. This program could easily detect, remove, and protect your PC from the latest malware intrusions including adware, spyware, trojan horses, ransomware, parasites, worms, PUPs, along with other potentially harmful software applications.

SafeBytes has fantastic features when compared with other anti-malware programs. The following are some of the great features included in the software.

Live Protection: SafeBytes gives real-time active supervision and protection from all known viruses and malware. It’ll continuously monitor your pc for hacker activity and also provides end-users with advanced firewall protection. World-class AntiMalware Protection: Safebytes is built on the best virus engine in the industry. These engines will detect and remove threats even during the initial stages of a malware outbreak. Safe Browsing: SafeBytes inspects the hyperlinks present on a web page for possible threats and tells you whether the website is safe to explore or not, through its unique safety rating system. “Fast Scan” Features: Safebytes AntiMalware, using its advanced scanning engine, gives ultra fast scanning which can quickly target any active online threat. Lowest CPU/Memory Usage: This software is lightweight and can work quietly in the background, and will not impact your computer efficiency. Premium Support: You can get 24/7 technical assistance to immediately resolve any issue with your security application. To conclude, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is really great for securing your laptop or computer against all kinds of malware threats. Now you may realize that this particular software does more than just scan and eliminate threats in your PC. If you’re searching for the best malware removal application out there, and if you don’t mind spending some dollars for it, go for SafeBytes Anti-Malware.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you’d like to manually get rid of FreeMaps without the use of an automated tool, it may be actually possible to do so by removing the program from the Microsoft Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser extensions, going to the browser’s AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. It’s also suggested to factory reset your browser settings to their default state. If you opt to manually remove the system files and registry entries, use the following list to ensure that you know precisely what files to remove before executing any actions. Please remember that this is for professional users only and may be challenging, with incorrect file removal resulting in additional PC errors. In addition, certain malware is capable of replicating or preventing removal. Completing this task in Safe Mode is advised.
Files: %LOCALAPPDATA%\FreeMapsTooltab\TooltabExtension.dll %TEMP%\nsf516A.tmp\nsDialogs.dll %TEMP%\nsf516A.tmp\System.dll %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\[email protected][1].txt %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Recovery\High\Active\RecoveryStore.E9B13F93-5957-11E6-93FC-0A00273BA4BE.dat %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\T1CS2ORS\installerParams[1].jhtml %TEMP%\nsf516A.tmp\installerParams
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How to Fix Registry Error Code 19

What is the Registry Error Code 19?

Code 19 is a Windows PC error code that indicates a damaged or corrupt registry. This code usually appears when trying to start a connected device, the DVD/ CD ROM drive. Code 19 is a type of Device Manager Error code. When you experience Code 19, the error message is displayed on your Windows screen in either of the following formats:

"Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. To fix this problem you should uninstall and then reinstall the hardware device. (Code 19)"

"Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. To fix this problem you can first try running a Troubleshooting Wizard. If that does not work, you should uninstall and then reinstall the hardware device. (Code 19)"

You might encounter other error messages such as error code 42.

Error Causes

Typically the underlying cause of this error code is problems in the registry. The error should be fixed timely without any delays before the damage sets in. Registry issues are critical PC errors. If not resolved it can lead to system freeze, crash, and failure. You are most likely to lose all your important data.

Further Information and Manual Repair

If you have come across this error on your computer, you don’t need to panic. Though this is a serious issue the good news is that it is easy to resolve. You don’t have to be a computer programmer, technically sound or hire a technician to fix the error on your system. Here are a couple of ways to work your way out of this problem:

1. Uninstall and then Reinstall the  DVD/CD ROM Drive

For this here’s what you need to do: simply click on the start menu, and type Device Manager in the search box, and press enter. When the device manager window opens locate the DVD/CD ROM drives. Click on the + sign to expand it. Now right click on the DVD drive click uninstall. After doing this, restart your PC. On the restart, Windows should automatically detect and reinstall the DVD driver. Once the driver installation is complete now see if the DVD drive works. If the error still appears, then you need to repair the registry by deleting the corrupt registry entries. You can download drivers automatically by using a tool such as Restoro.

2. Trouble Shooting Method to Delete the Corrupt Registry Entries

To remove the corrupt registry entries, go to Start and select Run. Type ‘Regedit and press enter to open the registry editor windows. To continue you may be asked to enter the administrator password, insert it to proceed. Now the registry window will be displayed. Here locate the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, then navigate to the following sub registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlClass{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} Here you will see the upper filters registry entry in the right pane. Right-click on the upper filter and select delete. You will be prompted for the confirmation for deletion. Click on the yes tab to confirm. Exit the editor and restart your computer. If you are not technically sound, this may be a little confusing for you, and besides it does not guarantee to resolve all the registry issues on your PC so chances are that Code 19 error may reappear in a short time. To resolve registry issues for the longest time and ensure that errors like Code 19 don’t pop up every now and then, you need to perform proper and in-depth registry cleaning. For this, it is advisable to download Restoro.
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Business Email Etiquette
Hello and welcome to our Business Email Etiquette. Most people have experience in writing emails at some point before in their lives. However, the emails an average person writes are probably personal emails and not mails for work purposes. Emails you send to friends are incredibly different in content and context to business emails you would send to customers or employers or even other colleagues in your workforce. So, if you have a job that involves you writing emails to people in business style, learning business email etiquette is an absolute must for you.

 1. Heading layouts

When you are sending emails to friends, you generally lay them out like a memo. This means there is very little detail in the layout besides basic greetings and paragraphs, usually starting with the greetings. However, with a business email, it is best to lay it out exactly like you would lay out a formal letter. You need to put the company’s address in the right-hand corner and the date as well. Only then must you go on to the greetings. This will make your email look more formal, making you seem like a professional who knows what they are doing as opposed to someone who just couldn’t be bothered spending the extra time to get the layout right.

 2. Proper greetings

 When you are sending an email to a friend, you usually greet them informally. If their name was Mary Johnson, you’d probably start your letter with a ‘Hey Mary’ or a ‘Hello Mary.’ However, this is not considered a professional way to write an email to a customer or other important person in your business. Again, you must use the proper method that you would greet someone with were you writing them a formal letter instead. If your customer is Mary Johnson again, you should greet her with respect. ‘Dear Ms. Johnson’ would be the most appropriate way to start off your letter’s actual body in this case. If you do not know the recipient’s name, then you should start with a simple ‘Dear Sir or Madam.’ Politeness will always get you incredibly far, no matter what line of work you are in.

 3. Informal language

 You should get straight to the point with your email. Don’t dawdle on with it like you would if chatting to a friend and don’t write it how you would speak either. You use language that sounds impressive and smart while not using such obscure language that your recipient doesn’t know what you are saying. All the time, you must keep it informal where possible, possibly even impersonal as well. It will make you seem very professional in the long run.

 4. Signing off

When you are sending your email, you must end it as you would with a letter also. Don’t just say ‘Bye’ and your first name; that is too personal. You need to say ‘yours sincerely if you know the name of the recipient and ‘yours faithfully’ if you do not. Then you should end with your full name and whatever position you have at the company. (CEO, technical staff etc.) So there you have it! All you need to do now is to show your boss that you can handle the emails from now on!
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Complete Ethernet cable guide

In today's modern world many households have internet access, most of the connection nowadays is done via Wi-Fi or wireless but there is a high probability that you have also a few devices connected via cable. There are of course many disadvantages and advantages between cable connection and wireless connection.

lan network cables

The main advantages of a hard cable connection are of course faster speed and stability compared to Wi-Fi. But if we look into the cables themselves there is also a big difference between them. Not all cables are the same and quality as well as speed vary a lot between them. Choosing the right cable is essential in order to make a maximum of your internet and we have some great tips and explanations of what cables do so you can make the right choice and enjoy your full internet potential.

Not all cables are the same

Cheap cables and expensive ones are not the same no matter what everyone tells you. The old proverb you get what you pay is true and more expensive cables will be made from better materials and will have a higher transfer rate.

Quality network cables are separated into different categories with proper markings and when buying one you should always look for these markings on the cables themselves, do not buy cables that do not have markings since they will often provide lower transfer rates or will not be shielded from outside influences resulting in packet drops and instability in a network.

Categories and what they mean are:

  • Cat-5 with a maximum speed of 100Mbps, typically unshielded.
  • Cat-5e with a maximum speed of 1Gbps, available in both shielded and unshielded varieties.
  • Cat-6 with a maximum speed of 10Gbps for runs under 55 meters (around 180ft), available in both shielded and unshielded varieties.
  • Cat-6a with a maximum speed of 10Gbps, shielded.
  • Cat-7 uses a proprietary GG45 connector rather than the standard RJ-45 connector seen on other cables for speeds of 10Gbps, shielded.
  • Cat-8 with a maximum speed of 25Gbps (Cat-8.1) or 40Gbps (Cat-8.2) at a distance of around 30 meters (around 100ft), shielded.

Unless stated, these standards are typically rated at their quoted speeds for a run of around 100 meters (around 330 ft) and use a standard RJ-45 Ethernet connector. Each generation of cable is designed to be compatible with the generations that came before it, so it’s possible (for example) to use a Cat-6a cable with a router that only supports speeds of 1Gbps.

Shielded cables

When purchasing higher quality cable you might not be able to choose if you have shielding or not since some standards like Cat-6a, Cat-7, and Cat-8 are always shielded. But if you do not have the need for these and you are satisfied with Cat-5e for example you can choose.

Shielded cables are a little more expensive but they will provide you with a coating that will eliminate interference from outside waves making cables more reliable. Of course, if the cable will go through a room that does not have many radio waves or some other interferences then buying a shielded cable is a waste of money.

Cable platings

Usually, there are two types of connector platings on connectors, silver, and gold, and people usually think that gold is much better but there are major differences between silver and gold platings and truth to be told there is no better one, both are different and should be considered depending on your need.

Silver plating will provide you with faster speed since its conductivity is larger than gold, but gold is slower on the oxidation front so its life span is longer. On the other hand, if your cables are always connecting and disconnecting gold will be first to be scrubbed off from the surface since the gold coating is much thinner.

Overall if you would only connect cable once and have slower internet than cable capacity gold is the way to go, in another case if you would use the cable as always connecting and switching and your internet plan is the same as cable transfer capacity you might want to go with silver one.

Cable material quality

Network cables are made from copper, your standard conduction material but even here there are differences in quality and therefore the chance of pocket losses over it. More quality less loss and more stable connection and this will depend on the purity of copper that is used in the cable itself. More purity in copper, more stability, simple as that.

Conclusion

So as you can see, there are a lot of different things that will influence your pick of proper network cable but the overall best advice is to get one that will fit well into your needs and setup. pair it up with your router and your internet plan since just simply buying something that you can not use is really a waste of money.

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What is HEIF file format and how to use it?
High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) is a container format for individual images and image sequences. The standard covers multimedia files that can also include other media streams, such as timed text, audio, and video. A HEIF image using High-Efficiency Video Coding, HEVC, requires only about half the storage space as the equivalent quality JPEG. HEIF also supports animation and is capable of storing more information than an animated GIF or APNG at a small fraction of the size. HEIF files are a special case of the ISO Base Media File Format (ISOBMFF, ISO/IEC 14496-12), first defined in 2001 as a shared part of MP4 and JPEG 2000. Introduced in 2015, it was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and is defined as Part 12 within the MPEG-H media suite (ISO/IEC 23008-12). HEIF was adopted by Apple in 2017 with the introduction of iOS 11, and support on other platforms is growing.

HEIF files can store the following types of data:

Image items
Storage of individual images, image properties, and thumbnails.
Image derivations
Derived images enable non-destructive image editing and are created on the fly by the rendering software using editing instructions stored separately in the HEIF file. These instructions (rectangular cropping, rotation by one, two or three quarter-turns, timed graphic overlays, etc.) and images are stored separately in the HEIF file, and describe specific transformations to be applied to the input images. The storage overhead of derived images is small.
Image sequences
Storage of multiple time-related and/or temporally predicted images (like a burst-photo shot or cinemagraph animation), their properties, and thumbnails. Different prediction options can be used in order to exploit the temporal and spatial similarities between the images. Hence, file sizes can be drastically reduced when many images are stored in the same HEIF file.
Auxiliary image items
Storage of image data, such as an alpha plane or a depth map, which complements another image item. These data are not displayed as such but used in various forms to complement another image item.
Image metadata
Storage of EXIF, XMP and similar metadata which accompany the images stored in the HEIF file.
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Location services are greyed out in Windows
Location services is a built-in tool in Windows 10 is a useful tool that offers users location information even when your laptop or desktop computer does not have a GPS since it uses Wi-Fi positioning as well as your device’s IP address. However, there are instances when you might encounter some problems when using this service. One instance is when you suddenly find the toggle button for Location service greyed out. This kind of program could be due to some glitch in the system or some third-party application on your computer. Because of this problem, you won’t be able to toggle the Location service on or off and you won’t be able to make any changes in its settings. Worry not, for this post will guide you on what you can do to fix the greyed-out toggle button of Location services in Windows 10. Before you perform some troubleshooting steps, you might want to restart your computer and see if it fixes the problem. If it didn’t, then this problem is not just some minor glitch. Thus, you have to follow the potential fixes provided below to fix the problem but before you do that, make sure that you create a System Restore point first. After that, follow each one of the following options.

Option 1 – Put your PC in a Clean Boot State

The first thing you can do to resolve the problem is to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. It could be that there is a third-party program that’s preventing the toggle button from functioning. To isolate this possibility, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State.
  • 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.)
  • Now check if you can now use the toggle button of the Location service or not.

Option 2 – Try to use the Registry Editor

If putting your computer in a Clean Boot state didn’t fix the problem, you might want to make some adjustments in the Windows Registry via Registry Editor.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  • After that, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServiceslfsvcTriggerInfo
  • From there, select the Key (folder) named as “3” and right-click on it, and then delete it.
  • Once done, exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Option 3 – Try to use the Windows Services Manager

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
  • Next, look for the “Geolocation Service” entry from the list of services.
  • Once you find it, right-click on it and select Properties. This will open a new mini window.
  • From there, make sure that it is “Running” and its Startup Type is set to “Automatic”.
  • After that, close the Services Manager and check if the problem is now resolved.

Option 4 – Try to use the Group Policy Editor

  • Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run and type “gpedit.msc” in the field and click OK to open the Group Policy Editor.
  • After that, navigate to this path: Administrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsLocation and Sensors
  • Next, double click on each one of the following settings and select the “Not configured” or “Disabled” option.
    • Turn off location scripting
    • Turn off location
    • Turn off sensors
  • Once done, navigate to this path: Administrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsLocation and SensorsWindows Location Provider
  • From there, double click on the “Turn off Windows Location Provider” policy setting and set its configuration to either “Disabled” or “Not configured”. You should see the following description of the policy setting in the window:
“This policy setting turns off the Windows Location Provider feature for this computer. If you enable this policy setting, the Windows Location Provider feature will be turned off, and all programs on this computer will not be able to use the Windows Location Provider feature. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, all programs on this computer can use the Windows Location Provider feature.”
  • Now restart your computer.
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