What Is Phishing And How Can You Protect Yourself From It?
Ever gotten an e-mail offer that seemed just a little bit too good to be true? Might’ve been a phishing attempt! These are everywhere and can come in many different forms.
So what’s phishing exactly, how can you detect it and how can you keep safe?
What is phishing?
Phishing (pronounced like fishing) is a type of cyberattack that tricks the user into trusting the source and revealing sensitive information. Fishing being the perfect analogy, the bait is a legitimate-looking site, e-mail or file and when you take a bite, your identity, banking information and much more can be revealed and stolen.
Credit Anne Nygård on Unsplash
Some phishing attempts are incredibly obvious, others are super elaborate. Like with most types of malware, cybercriminals have become extremely well-versed in phishing and anyone can fall for it. To help you recognize and avoid it, we’ll take you through a couple of phishing types and give you tips on what to do if faced with them.
Phishing techniques
E-mail phishing
This is actually the most common type of phishing. A cybercriminal creates an e-mail containing stuff like attractive offers, legitimate-looking attachments or links and makes it appear as though it’s coming from a trusted source.
Credit Justin Morgan on Unsplash
For example, it looks like it’s coming from your bank or your favorite retailer. The logo looks legit and the structure of the e-mail seems familiar, so you might get tricked into clicking on whatever clickable content is in it.
Unfortunately this exposes your device to malware that hands your data off to the hacker, who can decide what to do with it further.
SMS and social media phishing
Like the above example, you could be approached with lucrative offers or links via text messages or social media messages. Typically, the messages seem relevant to the user as they will be made to look like they’re related to apps or services you’re using.
Voice phishing
Voice phishing attacks are schemes that appear as though they’re coming from a credible number. Normally, you’ll get a call about something related to credit cards or taxes to get you into a state of worry, leading you to disclose personal information on the phone.
Spear phishing, whaling and BEC
Spear phishing normally targets specific individuals within a company who are likely to have access to sensitive data. Spear phishers spend time collecting information they can use to reach out to the individual looking as trustworthy as possible. They’ll typically lead with something relevant, for example mentioning an upcoming company event, and make a seemingly legitimate request.
Whaling is a more elaborate form of spear phishing, which targets people in even stronger positions such as executives or high-value individuals. The ultimate goal is to get them to transfer financial or other sensitive information that can be used to compromise the entire business.
Credit Azamat E on Unsplash
BEC, or Business e-mail compromise, is a specific spear phishing technique carried out via e-mail. While there are many ways this is done, most commonly you’ll see instances where the phisher poses as a CEO or similar executive, or as a lower-level employee in specific positions (e.g. sales managers or financial controllers).
In the first situation, the impersonator reaches out to employees requesting them to transfer certain files or pay invoices. In the second situation, the phisher takes control of the employee’s e-mail account and sends false instructions to other employees in order to obtain data and information from them.
What can you do?
There are many ways you can be aware and spot a phishing attempt. Here are some tips:
Always check the sender’s address in your e-mails, even when they seem to come from a familiar source.
In any instance where payment information is requested, be very, very careful.
If you are receiving attachments you never asked for and definitely didn’t expect, better not click on them.
Beware of content that transmits a sense of urgency (sales deals, urgent updates to login credentials, etc.).
Bad spelling and grammar are usually a telltale sign of phishing.
Links that look shortened (e.g. Bit.ly) or just suspicious in general - if you have a bad feeling, do not click on them.
If you are receiving threats, you probably shouldn’t be clicking on anything in that message.
Always examine first-time senders in detail.
Block suspicious e-mail addresses, numbers and social media accounts.
If you are receiving a coupon for free stuff… You aren’t.
If you’re being asked to update your payment details by a service you use, such as Netflix, chances are it’s an impersonator.
Those are some of the ways to identify and prevent phishing attacks. However, sometimes phishers disguise themselves a little too well or a misclick happens and there you go - you’ve been exposed to malware.
Credit FLYD on Unsplash
This won’t happen if you invest in powerful protection software from the get-go, though. A good antivirus program like Bitdefender will keep you safe from becoming a victim of phishing scams. In fact, it will protect you from malicious attacks overall.
Be it your household or your business you’re concerned about, there are a bunch of different packages and options available, providing different kinds of cybersecurity services. That’s the only way you can ever really be sure you aren’t at risk of a digital attack.
Summary
Have you ever been targeted by phishers and didn’t know that’s what it was until you read this article? Many can relate. Protect yourself before it’s too late!
Realtek sound device not playing sound is a common Windows issue. It happens occasionally and luckily it can be solved with a little effort and in a short time period. Today in this article we will explore the most common reasons and solutions for driver malfunction for Realtek inside Windows 10. If you have this particular problem, go from step 1 to the last step since all steps are meant to go from simplest to the most complex.
All of that being said let us fix your Realtek driver issue.
Check Speakers or/and Headphones first
The first thing would in any troubleshooting be to check are your speakers turned on or are your headphones connected and the volume or switch on them is set properly. Nothing more embarrassing than spending an hour or so troubleshooting only to find out that issue was in a malfunction of speakers or them not being turned on.
Check the Volume control in Windows
Same as the previous step where you have checked hardware, now it is time to check to see if the volume control is set properly and not by any chance muted or volume is brought all the way down.
Check if the Device Manager is reporting an error and update the driver
If both hardware is functioning properly and volume control in Windows is set correctly then the issue might be in Windows not detecting device or driver malfunction. In any case, the Device Manager will be the one who will report this problem. In order to check to see if the driver is properly working press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden start menu.
Once it opens, click on Device Manager to open it,
If you have a driver device error inside Windows, you should see it immediately when entering the Device Manager, it will have a yellow exclamation mark beside it. Right-click on it and choose update driver.
Reinstall driver
If driver update failed or you already have the latest drivers, reinstalling them could fix the issue since drivers might have corrupted during installation of some update or application. Follow steps from point 3 to get to the driver in Device Manager, then right-click on it but instead of update choose to uninstall. Reboot Windows once the driver is uninstalled and Windows will install a new one.
Check Windows update
Check to see if the latest Windows update is installed, update your Windows if needed
Fix driver issue with DRIVERFIX
If everything else fails, get DRIVERFIX, a premium solution for your PC issues, and fix driver errors.
0x0000007B is the most common Windows stop error.
The error is displayed on the blue-colored screen which is also called the blue screen of death. You may receive a 0x0000007B error message during Windows XP setup or while running the setup program.
The message is often displayed as ‘a problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damages’ or ‘inaccessible boot device error’.
Solution
Error Causes
The 0x0000007B error code is usually triggered by:
Poor Window XP installation
Registry corruption
Device Drivers Issues
Boot sector viruses
Further Information and Manual Repair
The 0x0000007B error makes your system vulnerable and reduces its speed significantly. And besides, you can’t run the programs smoothly on your PC either. Therefore, it’s advisable to fix the error right away.
To fix and repair the 0x0000007B error successfully, you must first understand the cause of the error. Let’s take a look at all the solutions available to fix the 0x0000007B error.
Cause: Boot Sector Viruses
Solution: If your computer is infected with boot sector viruses, then you will first have to download a powerful antivirus. After downloading the antivirus program, run it on your PC to check your computer for viruses. Delete the viruses found and click the repair option.
Sometimes even an antivirus program may fail to remove the virus and repair the system. In such cases, you must repartition and format your hard disk and also reinstall Windows XP.
Cause: Device Driver Issues
Solution: Device driver issues may occur if the boot controller is not properly configured or the driver is not up to date. If device driver configuration is the cause of the 0x0000007B error on your PC, then all you need to do is restart your PC, and while restarting press F8 to go to the advanced boot options.
Now choose the ‘Last Known Good Configuration’ option. After selecting it, boot into windows and then perform a system restore. Now go to Device Manager and perform a driver rollback to reinstall the drivers. This will resolve the configuration issues.
However, if you need an updated driver, all you need to do go on the web and download software to update the driver. It is advisable to download software from the manufacturer’s website in order to successfully update the device driver.
Cause: Poor Windows Installation
Solution: In this case, you will have to perform a Windows start-up repair. To do this: boot Windows XP from CD. Press ‘enter’ at setup Windows Screen when prompted. Then press R to repair Windows Installation.
This procedure will not delete any user data and files. In fact, it will copy only the original Windows files over the bad or existing ones.
Some of the best ways to avoid Ox0000007B blue screen errors are
To scan for viruses every time you use your PC
Never open web pages, emails, or download content that you think looks suspicious because that’s probably a virus.
Random freezing in a Windows in the middle of work can be a very frustrating experience and can even cost us the loss of work. From time delays to sometimes complete crashes this behavior is something that every PC user wants to avoid or at least have very little of.
In this article, we will cover solutions on what to do and how to fix the random freezing of computers.
Run a virus scan on your computer.
Viruses and other malware can cause freezes and other issues in your computer, run a complete system scan for any kind of viruses and malware and if needed remove them.
Uninstall applications that you are not using
Besides taking your hard drive space some applications can have and require to have some services always running on your computer which can cause some issues, if an application is not needed and it is not used, removing it might solve freezing issues.
Increase RAM memory
Sometimes the problem with freezing is not a software issue, having less RAM memory than the application requires can cause the application not to work properly and it can cause freezing of the entire system since precious RAM can not be allocated to the required application.
Run system checker
Corrupted Windows system files can cause freezing of the entire system, to fix this, start the command prompt in administrator mode and type sfc /scannow
Keep running applications to a minimum
Having too many applications running in the background can drain system resources and can cause system freezes because of lack of memory. Close applications that are running in the background and keep them minimal.
Delete files and folders which you are not using
Having many files and/or folders on the hard drive can cause a lot of system resources to be wasted, from indexing size to less free space for caching. If you have files that you no longer need, removing them will free up space and can increase performance and introduce the stability.
Run memory check
Memory issues could lead to system freezing. When an application needs to write or read to a corrupted memory cluster, freezing will occur since it can not. To check memory bring up run dialog and type in ti mdsched.exe, click on restart now and let the memory test finish.
Update all drivers
Hardware issues can cause freezing of applications and having the latest drivers can make a world of difference. Make sure that you have all device drivers to the latest versions.
Optimize Disk drives and check for errors
Windows 10 has built-in tools to check hard drives for errors and to optimize them, use them in order to see if this issue is causing freezes.
Clean your registry
A Clean registry is a happy registry and Windows is appreciating it. Make sure that you do not have any keys which you do not need in the registry and that long-forgotten application trails are deleted for good.
Upgrade SSD firmware
Like updating drivers, updating firmware is also important, and having the latest firmware for your SSD can help a lot, newer firmware can eliminate freezing if the issue was in Windows not using SSD properly.
Update BIOS
Like updating SSD firmware can help so it can update Firmware on your BIOS. Make sure that you have the latest firmware version and freezing can go away if that was the issue.
Error code 80073712 is one of the dozens of error codes affecting Windows 10 users. It occurs when users attempt to upgrade their operating system but experience a failure. The error code usually results from problems associated with missing or damaged files within Windows Update. Common symptoms of this error code include the following:
The inability of Windows Update to successfully complete the upgrade process
Message box highlighting the presence of error code
Solution
Error Causes
In the case of error code 80073712, the issues preventing Windows Update from completing the upgrade process are most likely due to problems with files within Windows Update. For instance, there may be corruption within the Component-Based Servicing (CBS) manifest.
Further Information and Manual Repair
Manual repair methods offer solutions to Microsoft users who are experiencing Windows error codes like the upgrade error code 80073712 in Windows 10. The manual repair methods in this article are not guaranteed to fix problems unrelated to this error code. Thus, be certain you are experiencing error code 80073712 before you attempt to implement the solutions provided below.
Method One: Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
Since issues related to Windows Update may be causing error code 80073712 to occur, one of the best solutions you can consider is to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. This troubleshooter will be able to detect and fix corruptions within Windows Update files or any other issues directly related to Windows Update. To implement this manual repair method, follow the steps listed below:
Step one: Open your Internet browser
Step two: Type www.microsoft.com/downloads
Step three: Type Windows Update Troubleshooter in the search bar at the top-right corner of the Microsoft website.
Step four: Select Windows Update Troubleshooter then wait for the webpage to load.
Step five: Select Run troubleshooter
Once you run the troubleshooter, you should be able to verify and fix any errors within Windows Update files. Restart your machine after the troubleshooting process is complete them proceed by checking Windows Update to see if you are able to complete the upgrade. If Windows Update downloads the upgrade and the installation of the upgrade occurs, the problem has been resolved. Otherwise, error code 80073712 will reoccur, in which case you will need to move to manual repair method two.
Method Two: Run DISM Tool
Another option available to Windows users experiencing error code 80073712 is to download and run the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool. This tool checks for inconsistencies or corruptions that may be preventing Windows Update services from functioning correctly. To download and run the tool, follow the instructions below:
Step one: Type Command Prompt in the search box near the Start button
Step two: Right-click Command Prompt, then click Run as administrator, providing administrator password or confirmation where necessary.
Step three: Select Allow
Step four: Press Enter after typing the following command:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Wait a few minutes to ensure that the process is complete. Once you’ve run the DISM tool, it will detect errors, for instance within registry data, and correct or replace them. Restart your machine after running this tool then check Windows Update. Attempt to download the upgrade to see if you have successfully resolved error code 80073712. If you experience an upgrade failure, move to the next manual repair method mentioned below.
Method Three: Perform a Clean Install of Windows 10
The issues related to error code 80073712 may also be resolved by performing a clean install of Windows 10. This manual repair method ensures that any previous versions of your Windows operating system are removed before you attempt to access an upgrade. This can prove effective as it helps users avoid issues that would otherwise cause error codes or poor PC performance in cases where errors are present on one’s system.
To successfully perform a clean installation of Windows 10, be prepared to follow step-by-step procedures that include the following:
Step two: Click Run, then select Create installation media for another PC
Step three: Select changes to the installation options, then select Next
Step four: Choose USB flash drive or ISO file, then click Next
Step five: Select drive, then Next
Step six: Select Finish, then restart your computer, ensuring that the media option you choose, whether USB flash drive or DVD, is in your machine before you choose to reboot.
Step seven: Press any key then follow the prompts provided to set up Windows 10.
Method Four: Download an Automated Tool
If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 8 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.
What is DISM Error 1726? Every time you encounter some issues in your Windows 10 computer, especially when it comes to corrupted system files, you can always use the SFC scan and if the SFC can isn’t able to resolve the issue, there is also the DISM tool you can use which usually resolve the vast majority of system file corruption sufficiently. However, there are times when even the DISM commands experience issues as well. Such is the case with the 1726 error: “The remote procedure call failed”.
Some users reported that this DISM problem happens right before the process is supposed to end. According to experts, this error in DISM occurs due to any of the following reasons:
A third-party program might have interrupted the DISM operation and is the one that triggered the 1726 error: “The remote procedure call failed”.
The error could also pop up when there is a pending corruption repair. This usually happens when you tried to run a DISM command previously that was terminated manually or was halted because of some malfunction.
Lastly, the error could also occur because the process that’s responsible for the procedure is disabled or was prevented from running.
Whichever the case is, here are some suggestions that might help you in resolving the 1726 error: “The remote procedure call failed”.
Option 1 – Try updating your PC to the latest Windows build available
Since the problem is specific to certain builds in Windows 10, you need to make sure that your computer is updated before you try other troubleshooting steps. Thus, follow the steps below to update your Windows 10 PC.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “ms-settings:windowsupdate” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Update screen.
After that, click on Check for Updates and then follow the next on-screen instructions to apply the latest Windows update.
Once the update has been installed, restart your PC and run the DISM command again and see if the problem is fixed.
Option 2 – Try to change the Startup Type of the Remote Procedure Call service
As stated early on, the error might also be caused by a disabled Remote Procedure Call service or RPC or that it might be prevented from running for some reason.
In case you don’t know, RPC is the service control manager for both COM and DCOM servers and it’s responsible for performing object variation requests, exporting resolution as well as distributing collection for the servers. And so if the server is disabled, all programs that are using COM and DCOM including the DISM commands, will not function correctly. Thus, you need to make sure that the RPC service is scheduled to enable itself on every system boot. To do so, here’s what you have to do:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open Services.
From there, scroll down until you see the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service and then right-click on it and select Properties.
Then go to the General tab and change the drop-down menu next to Startup type to Automatic.
After that, click the Apply button and then OK to apply the changes made.
Restart your PC and run the DISM command once again at the next startup.
Option 3 – Try to modify the RpcSs registry key value
If the option didn’t work, you can also try enabling the RPC service using the Registry Editor. Before you proceed, make sure to create a System Restore point first and then follow the steps below afterward.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Registry Editor. And if a User Account Control prompt appears, just click on Yes.
After that, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM CurrentControlSet Services RpcSs
After selecting the aforementioned registry key, go to the right pane and double-click on the Start value.
Next, change the Value data of start to 2 and click OK to save the changes made.
Exit the Registry Editor and restart your PC and check if the 1726 error in DISM has already been resolved or not.
Option 4 – Try to disable the Windows Search service temporarily
Some users also recommended disabling the Windows Search service for the meantime as it could be the one that’s interrupting the DISM process.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
In the field, type “services.msc” to open the Services window again and hit Enter to open it.
Next, scroll down over the services list and double-click on the Windows Update service.
Afterward, go to Windows Search properties and click the General tab and then click the Stop button to stop the service from running temporarily.
Now try running the DISM commands again and see if the problem’s fixed or not.
Restart the Windows Search service and then restart your PC as well.
As you know, the Start Menu in Windows 10 is quite a stable experience. However, there are times when it can encounter some issues as well like getting corrupted. If your computer is going through the same problem, you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can fix the “Tile Data is corrupt” error.
This kind of problem is actually quite common among a lot of Windows 10 users. This kind of problem prevents the Start Menu from working properly and no amount of clicking the keyboard keys or mouse will resolve the issue. Fixing it is important since the Start Menu is required for the operating system to function properly and even though there are several ways to get around in using the Start Menu, it can get quite problematic. Even if you manage to open the Start Menu, the ability to click on apps to open them is out of the question and you need to fix the problem.
Worry not for the potential fixes provided in this post are not hard to follow. You can try to run the Start Menu troubleshooter or run the DISM tool. You could also reset the folder for Tile Database or re-register the Windows 10 Start Menu. For more details, refer to each one of the options provided below.
Option 1 – Try running the Start Menu troubleshooter
The first and basic thing you can do to fix the problem is to run the Start Menu troubleshooter as it can help you fix the problem automatically. Since this is not a built-in troubleshooter, you can download it from the official website of Microsoft. After you download it, run it and wait until it’s done identifying the problem and automatically fixing it.
Option 2 – Try running the DISM tool
You can run the DISM tool as well to help fix the “Tile Database is corrupt” error. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.
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
Dism(.)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.
Once it’s done, check if it was able to fix the corrupted Start Menu or not.
Option 3 – Try to reset the Tile Database folder
First, you need to restart your computer and log into another user account where the Start Menu works.
Next, navigate to this folder location, C:/Users/<userX>/AppData/Local/Tile/DataLayer.
From there, copy the “TdlData.xml” file and save it to another drive.
Once done, restart your computer and log into the user account where the Start Menu is corrupted.
After that, navigate to this folder location, C:/Users/<userY>/AppData/Local/Tile/DataLayer.
Now paste the TdlData.xml file you copied earlier and navigate to this location, %LocalAppData%MicrosoftWindowsShell.
Afterward, copy the DefaultLayouts.xml file from the user account that’s working fine to the user account where the Start Menu is corrupted.
Option 4 – Try to re-register the Windows 10 Start Menu
Tap the Win + X and select the “Windows PowerShell (Admin” option from the menu.
After opening PowerShell, execute this command: Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Foreach{Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"}
Wait until the command is executed and then see if it fixed the problem with the Start Menu or not.
Some users installing or upgrading to Windows 10 experienced the theKMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED Blue Screen of Death (or commonly known as BSOD) error. This error can be due to different types of things, ranging from software to driver issues. When you experience this BSOD error while trying to install Windows 10, it will prompt you to restart your computer every single time you experience it. In most cases, you will also not be able to proceed with the Windows 10 set-up.
Solution
Error Causes
The “KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED” error is normally caused by:
Hardware incompatibility
A faulty device driver or system service
Further Information and Manual Repair
You won’t be able to successfully upgrade or set up Windows 10 if you continue to encounter this BSOD error. Note that this error will always prompt your computer to restart every time it happens, preventing you from completing the Windows 10 set-up.
If you’re not tech-savvy or not capable of debugging this issue, it’s highly advisable to proceed with the basic troubleshooting techniques available in this link.
After troubleshooting, below you’ll find a few solutions to rectify the issue.
Method 1 – Check The Cause of The BSOD Error
Two common causes of the KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED issue are hardware incompatibility and faulty device driver or system service.
If you experience this error, check first if any of your newly installed hardware is compatible with Windows 10. You can find the required hardware for Windows 10 from this link.
If all your hardware is compatible with Windows 10, you might need to check the device driver or system service. Review the bug check message. If any of the drivers you have is listed in the message, either disable or uninstall them before upgrading or setting up Windows 10.
You might also find it useful to check the System Log available in the Event Viewer for other error messages that can help you figure out the driver or device that’s causing the error. Running hardware diagnostics can also be useful.
Method 2 – Disable (or preferably uninstall) Software Before Upgrading
If you’re upgrading Windows 10 from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you might need to disable or uninstall the software first.
First, try uninstalling your Antivirus utility before starting the upgrade. Restart a few times before starting the Windows 10 installation.
If you’re upgrading using the Windows 10 update, make sure that you disconnect from your Wi-Fi or Internet LAN (Ethernet) connection as soon as the download reaches 100% before attempting to start the set-up.
Other users also reported that the cause of the KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED issue is BitDefender. If this is what happened in your case, it will show in the error message such as KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (bdselfpr.sys). Users reported that a common solution for this is renaming the file. In the case of BitDefender, try renaming it to bdselfpr.s__. However, make sure to do this cautiously. Sometimes, renaming a file will even do more damage than good.
Method 3 – Disable/Disconnect From Hardware
If you’re connected to any general USB devices (such a smart card reader), disable it. If your computer is connected to other external devices, disconnect all of them. Examples of this include gaming controllers, printers, external hard disk, USB keys, and other non-essential devices).
Method 4 – Other Troubleshooting Steps
Other troubleshooting steps include:
Upgrade using an .ISO file, instead of directly upgrading from Windows Update. When you do this, make sure you’re disconnected from the Internet during installation. If the process started and you forgot to disconnected, it’s best to restart the installation.
If you’re connected to a domain while trying to set up Windows 10, disconnect and use a local account.
If you’re using a SCSI hard disk, connect a thumb drive with the drivers for your storage device. While Windows 10 is setting up, click on the Custom Advanced Option. Using the thumb drive, use the Load Driver command to load the SCSI drive.
Another possible cause of this error is due to BIOS incompatibility. BIOS issues can be solved by upgrading your version of your system BIOS. If you don’t know how to do this, refer to your BIOS manufacturer’s website.
Method 5 – Use A Trusted Automated Tool
If you still experience the error after doing the methods above, you might want to try a powerful and trusted automated tool to fix the job.
Error 118 is a typical Google Chrome error. It pops up when Google Chrome fails to load websites like Facebook. It is usually displayed in the following format:
‘Error Message: Error 118 (net::ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT): The operation timed out.’
Solution
Error Causes
Error 118 may be triggered due to several reasons. This includes:
Problems with DNS setting
IP Address is filtering websites
Cookies and invalid registry entries
Further Information and Manual Repair
To ensure smooth internet browsing on Google Chrome, it is advisable to repair the error 118. If error 118 is not resolved you will be unable to load and access your desired websites.
To avoid inconvenience and resolve the issue immediately, try the methods suggested below. These are easy and effective do-it-yourself methods that require no technical skills.
Method 1 - Change Proxy Settings
If your IP address is filtering websites, then you might experience error 118 while using Google Chrome. When this is the error cause, then it is advisable to add a proxy for your PC.
To change proxy settings and add a new proxy, simply click on Customize and Control Google Chrome menu. Now click the options button. Under the Google Chrome Options window select the Under the Hood tab.
After that in the Network, section click the change proxy settings button.
Check Show Suggestions for navigation errors and Use DNS pre-fetching to improve page load performance boxes. Now under Internet Properties, click LAN Settings.
Under LAN settings you will see the Proxy Server box, check it, and enter your new proxy settings. Click OK to confirm and save settings. This will hopefully resolve the issue.
Method 2 - Change to Google DNS
When the error is related to DNS settings then try this method to resolve it. Simply set DNS to use Google DNS. Here’s how it’s done:
Go to the start menu, click Windows Control Panel, Network and Internet, and change adapter settings. Here you will see Local Area Connection.
Right click to select properties at the bottom.
Check Internet Protocol Version 4 and click properties.
Now check the ‘Obtain an IP address automatically’ box and also select the option that says ‘Use the following DNS server addresses’.
Change Preferred DNS to 8.8.4.4 and Alternate DNS server to 8.8.8.8 now click OK to confirm.
Method 3 - Remove the Bad Entries and Cookies Damaging the Registry
Bad entries and cookies saved in the registry can also trigger error 118.
To fix the issue immediately download Restoro. This is PC Fixer with multiple utilities including a registry cleaner. The registry cleaner removes all bad entries and cookies in seconds and repairs the damaged registry.
Click here to download Restoro and resolve error 118.
C00002lA Fatal System Error is a blue screen of death error that may occur when you start your Windows NT 4.0 based computer. This error causes the screen to turn blue and the system also shuts down.
The stop C000021A error message is displayed in the following format:
Stop c000021a {Fatal System Error} The session manager initialization system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000017 (0x00000000, 0x0000000) The system has been shut down.
Error Causes
The stop C000021A error occurs when either Crsrss.exe or Winlogon.exe fails. When the Windows NT kernel identifies that either of these processes has failed, it stops and the error code stop C000021A appears on the computer screen.
Here are some of the underlying causes for the stop C0000021A error:
The incompatible third-party program
Hard disk issues
Service pack installation has failed
Mismatched system files have been installed
Bad and invalid registry keys
Further Information and Manual Repair
To resolve the stop C000021A Fatal System Error on your PC try the following solutions:
Remove Incompatible Third Party Programs
If the error occurred after you recently installed a new program, then it is advisable to remove that program. The error occurs due to the incompatibility of the program.
To remove the program go to the start menu and click on the control panel. Now click on Add/Remove Program tab and double click on the program name that you recently installed and remove it from the list.
Once removed, not reboot your PC. Reinstall a compatible program and run it. It is most likely to resolve the issue. However, if the stop C000021A error still occurs, then it means the problem is critical. It is related to the registry.
Repair and Restore the Registry
This procedure is slightly long and tricky.
To try it, you need to be technically sound. Here’s what you have to do: first create a parallel installation of Windows NT.
Start your PC to the parallel installation and then open the Registry Editor. On the Registry Editor’s Windows menu click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine and then click Load Hive.
Now type the path %systemroot%system32configsystem into the System hive of the prior installation. Then click open. Here you will be prompted to enter the name of the key, type TEST.
Note the setting for the current DWord value in the preceding registry key. This is 0x1 and is denoted by CURRENT:Reg_Dword: 0x1.
This value indicated that the Current Control Set for your original Windows NT installation corresponds to ControlSet001 in this window. Now if the value is 2, it indicated that the Current Control Set corresponds to ControlSet002.
Now locate the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETESTControlSetXXXControlSession Manager. XXX is the Current Control Set Value. And delete any pending file rename operation entries. Then click TEST hive and then click Unload Hive. After that again repeat the process, open the registry menu and click load hive, here type the path %systemroot%system32configSoftware to the Software hive of the prior installation and then click open.
Now you type TEST 2 when you are prompted for the name of the key. Remove any pending file rename operations entries in the following registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETEST2MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnceHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETEST2MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnceEx
Now click TEST2 hive and then click unload hive. Quit the Registry Editor and then restart your original installation.
This will resolve the stop C000021A error.
As you know, just like other web browsers, Google Chrome offers Incognito Mode or private browsing which you can use to make sure that your browsing activities are not being tracked by any websites you visit and it also keeps targeted ads at bay. On the other hand, signing in to a website, even when in Incognito Mode is a different thing since that website can track your browsing activities.
Thus, Incognito Mode is still useful especially if you want to browse the web safely and without getting tracked except when you log in to some site. However, there have been reports recently that Incognito Mode is missing in Chrome and users are clueless as to how or why it happened. If you are one of them, worry not for this post will walk you through what you can do if there’s no Incognito Mode in Chrome on your Windows 10 computer.
This is an unusual and strange issue since the Incognito Mode in Chrome is available by default and you don’t have to do anything to enable it. It is possible that there might be corruption in the Windows Registry which caused the disappearance of Incognito Mode, worry not though for there are some tweaks you can apply to restore the missing Incognito Mode. To apply these tweaks, you need to create first a System Restore point, and then once you’re done, follow the instructions provided below carefully.
Step_1: Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and then hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Step_2: Next, after opening the Registry Editor, navigate to this path – ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPolicies
Step_3: From there, look for ChromePolicies and locate the DWORD named “IncognitoModeAvailability” and double click on it.
Step_4: Edit the value of the “IncognitoModeAvailability” DWORD by changing its value from 1 to 0 so you can enable Incognito Mode in Chrome.
Step_5: Once done, exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer and then check if you can now see Incognito Mode in Chrome.
On the other hand, there is also another option that allows you to force open your Chrome browser in Incognito Mode. All you have to do is set the value of the “IncognitoModeAvailability” key to “2” instead of 0. This can be useful especially if you always browse the web in this mode. But you need to remember that you won’t be able to go back to the normal mode once you do this. Here are what the values of the IncognitoModeAvailability DWORD actually mean:
0 – Incognito mode is enabled by default
1 – Incognito mode is disabled
2 – Chrome is forced to always open in Incognito mode
Once it opens, click on Device Manager to open it,
If you have a driver device error inside Windows, you should see it immediately when entering the Device Manager, it will have a yellow exclamation mark beside it. Right-click on it and choose update driver.
