Afraid of the growing threats online? As you should be. But we’re here to show you what kinds of malware are out there and what you can do to keep them at bay.
Malware definition
Malware comes from the term malicious software. It’s software designed to attack and exploit devices and networks to the advantage of the hacker who made it.
Malware can be transmitted in different ways. Most commonly this happens via infected USB drives, downloadable files or malicious websites. Depending on the type and ultimate goal, the consequences of a malware attack can range from negligible to catastrophic.
Credit Ed Hardie on Unsplash
What kinds of malware are there?
1. Virus
A virus is typically spread via infected files, websites or links. It’s one of the oldest malware types and one of the most difficult to get rid of. That’s because, once activated, it replicates itself - hence the name.
It can perform different kinds of attacks, depending on what the creator wants to achieve. The main characteristic of a virus is that it really doesn’t show itself until you activate the host. So that’s a scary thought for sure.
2. Adware
Sometimes an ad blocker isn’t enough to fight off unwanted ads. And some of them can, unfortunately, be malicious. They may redirect you to infected sites or prompt downloads of risky files. Even just opening a malicious site can lead to data theft.
So, definitely be careful when clicking around. Even if an ad seems completely legitimate, you can never be too sure.
3. Ransomware
Through ransomware, cybercriminals gain access to a user’s data and use it to extort them for money. Basically, the user is threatened with data deletion or even exposure if a ransom isn’t paid by a specific deadline.
This is a particularly nerve-wracking type of malware. If it targets an individual, it preys upon their sense of anxiety, fear, guilt and even shame. If it targets a business (which is a lot more common), it preys upon not only that business’s profit but also every single one of their customers and their data.
4. Trojans
This type of malware disguises itself very well as a legitimate-looking program. Once you download it, hackers can get full access and control of your device, data and network. They can even be hidden in games, apps and attachments. They cannot self-replicate, though, so we guess that’s… good news?
5. Worms
Worms can replicate, just like viruses, but you don’t need to actually activate the infected program for them to get going. They can be used for various purposes, ranging from data deletion to file encryption to support a ransomware attack.
Credit Growtika on Unsplash
6. Spyware
Spyware refers to malicious software that stays hidden on your computer and monitors your activity. The best-known type is keyloggers. This can be used to steal sensitive data like passwords and banking information.
7. Rootkits
Rootkits are among the most dangerous types of malware. They allow administrative access and full control of a device, which lets hackers continue hijacking all your data and monitoring your activity without your knowledge.
8. Botnets
Botnets are networks made up of bots - computers that cybercriminals have infected with malicious software. Bots and botnets give hackers remote access to users’ devices and allow them to spy on your camera, take screenshots, memorize passwords and launch Distributed Denial of Service attacks. This one truly makes your hair stand on end.
What can you do about it?
You know the old adage - better safe than sorry. And trust us, malware attacks are such a pain in the you-know-what that you really don’t want to be sorry.
Luckily, there are simple solutions that can shield you from most digital threats these days. What you want to be looking at is a solid antivirus program. Well, technically, you need an antimalware program, but since the latter evolved from the former, we still mostly refer to them as antivirus software. The majority of antimalware programs these days don’t just shield you from potential risks online, but include additional features as well. For example, some Bitdefender antivirus packages also include parental control and a VPN. And Bitdefender is not just for PCs either - it offers protection for your beloved iPhone or Android as well. You can throw in a password manager in there too, for an additional layer of security.
Credit Dan Nelson on Unsplash
If you aren’t too concerned about all these various threats or feel like you don’t need extra security, you can at least take a step to protect your information from being exposed to lurking cybercriminals as you’re browsing. This can be done through a good VPN like Surfshark, which hides your identity in the digital space and prevents your data from being tracked.
Choosing the right protective software is especially important if you have children with access to the Internet, since they’re unfortunately even more vulnerable to malicious attacks. If you aren’t sure what the right kind of antimalware program is right for you, you can reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help keep your entire household or office digitally secure.
The bottom line
The truth is that there’s no way to be 100% protected in the online world. Hackers are constantly coming up with new ways to infiltrate our devices. But malware-battling software evolves along with them and there’s still plenty you can do to keep risks away. Stay safe!
System restore is usually the go-to tool when something goes bad in Windows, we fire it up and roll back Windows in the state when everything was working fine. But what if Windows does not want to boot? Can we use system restore in that case?
The answer to that question would be yes, yes we can.
Boot interrupt Windows 10 by starting your PC and as soon as you see the Windows logo; press and hold the power button to force a shutdown.
Repeat this 2-4 times and Windows will open up the Advanced Startup Options menu for you.
At the Advanced Startup Options screen, select Advanced Options.
Select Troubleshoot.
Under the Advanced options screen, select System Restore.
or if you prefer, use Windows USB installation.
Boot the faulty PC using the Windows 10 installation media.
The Windows Setup dialog box will appear.
Set the Time and currency format, Keyboard or input method, and the language to install.
Click Next.
Click on Repair your computer from the lower-left corner.
From the Choose an option screen, click on Troubleshoot.
Click Advanced Options in the Troubleshoot screen.
In the Advanced Options screen, click System Restore.
Windows will take some time to prepare System Restore. It may even restart your computer or device.
When System Restore is ready, you will be prompted to choose a user account to continue.
Select an account that is set as administrator on your Windows 10 computer or device.
At the next screen, change the keyboard layout if you want and then input the password for that account.
If you encounter a Blue Screen error that points to the Wdf01000.sys file, then this post might be of help. Wdf01000.sys is a file related to the Windows Driver Framework which is the one that manages the system drivers. So if this file ends up being corrupted, the drivers would start to cause trouble in the system which would lead to a Blue Screen of Death error eventually. There are lots of error descriptions that are associated with the Wdf01000.sys file such as:
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
System_Thread_Exception_Not_Handled
Page_Fault_In_Nonpaged_Area
System_Service_Exception
Kmode_Exception_Not_Handled
DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION
Although the troubleshooting steps you must take depends on the kind of BSOD error you are getting, there are a couple of options you can try to resolve the Blue Screen errors related to the Wdf01000.sys file. Refer to the options given below.
Option 1 – Try running the DISM tool
You can try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the Wdf01000.sys Blue Screen 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
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 2 – Try to update or rollback your device drivers
If the first option didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.
Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.
Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.
Option 3 – Use the Driver Verifier Manager
The Driver Verifier Manager is another tool in Windows that could help you fix driver-related issues. And so if you want to fix the Wdf01000.sys Blue Screen error, you need to use the Driver Verifier Manager:
Type in the keyword “Verifier” in the Cortana search box to search for Verifier in Windows 10.
After that, select the option “Create custom settings”.
Make sure that you have checked everything except the options “DDI compliance checking” and “Randomized low resources simulation”.
Next, select the option “Select driver names from a list” option.
Afterward, you have to select all the drivers from any unofficial or third-party provider. To simply put it, you have to select all the drivers that are not supplied by Microsoft.
Then click on the Finish button.
Open Command Prompt as administrator and execute this command – verifier /querysettings
The command you just executed will display the Driver Verifier settings so if you see any of the flags enabled boot your Windows 10 PC into Safe Mode.
Open the Command Prompt as admin again and run this command – verifier /reset
The command will reset the Driver Verifier. Once the process is done, restart your PC and check.
Option 4 – 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:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Reboot your computer.
Option 5 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter
The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like Wdf01000.sys. It can be found on the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.
If you are frequently experiencing slow loading of folders in your Windows 10 computer, Downloads folder for instance, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will help you resolve such issue. Slow loading of folders is a common problem faced by many users even when they are using the latest hardware like SSDs. So if you experience the same thing, be it with the Downloads folder or other folders on your computer, there is a way to resolve that issue and make the folder load faster.
Slow-loading means when you attempt to open the folder, it takes a couple of seconds before it displays its contents. In such cases, you’ll see a green loading address bar that says “Working on it” which can get quite annoying especially if you are in a hurry. And if you notice that this only happens in the Downloads folder, there certainly is something wrong. This kind of problem can occur on SSDs and normal hard drives. The main reason behind the occurrence of this problem is that the folder may have been optimized for viewing photos or other media formats which is why it takes quite longer than usual to load all the files and their thumbnails. However, since the Downloads folder usually contains all kinds of files like documents, zip files, audio/video files, etc. there is no need to optimize this folder for media files only because doing so is only going to make the Windows File Explorer slow in loading the folder’s contents and thumbnails which does not exist for many files.
Option 1 – Configure the Downloads folder
Right-click on the Downloads folder or the folder you’re having trouble opening.
Then click on Properties and go to the Customize tab.
After that, click on the “Optimize this folder for” option in the drop-down menu.
Next, select General items from the drop-down which might have been set by default to Pictures or Video.
You also have the option to apply this template to all the subfolders, that is if your folder has any subfolders.
Now apply the settings and restart Windows Explorer.
Note: Once you’ve completed the steps above, it should now make the folder content display a lot faster than before. Now try to open the Downloads folder which would not take much time as you will see the changes right away.
Option 2 – Run CHKDSK to check your disk for errors
When it comes to some issues concerning the hard drive or removable devices, there is a utility in Windows that might help which is called “chkdsk”. This error check utility can help with several issues in the system including File System Error -2147219196.
Tap the Win + S keys to open the Search box.
Then type “command prompt” in the field and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
After opening an elevated command prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter:
chkdsk /r /f
Now if you are prompted to run CHKDSK after your reboot your PC, just tap Y and reboot your PC.
If CHKDSK is not able to find any errors, tap the Win + E keys and navigate the access window. From there, right-click on the concerned drive and click on Properties.
After opening Properties, click on the tab Tools and then click on the “Check” button under the Error-checking section.
Wait until the process is completed and then restart your computer.
Once your computer has restarted, try accessing the file and check if the error persists.
As you know, each time you log out of your Windows 10 computer, it will take you to the login screen where you can switch users or log back in. But there are instances where Windows 10 remains stuck on the signing out screen, along with a blue spinning circle and all you can see is the process of your computer signing out, however, it does not progress and only gets stuck there. Thus, in this post, you will be guided on how you can resolve such an issue on your Windows 10 computer.
So if you are one of the users who experience the same problem, there are several fixes you can check out if your computer is stuck on the signing out screen with a blue spinning circle. You can try to force shutdown your computer or troubleshoot the problem in a Clean Boot State. You could also try to check the status of the User Profile Service or repair User Profile, as well as run System Restore. For more details, refer to each one of the suggestions provided below. But before you troubleshoot the problem, make sure that you are logged in to your computer as an administrator.
Option 1 – Try to force shutdown your computer
The first thing you can do is to force reboot your computer as this simple fix could help in fixing the problem. This option is quite simple, just make sure that before you do it, you have to save all your work.
First, turn on your computer and press and hold the power button for at least 30 seconds. You might notice the screen flashing or making any changes, just ignore it.
After that, plug out and plug in your computer and automatically turn it on.
Once done, check if the issue is now fixed or not.
Option 2 – Put your computer in a Clean Boot State
It is possible that some third-party application is causing your computer to get stuck in the signing out screen. So you can try putting your computer in a Clean Boot State and see if it fixes the problem.
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” checkbox 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” checkbox.
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.)
Once your computer is in a Clean Boot State, you should now be able to sign out or sign in without any problem.
Option 3 – Try checking the status of the User Profile Service
If forcing your computer to shut down or putting your computer in a Clean Boot State didn’t fix the problem, you can try to check the status of the User Profile Service since it is the one responsible for loading and unloading user profiles. Thus, if this service is disabled or stopped, you will no longer be able to sign out or sign in successfully.
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
From there, look for the User Profile Service and make sure that its Startup Type is set to Automatic and that its status is “Started”.
Once done, exit the Services Manager and see if the issue is resolved.
Option 4 – Try to repair your corrupted profile via Registry
In this second option, you can try to repair the corrupted profile using the Registry but before you proceed, make sure to create a System Restore Point and then follow the steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “regedit” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Registry Editor.
Next, go to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList
Once you’ve opened the registry key, you should see a list of all the user profiles on your computer. Now click on each S-1-5 folder and look for the “ProfileImagePath” entry and double click on it to check which user account it is related to. You will see a path like “CUsersACK” where “ACK” is the username.
You should know which of the user account is corrupted. Just look for a key named “RefCount” and change its Value data to “0” and click OK. And if it isn’t available, simply right-click on the right pane and create it.
After that, double click on the key named “State” and make sure that the Value data is “0” and click OK.
Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made and then check if it fixed the problem or not.
Option 5 – Run System Restore
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.
OpenCandy is an application that downloads and installs software, including other Internet Browsers to a computer system. Used as a bundle, this application installs additional programs that you may knowingly or unknowingly agree to install. Since most users don’t accept the challenge of reading the EULA in its entirety, they tend to download bundled applications unknowingly.
Assessment of OpenCandy PUP
During the initial assessment of OpenCandy, I was a little skeptical about what to look out for or expect. In fact, I had to install the OpenCandy.exe file twice to discern its behavior. I’m not sure how this application got its name but I do believe it has something to do with the fact that it supposedly helps Internet users open a new world of Internet browsing. That conclusion was arrived at after realizing that OpenCandy.exe installed mostly Internet browsers along with a tune-up tool on the test computer. However, as a result of the system requirements, there was a pop-up message indicating that Internet Explorer 8 was not compatible with the computer system in question.
In comparison to the malware I’ve encountered since I started researching malware, OpenCandy is everything but malicious. In fact, this application is only categorized as malware because of its’ subtle covert nature of installing bundled programs unsolicited by the user.
Additionally, OpenCandy coerces users into changing their Internet Browsers by installing those unrequested by the user. In fact, it’s no shock that OpenCandy chose to install the Internet Browser ‘Opera’ as a part of this bundle since it’s one of the least used browsers according to the Federal Government. Clearly, this was a smoothly disguised advertisement or promotion to force users into using the Opera Browser, along with Internet Explorer 8.0.
While these aforementioned browsers in themselves aren’t malicious and are in no way considered malware, they were installed as a promotional tool and without the request of the user. Despite being mentioned within the EULA, advertisers are capitalizing on this since most users do not bother to read the agreements when installing a program.
Furthermore, OpenCandy, like most other bundled applications I’ve dealt with, threw in a tune-up tool as a part of the promotion. I found this tune-up application annoying since I had to hassle my way into getting it to close from the computer screen. I can only imagine the hassle users would go through trying to remove this software.
Image 7: Depiction of a scan performed by Tuneup Utilities. The scan detected that several areas on the test PC could be optimized/tuned up.
Image 8: After a scan was completed using the Tuneup utility program, I was given an option to buy the full version. Nothing is wrong with this marketing strategy. In fact, most utility tools if not all will scan your computer to detect threats or loopholes, but they won't exactly allow you to fix those problems unless you buy the full version. It's not unfair, it's just business.
Programs installed during the installation of OpenCandy include:
Web Companion: Developed by Lavasoft, Web Companion is said to be an application that serves as a security defense for your Internet browsers by preventing unauthorized changes (see image below)
Tuneup Utilities: Tuneup Utilities does exactly as it says. It cleans up a computer system, whereby preventing unused programs from slowing it down.
Opera Stable 30.01.1835.88: Opera is a fast, simple, and effective Internet browser that allows users to get around on the web.
All in all, the intent of installing an application such as OpenCandy is to unleash a world of promotion or advertisements on your computer. They are pretty annoying and in some cases difficult to remove. Furthermore, as a user, you want to control what gets installed on your computer without being dictated to or coerced in some EULA that you probably overlook.
To completely remove OpenCandy PUP from your computer, click here to download and install Spyhunter.
There are cases when your Windows 10 PC can encounter an issue where it gets stuck and will display a message that says, “Preparing Security Options”. If this is happening to your Windows 10 PC, you won’t be able to use your keyboard or even mouse and your screen will only be stuck on the screen as mentioned above.
As your computer is still stuck, you will be left with no choice but to shut it down and restart it. Tap the F11 key as soon as your PC powers on. This will take you to the Advanced Startup options where you can carry out some steps. If it still didn’t work, you have to boot your Windows 10 PC into Safe Mode and then try out the troubleshooting options below.
Option 1 – Try using System Restore
You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.
Option 2 – Uninstall the Windows Updates you’ve installed recently
The issue could be caused by Windows Updates so you need to check if it’s indeed the case. The best way you can do so is via Safe Mode.
Boot your PC into Safe Mode and then tap the Win + I keys to open Settings.
After that, click on Update and Security and then select Windows Update from the left side menu column.
Next, select the “View installed update history” option on the right-side column and click on Uninstall Updates which will open a window that will show the list of all the installed updates on your PC.
From there, select the update you want to uninstall and click the Uninstall button located in the lower right corner of the window.
Option 3 – Try disabling the Fast Startup
Boot your PC into Safe Mode.
Then tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type in “control” to open Control Panel.
After that, select Hardware and Sound and click on Power Options.
Select “Choose what the power buttons do” from the left side menu pane and click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
Afterward, uncheck the “Turn on fast startup (Recommended)” entry and click on Save Changes.
Now restart your PC and check if the problem’s fixed.
Option 4 – Try running both the SFC scan and CHKDSK utility
You can do both SFC and CHKDSK using Safe Mode and Advanced Startup options. For Advanced Startup options, click on the Command Prompt option and proceed with the steps. And if you have booted your computer into Safe Mode, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + X keys or right-click on the Start button and click Command Prompt (admin).
After that, type in this command and tap Enter to run the System File Checker or SFC – “Sfc /scannow”.
Alternatively, you can use this command instead if the previous command didn’t work – “sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c: /offwindir=c:windows”.
Wait until the SFC scan is done with the process and then restart your PC.
Next, run the CHKDSK utility and once it’s done checking your disk for errors and then reboot your PC to save the changes made.
Option 5 – Try resetting Windows 10
You can reset your Windows 10 PC using either the Advanced Startup Options or by booting into Safe Mode.
Tap the Win + I keys and go to Update and Security > Recovery.
Then click on Get Started under the Reset this PC section.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions with how you want to reset your PC and what files and settings you want to revert.
Then it will reset your PC by reinstalling it
Option 6 – Try to rename the SoftwareDistribution folder
In this option, the Command Prompt is supposed to be like the one in option 4. You can use both ways there to open the Command Prompt.
Open an elevated Command Prompt as admin and type in the commands below and tap Enter right after you typed in each one of them
Note: You can also rename the SoftwareDistribution folder to “SoftwareDistribution.bak” or “SoftwareDistribution.old” after you boot your PC into Safe Mode.
Option 7 – Try rebuilding BCD
Rebuilding the BCD can help you in fixing the stuck Windows 10.
You can start by booting into the installation environment for Windows 10 from an installation media.
After that, click on Repair your computer and on the blue screen, select Troubleshoot and then select the Advanced options menu.
Next, select Command Prompt and type in the commands below one by one, and tap Enter right after you do so.
User32.dll is a Dynamic Link Library file. Windows stores instructions for graphical elements such as dialog boxes and Windows in this file.
This file is a crucial file, necessary to run Windows operations.
If this file is damaged, deleted, or removed from the system you may not be able to run the programs on your system that use and share the User32.dll file thereby causing you inconvenience.
The User32.dll file error is displayed in the following format:
“This application has failed to start because USER32.dll was not found. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem.”
Or
“[Program] illegal system DLL relocation”
Program here refers to the name of a program that caused the User32.dll error message.
Solution
Error Causes
User32.dll errors are triggered by the following reasons:
Missing and damaged .dll files
Viral infection
Registry corruption
User32.dll error is also referred to as C0000135 blue screen of death error. When the User32.dll error occurs it not only locks you out of your desired program but also turns your computer screen blue.
If the error is not repaired timely it may expose your PC to serious threats such as abrupt system shutdowns, system failure, and crash.
Further Information and Manual Repair
To resolve the User32.dll error on your PC, try the following solutions:
1. Reinstall Programs Causing User32.dll errors
Sometimes User32.dll error may occur due to missing DLL files. This happens when you delete a program from your PC and accidentally the DLL file also gets deleted which is shared by other programs on your system.
Therefore to resolve this first find out what programs on your system use User32.dll to load and run on your system. To do this use the Tasklist command-line tool. It displays the names of all the programs that currently use the User32.dll file.
After this, reinstall the programs that use User32.dll files on your system. This will hopefully resolve the error.
2. Install and Run Restoro
If it doesn’t, then this probably means that the damage is deep-rooted. It is related to the damaged DLL files, registry corruption, or viral infection.
To resolve all of these causes in one go, it is best to download Restoro instead of downloading 3 different software to resolve each cause for the error separately.
This is basically an advanced, innovative, and multi-functional PC repair tool embedded with multiple powerful utilities including a registry cleaner, and a system optimizer. It is a one-stop solution for all your PC-related problems including the User32.dll error.
The registry cleaner wipes the clutter and obsolete files damaging the hard disk and simultaneously repairs the DLL files and the registry. The antivirus feature removes all the viruses on your system while the system stability utility boosts the PC speed significantly.
It is safe, user-friendly, and compatible with all Windows versions including Windows Vista, XP, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10.
Click here to download Total System Care to resolve the User32.dll error right away.
Code 29 is a Device Manager error commonly seen whenever a hardware device driver reports a problem. This error code indicates that the resources needed for operation are not available.
The computer hardware basically requires drivers to interface with the operating system. Drivers comprise multiple components and are supplemented with other resources provided by the BIOS (a physical chip on the motherboard).
The BIOS contains a set of basic input and output instructions for the computer system to boot, load drivers, and more.
Its firmware provides resources that drivers require to interface with other essential components. However, when the firmware fails to provide the requested resources, the device drivers stop functioning; this results in error codes like code 29.
Error code 29 is usually displayed in the following format:
“This device is disabled because the firmware of the device did not give it the required resources” Code 29
Solution
Error Causes
Error code 29 may be triggered due to several reasons. These include:
Outdated drivers
Corrupted drivers
BIOS misconfiguration
The device firmware is corrupt
Previous attempt to update the driver failed
To avoid inconvenience and to ensure your computer keeps working at its optimal pace, it is recommended that you repair error code 29 on your PC immediately. Delay may limit you from using certain hardware attached to your system properly.
Further Information and Manual Repair
To repair error code 29, you don’t have to hire a professional and spend hundreds of dollars. Here are some quick and effective DIY methods that you can try to resolve this issue in minutes even if you don’t have any technical background.
Method 1 - Reboot Your PC
Sometimes, error codes like code 29 may pop up on your computer screen due to some temporary glitch with the hardware. Rebooting can resolve the issue easily.
Therefore, before you do anything, try restarting your PC. It could be all you need to repair code 29. However, if the error code continues to persist, try the other methods given below.
Method 2 - Clear the CMOS
This may sound technical but it isn’t. To begin, with CMOS is an acronym for Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor.
It is a term that is used to describe motherboard memory that contains the BIOS settings. Clearing CMOS helps reset the BIOS settings to their default manufacturer levels. It’s easy to do and is an effective troubleshooting step to resolve error code 29.
To do this, simply:
Enter the BIOS setup utility by restarting your PC
Watch for an entering setup message
Enter the BIOS access key. Usually, the key is F2 or F12. However, the key may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. You may want to check the manufacturer’s website first to find out the BIOS access key before you restart your PC.
‘Reset BIOS settings’ to their default factory levels.
Method 3 - Enable the Device in the BIOS
Error code 29 may appear if a device is disabled. In such a scenario, simply follow the same steps as discussed in method 2, and in the advanced BIOS settings, look for disabled devices.
Enable the devices in the BIOS so that you use them easily.
This will hopefully resolve the issue. If it doesn’t, then this means the error code 29 is caused by either corrupted or outdated drivers. Try method 4 to resolve this issue successfully.
Method 4 - Identify the Problematic Device Drivers and Update them
Whether the error code 29 is caused by a misconfigured, corrupted, or outdated driver, simply update the new driver version to resolve. When doing it manually, you will first have to find and identify the problematic device drivers in the Device Manager.
You can access the Device Manager by going to the start menu and then simply typing Device Manager in the search bar.
Access the Device Manager and the properties to identify problematic drivers. Problematic drivers are normally displayed with a yellow exclamation mark.
Once you have spotted problematic drivers, simply update new drivers to resolve them. Though there is nothing technical about it but it may be time-consuming.
Method 5 - Install Driver Assist to Update Drivers Automatically and Regularly
A good alternative to manual driver update is DriverFIX. Simply download and install DriverFIX on your PC to update all problematic drivers in seconds. This is a cutting-edge program designed to resolve all kinds of device driver problems.
It is user-friendly and compatible with all Windows versions.
The intelligent programming system deployed inside this software program enables it to identify and detect all problem drivers automatically thereby sparing you from the hassle.
Furthermore, it also matches the drivers with the latest and compatible versions and updates them on a regular basis.
It takes the guesswork out of finding misconfigured and corrupted drivers and fixes driver-related problems and error codes like code 29 right away.
Click here to download DriverFIX to repair Device Manager error code 29 on your system without any hassle.
Windows 11 has some cool animations including fading effects which make working in it feels nice and futuristic but the cost of this is that there is a slight delay to certain actions performed. If you want the snap fast feature in Windows 11 and do not care about this eye candy there is an easy way to turn animations off inside it.
First, open Windows Settings by pressing ⊞ Windows + I on your keyboard
Alternatively, click on Start, search for Settings, and then click its icon.
When Settings appears, look in the sidebar and select Accessibility.
In Accessibility settings, click on Visual Effects.
In Visual Effects, switch Animation Effects to Off.
That’s it, changes will be applied automatically, you can close settings and continue working inside Windows 11 without animations and fades.
You can always switch animations back On via settings if you change your mind.
When you get an igfxem.exe error in Windows, it is not really clear what does this means, usually, Windows throw us some code or we get a DLL error, rarely we get an EXE error. So what does this error means?
Intel Graphics Executable Main Module, shortly called as IgfxEM module is a part of the Windows operating system. When you run Microsoft .NET Framework applications that use the AS/400 Data Queue ActiveX control (Mseigdq.dll) to read from and to write to IBM iSeries (AS/400) data queues, you may experience this error.
In order to overcome this error and cope with it try the following things:
Increase Virtual Memory
Go to the Start Menu and click on Settings.
Type performance.
Choose Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.
In the new window, go to the Advanced tab and under the Virtual memory section, click on Change.
At the bottom of the new window, check what the Recommended value is and how it compares to Currently allocated.
If the current setting is significantly less than the recommended, uncheck the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives box at the top of the same windows and then click on Custom size.
Enter the Recommended value in the Initial Size box, and a larger figure in the Maximum size box.
Click OK to save the new settings.
Download and update .NET framework
Go to the Microsoft website and download the latest .NET framework. Once the download is complete, install the package following onscreen instructions.
Reinstall INTEL graphic drivers
Go to the intel website and download the latest graphic drivers for your graphic card model. Once the download is complete, install the package following onscreen instructions.
Run SCF scan
If all else fails, run command prompt and inside type sfc /scannow
Windows 11 has some cool animations including fading effects which make working in it feels nice and futuristic but the cost of this is that there is a slight delay to certain actions performed. If you want the snap fast feature in Windows 11 and do not care about this eye candy there is an easy way to turn animations off inside it.
