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Easy Directions Finder Removal Guide for Windows PC

Easy Directions Finder is a browser extension developed by Mindspark Inc. for Google Chrome. This extension offers users quick access to popular websites for navigation and evens. While at first glance this might look useful, keep in mind that this extension has been marked as a Browser Hijacker by several anti-virus applications.

When installed EasyDirectionsFinder will record your browsing history, visited links, clicked URL-s, and viewed products. This data is later forwarded/sold to Mindspark's ad network and used to better target ads to users.

While browsing the internet with this extension installed (it does not have to be enabled) you will see additional injected ads, sponsored links, and pop-up ads throughout your browsing sessions.
Due to its information mining behavior and aggressive ad injections, it is recommended to remove this extension from your computer.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is a type of unwanted software, often a web browser add-on or extension, which causes modifications in web browser’s settings. Browser hijackers are capable of doing more than just modifying homepages. In general, browser hijacking is utilized for earning advertising revenue from forced ad mouse clicks and site visits. While it may seem naive, all browser hijackers are dangerous and thus always classified as security risks. When the malware attacks your laptop or computer, it starts to mess things up a whole that slows your system down to a crawl. In the worse case, you may be pushed to deal with serious malware threats as well.

How one can know whether the web browser is hijacked?

The common symptoms that suggest having this malicious software on your computer are: the browser’s home page is modified; you find yourself regularly directed to some other webpage than the one you actually intended; the default web browser settings have been modified and/or your default search engine is altered; unsolicited new toolbars are added to your web browser; your internet browser displays endless pop-up ads; web pages load slowly and often incomplete; you can’t navigate to certain webpages, like computer security software related sites.

So how does a browser hijacker infect a computer?

Browser hijackers may use drive-by downloads or file-sharing networks or an e-mail attachment in order to reach a targeted PC. They could also be deployed via the installation of an internet browser toolbar, add-on, or extension. A browser hijacker could also come bundled up with some freeware that you unintentionally download to your PC, compromising your internet security. Some of the most popular hijackers are EasyDirectionsFinder, Babylon Toolbar, Conduit Search, Sweet Page, OneWebSearch, and CoolWebSearch.

Browser hijacker removal tips

Some browser hijacking could be easily reversed by discovering and eliminating the corresponding malware software through your control panel. Sometimes, it can be a tough task to discover and eliminate the malicious component since the associated file will be running as part of the operating system process. Moreover, browser hijackers could modify the Computer registry therefore it can be quite tough to restore all the values manually, especially when you’re not a very tech-savvy individual.

Industry experts always suggest users eliminate any malware including browser hijacker with an automatic removal tool, which is better, safer, and quicker than the manual removal solution. SafeBytes Anti-Malware could counter persistent browser hijackers and give you active PC protection against all types of malware. Together with the antivirus tool, a PC optimizer, such as SafeBytes Total System Care, can help you in deleting all related files and modifications in the computer registry automatically.

How To Get Eliminate Malware That Is Preventing Antivirus Downloads?

Malware could cause many different types of damage to computers, networks, and data. Some malware sits in between the computer and the internet connection and blocks a few or all sites that you really want to visit. It will also prevent you from adding anything to your PC, particularly anti-virus applications. So what to do when malicious software prevents you from downloading or installing Safebytes Anti-Malware? There are a few actions you can take to get around this issue.

Boot your computer in Safe Mode

If any malware is set to load immediately when Microsoft Windows starts, getting into Safe Mode could very well block the attempt. Since only the minimal programs and services launch in Safe Mode, there are hardly any reasons for conflicts to happen. Below are the steps you should follow to start into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers (check out Microsoft site for directions on Windows 8 and 10 computers).

1) At power on, press the F8 key while the Windows splash screen starts to load. This will conjure up the “Advanced Boot Options” menu.
2) Choose Safe Mode with Networking with arrow keys and hit ENTER.
3) Once you get into this mode, you should have an internet connection again. Now, utilize your internet browser normally and go to https://safebytes.com/products/anti-malware/ to download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware.
4) After the software program is installed, let the diagnostic scan run to remove trojans and other malware automatically.

Switch over to an alternative web browser

Web-based malware can be environment-specific, targeting a specific web browser or attacking particular versions of the browser. If you seem to have malware attached to Internet Explorer, then switch to an alternate browser with built-in security features, such as Chrome or Firefox, to download your preferred antivirus program – Safebytes.

Install security software on a flash drive

Another option is to create a portable antivirus program onto your USB flash drive. Abide by these steps to run the anti-malware on the infected PC.
1) Download the anti-malware on a virus-free computer.
2) Plug the pen drive into the clean PC.
3) Run the setup program by double-clicking the executable file of the downloaded application, with a .exe file format.
4) Select the USB stick as the location for saving the software file. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
5) Now, insert the USB drive into the infected computer.
6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the pen drive by double-clicking the icon.
7) Run Full System Scan to detect and clean-up up all sorts of malware.

SafeBytes AntiMalware Overview

If you’re looking to purchase anti-malware for your laptop or computer, there are plenty of brands and packages for you to consider. A few are very good ones, some are ok types, while some are just fake anti-malware applications that will damage your computer themselves! You need to purchase a product that has obtained a good reputation and detects not just viruses but other sorts of malware too. While thinking about reliable applications, Safebytes AntiMalware is certainly the strongly recommended one.

Safebytes is among the well-established computer solutions companies, which provide this complete anti-malware tool. Using its outstanding protection system, this tool will quickly detect and remove most of the security threats, including adware, viruses, browser hijackers, ransomware, PUPs, and trojans.

There are numerous wonderful features you’ll get with this security product. Here are some of the good ones:

Best AntiMalware Protection: With its enhanced and sophisticated algorithm, this malware elimination tool can detect and eliminate the malware threats hiding in the computer system effectively.

Live Protection: SafeBytes offers totally hands-free real-time protection and is set to observe, prevent and eliminate all threats at its very first encounter. It’ll regularly monitor your pc for hacker activity and also gives end-users superior firewall protection.

SuperSpeed Scanning: Safebytes Anti-Malware, with its enhanced scanning engine, provides extremely fast scanning that can promptly target any active internet threat.

Website Filtering: SafeBytes provides an instant safety rating about the pages you’re going to check out, automatically blocking dangerous sites and making sure that you are certain of your online safety while browsing the net.

Low CPU Usage: SafeBytes is a lightweight and easy-of-use antivirus and antimalware solution. As it uses low computer resources, this program leaves the computer power exactly where it belongs: with you.

24/7 Live Professional Support: You may get high levels of support 24/7 if you are using their paid version.

Overall, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is a solid program since it has plenty of features and can detect and eliminate any potential threats. You can be sure that your computer will be protected in real-time once you put this software to use. So if you’re searching for the absolute best malware removal tool out there, and if you don’t mind paying out a few bucks for it, go for SafeBytes Anti-Malware.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you do not wish to use a malware removal software and like to remove EasyDirectionsFinder manually, you could possibly accomplish this by going to the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu in the Control Panel and delete the offending program; in cases of browser plug-ins, you may uninstall it by going to the browser’s Add-on/Extension manager. You’ll likely also want to reset your browser.

Finally, examine your hard drive for all of the following and clean your Windows registry manually to remove leftover application entries after uninstallation. But bear in mind, editing the registry is often a hard task that only advanced computer users and professionals should attempt to fix the problem. Moreover, some malicious programs have the capability to defend against its deletion. Completing this task in Safe Mode is advised.

Files:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\EasyDirectionsFinderTooltab
%UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\EasyDirectionsFinderTooltab
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pjclebnjamlmkpgapopafeniobfnlllf
%UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pjclebnjamlmkpgapopafeniobfnlllf
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\pjclebnjamlmkpgapopafeniobfnlllf
%UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\pjclebnjamlmkpgapopafeniobfnlllf

Registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\EasyDirectionsFinder
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\EasyDirectionsFinder
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\easydirectionsfinder.com
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings, value: pjclebnjamlmkpgapopafeniobfnlllf
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\easydirectionsfinder.dl.myway.com
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\easydirectionsfinder.dl.tb.ask.com
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\[APPLICATION]\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall..Uninstaller
EasyDirectionsFinderTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer

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Further Information and Manual Repair

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Method 1: Register a DNS server within your network properties and test the connection.

In order to resolve this error code, client connectivity to a DNS server must first be established. The following steps may help you to determine the root problem with your connectivity status:

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Method 2: Use phone-based authentication with a MAK (multiple activation key).

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Steps to address the error code may be different in any of these other versions of Windows. If you have difficulty in resolving the error effectively, seek professional technical help.

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Solution

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Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some of the best, easy, and effective DIY methods that you can try to repair error code 451 on your PC.

Method 1

To fix this error, simply follow these steps:
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Method 2 - Configure List Settings to change the server limit.

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Method 4

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Method 2: Increase Web Proxy Time out Settings

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Prompted For A Product Key – What Is It?

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Solution

Restoro box imageError Causes

There are a few reasons why some users are being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10:

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Further Information and Manual Repair

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Method One: Give It A Few Days

If you’ve been prompted for a product key upon upgrading to Windows 10, you should click on the “Do this later” option. Wait for a few days then Windows 10 will get activated automatically.

Method Two: Download A Copy of Windows 10 Corresponding Your Current System

One of the reasons Windows users are being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10 is that they have downloaded a wrong edition of Windows 10 and do not correspond with your current system.

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  • Users of Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 8.0 Pro, and Windows 8.1 Pro should download Windows 10 Pro ISO.

NOTE: Users of Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8.0 Enterprise, and Windows 8.1 Enterprise are not eligible for the free upgrade offer.

Method Three: Ensure Windows Is Activated

If your Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 is not genuine or activated, you will get prompted for a product key. You need to make sure first your current system is activated.

  1. Click on Start then right-click Computer. For Windows 8 and up users, you can simply press on Windows key + X then select Choose Properties.
  2. When the Properties window appears, check if the Windows you’re running is activated.

Method Three: Reset License Status

  1. Press on Windows key + X.
  2. Select Command Prompt (Admin).
  3. Once the command prompt window appears, type vbs –rearm then press Enter.
  4. Exit Command Prompt then restart your PC.
  5. Input the product key by following the instructions given.

Method Four: Force Activation

  1. Press on Windows key + X
  2. Select Command Prompt (Admin).
  3. Once the command prompt window appears, type vbs –ato then press Enter.
  4. Exit Command Prompt then restart your PC.

Method Five: Run System File Checker

Another thing you can try doing is to run the system file checker utility to scan if there are any broken operating system files. In doing so, you’ll be able to detect problems that might be preventing the product activation of your Windows 10 upgrade.

Method Six: Contact Microsoft Activation Center

If in case you’ve exhausted all your resources and you are still being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10, you can try contacting the Microsoft Activation Center for further details. Check here for the appropriate telephone numbers to contact.

Method Seven: Download An 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.

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Option 1 – Try disabling Overclocking

If you have enabled Overclocking, you might have to disable it as some users reported that the Kernel-Power Blue Screen error started to appear right after overclocking. To disable it, follow the steps below.
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  • From there, select the UEFU Firmware Settings.
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  • Start your computer normally and check if the Kernel-Power Blue Screen error is now fixed.

Option 2 – Try to run the Power troubleshooter

The next thing you can do is to run the Power troubleshooter. To do so, follow these steps:
  • Go to Settings and navigate to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
  • After that, look for the “Power” option from the given list of built-in troubleshooters and click on it.
  • Next, click on the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Power troubleshooter.
  • Once the troubleshooter is done identifying the problems, follow the next on-screen instructions to resolve the problem.
Note: You could also try to run the Blue Screen troubleshooter to fix the Kernel-Power BSOD error. You can find it under the same page as the Power troubleshooter.

Option 3 – Try to replace the Power Supply Unit

You could also try to consider physically replacing the Power Supply Unit or PSU of your computer and see if that helps or not.

Option 4 – Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool

Since this error could be caused by some issues in the memory, you can try running the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool and see if it helps.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type exe and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
  • After that, it will give two options such as:
    • Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)
    • Check for problems the next time I start my computer
  • Once your computer has restarted, perform a basic scan or you could also go for the “Advanced” options such as “Test mix” or “Pass count”. Simply tap the F10 key to start the test.
Note: After you select the option, your PC will restart and check for memory-based issues. If it finds any issues, it will automatically fix them and if there’s no issue found, then it’s most likely not a memory-based issue so you should try the other options given below.

Option 5 – Try to check physically check your RAM

In this option, you have to check your RAM physically especially if you tend to use multiple physical RAMs on your computer so it can be quite tricky and technical. You have to check first if they are of the same frequency and then verify if the chip is compatible or not. You also have to check if the sockets are attached using some adapter or non-recommended apparatus as it can cause some problems while giving performance hit to your computer.

Option 6 – Try to update the BIOS

Updating the BIOS can help you fix the Kernel-Power BSOD error but as you know, BIOS is a sensitive part of a computer. Even though it is a software component, the functioning of the hardware depends on it largely. Thus, you must be careful when modifying something in the BIOS. So if you don’t know much about it, it’s best if you skip on this option and try the other ones instead. However, if you are well-versed in navigating the BIOS, then follow the steps below.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Next, type “msinfo32” in the field and press Enter to open System Information.
  • From there, you should find a search field on the bottom where you have to search for the BIOS version and then press Enter.
  • After that, you should see the developer and version of the BIOS installed on your PC.
  • Go to your manufacturer’s website and then download the latest version of BIOS on your computer.
  • If you are using a laptop, make sure that you keep it plugged in until you have updated the BIOS.
  • Now double click on the downloaded file and install the new BIOS version on your computer.
  • Now restart your computer to apply the changes made.
Note: If updating the BIOS didn’t help, you might want to consider resetting it instead.

Option 7 – Disable Fast Start-up

If you want your computer to boot faster, then you might have enabled Fast Start-up. This feature is ideal for computers that are using a hard disk drive. However, turning on this feature also means that when the computer boots, it might lag some drivers that are loaded when it initially boots up. Thus, it might be the potential cause of the Kernel-Power BSOD error. Thus, you need to disable Fast Start-up. To do that, follow these steps:
  • 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 for the changes to take effect and then check if the problem’s fixed afterward.
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Managing the Local Users and Groups
As you know, Windows PowerShell is a useful command-line utility in Windows 10 that can be used to manage the Local Users and Groups which affirms the multiuser operating system principle of Windows 10. Although there are other GUI-based utilities used to manage the Local Users and Groups, there are some system administrators that would still like to use the command-line utility to manage these Local Users and Groups. So in this post, you will be guided on how exactly you can manage the Local Users and Groups using PowerShell on your Windows 10 computer. To get started, refer to the options provided below to manage both the Local Users and Groups using Windows PowerShell.

Option 1 – Manage the Local Users via Windows PowerShell

  • You need to first open Windows PowerShell as an admin. To do that, just tap the Win + X keys and select the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option.
  • After opening PowerShell, you need to execute the “Get-LocalUser” cmdlet so that you can find all the details about all the local user accounts in your computer which would include the Account Name, Enabled status, as well as description.
Note: On the other hand, you can also get the customized data about several objects that are related to your account. For instance, if you want to check when was the last time the Local account’s password was set, then you need to execute the “Get-LocalUser -Name root | Select-Object PasswordLastSet” cmdlet. Thus, the structure for this cmdlet is “Get-LocalUser -Name root | Select-Object *”. Here are the objects you can use to get different sorts of data:
  • AccountExpires
  • Description
  • Enabled : True
  • FullName
  • PasswordChangeableDate
  • PasswordExpires
  • UserMayChangePassword
  • PasswordRequired
  • PasswordLastSet
  • LastLogon
  • Name
  • SID
  • PrincipalSource
  • ObjectClass

Option 2 – Manage the Local User Groups using Windows PowerShell

  • Like what you did earlier, open Windows PowerShell as admin and then execute the “Get-LocalGroup” cmdlet so you can get all the information about all the groups of all the local user accounts.
  • Now if you want to create a new Local User Group, just execute the “New-LocalGroup -Name <NAME OF THE GROUP> -Description '<ENTER THE DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUP HERE>'” cmdlet.
  • And if you want to add Local User Accounts to a specific group, just execute the “Add-LocalGroupMember -Group '<NAME OF THE GROUP' -Member ('NAME 1','NAME 2','<ROLE>') -Verbose” cmdlet. You could also use the “Get-Localuser -Name john | Add-LocalGroupMember -Group '<NAME OF THE GROUP>'” cmdlet for the same purpose.
  • If you want to display all the User Accounts of a specific group, just use the “Get-LocalGroupMember –Group ‘ ’” cmdlet.
  • Now if you want to remove a local user account from a group, all you have to do is use the “Remove-LocalGroupMember -Group '<NAME OF THE GROUP>' –Member <NAME OF THE LOCAL USER ACCOUNT>” cmdlet.
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