How to remove SearchAnonymo from your computer

Computers viruses, worms, ransomware, etc. are kinds of malicious software that no user should take lightly. On several occasions, we have touched upon security steps that each user should take in order to protect its identity and data. Sadly sometimes even when all precautions are taken some malware can still slip through and wreak havoc. Today we are looking at some of the worst or the best, depending on your view that has indeed wreaked plenty of havoc.

10 worst computer viruses in history

In the list of the 10 most famous computer viruses below, we show the costs, dates, reach, and other key facts. First a note about terms: we use the words “virus” and “worm” interchangeably because most readers search for them that way. But there’s a subtle difference that we explain after the list.

1. Mydoom – $38 billion

The worst computer virus outbreak in history, Mydoom caused estimated damage of $38 billion in 2004, but its inflation-adjusted cost is actually $52.2 billion. Also known as Novarg, this malware is technically a “worm,” spread by mass emailing. At one point, the Mydoom virus was responsible for 25% of all emails sent. Mydoom scraped addresses from infected machines, then sent copies of itself to those addresses. It also roped those infected machines into a web of computers called a botnet that performed distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks were intended to shut down a target website or server. Mydoom is still around today, generating 1% of all phishing emails. That’s no small feat considering the 3.4 billion phishing emails sent each day. By that figure, Mydoom has taken on a life of its own, infecting enough poorly-protected machines to send 1.2 billion copies of itself per year, 16 years after its creation. Though a $250,000 reward was offered, the developer of this dangerous computer worm was never caught. Wondering what makes the world’s most secure computers so safe? See the Tech@Work guide: Upgrade to the World's Most Secure and Manageable PC

2. Sobig – $30 billion

The 2003 Sobig computer virus is actually another worm. It is second only to the Mydoom virus in its scope. The $30 billion figure is a worldwide total, including Canada, the U.K., the U.S., mainland Europe, and Asia. Several versions of the worm were released in quick succession, named Sobig.A through Sobig.F, with Sobig.F being the most damaging. This cybercriminal program masqueraded as legitimate computer software attached to emails. It disrupted ticketing at Air Canada and interfered with countless other businesses. Despite its widespread damage, the creator of the successful bug was never caught.

3. Klez – $19.8 billion

Klez is a close third on the list of the worst computer viruses ever created. With nearly $20 billion in estimated damages, it infected about 7.2% of all computers in 2001, or 7 million PCs. The Klez worm sent fake emails, spoofed recognized senders and, among other things, attempted to deactivate other viruses. As with other viruses and worms, Klez was released in several variants. It infected files, copied itself, and spread throughout each victim’s network. It hung around for years, with each version more destructive than the last. Windows has come a long way since most of the computer viruses on this list hit the web. Thankfully, built-in protection with Microsoft Defender is always on the watch.

4. ILOVEYOU – $15 billion

The year 2000’s ILOVEYOU virus worked by sending a bogus “love letter” that looked like a harmless text file. Like Mydoom, this attacker sent copies of itself to every email address in the infected machine’s contact list. Shortly after its May 4 release, it had spread to more than 10 million PCs. The virus was created by a college student in the Philippines named Onel de Guzman. Lacking funds, he wrote the virus to steal passwords so he could log into online services he wanted to use for free. He reportedly had no idea how far his creation would spread. This virus is also known as Loveletter. Need to up your remote work security game before there’s another entry on the list of most deadly computer viruses? See our guide: How to Work Remotely and Securely

5. WannaCry – $4 billion

The 2017 WannaCry computer virus is ransomware, a virus that takes over your computer (or cloud files) and holds them hostage. The WannaCry ransomware ripped through computers in 150 countries, causing massive productivity losses as businesses, hospitals, and government organizations that didn’t pay were forced to rebuild systems from scratch. The malware raged like wildfire through 200,000 computers worldwide. It stopped when a 22-year-old security researcher in the U.K. found a way to turn it off. Computers with out-of-date operating systems were hit especially hard. That’s why security experts always recommend updating your systems frequently.

Ransomware strikes again

In September 2020, one of the potentially largest computer virus attacks in medical history hit Universal Health Services. The U.S. hospital chain, which has more than 400 locations, was reportedly struck by damaging ransomware. The attack forced the cancellation of surgeries and made healthcare workers switch to paper records.

6. Zeus – $3 billion

The Zeus computer virus is an online theft tool that hit the web in 2007. A whitepaper by Unisys three years later estimated that it was behind 44% of all banking malware attacks. By then, it had breached 88% of all Fortune 500 companies, 2,500 organizations total, and 76,000 computers in 196 countries. The Zeus botnet was a group of programs that worked together to take over machines for a remote “bot master.” It originated in Eastern Europe and was used to transfer money to secret bank accounts. More than 100 members of the crime ring behind the virus, mostly in the U.S., were arrested in 2010. It’s not as prominent today, but some of the virus’ source code lives on in newer botnet viruses and worms. Zeus caused documented damage of $100 million. But the real cost in terms of lost productivity, removal, and undocumented theft is undoubtedly much higher. A $3 billion estimate, adjusted for inflation, puts this virus at a cost of $3.7 billion in today’s dollars.

7. Code Red – $2.4 billion

First observed in 2001, the Code Red computer virus was yet another worm that penetrated 975,000 hosts. It displayed the words “Hacked by Chinese!” across infected web pages, and it ran entirely in each machine’s memory. In most cases it left no trace in hard drives or other storage. Financial costs are pegged at $2.4 billion. The virus attacked websites of infected computers and delivered a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on the U.S. White House’s website, www.whitehouse.gov. In fact, the White House had to change its IP address to defend against Cod Red. Can your printer get a virus? See our cool infographic: The State of Printer Security

8. Slammer – $1.2 billion

The SQL Slammer worm cost an estimated $750 million across 200,000 computer users in 2003. This computer virus randomly selected IP addresses, exploiting vulnerabilities and sending itself on to other machines. It used these victim machines to launch a DDoS attack on several internet hosts, significantly slowing internet traffic. The Slammer worm hit banks in the U.S. and Canada especially hard, taking ATMs offline in many locations. Customers of Toronto’s Imperial Bank of Commerce found themselves unable to access funds. The attack reared its ugly head again in 2016, launching from IP addresses in Ukraine, China, and Mexico.

9. CryptoLocker – $665 million

Thankfully, ransomware attacks like the 2013 CryptoLocker virus have dipped since their 2017 peak. This malware attacked upwards of 250,000 machines by encrypting their files. It displayed a red ransom note informing users that “your important files encryption produced on this computer.” A payment window accompanied the note. The virus’ creators used a worm called the Gameover Zeus botnet to make and send copies of the CryptoLocker virus. According to a report by security firm Sophos, the average ransomware attack costs a business $133,000. If we estimate that CryptoLocker hit 5,000 companies, that would put its total cost at $665 million. Where will cybersecurity go next? See our guide: The Future of Cybersecurity

10. Sasser – $500 million

The Sasser worm was written by a 17-year-old German computer science student named Sven Jaschan. He was arrested at the age of 18 in 2004 after a $250,000 bounty was posted for the computer virus’ creator. A friend of Jaschan’s tipped authorities that the youth had penned not only the Sasser worm but also the damaging Netsky.AC attack. Jaschan was given a suspended sentence after it was found he was a minor when he wrote the malware. The Sasser worm crashed millions of PCs, and though some reports put damages at $18 billion, the relatively low infection rate suggests a more likely cost of $500 million. Other notable viruses The top 10 worst computer viruses above are just the ugly tip of a gargantuan digital iceberg. With a million new malware programs popping up every 3 years, we may miss the forest for a few outstanding trees. Here are just a few more viruses that have wreaked havoc over the years: Mimail: This worm tried to harvest data from infected machines to launch a string of DDoS attacks, but was relatively easy to remove. Yaha: Yet another worm with several variants, thought to be the result of a cyber-war between Pakistan and India. Swen: Written in C++, the Swen computer worm disguised itself to look like a 2003 OS update. Its financial cost has been pegged at $10.4 billion, but not reliably. Storm Worm: This worm showed up in 2007 and attacked millions of computers with an email about approaching bad weather. Tanatos/Bugbear: A 2002 keylogger virus that targeted financial institutions and spread to 150 countries. Sircam: A computer worm from 2001 that used counterfeit emails with the subject line, “I send you this file in order to have your advice.” Explorezip: This worm used fake emails to spread to every machine on thousands of local networks. Melissa: The most dangerous computer virus in 1999, Melissa sent copies of itself that looked like NSFW pics. The U.S. FBI estimated cleanup and repair costs at $80 million. Flashback: A Mac-only virus, Flashback infected over 600,000 Macs in 2012 and even infected Apple’s home base in Cupertino, Calif. In 2020, there’s now more malware on Macs than on PCs. Conficker: This 2009 virus still infects many legacy systems and could do significant damage if it ever activates. Stuxnet: This worm is reported to have destroyed Iranian nuclear centrifuges by sending damaging instructions.

Recently, several users reported an issue on their Windows 10 computers where the taskbar is not visible when they tried to connect to a computer via Remote Desktop Protocol or RDP. The Remote Desktop Connection feature uses the RDP which allows users to access a computer remotely. This is actually different from the taskbar being hidden automatically until the pointer hovers on it since, in this scenario, the taskbar is completely not accessible which makes using the remote computer entirely difficult, if not impossible. There are several suggestions you can check out to resolve this problem, you can try to restart the process of Windows Explorer via Task Manager or you could clear the cache for multiple processes. You could also try to reinstall the Shell Experience components or show the local taskbar in the Remote desktop. Moreover, you could also try to update, uninstall or roll back the display driver/graphics card driver. For more details, refer to each one of the options given below.

Option 1 – Try to restart the Windows Explorer process

The first option you have to try to fix the problem with the taskbar is to simply restart the Windows Explorer process in the Task Manager.

• Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Task Manager.
• Next, go to the Processes tab and find the process of Windows Explorer.
• Once you find it, right-click on it and select Restart to restart its process.
• After that, restart your computer and see if you can now see the Taskbar.

Option 2 – Try clearing the cache of multiple processes

The next thing you can do to resolve the problem is to clear the cache of many processes in your computer. To do so, follow these steps:

• Open the Notepad app and paste the following content in the text area:

@echo off taskkill /f /im explorer.exe taskkill /f /im shellexperiencehost.exe timeout /t 3 /NOBREAK > nul del %localappdata%PackagesMicrosoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewyTempState* /q timeout /t 2 /NOBREAK > nul start explorer @echo on

• After that, tap the Ctrl + S keys to save the changes you’ve made in Notepad and select the “All files” as its file type, and then name it “CacheClearTWC.bat”.
• Next, go to the location where you saved the file using File Explorer and then run it. This will run a couple of batch scripts which will clear the cache of multiple processes in the system.
• Tap the Win + X keys and select the “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” option to open PowerShell as admin.
• Next, execute this command in the command line: Get-appxpackage -all *shellexperience* -packagetype bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + “appxmetadataappxbundlemanifest.xml”)}
• After the command has been executed, this will reinstall the Shell Experience components and should fix the problem with the taskbar.

Option 4 – Update, uninstall or rollback the Graphics card drivers

• First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
• After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in MSC into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. From there, look for the Display Adapters and click on them.
• After that, right-click on each entry under the Display Adapters and select the “Uninstall Device” option from the menu.
• Now restart your computer.
• After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.

Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturers like NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it.

ListenToTheRadioNow is a Browser Extension that allegedly lets you listen to radio from your browser. However, all this extension does is add links to the popular radio stations on your home page. This extension hijacks your home page and changes your default search provides to MyWay. While running it monitors browsing data from your browser, mining information such as website visits, clicked links, and sometimes even personal information. This information is later used to display targeted ads through your browser. Several anti-virus scanners have marked this extension as a possible Browser Hijackers, and due to its data mining nature, it is not recommended to keep it on your computer.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is a type of unwanted software, commonly a browser add-on or extension, which then causes modifications in the web browser’s settings. Browser hijackers could do more than just modifying homepages. In most cases, browser hijacking is used for earning ad revenue that comes from forced advert clicks and website visits. Even though it may seem naive, all browser hijackers are dangerous and therefore always regarded as security threats. They don’t just ruin your internet browsers, but browser hijackers could also modify the system registry to make your PC susceptible to other malicious programs.

How you can know whether the browser is hijacked?

There are several symptoms of browser hijacking: 1. home-page is changed 2. new bookmarks pointing to porn websites have been added to your bookmarks 3. the default internet search engine and/or the default web browser settings are altered 4. find new toolbars that you did not add 5. unstoppable flurries of popup ads show up on your PC screen 6. webpages load very slowly and often incomplete 7. you have prohibited entry to certain web pages, for example, the site of an anti-malware software firm like SafeBytes.

So how does a browser hijacker infect a PC

A browser hijacker could be installed on your computer or laptop if you visit an infected website, click on an e-mail attachment, or download something from a file-sharing website. They also come from add-on programs, also referred to as browser helper objects (BHO), browser plug-ins or toolbars. Also, some shareware and freeware can put the hijacker inside your computer through “bundling”. A good example of some popular browser hijackers includes Babylon, Anyprotect, Conduit, SweetPage, DefaultTab, Delta Search, and RocketTab, but the names are regularly changing.

Tips on how to get rid of a browser hijacker

Some hijackers can be removed by uninstalling the freeware they were included with or by eliminating any extension you’ve recently added to your computer. However, most hijacking codes are not very easy to eliminate manually, since they go deeper into your operating system. Furthermore, manual removal expects you to perform several time-consuming and tricky actions that are hard to do for new computer users. Professionals always recommend users to get rid of any malicious software including browser hijacker with an automatic malware removal tool, which is simpler, safer, and faster than the manual removal technique. One of the top tools for correcting browser hijacker malware is SafeBytes Anti-Malware. It can help you eliminate any pre-existing malicious software in your computer and provides you real-time monitoring and protection from the latest internet threats. Employ a PC optimizer along with your anti-malware software to correct various registry problems, remove computer vulnerabilities, and improve your computer overall performance.

Help! Malware Preventing Antivirus Installation And Access To The Internet

All malware is bad, but certain kinds of malware do a lot more damage to your computer than others. Some malware sits in between the computer and the net connection and blocks some or all internet sites that you want to check out. It will also prevent you from installing anything on your system, especially anti-virus applications. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re stuck with a malware infection that is preventing you to download and install the Safebytes Anti-Malware program on your computer. Do as instructed below to get rid of the malware by alternate methods.

Install the anti-malware in Safe Mode

Safe Mode is actually a special, basic version of Windows in which just minimal services are loaded to counteract viruses and other troublesome programs from loading. In the event, the malicious software is set to load automatically when the computer boots, switching to this mode may well prevent it from doing so. To start the computer into Safe Mode, hit the “F8” key on your keyboard just before the Windows logo screen comes up; Or right after normal Windows boot up, run MSConfig, check Safe Boot under Boot tab, and click Apply. Once you’re in Safe Mode, you can attempt to download and install your antivirus software application without the hindrance of the virus. After installation, run the malware scanner to get rid of most standard infections.

Download the security program using an alternate web browser

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

Install and run anti-virus from the Thumb drive

Another solution is to store and operate an anti-malware program entirely from a Pen drive. Do these simple steps to clear up your affected PC using a portable antivirus. 1) Download the anti-malware on a virus-free PC. 2) Insert the USB drive onto the same system. 3) Run the setup program by double-clicking the executable file of the downloaded software, with a .exe file format. 4) Choose the drive letter of the pen drive as the place when the wizard asks you where you would like to install the antivirus. Follow the instructions on the computer screen to complete the installation process. 5) Unplug the pen drive. You may now utilize this portable anti-virus on the affected computer. 6) Double-click the EXE file to open the Safebytes software right from the pen drive. 7) Click the “Scan” button to run a full system scan and remove viruses automatically.

Protect Your PC and Privacy With SafeBytes Anti-Malware

To help protect your laptop or computer from many different internet-based threats, it’s important to install an anti-malware program on your laptop. However, with so many antimalware companies in the marketplace, nowadays it is hard to decide which one you should buy for your laptop. Some of them are great and some are scamware applications that pretend as genuine anti-malware software waiting to wreak havoc on your computer. While looking for an anti-malware tool, choose one that offers dependable, efficient, and complete protection against all known computer viruses and malware. On the list of recommended software by industry analysts is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, a popular security application for Windows computers. SafeBytes anti-malware is really a powerful, highly effective protection software made to assist users of all levels of computer literacy in finding and removing harmful threats from their computer. Through its cutting-edge technology, this software protects your computer against infections caused by different kinds of malware and similar threats, including spyware, adware, viruses, worms, trojans, keyloggers, ransomware, and potentially unwanted program (PUPs). SafeBytes anti-malware provides a myriad of advanced features that sets it apart from all others. Below are some of the great features included in the tool. Robust Anti-malware Protection: Built on a highly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal application can find and get rid of many obstinate malware threats like browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other common antivirus applications will miss. Live Protection: SafeBytes provides complete and real-time security for your computer. This software will continuously keep track of your computer for suspicious activity and updates itself continuously to keep current with the latest threats. Web Filtering: Through its unique safety rating, SafeBytes informs you whether a site is safe or not to visit it. This will make sure that you’re always certain of your safety when browsing the web. Faster Scanning: SafeBytes Anti-Malware possesses a multi-thread scan algorithm that works up to five times faster than any other antivirus software. Lightweight Application: SafeBytes gives you complete protection from online threats at a fraction of the CPU load due to its enhanced detection engine and algorithms. 24/7 Live Expert Support: You will get 24/7 technical support to promptly resolve any issue with your security application. SafeBytes can keep your PC safe from most advanced malware threats automatically, thus keeping your online experience secure and safe. Malware issues can become a thing of the past when you put this application to use. If you want sophisticated forms of protection features & threat detections, buying SafeBytes Anti-Malware will be worth the dollars!

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you do not wish to use malware removal software and like to get rid of ListenToTheRadioNow manually, you might accomplish this by going to the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and deleting the offending software; in cases of web browser plug-ins, you could remove it by visiting the browser’s Add-on/Extension manager. You will likely also want to reset your web browser. Finally, check your hard drive for all of the following and clean your Windows registry manually to get rid of leftover application entries after uninstalls. Please keep in mind that only experienced users should attempt to manually edit the system files because removing any single critical registry entry results in a serious problem or even a system crash. In addition, certain malware is capable of replicating or preventing removal. It is highly recommended that you carry out the removal process in Safe Mode.

If you got the FAULTY_HARDWARE_CORRUPTED_PAGE Blue Screen error on your Windows 10 computer then it is most likely caused by various factors. It could be caused by an incomplete installation or uninstallation of some applications or program, or it could also be caused by some exploit that intervenes with the normal functioning of the computer, as well as bad sectors on the hard disk, damaged system files, malfunctioned system drivers, modified Windows Registry files, or a Blue Screen occurrence during a Windows Update and many more. Getting this bug check means that a single-bit error was found on this page. It also indicates that this is a hardware memory error and to resolve it, you need to follow the suggestions laid out below but before that, it is recommended for you to create a System Restore Point first so that if anything goes wrong, you can always go back to the previous state.

Option 1 – Run a Memory Check to test RAM

Since the problem might have something to do with hardware memory, you need to test RAM by running a Memory Check using the Windows Memory Diagnostic. Refer to these steps to do so.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “mdsched.exe” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic.
• After that, the Windows Memory Diagnostic will give out two options such as:

1. Restart now and check for problems (recommended)
2. Check for problems the next time I start my computer

• Select any of the given options. After that, your computer will restart and check for memory-based issues upon the restart. If there are any issues, it will automatically them.

Option 2 – Run the System File Checker

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files that might be the cause why you’re getting the FAULTY_HARDWARE_CORRUPTED_PAGE Blue Screen error. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

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

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

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

Option 3 – Check for conflicting or incompatible programs by putting your PC in a Clean Boot state

As mentioned, the FAULTY_HARDWARE_CORRUPTED_PAGE Blue Screen error might be caused by some problematic programs that clash with your existing operating system. Several users reported that numerous programs that are supposedly designed to enhance computer performance are causing conflict in the system instead. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.

• 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.)
• From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.

Option 4 – Update or rollback drivers

If the first few options 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.

Every time a new drive or any storage device is connected to a Windows 10 computer, the operating system tends to allot a drive letter to it automatically. Not only that, as the OS also maps the location of the drive which helps it point the letter to the exact port location of the drive and serve requests from the user. As a result, it builds up a bit of cache as per the pattern in which the user uses the storage of the computer. This whole process is known as “Auto Mounting” which works for hard disks or optical drive readers that are connected using the SATA ports and even for USB drives that are connected using the USB ports. There are several ways you can enable or disable the Auto-Mount feature in Windows 10. You can do it using the MountVol tool or the Registry Editor or the Diskpart utility. Before you proceed, it is recommended that you create a System Restore point first so that you can always undo the changes you made in case anything goes wrong.

Option 1 – Enable or disable Auto Mounting via MountVol tool

In this option, you will be using the mountvol command in the Command Prompt. Refer to the steps below.

• Tap the Wins key once and type in “command prompt” in the field.
• From the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option to run it with admin privileges.
• Next, type the following command and tap Enter to enable the Auto Mount feature:

mountvol /E

• On the other hand, if you want to disable the Auto Mount feature, type the following command instead:

mountvol /N

• After that, type the command below to remove all the previously assigned drive letters:

mountvol /R

• Finally, restart your computer.

Option 2 – Enable or disable Auto Mounting via Registry Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• After that, navigate to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesmountmgr
• Next, look for a DWORD named “NoAutoMount”. If you can’t find a DWORD with that name then simply create a new DWORD with the same name and make sure that the base is selected to Hexadecimal.
• Now double click on that DWORD and change its value to 0 if you want to enable it, otherwise, input 1 as its value to disable it.
• Restart your computer.

Option 3 – Enable or disable Auto Mounting via Diskpart utility

• Tap the Wins key once and type in “command prompt” in the field.
• From the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option to run it with admin privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt as admin, type the following command and hit Enter to launch the Diskpart utility:

diskpart

• After that, a User Account Control prompt will appear. Just click on the Yes button.
• Next, type the following command and hit Enter:

automount

• Following the command you entered, you will an output that either says, “Automatic mounting of new volumes enabled” or “Automatic mounting of new volumes disabled” which means you can use it to check the status of Auto Mount.
• Now if you want to enable the Auto Mount feature, type the following command and tap Enter:

automount enable

• And if you want to disable the Auto Mount feature, just enter the following command:

automount disable

• To remove all the assigned letter and history of drives that were connected previously, type the following command:

automount scrub

• Finally, restart your computer.

What is Backup Error 0x80070002?

Error 0x80070002 shows once you’re done backing up files through the Windows Backup program on a system running Windows 7, you see a notification that pops up with a message that reads something like: “Check your backup results. The backup completed but some files were skipped.” You try finding out the reason and you hover over to the Options button beside the message, then you get to read the following lines: “Check your backup results. The backup completed but some files were skipped. View skipped files.” Upon clicking the “View Skipped Files” option, the backup error 0x80070002 pops up on your screen and you’re left scratching your head, wondering what you’re going to do now.

Solution

Error Causes

There are multiple error logs that you will encounter in backup error 0x80070002 as per different conditions. The two most common cases in which this error shows up are stated below:

Case 1

You will see the following message when you press “View skipped files”: “Backup encountered a problem while backing up file C: Windows/System32/config/systemprofile. Error: (The system cannot find the file specified. (0x80070002))” You will face this case if you have backed up a library that included custom folders that were located in your user profile.

Case 2

Upon pressing “View Skipped files” you will encounter the below-mentioned messages: “Backup encountered a problem while backing up file C:/Users<User>AppDataLocalLow. Error: (The system cannot find the file specified. (0x80070002))” “Backup encountered a problem while backing up file C:/Users<User>Contacts. Error: (The system cannot find the file specified. (0x80070002))” “Backup encountered a problem while backing up file C:/Users<User>Searches. Error:(The system cannot find the file specified. (0x80070002))” You are likely to encounter any of these messages in case:

• The Windows Backup program is trying to back up your files in either one or all of these folders (LocalLow, Searches, Contacts).
• All three of these folders don’t exist in your system.

Keep in mind that all three of these folders exist due to the installation of certain programs and applications on your system.

Notes

The backup error 0x80070002 is also found to occur while using USB devices instead of storage devices. Other occurrences include the times when input/output (I/O) operations are performed on the USB device, which results in failure.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To make sure this issue is resolved, you will have to follow either one of the following solutions as appropriate to your situation:

Solution for Case 1

1. Ignore the error. The store files of the custom library in your user profile will not be created as backups.
2. Transfer the library folder from where it currently exists to a place outside its current folder (user profile). For instance, you can move the library folder to an entirely new destination such as “C: My Folders”
3. Remove the library folder from the list of files that you are backing up using the Windows Backup program. Then, add the original place of the library’s content in the list.
4. Go back and check step two. If carried out successfully then add a link to the folder you moved from the library. Check to see if the backup includes the library folder. To make sure, you have to do as follows:

• Go to Start and select your username.
• Hover across to the folder you wish to move, right-click on it and select “Cut”.
• Head to the navigation pane and search for the area you will store the folder in, right-click and select “Paste” so that the folder is moved to that location.
• Right-click on the folder that you just moved and select “Copy”.
• Go back to Start, select your username, right-click any vacant space in your folder and select “Paste Shortcut”.

Note: If you want to store the folder in a different place other than the folder in which it currently exists (user profile), you will need to create a new folder. In order to do so, go to the Windows Explorer menu and look up the root of the drive. Hit “New Folder” and then choose edit to change its name. You can set it as any name for instance, “My Folders”.

Solution for Case 2

You can ignore this error safely. However, if you wish not to see this error in the future during your backup operations then you will need to carry out the following steps:

1. Create all the folders listed in the error message including LocalLow, Contacts, and Searches.
2. Remove all of these folders from the Backup settings to make sure they aren’t being backed up then add the folders which are in their original place. To carry out this procedure, you will have to follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Head over to the Control Panel and open “Backup & Restore”.
• Go to the Backup section and select “Change Settings”.
• Click Next in the Setup backup dialog box.
• Select “Let me choose” in the dialog box termed “What do you want to back up” then proceed by clicking Next.
• Expand Data Files, expand <user> Libraries, expand Additional Locations then proceed by clearing out the AppData Folder, searches, and Contacts checkboxes.
• Expand Computer as well as the item for your system drive (expand Local Disk (D:)), expand users, expand <user>, then go to AppData, Searches and Contacts and mark them if they are present.
• Proceed by clicking next and select “Save Settings” then exit.
• Back to Backup & Restore, select Back up now and your new backup will begin proceeding. The entire process will be complete without any errors now.

As you know, Windows 10 comes with the option to create Mobile Hotspot for other devices. This allows you to share your Ethernet connection. However, there are times when one of your devices might fail to reconnect to the mobile hotspot again. For instance, you moved out of the Wi-Fi range because you have somewhere to be and whatnot and when you’re back you find that you are now unable to reconnect to the Windows 10 Hotspot or the shared network. Although you can always restart the mobile hotspot to resolve the problem, however, it might only be a temporary fix. So in this post, you will be given options for a much better solution to the problem. This kind of problem seems unusual and does not occur that often. To fix it, you can try to set up DNS on your Windows 10 device and then configure the settings on the mobile device. It seems that what’s happening here is that the mobile device is unable to lock on to the Mobile Hotspot when the IP address changes for some reason.

Option 1 – Try changing the DNS settings on your laptop

In this option, you need to make sure that IPv4 and IPv6 are selected on your Ethernet connection. You also have to change the Preferred DNS server as well as the Alternate DNS server to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, respectively. You also have to validate the settings before you exit just to ensure that you’ve entered everything correctly. After that, open Command Prompt and run the ipconfig command and then take note of the IP address, Gateway DNS 1 and DNS 2.

Option 2 – Try changing the Wi-Fi settings on your mobile device

This option should be mostly the same on all your mobile devices. And given that OEMs build their customization and skin, you might have to fiddle around a little to get the settings. Refer to the steps below to change the Wi-Fi settings:

• Go to the Settings of your mobile device and tap on Wi-Fi.
• Then click the Mobile Hotspot connection that you’ve created on your laptop.
• After that, input the password and tap the Advanced options.
• From there, tap on IP settings and select the Static option instead of DHCP.
• Now you have to enter the IP address, Gateway, DNS 1, and DNS 2 of the laptop you’ve taken note of earlier and that’s it.

Note: If you are already connected to the Mobile Hotspot, long press on the Wi-Fi network and select the Modify Network option and then follow the steps given above to change from DHCP to static. Once you’re done, your mobile device should now be able to connect to the Windows 10 Mobile Hotspot all the time.

In the latest Windows 11 fiasco, it is reported that the operating system is slowing down some SSD drives. Good thing is that it does not affect all of SSD on the market but the ones which it is affecting can see even a 45% of speed drop. Microsoft has not published a solution to this issue, but users point out two potential problems. The first is a security mechanism based on disk virtualization, which is supposed to slow down the performance of SSDs. The second, in turn, is related to the place of installation of Windows 11 – users indicate that if the performance test is performed on a medium with no files associated with the system, its performance results are similar to the parameters given by the manufacturer. Transfer speeds were to be slightly improved with the latest Windows 11 update 22000.348. However, users are still waiting for a solution to the problem that significantly reduces the efficiency of SSD media.

More information

The details described leading to speculation that the problem could be related to drivers that Microsoft is providing. On further tests, all Nvme drives that use the Microsoft driver have this problem, but Intel 905P, which has its own driver provided by Intel, is working at full power,”.

Microsoft just released Windows 11 ISo file, based on the latest Insider Preview Build 22000.132. Inside build, you can try all-new features like clock updated app, snip tool, and everything releases so far via various patches. You can also use Windows 11 ISO file to do a clean install on your computer, but if you go with this option all of your existing files will be deleted. Microsoft says it added the ability to name your PC during the setup experience. You’ll also get to experience the Get Started app that’s designed to help you get going on your new Windows 11 PC (even if it’s not actually a new one).

Download ISO

• Go to the Windows Insider Downloads page. You will need to sign in with a Microsoft account registered with the Insider Program.
• Scroll down to Select Edition and select the build you want to download. You will most likely want the one at the top from the developer channel, as this is where Windows 11 should arrive first. So far, only Windows 10 builds are available. Click confirm.
• Select your preferred language. Not all languages ​​available for Windows are compatible with the Insider program, so you may have to stop depending on where you are from.
• Click the download button and the ISO file will start downloading.
• This is definitely an easier method, but unfortunately, it is not available yet. We will update this article once Windows Insider ISOs are available. Later, once Windows 11 64 bit is available to everyone, you can also download the stable build of Windows 11 iso. Microsoft offers the Media Creation Tool and Upgrade Assistant, which usually do just that. It will be some time before Windows 11 versions of the tools are available, as the operating system is only getting closer to this holiday.