How to Remove PUP ExpressFiles Tutorial

The Windows Update service, just like other services in Windows 10 may sometimes experience some issues and stop behaving properly. One of the issues you might encounter as you use the Windows Update service is the Windows Update error 0x8024A10A. This kind of error code signifies that the Windows Update service is shutting down. So if you encounter this error, read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix it. When you receive the Windows Update error 0x8024A10A, you may see this error message on your screen: “USO_E_SERVICE_SHUTTING_DOWN indicates that the WU Service is shutting down. This may happen due to a very long period of time of inactivity, a system hang leading to the service being idle and leading to the shutdown of the service. Ensure that the system remains active and the connections remain established to complete the upgrade.” You could try to restart your computer to resolve the problem since there are instances when a simple restart can fix errors. However, if it does not work, you might find the options provided below useful.

Option 1 – Try to restart the Windows Update Service

The first thing you can do to fix Windows Update error 0x8024A10A is to restart the Windows Update Service from the Services Manager. To do so, follow these steps:

• In the Cortana search box, type “services” and click on the Services icon to open the Services Manager. Alternatively, you can also tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run prompt and then type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
• After opening the Services Manager, look for the Windows Update Service.
• Once you found it, right-click on it and check if the Service is stopped. If it is, then select the Start option. On the other hand, if the Windows Update Service is already started, just select the Restart option.
• After that, try to run the Windows Update again and see if the error 0x8024A10A is now fixed.

Option 2 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Since the Windows Update troubleshooter reviews the status of the services that support the process, it would prompt and fix it if there is anything that’s not right. Thus, you might want to run a built-in Windows Update troubleshooter to resolve the Windows Update error. It is one of the things you can check out as it is known to automatically resolve any Windows Update errors like error 0x8024A10A. To run this troubleshooter, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 3 – Run Microsoft’s online troubleshooter

Aside from the Windows Update troubleshooter, running Microsoft’s online troubleshooter might also help you fix the Windows Update Error 0x8024A10A. This online troubleshooter is known to help in fixing Windows Update errors, it scans your computer for issues that might be causing the problem and then fixes them automatically.

Option 4 – Try to run the Windows Update Service in a Clean Boot State

There are some instances that some conflicting programs installed in your computer might be the one that’s causing Windows Update error code 0x8024A10A. 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” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• Now try to run the Windows Update Service again and see if Windows Update error 0x8024A10A is now gone.

The “Unknown Hard” error that keeps on appearing in Windows 10 can put users in an unpleasant situation. This kind of error leads to the freezing of the taskbar, blackening of the screen, and sudden disappearance of the icons on the Desktop. And each time you try to open Windows, the system will only give you an error message saying that it’s a critical error and some applications like Start and Cortana won’t work. Upon analysis, it seems that the “sihost.exe” is not responding and that it is the one that’s causing the c000021a Unknown Hard error to pop up. Sihost.exe files represent the Shell Infrastructure Host which is an essential component in the Windows operating system. The Windows Shell Infrastructure Host is primarily responsible for handling some graphical elements of the operating system interface such as the Start menu and the taskbar transparency. And so if the Shell Infrastructure or Sihost.exe has stopped, has been removed, or corrupted, you will most likely have issues with the overall functionality of the Windows operating system and you’ll get the Unknown Hard error In addition, the ctfmom.exe Unknown Hard error may also occur due to incompatible drivers installed on your PC. Ctfmom is a process that identifies inputs such as handwriting, languages, and many more. It’s the one that controls the functions of background behavior. To resolve this issue, you need to first try to identify which application is the one that’s running the sihost.exe file. And if needed, you need to either update or reinstall or completely uninstall the problematic application.

Option 1 – Try to run the System File Checker

The SFC Scan or System File Checker, us a built-in utility in Microsoft Windows that can be found in the C:\Windows\System32 folder. This tool allows users to scan and restore any corrupted system files in Windows that might be causing the Unknown Hard error to appear. Before you use this tool, make sure to find out whether the sihost.exe on your computer is a Trojan that you have to remove or if it’s a file that belongs to a trusted Windows application. Once you have that sorted out, follow the steps 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 2 – Try to use System Restore

You can also try using System Restore. This is one of the ways you can use it to back up your PC. Since restore points are created automatically each week by System Restore, you can use System Restore to restore your computer back to an earlier good point in time.

Option 3 – Try to troubleshoot the error in a Clean Boot State

Putting your PC in a Clean Boot state can help you diagnose and troubleshoot the issues in your system. During this state, you can start the system with a minimum number of drivers and startup programs that will surely help you in isolating the root cause of the Unknown Hard Error.

• 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.)

After putting your PC in a Clean Boot State, try creating a system restore point and see if the problem still occurs. Clean Boot troubleshooting is designed to help you isolate the problem. For you to execute a clean boot troubleshooting, you must do a couple of actions (the steps are given above) and then restart your PC after every action. You might have to disable one third-party app after the other to really isolate the issue. And once you’ve narrowed down the problem, you can either disable the third-party app that’s causing the problem or remove it. Note that you must switch your PC back into the Normal Startup mode after you’re done troubleshooting the problem. Here’s how you can do it:

• From the “Start” menu, go to System Configuration.
• After that, switch to the General tab and click the option for “Normal Startup”.
• Next, go to the Services tab and clear the checkbox for “Hide all Microsoft services”.
• Then find and click “Enable all” and if prompted, you have to confirm.
• Afterward, go to the Task Manager and enable all the Startup programs and confirm the action.
• Restart your PC when prompted.

What exactly is no audio device malfunction?

No audio device error is among the malfunctions that many Computer consumers run into. No sound or audio can be heard from the computer when the error occurs.

Solution

Error Causes

There are numerous elements that may be the basis of this malfunction. Corrupted or broken sound card drivers, incorrect Device Manager Options for example, or even incorrect BIOS configurations.

Further Information and Manual Repair

How could you recover the standard production of audio by your personal computer and solve this malfunction? Like a number of additional malfunctions, the method of the repair depends on its trigger. To properly solve this dilemma, you are required to run through an evaluation of the pc system so that you can pinpoint the cause. This is because there are numerous variables, which alone, or concurrently may trigger this dilemma. These measures will allow you to work out the no sound device error in your personal computer programs, identify the trigger and fix it. Follow the directions in step 1 if your computer has an onboard audio device installed in it and assess the BIOS settings. You can jump step 1 and move to step two if you utilize a separate sound card.

STEP #1 - Assess the BIOS options.

No sound device error can be caused by incorrect BIOS configurations in your Personal Computer. By fixing these settings if they are the cause of the malfunction, you can easily solve it. Make Sure you restart the pc and immediately access the BIOS options. By locating the Sound card, which is usually known as the AC97 Audio, you should subsequently open the Integrated Peripherals. As soon as you locate it, set it to Allow or Auto. Finally, you should access the On-Board Audio AC97 Control and set it to Allow or Auto as well. If it doesn't solve the situation, proceed to Step Two.

STEP #2 - Analyze the Device Manager

No sound device malfunction can be additionally caused by malfunctions with the Device Manager. To solve this issue, go to My Computer, right-click it, select properties, click on the Hardware tab, then click on Device Manager. At this windowpane, analyze the movie, audio, and game controllers. If you learn that there is a cross on any of the sub things, right-click it subsequently and set it to Enable. The sound card driver may have not been correctly installed or may be damaged if there is Exclamatory Mark or Question Mark on the device manager menu. This does not mean that the sound card driver is ok. It may have malfunctioned even though you do not locate anything unusual. This is because the Device Manager doesn't always recognize errors in audio hardware. After this, you can proceed to step 3.

STEP #3 - Upgrade or reinstall the Sound Card Driver.

About 80% of "no sound system discovered/installed" malfunctions come from broken and/ or out-of-date card drivers. The sound card will not be detected by the Windows Operating System, when the audio card driver is corrupted, damaged, or out-of-date and therefore no sound will be produced by your computer. If this is the cause of the no sound device malfunction, you should reinstall the Audio Card Driver on your computer. Still, you can utilize driver upgrade applications on the web that will help you upgrade out-of-date drivers.

BubbleDock is a software developed by Nosibay. It installs a customizable dock at the top of your screen.

It adds registry entities to allow it to start automatically each time your system is rebooted, as well as installing an update checker that will automatically update the software when an update is available. The software also adds various scheduled tasks to start the application at different times, this ensures that once the application is closed, it is re-launched at a later time, making it very hard to keep the software closed permanently.

While the software is running, it will generate ad links in your browser, display sponsored ads, and collect personal information and deliver it back to it’s ad network. While using this software you may see additional ads, banners, links, pop-up ads, and various other sponsored content while browsing the internet.

About Potentially Unwanted Applications

Have you ever found out an unwanted program running on your computer system and wondered exactly how the heck it got there? A PUA / PUP (potentially unwanted application / potentially unwanted program) is actually a piece of software that comes bundled with freeware and you consent to install it on your computer. These are programs you certainly don’t want on your computer since it does not provide any beneficial service. From a technical standpoint, a PUP isn’t “true” malware. An interesting difference between PUP and malware is distribution. Malware is commonly dropped via vulnerability exploitation whereas PUP gets installed with the consent of the user, who purposefully or unwittingly authorizes the PUP installation on their PC. Although a PUP is not malware by definition, it can still be harmful software and put your computer at risk exactly the same way a computer virus does.

Exactly how do PUPs look like?

PUPs come in many forms; however, most of them are adware, which usually displays irritating adverts and advertising banners on internet pages that you’re surfing. PUPs which come as browser add-ons and toolbars are widely recognizable. These toolbars alter your homepage and your default search engine in the installed web browser, track your internet activities, modify your search results with re-directs and sponsored hyperlinks, and eventually slow down your internet browser and diminish your web browsing experience. Potentially Unwanted Programs occasionally act quite much like viruses or spyware. They will carry dialers, keyloggers, as well as other software built right into them that may monitor you or deliver your sensitive details to 3rd parties. Even if the PUPs are not basically malicious, these applications still do practically nothing good on your personal computer – they’ll take precious system resources, slow your PC, weaken your device’s security, and make your PC more susceptible to viruses.

Preventing PUPs

• Study the fine print to be sure the end-user license agreement (EULA) you are accepting is only for the program you actually intend to download. • Never accept standard, express, default, or other installation settings which are recommended. Always opt for custom installation. • Use a good anti-malware program. Try Safebytes Anti-Malware which will spot PUPs and handle them as malware by flagging them for deletion. • Avoid shareware or freeware wherever possible. Disable or get rid of toolbars and browser extensions you don’t actually need. • Don’t download software from popups, online advertising, file sharing sites, as well as other unreliable sources; look out for any pre-set, unwanted features when downloading the program. Avoid heading to blogs and websites that promote pirated programs.

How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected Computer

Practically all malware is inherently unsafe, but certain kinds of malicious software do a lot more damage to your computer than others. Certain malware goes to great lengths to prevent you from downloading or installing anything on your personal computer, particularly antivirus applications. So what should you do if malicious software keeps you from downloading or installing Anti-Malware? There are some solutions you could try to get around with this particular obstacle.

Install in Safe Mode with Networking

Safe Mode is a unique, simplified version of Microsoft Windows where only the bare minimum services are loaded to stop malware and other troublesome applications from loading. In the event, the malicious software is set to load immediately when the PC starts, switching to this mode can prevent it from doing so. In order to enter into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press the F8 key while the PC is starting up or run MSCONFIG and look for the “Safe Boot” options under the “Boot” tab. After you restart the PC into Safe Mode with Networking, you may download, install, as well as update the anti-malware program from there. Now, you can run the anti-virus scan to remove computer viruses and malware without interference from another application.

Switch to some other internet browser

Web-based malware could be environment-specific, aiming for a particular internet browser or attacking specific versions of the web browser. If you’re not able to download the security software program using Internet Explorer, this means the virus may be targeting IE’s vulnerabilities. Here, you must switch over to a different browser like Firefox or Chrome to download Safebytes Anti-malware software.

Create a portable USB antivirus for removing viruses

Here’s yet another solution which is creating a portable USB antivirus software that can scan your computer for malware without needing installation. Abide by these steps to run the anti-virus on the affected computer. 1) Use another virus-free computer to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Plug the Flash drive into the clean computer. 3) Double-click the Setup icon of the antivirus software to run the Installation Wizard. 4) When asked, select the location of the USB drive as the place where you would like to put the software files. Follow the activation instructions. 5) Now, transfer the USB drive to the infected PC. 6) Double-click the antivirus program EXE file on the flash drive. 7) Hit the “Scan Now” button to start the virus scan.

Benefits and Features of SafeBytes Security Suite

To protect your computer from many different internet-based threats, it’s very important to install an anti-malware application on your laptop. However, with so many antimalware companies in the marketplace, these days it’s tough to decide which one you should obtain for your PC. A few of them are excellent, some are ok types, and some will destroy your computer themselves! You should pick one that is efficient, practical, and has a strong reputation for its malware source protection. While considering the highly regarded software programs, Safebytes Anti-Malware is undoubtedly the highly recommended one. SafeBytes anti-malware is a powerful, highly effective protection application intended to help end-users of all levels of computer literacy in identifying and eliminating harmful threats out of their personal computer. After you have installed this software program, SafeBytes' superior protection system will ensure that no viruses or malicious software can seep through your personal computer. There are numerous great features you’ll get with this security product. Let’s check out a few of them below: Live Protection: Malware programs attempting to get into the computer are identified and stopped as and when detected by the SafeBytes real-time protection shields. They’re very efficient in screening and getting rid of different threats since they’re constantly improved with the latest updates and safety measures. Robust Anti-malware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal tool is able to identify and get rid of many stubborn malware threats like browser hijackers, potentially unwanted programs, and ransomware that other common antivirus applications will miss. Internet Security: SafeBytes gives an instant safety rating about the web pages you’re about to visit, automatically blocking dangerous sites and ensuring that you are certain of your safety while browsing the net. “Fast Scan” Abilities: Safebytes AntiMalware, with its enhanced scanning engine, provides ultra-fast scanning that will promptly target any active online threat. Lightweight: This program is not “heavy” on the computer’s resources, so you will not find any performance problems when SafeBytes is operating in the background. 24/7 Guidance: Expert technicians are at your disposal 24/7! They will quickly fix any technical issues you may be experiencing with your security software.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you wish to manually remove BubbleDock without the use of an automated tool, it may be possible to do so by removing the program from the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser extensions, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. You will likely also want to reset your browser. To ensure the complete removal, manually check your hard drive and registry for all of the following and remove or reset the values accordingly. Please note that this is for advanced users only and may be difficult, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. In addition, some malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. Doing this in Safe Mode is advised.

The following files, folders, and registry entries are created or modified by BubbleDock

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen - What is it?

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT is a blue screen of death error code. It occurs when the PFN (Page Frame Number) list becomes corrupt. The Page Frame Number is basically used by your hard drive to determine your location of each one of your files on the disk. This error may occur when starting up the program or while using it. Blue screen of death errors occurs without any warnings. The program disrupts all of a sudden and the computer screen turns blue.

Solution

Error Causes

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen error may occur due to multiple reasons. Some of the common reasons include:

• Hardware problems
• Device driver issues
• Registry problems
• Viral Infection

It is recommended to resolve the PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen of Death error immediately without any delay virtually because this error can be quite fatal to your PC. It can pose serious threats to your system like system freeze, crash, failure, and valuable data loss. Furthermore, if the error is related to viral infection, it can expose you to privacy issues, data breaches, and cybercrime too.

Further Information and Manual Repair

This is a critical PC error but easy to resolve. You don’t need any technical expertise to fix this error on your PC. Here are some quick and easy methods to resolve PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen error:

Method 1: Install Compatible Device Drivers

Sometimes when new hardware is added to the PC, you need to install updated versions of the device drivers to ensure there are no incompatibility issues. Incompatibility between the hardware and device drivers may generate PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen of death error on your screen. To resolve, it is advisable to download and install the latest updated versions of the device drivers from the manufacturer’s website.

Method 2: Scan for Viruses

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen of Death error may occur due to viral infection too. Viruses and spyware enter your PC when you log on to unreliable websites and download programs from there or open phishing emails on your PC. These viruses corrupt and damage programs and files resulting in such errors. To fix the issue, you need to install a powerful antivirus and ensure all kinds of viruses and spyware are detected and removed from your system.

Method 3: Clean and Restore the Registry

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen error indicates poor PC maintenance. When you don’t clean and remove unnecessary and obsolete files like junk files, bad registry keys, cookies, internet history, temporary files, and invalid entries from the registry, the registry overloads and gets damaged. These files accumulate taking up a lot of disk space and also corrupt system files. If these files are not removed timely, it results in registry issues like a blue screen of death errors and run-time errors. To remove these files and clean the registry, you need to install a powerful registry cleaner. Whether the underlying cause for PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen of Death error on your PC is viral infection or registry issues, to resolve the BSOD error code in seconds download Restoro. This is a cutting-edge and multi-functional PC fixer deployed with both an antivirus and a registry cleaner. Additional features include a system optimizer too. It is user-friendly and easy to operate. You can download it on all Windows versions without any hassle. It is safe and bug-free. The registry cleaner feature scans and removes all unnecessary files, cleans and repairs the registry while the antivirus utility simultaneously removes all kinds of malicious software including spyware, viruses, Trojans, and malware. Click here to download Restoro now and resolve the PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen of Death error immediately!

In every task carried out in the Windows 10 operating system, some of them don’t go smoothly and it could encounter a couple of errors along the way. One of these errors you could encounter is the Windows Update error code 0x8007000e. This particular error was reported to occur a lot when downloading and installing a Feature update via Windows Updates. And recently, it has been reported to occur a couple of times for the Windows 10 1903 May 2019 update. According to security experts, this error could be caused by a lack of memory or disk space as well as issues in the Windows Update mechanism. Whatever the cause is, troubleshooting this problem shouldn’t be hard as this post will give you some potential fixes you can check out. To fix this error, here are some options you need to consider:

Option 1 – Clear up temporary or junk files

The error could be caused by some temporary or junk files in your computer and so you need to clear them up to fix the problem. You can achieve that using the Storage Sense feature.

• Open Setting > System > Storage from the WinX Menu.
• From there, you will see a list of all the local and connected storage devices along with the details on the free space. Make sure that Storage Sense is on.
• Next, find a link that says “Free Up Space” and click it to open.
• After that, a screen which is the built-in program in Windows 10 will appear and will scan your computer for the following junk files so you can free up disk space:
  • Windows Upgrade Log Files
  • System created Windows Error Reporting Files
  • Thumbnails
  • Temporary Internet Files
  • Previous Windows Installation Files
  • Delivery Optimisation Files
  • DirectX Shader Cache
• Choose the files you want to get rid of and then click on the remove files option. Note that you’ll have an idea of the total size as you select any of the junk files listed above.
• Now go to the “Free Up Space Now” section and click the Clear Now button. This will get rid of all the temporary or junk files in your computer and should hopefully fix the Windows Update error 0x8007000e.

Option 2 – Reset the Windows Update components

If by any chance that the second option didn’t work, resetting the Windows Update components could also help you resolve the problem. How? Refer to the following steps:

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
  • net stop wuauserv
  • net stop cryptsvc
  • net stop bits
  • net stop msiserver

Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS and MSI Installer.

• After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
  • ren C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution/SoftwareDistribution.old
  • ren C:/Windows/System32/catroot2/Catroot2.old
• Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
  • net start wuauserv
  • net start cryptsvc
  • net start bits
  • net start msiserver
• Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.

Option 3 – Try configuring the Windows Update-related Services

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “cmd” in the field and tap Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
• Next, execute the following commands. Note that you have to type and enter each the command one after the other.
  • SC config wuauserv start= auto
  • SC config bits start= auto
  • SC config cryptsvc start= auto
  • SC config trustedinstaller start= auto
• The commands you executed will make sure that the Windows Update-related services are available. Once it’s done, restart your computer and see if the Windows Update error is now fixed.

Option 4 – Try running the Windows Update troubleshooter

Windows 10 have various troubleshooters that can help you resolve many system issues. So if you’re dealing with Windows Update errors like Error 0x8007000e, you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter to resolve it. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 5 – Try to use the Media Creation tool

The Media Creation tool in Windows allows you to use the ISO installation file to make a bootable device that you can use to install Windows on your PC. Note that this is kind of different from the usual installation process as it could erase your computer’s current settings and data on the primary drive. Thus, before you proceed, you need to backup all your data into some removable drive and then use the Media Creation tool to make a bootable drive.

• After making the bootable drive, you need to plug it in your computer and then reboot.
• Next, tap the F10 or Esc key to open the boot options.
• Now set the boot priority of the removable drive the highest. Once the setup comes forth, follow the next onscreen instructions and install Windows without any problems.

As of the time of writing this article you no longer need or are required to have a password if you plan to log in to your Microsoft account. Microsoft explored various options for account security and came to the conclusion that passwords are obsolete. Microsoft is letting you access your account through the Microsoft Authenticator app, Windows Hello, a security key, SMS verification, or email verification code. All of these methods are way better in terms of security than passwords.

How to turn these features on?

To get rid of your Microsoft password, the process is simple. You simply need to go to your Microsoft account, click “advanced security options,” then “enable passwordless accounts” under the Additional security section.

• In your Graphics Settings, select r5apex.exe and change the Graphics performance preference to Classic App, set it to High Performance, and then launch the game as an administrator when you want to play.
• Inside the Nvidia Control Panel, click “Manage 3D Settings”, and select Apex Legends and change it to “Prefer Maximum Power”
• You can also change “pre-rendered frames” to 1, but it will make you lag just a tiny, tiny bit.
• Turning the shader cache on can help improve FPS, but on some systems, it may cause additional negative performance changes.
• If you have the ability to use G-Sync, use that as well (Only available on some monitors and graphics cards)
• From the task manager, change the priority of r5apex.exe to “High” and close out of other applications.
• Update your graphics drivers.
• Ensure your PC complies with the games minimum system requirements:
  • OS: 64-bit Windows 10
  • CPU: Intel Core i3-6300 3.8GHz / AMD FX-4350 4.2 GHz Quad-Core Processor
  • RAM: 6GB
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 / Radeon HD 7700
  • GPU RAM: 1 GB
  • HARD DRIVE: Minimum 30 GB of free space
• Check to see if your system has the game’s recommended hardware requirements:
  • OS: 64-bit Windows 10
  • CPU: Intel i5 3570K or equivalent
  • RAM: 8GB
  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 / AMD Radeon R9 290
  • GPU RAM: 8GB
  • HARD DRIVE: Minimum 30 GB of free space
• Within the game, try to set the settings to:
  • Full Screen
  • Disable V-Sync
  • Anti-Aliasing to Disabled/TSAA (slight performance difference)
  • Use Native Resolution
  • Keep Field of View at around 80-100
  • Texture Streaming Budget to High
  • Texture filtering as low as possible while still being playable
  • Ambient occlusion as low as possible
  • Shadow all to Low / Lowest
  • Model detail low
  • Effects detail low
  • Volumetric lighting / Dynamic spot shadows Disabled
  • Ragdolls low
  • Impact marks the lowest
• Make sure other applications are not placing overlays (Discord, GeForce, Xbox Gaming)
• Clean your temporary files and uninstall other games to give your PC room to have the game run.
• Don’t use products like CCleaner as they may remove necessary files from your computer.
• Closeout of Chrome when you’re playing the game or follow our guide on Optimizing Chrome Performance

Error 2046 - What is it?

Error 2046 is an error code related to Adobe Flash Player. It usually occurs while watching movies or videos on the web browser. This error code may interrupt video display and hamper you from watching your favorite movies and videos.

Solution

Error Causes

Narrowing down the reason for the occurrence of this error code is quite difficult virtually because it may trigger due to several reasons such as:

• There might be issues with Adobe Flash Player settings
• Ad-blocking products
• Windows not updated
• Registry issues
• Malware infection
• Flash Player Add on not properly installed

Further Information and Manual Repair

The good news is that the error 2046 is not fatal. It is easy to fix. In fact, it is so easy to repair that you can do it all by yourself even if you are not a computer whiz. You don’t have to hire a professional and spend hundreds of dollars on repairs. Here are some of the many manual solutions that you can try to fix this issue on your computer screen:

Reinstall Adobe Flash Player

Since this error code is largely related to Adobe Flash Player, it is advisable to start by reinstalling the Flash Player. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you work through it.

1. First, click start and then select the control panel.
2. Now click on programs and then uninstall Flash Player from the program list.
3. After that’s done, reboot your computer.
4. Now download Adobe Flash Player from a reliable website and run it.

If it works perfectly, then the issue is resolved. If not, then try other methods given below.

Re-Enable Flash Player Add-on

Adobe Flash Player add-on is basically installed in IE (Internet Explorer) which is loaded each time you load IE. Sometimes the problem with this add-on can also generate error 2046.

1. To resolve this, open Internet Explorer and press Alt-Key.
2. Select tools and then manage add-ons.
3. Now select Adobe Flash Player Active X and then click disable tab.

Once that’s done, restart the web browser and repeat the same steps but this time click enable button. This will hopefully resolve the issue.

Unblock Ad Blocking Products

Sometimes error 2046 may pop up on your screen if you use ad-blocking products like AdBlock Plus. If so, then try uninstalling ad-blocking products installed on your PC to fix the issue.

Install Window Update

Microsoft releases new updates every now and then. These updates are made with the objective of solving bugs and run-time errors like error 2046. Therefore if the error code is related to Windows updates then to resolve it is it advisable to launch the Windows update program and update your operating system. For this, click Start, All Programs, and then click Windows Update. Now click the Check for updates button and download and install the new updates. Once that is complete, restart your PC to bring changes into effect.

Scan for Malware and Look For Registry issues

Whether the issue is related to malware or the registry, it is recommended to download Restoro. This is a next-generation and a multi-functional PC Fixer embedded with a powerful antivirus and a registry cleaner. Run it on your PC and scan for viruses and registry issues and click repair to resolve. It is user-friendly and compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro to resolve error 2046.

Many of us are taking the google search engine for granted and it is no true that it has crawled in almost every spore of our digital lives but if we wanted a little more privacy? Do we have options or we are destined to use google and send our information to this company. What if we really wanted that our searches are well safe, secure, and private? We could try other search engines like BING but since BING belongs to Microsoft we would exchange only one company for another without making any progress in the privacy battle. Enter DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine that’s been online since 2008. Find websites, maps, videos, news, and more without tracking your searches and serving you targetted ads. It took DUckDuckGo as you can tell sometimes to gain ground and to be recognized but finally, it got the attention it deserves. Its big breakthrough happened in September of 2014 when Apple offered it as a default search engine in Safari and since it has gained more and more ground. It seems people care about their privacy after all. Since then DuckDuckGo has been gaining ground and all the major browsers have integrated it as an option for a default search engine. In this article, we will show you how to switch to DuckDuckGo and set it as your preferred search engine in all major browsers.

1. Google Chrome

   Launch Chrome and click on the three dots in the upper right. Choose settings. Choose Search engine in the list on the left of the screen. Click on the drop-down box next to Search engine used in the address bar and choose DuckDuckGo.

2. Mozilla Firefox

   Launch Firefox, click on the three lines hamburger menu icon in the top-right corner of the window. Click on Preferences. Click on Search in the menu to the left of the screen. Under Default Search Engine, click the drop-down box and choose DuckDuckGo.

3. Microsoft Edge

   Click on the three dots menu button in the top-right corner of the window Then select Settings. Click on Privacy, Search and Services in the menu that appears on the left Scroll down to the Services menu and choose Address bar and search. Click the dropdown menu next to Search engine used in the address bar and choose DuckDuckGo.

4. Apple Safari

   Click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen Then click Preferences. You can also use the Command+, shortcut to quickly bring up Safari’s Preferences. Click on the Search tab, then choose DuckDuckGo under the Search engine drop-down box.

5. Opera

   Click on the Settings cog button in the sidebar on the left of the screen. Under Basic settings scroll down until you see Search engine and a drop-down box. Select DuckDuckGo from the list.