Logo

What is and how to Remove Shortcut Virus

Shortcut virus is an easily spreadable and annoying combination of Worm and Trojan that hides all of your files and folders and then replaces them with shortcuts that look identical to replaced files and folders.

Shortcut virusOnce disguised it will wait patiently for a user's click and once that happens it will replicate itself and further infect the system. This rapid spread can lead to stolen personal data, some system hick-ups, and other system-related issues.

This malware mainly affects physical file transfer devices like for example and most USB drives, hard drives, and SD memory cards and it can easily transfer itself to the computer.

The advantage of this shortcut virus comparing it to others is that it is mostly undetected by a vast variety of antivirus software. So running just anti-virus software maybe not be enough to remove it from your system. Luckily for all unfortunate users that have caught this annoyance, it can be easily removed fully manually in a short time.

How to Remove Virus from USB and other removable media

Firstly plugin USB, SD, or removable drive. The infection will transfer to your computer when the infected drive is plugged in so before we go to clean the computer itself, clean each removable drive that you have. Also know that infection will spread from computers into removable devices as well if it is not cleaned.

Open the File Explorer and remember under which letter is removable drive registered. Open Command prompt but with administrator privileges and go to infected rive by typing its letter followed with “:” (for example D:) and press ENTER

Once you have successfully gone to infected drive type in command prompt:

Attrib -s -r -h /s /d *.*

This will unlock all original files back into removable storage, next copy all files to your computer, and format the removable drive. Once the format is complete, unplug the removable device. Continue to clean all devices with the same method.

How to Permanently Remove a Shortcut Virus from Your PC

Now once we have cleaned all removable devices it is time to fully clean the PC

Firstly open the task manager ( CTRL + SHIFT + ESC ), in the process tab find wscript.exe or wscript.vbs, right-click on it (or both if present), and select End Task. Now close the task manager and press Start. Inside start typing in registry editor to search for it and once found open it.

Find the following key inside the registry editor:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run

In the right panel, look for any strange-looking key names, such as odwcamszas, WXCKYz, OUzzckky, etc. For each one, run a Google search to see if it's related to shortcut viruses.

If any returns a positive match, right-click on them and select Delete. !!! Accidentally deleting an important key can cause Windows to become unstable, so double-check everything !!!.

Close the Registry Editor

Now press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog and type in it Msconfig followed by ENTER. Once the System Configuration window opens go to the Startup tab. In the Startup tab, look for any strange-looking .EXE or .VBS programs, select each one and click Disable. Close the Window.

Once again open the run dialog and type inside %TEMP% and press ENTER in order to open the Windows temp folder. Inside this folder delete everything.

Next in the File explorer go to

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Look for any strange-looking .EXE or .VBS files and delete them.

Do You Need Help with Your Device?

Our Team of Experts May Help
Troubleshoot.Tech Experts are There for You!
Replace damaged files
Restore performance
Free disk space
Remove Malware
Protects WEB browser
Remove Viruses
Stop PC freezing
GET HELP
Troubleshoot.Tech experts work with all versions of Microsoft Windows including Windows 11, with Android, Mac, and more.

Share this article:

You might also like

IW Unicorn and Scorpion PC Chair cockpits
Recently on errortools.com, we were talking about Cooler Master’s Orb X gaming chair that is an absolute beast and an amazing product. One downside of Orb X is its price. IW product line is somewhat competing with Orb X with a much more affordable price aiming to probably take customer base with lower income but offering them a great experience as well. The first thing you will notice is a different design and somewhat feeling of cheaper quality if you compare it to Orb X but that is quite reasonable considering the chair itself is around 3.5 times cheaper than Orb X which really puts it in range of everyone can get it. But does a much cheaper price means low quality? Let’s explore.

IW Unicorn

IW unicornThe 2021 CLUVENS BRAND newly issued model UNICORN has fully electrical tilting capabilities to 160 degrees, Reading light-two LED & RGB illumination lighting, manual open/close keyboard tray, and armrests. This model is suitable for home and office, and also gaming computer work environments. It offers functions that enable the user to experience unprecedented comfort and quasi total immersion through strategically positioned 1-3 monitors, audio systems, and accessories. The result is a complete computer office, ergonomically optimized, with a minimal footprint that improves overall performance and productivity and health and comfort. Sitting on a chair can help a lot for relieving health problems like lower back pain, herniated discs, sciatica, and neck pain and also enhance performance and viewing effects.

More Luxury and More comfortable:

Equipped with Luxury feeling reclining Gaming chair made with high-density Mold Shaping Foam and superior quality PU leather with very comfortable texture, electrical recline to 128 degrees, and more to 160 degrees for the flat position for the user.

More High-End Setting and more High-tech:

Manual push for open / close of big sized (87x34cm) Self-Balancing Keyboard tray, adjustable with 20cm distance range with Electrical control for the height of roof arm & monitors. Electrical control for reclining Zero Gravity position or even flat position, Manual adjusted Feet pedal for a more comfortable position for feet. Using a High-Quality PU leather Gaming chair that has Heat/Massage functions with it! The IW-Unicorn monitor mounts allow the use of a single monitor up to Ultra-wide 49” or 43” in size or triple monitor setups up to 3 x 29” other monitors configurations are available upon request. (VESA standard)

IW Scorpion

IW scorpionScorpion is basically a premium version of Unicorn with being able to hold more weight, having cup holders on the armrest, etc. The look is also similar with Scorpion being more sinister-looking but overall Steel frame and chair are the same.

Conclusion

Sadly I have not personally experienced neither of these products including Orb X but from all information I have found and looked over, I would say these products are not trying to compete with each other. Although Products are similar in nature, Orb X is aimed at hi end-users focusing on privacy and robustness while IW is filling the gap of users that would like an advanced chair but are not willing or ready to shell hi amount of money for it offering advanced chairs with advanced features in somewhat affordable price.
Read More
Repairing or rebuilding the WMI Repository
There are times when the WMI Repository gets corrupted which results in the Provider Load Failure. To resolve this issue, you need to repair or rebuild the WMI Repository in your Windows 10 computer. In this post, you will be guided on how exactly you can do that. In case you don’t know, the WMI which stands for Windows Management Instrumentation is a set of specifications from Microsoft to consolidate the management of devices and applications in a network. The WMI is a database that stores meta-information and definitions for WMI classes. Using only these, the conditions of the systems can be known. You can find the WMI Repository in %windir%System32WbemRepository. It provides end-users with the status of the local or remote computer system. Keep in mind that you must not use this on the Server 2012 Cluster machine. Although there are command-line tools that can fix or restore the Windows Management Instrumentation repository. However, Microsoft suggests that it’s better if you verify if there is corruption. Here are a list of errors as well as permission issues you might encounter:
  • Unable to connect to root default or rootcimv2 namespaces. It fails with the error code “0x80041002” pointing to “WBEM_E_NOT_FOUND.”
  • 0x80041010 WBEM_E_INVALID_CLASS
  • When you open Computer Management and Right Click on Computer Management (Local) and select Properties, you get the following error: “ WMI: Not Found” or it hangs trying to connect
  • Trying to use wbemtest , and it hangs
  • Schemas/Objects missing
  • Strange connection/operation errors (0x8007054e)
To verify if there is corruption, you can try running the following command in an elevated Command Prompt:
winmgmt /verifyrepository
 After you enter the command, if there is a response saying, “repository is not consistent”, then the repository has an issue. If not, then something else is causing the problem. Since you are certain that corruption exists in the WMI repository, then here are some suggestions you need to check out to repair or rebuild the WMI repository.

Option 1 – Try to reset WMI Repository

  • Type “command prompt” in the Start Search and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and then select “Run as administrator”.
  • After opening Command Prompt with admin privileges, type and enter this command: winmmgmt /salvagerepository
The command you entered is used when the winmmgmt command performs a consistency check. So if an inconsistency is detected, it will rebuild the repository.
  • Next, execute this command to see if the WMI repository now comes back as consistent: winmgmt /verifyrepository
This command will perform a consistency check on the WMI repository.
  • If it states that the WMI repository is not consistent, then you need to type and enter this command: winmgmt /resetrepository
This command is used to reset the repository to its initial state when the operating system was first installed.

Option 2 – Try to force recover the WMI Repository

The WMI Repository comes with a built-in self-recovery process so when the WMI service restarts or detects any corruption, it will automatically trigger the self-recovery procedure. This can happen in two ways:
  • AutoRestore: This will use the backup images if the Volume Shadow copy or VSS backup is turned on.
  • AutoRecovery: The rebuilding process will generate fresh images of the WMI repository based on the registered MOFs. The MOFs are available in the registry located at HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWBEMCIMOM: Autorecover MOFs
Note: Autorecover MOFs is a key so double click on it to check its value. On the other hand, if the self-recovery procedure does not work, you can try to use the force-recovery process instead. How? Refer to these steps:
  • First, you need to check the reg key value is empty or not under this registry path: HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWBEMCIMOMAutorecover MOFs
  • If the reg key value is empty, you have to copy-paste the reg key value from another computer. Just make sure that it’s from the System which is equivalent to the computer in question.
  • Next, type and enter this command: Winmgmt /resetrepository
  • After you enter the command, if you get an error that says, “WMI repository reset failed. Error code:0x8007041B. Facility: Win32”, then you have to stop all the Dependency Services on the WMI service by running the following commands:
    • net stop winmgmt /y
    • Winmgmt /resetrepository
This should fix the problem.
Read More
A Guide to Fixing Corefoundation.dll Error on Your PC

Corefoundation.dll Error - What is it?

Corefoundation.dll error is a DLL error code associated with Apple software such as iTunes, MobileMe, QuickTime and etc. To understand this error better, first you need to understand what corefoundation.dll file is. Corefoundation.dll is a Dynamic Link Library file that is used by Apple software products. This file is created by Apple computer Inc and is designed to help open up some of the media files that you might have on your PC. DLLs help promote modularization of code, efficient memory usage, code reuse and reduced disk space allowing the operating system and the programs to load and run faster and take less disk space on the computer.

Error Messages

This error pops on the screen when there is an issue related to Apple software products on your system. Corefoundation.dll error is displayed on the computer screen in any one of the following formats:
“The program can not start because corefoundation.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem”. "This application has failed to start because CoreFoundation.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem." “The procedure entry point_CFBundleCopyFileTypeForFileData could not be located in the dynamic link library corefoundation.dll.” "MobileMe Control Panel cannot continue as Apple Application Support is missing or outdated. Please uninstall and reinstall the latest version of iTunes and MobileMe Control Panel to fix this issue.”
Though this error code is not fatal but if it is not fixed immediately it will hamper your ability to load and run Apple programs on your system.

Solution

Restoro box imageError Causes

Corefoundation.dll error can be triggered due to several reasons. Here are some of the most common corefoundation.dll error causes:
  • Outdated PC drivers
  • Viral infection
  • Damaged Windows registry files
  • Corrupted corefoundation.dll file
  • Missing corefoundation.dll file
  • Incorrectly installed third-party software

Further Information and Manual Repair

To fix this issue on your computer here are some of the best, easy and quick do it yourself methods that you can try:

Method 1: Download the Original Corefoundation.dll File

If the underlying reason for corefoundation.dll error is file corruption or it goes missing, then the best way to resolve is to download the original corefoundation.dll file. Once you download it, paste it to its exact location. DLL files are normally located in the following location C:\Windows\System32. Once you paste it, register the file by typing ‘regsvr corefoundation.dll’ at the command prompt. When the process is complete, restart your PC to activate changes. Alternatively, you can uninstall and re-install any Apple Software you may have on your Windows Computer. To do that, Open the Control Panel, navigate to "Install/Uninstall a Program", search for Apple software, and uninstall them.

Method 2: Update Window Drivers

If the error code is related to outdated drivers, then it is recommended that you update them promptly to resolve the corefoundation.dll error on your PC. This can be done by using a driver update wizard from within Device Manager. The driver update wizard walks you through the entire drive update process, making updating a hassle-free process.

Method 3: Download Restoro

If the error still persists, then try method 3. Sometimes the cause of corefoundation.dll can be viral infection or registry issues.  Viruses may enter your PC unknowingly through phishing emails and downloads which can corrupt and damage your dll files. Also, if you don’t clean your registry frequently, unnecessary and obsolete files may accumulate in the registry like cookies, junk files, internet history and temporary files. These files take up a lot of disk space corrupt DLL files and lead to disk fragmentation. Regardless of what the issue is, Restoro is your one-stop PC Fixer. It is a multi-functional and user-friendly repair tool embedded with 6 different scanners including a registry cleaner and an antivirus. It scans and removes all types of viruses and cleans and restores the registry too. Click here to download Restoro and resolve the corefoundation.dll error today!
Read More
How to Fix Failed to load DLL file Error
If your operating system cannot or is not able to load a required DLL file on your Windows startup and you encounter a message saying, “Failed to load DLL”, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you in fixing this problem. When you encounter this kind of issue, you will see either of the following error messages on your screen:
“The dynamic library dll failed to load.” “Failed to load dll library.”
This kind of error can occur when your Windows operating system fails to locate the DLL library which the system needs to access during startup. It can also occur when the DLL file is not in a directory specified in the path or when the DLL file is corrupted or has gone missing. Moreover, you can also encounter this error if the DLL file is infected with some malware. Whatever the case is, here are some suggestions you have to check out to resolve the problem.

Option 1 – Try to reinstall the program

The first thing you can do is to reinstall the program that’s giving you this error. Once you’ve uninstalled the program, download its latest setup file from its official site and then install it again.

Option 2 – Try checking the startup programs

You might also want to check the startup programs on your computer, especially the Windows Registry startup paths, and then remove the startup entry to the concerned DLL file.

Option 3 – Try to re-register the problematic DLL file

You may have to re-register the ntdll.dll file using the regsvr32.exe before you can successfully install the program and fix the ntdll.dll file crash error. The Regsvr32 tool is a command-line utility that can be used to register and unregister OLE controls like DLL and ActiveX (OCX) control in the Windows operating system. Follow the steps below to use it.
  • Open Command Prompt as admin from the WinX menu.
  • Next, type the following commands in the elevated Command Prompt and hit Enter to execute the command. This will re-register the affected DLL file using the Windows operating system tool, regsvr32.exe.
    • exe /[DLL file]
    • exe [DLL file]
Note: Replace “[DLL file]” with the name of the DLL file that was pointed out in the error.
  • After you execute the given commands, you should see a message saying, “DllRegisterServer in vbscript.dll succeeded” if the Regsvr32 tool was able to run successfully. After that, try to install the program again and see if it now works.

Option 4 – Try to replace the DLL file with a trusted source

  • First, you need to get the new DLL file from another computer with preferably the same file version number.
  • After that, you need to boot your PC into Safe Mode and navigate to the paths listed below and then replace the file using a USB drive or other external storage devices.
    • x86: This PC > C:/Windows/System32
    • x64: This PC > C:/Windows/SysWOW64
  • Next, type “cmd” in the Cortana search box and right-click on Command Prompt, and select “Run as administrator” to open it with administrator privileges.
  • Now type the “regsvr32 ntdll.dll” command and hit Enter.
  • Restart your PC and check if the error is now fixed.

Option 5 – Try checking the details in the Event Viewer

Checking the details in the Event Viewer can also help you find out the root cause of the problem as the Event Viewer usually contains detailed information about the error.

Option 6 – Try running the DISM tool

You might want to repair potentially corrupted files in your system as having them could also trigger the “Failed to load DLL” error. To repair these corrupted system files, you can run the DISM commands:
  • Tap the Win + X keys and click on the “Command Prompt (Admin)” option.
  • After that, input each one of the commands listed below sequentially to execute them:
    • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
    • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
    • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  • Once you’ve executed the commands given above, restart your computer and check if the “Failed to load DLL” error is now fixed.

Option 7 – Try scanning your computer using Windows Defender

The DLL file might also be infected with malware or virus and to eliminate it which could explain why you’re getting the “Failed to load DLL” error. Thus, you have to scan your computer using security programs like Windows Defender.
  • Tap the Win + I keys to open Update & Security.
  • Then click on the Windows Security option and open Windows Defender Security Center.
  • Next, click on Virus & threat protection > Run a new advanced scan.
  • Now make sure that Full Scan is selected from the menu and then click the Scan Now button to get started.
Read More
Fix THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER 0x000000EA
If a program tried and failed to use the Graphics rendering capabilities of a computer, Windows 10 will most likely throw a Blue Screen error that says, “ THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER ”. 0x000000EA is the Stop code for this particular Blue Screen error and could be caused by a bad display driver or bad video card. Whatever the cause is, here are some suggestions you need to check out to resolve this Blue Screen error.

Option 1 – Try to rollback, update, or disable the Graphics card drivers

Since the THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER Blue Screen error has something to do with Graphics card drivers, you can either roll back, update or disable them depending on your preference in order to resolve the error.
  • First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
  • After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
  • Type in devmgmt.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.

Option 2 – Try removing hardware or drivers that you’ve installed recently

If you have recently installed some hardware or drivers, you might want to disable or remove them since external devices are proven to be one of the factors that trigger Blue Screen errors like THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER. All you have to do is physically disconnect any external devices that are connected to your computer and then check if it fixes the BSOD error or not.

Option 3 – Run System File Checker at boot time

  • Once you get to the Welcome Screen part, click on Next.
  • Afterward, click on the Repair your computer option located on the bottom-left part of the window.
  • Then click on Troubleshoot.
  • Next, select the Advanced Options and then Command Prompt.
  • After opening Command Prompt, type the “sfc /scannow” command and hit Enter to run the System File Checker scan.
  • Wait until the process is completed and type “exit” to close Command Prompt and then restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

Option 4 – Try to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter

As you know, the Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like the THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER error. It can be found in the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:
  • Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
  • Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
  • After that, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.

Option 5 – Try to manually check the Graphics Card hardware

You might also want to check the physical status of your Graphics card and you can do this by disconnecting the Graphics card or any other external device connected to your computer. Once you’ve removed the external device, check it for any damages. If there’s none, connect it back to your computer and check if the THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER Blue Screen error is fixed or not.

Option 6 – Uninstall any faulty drivers

You can also uninstall any faulty drivers via Device Manager. How? Refer to these steps:
  • Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run dialog box.
  • Then type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and tap Enter to open the Device Manager.
  • From there, look for any faulty drivers. You can identify them easily as they will be marked with a yellow exclamation point. And then check which entries would not affect the normal functioning of your PC.
  • Now click on the entries of every faulty driver and click on the Uninstall option.
  • Once you’ve uninstalled them, restart your computer to allow your computer to reinstall the faulty drivers you’ve just removed.
Read More
Android malware spies while posing as a Update
New malware with extensive spyware capabilities steals data from infected Android devices and is designed to automatically trigger whenever new info is read to be exfiltrated. The spyware can only be installed as a 'System Update' app available via third-party Android app stores as it was never available on Google's Play Store. This drastically limits the number of devices it can infect, given that most experienced users will most likely avoid installing it in the first place. The malware also lacks a method to infect other Android devices on its own, adding to its limited spreading capabilities. However, when it comes to stealing your data, this remote access trojan (RAT) can collect and exfiltrate an extensive array of information to its command-and-control server. Zimperium researchers who spotted it observed it while "stealing data, messages, images and taking control of Android phones."

What happens when malicious software is installed

"Once in control, hackers can record audio and phone calls, take photos, review browser history, access WhatsApp messages, and more," they added. Zimperium said its extensive range of data theft capabilities includes:
  • Stealing instant messenger messages;
  • Stealing instant messenger database files (if the root is available);
  • Inspecting the default browser's bookmarks and searches;
  • Inspecting the bookmark and search history from Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Samsung Internet Browser;
  • Searching for files with specific extensions (including .pdf, .doc, .docx, and .xls, .xlsx);
  • Inspecting the clipboard data;
  • Inspecting the content of the notifications;
  • Recording audio;
  • Recording phone calls;
  • Periodically take pictures (either through the front or back cameras);
  • Listing of the installed applications;
  • Stealing images and videos;
  • Monitoring the GPS location;
  • Stealing SMS messages;
  • Stealing phone contacts;
  • Stealing call logs;
  • Exfiltrating device information (e.g., installed applications, device name, storage stats).

How does it work?

Once installed on an Android device, the malware will send several pieces of info to its Firebase command-and-control (C2) server, including storage stats, the internet connection type, and the presence of various apps such as WhatsApp. The spyware harvests data directly if it has root access or will use Accessibility Services after tricking the victims into enabling the feature on the compromised device. It will also scan the external storage for any stored or cached data, harvest it, and deliver it to the C2 servers when the user connects to a Wi-Fi network. Unlike other malware designed to steal data, this one will get triggered using Android's contentObserver and Broadcast receivers only when some conditions are met, like the addition of a new contact, new text messages, or new apps being installed. "Commands received through the Firebase messaging service initiate actions such as recording of audio from the microphone and exfiltration of data such as SMS messages," Zimperium said. "The Firebase communication is only used to issue the commands, and a dedicated C&C server is used to collect the stolen data by using a POST request."

Camouflage

The malware will also display fake "Searching for the update.." system update notifications when it receives new commands from its masters to camouflage its malicious activity. The spyware also conceals its presence on infected Android devices by hiding the icon from the drawer/menu. To further evade detection, it will only steal thumbnails of videos and images it finds, thus reducing the victims' bandwidth consumption to avoid drawing their attention to the background data exfiltration activity. Unlike other malware that harvests data in bulk, this one will also make sure that it exfiltrates only the most recent data, collecting location data created and photos taken within the last few minutes. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.
Read More
Fix DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL Error
If you suddenly encounter the DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL Blue Screen of Death error when using your computer, then there might be some issues with the device drivers on your Windows 10 computer. This kind of BSOD error can occur at any point while you are using your PC. Its main cause is due to some error in the System Pool where a driver becomes incompatible with the operating system or when the configuration files get corrupted for some reason. If you are one of the users who are currently inconvenienced by the DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL error, worry not, as this post will give you some potential fixes that might help resolve the problem.

Option 1 – Perform a System Restore

Performing System Restore might help you in fixing the DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL Blue Screen error. You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
  • Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
  • After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 2 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter

The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL error. It can be found on the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:
  • Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
  • Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
  • From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.

Option 3 – Update the Device drivers

The device driver installed in your computer might be incompatible with your operating system which is the reason why the DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL Blue Screen error occurs. To fix that, you have to update your device drivers.
  • Tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  • After that, type “msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
  • After opening the Device Manager, update all the outdated Device drivers on your computer.
  • Next, right-click on all the driver entries that are appropriately labeled, and then click the Update driver option.
  • Now restart your PC and check if the BSOD error is fixed or not.

Option 4 – Uninstall any faulty device drivers

  • Tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  • After that, type “msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
  • From there, look for any device driver which has a yellow exclamation mark which indicates that something is wrong with them.
  • And then right-click on each one of them and click on Uninstall.
  • Once you’re done uninstalling the faulty drivers, restart your computer and allow your computer to reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled.

Option 5 – Try running 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 causing the Machine Check Exception BSOD 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 6 – Try updating the BIOS

As you know, the 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 in your computer.
  • Now restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 7 – Try resetting Windows 10

To fix this BSOD error, you can try resetting Windows 10. Doing so won’t get rid of any file in your system – instead of erasing all your media files and documents, this reset option resets all the system settings and files.
Read More
Applications you should remove from Windows
ApplicationsOver time Applications change, some for the better some for worse. Some of them even stop receiving updates and are old and vulnerable. Sometimes standards change and some file types are not used anymore. Software evolves along with technology and that is good. Keeping old and useless applications inside your Windows is not so good. From various exploits to simply taking up space, maybe even slowing down OS it is always wise and good to clean your Windows from unwanted old applications. In this article, we will be mentioning some relics of old and providing you with an explanation of why you should remove them from your system if by any chance you still have them on it.

Silverlight

Silverlight was meant to be a competitor for Adobe Flash, it is a WEB framework that enables rich media content inside your WEB browser. The issue is that it is not developed anymore and today's browsers do not support it. The only browser that actually can support it is internet explorer which itself is not supported and how there is practically 0 content on today's modern WEB that will require Silverlight, it is safe and recommended to remove it.

Adobe Flash

Speaking of Adobe Flash, you should remove it as well. Flash has stopped receiving support as of January 2021 and browsers have dropped support for it and even blocked it due to security issues. However, there still might be some local installation of Flash itself inside Windows along with the old Shockwave player that stopped receiving support in 2019. You should remove them both.

JAVA

Now this one is tricky, by itself JAVA does not present any security issues since browsers do not support it anymore and the desktop version is not really slowing down your computer. This one has simply put just another media runtime that is not used and simply takes up space and resources. However if you have some applications that you do use that rely on it (I can really just think of JAVA Minecraft at this point) leave it of course but in any other case, it is just purely not needed.

Quicktime

While we are at media runtime and stuff that just simply is not needed, Quicktime is one of them. Now this Apple Video player and codec is still pretty developed and active in Apple’s iOS environment, Windows version has not been updated since 2016 and it was discovered that it contains some critical vulnerabilities. Uninstall it and if you need a player that could play MOV files, just use a VLC player that can play them without any separately installed codec.

uTorrent

This one, the same as CCleaner was once a good application, as a matter of fact, it was the best torrenting application. Sadly it has fallen from its grace very low, from getting tons of ads in its interface to findings in 2015 that code of torrent client was packed with a crypto miner that used system resources of an installed computer to mine crypto without user’s awareness. You should uninstall this torrent client if you would like to get your PC back and not provide it for cryptocurrency mining for the company that developed it. Use qBittorrent or TIxati, open-source and free ones that have everything needed for any torrenting needs.

Toolbars and Browser extensions

There are a lot of toolbars for browsers and extensions that are malicious in nature or simply not updated providing security issues. It is very advisable to remove this as soon as possible.

WinRAR

WinRAR has gained its large popularity solely for the reason that you could download it from the official site like shareware and use it forever. The license never expired and you could use it indefinitely. Sadly not much has been improved in the application itself and it is slowly falling out in its range of what it can do. There are better open source and free options today like 7zip, PeaZip, ZIPvare, and more that are working the same as WinRAR if not even better.

Windows and manufacturers Bloatware

Yes, applications that come bundled with Windows and with some laptops that include manufacturers made software for different tasks like its own specific media players, calculators, etc. It is known that these applications are not better than their open-source rivals and there are too many of them including some that you will probably never use. It is the same as buying a new phone bundled with tons of applications that you do not need, did not ask for, and do not use. Delete all of them. Considering Windows there are also some Store application like Candy Crush Saga demo and other are safe to remove if not needed. That’s it, our advice for old and not needed applications so you can keep your PC safe and fast.
Read More
Fix DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL in Windows
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL will cause your computer to go to the blue screen of death but do not worry there are solutions around this and we are here to instruct you on how to solve this.
  1.  Uninstall and install network drivers

    DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL is most commonly tied to bad network drivers, whatever that be a corruption of the driver files or their incompatibility. So first thing is to check if this is the case. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden menu in Windows and click on Device Manager. keyboard with windows and x marked Windows menu device manager In the Device Manager expand Network adapters, choose adapter, right-click on it and choose Uninstall. network device manager Install latest driver or reboot so Windows will install the driver automatically
  2. Update driver

    If you do not want to reinstall the driver or you are unable to for whatever reason updating the driver might do the trick. To update driver: Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden menu in Windows and click on Device Manager. keyboard with windows and x markedWindows menu device manager In the Device Manager expand Network adapters, choose adapter, right-click on it and choose Update Driver. network device manager update
  3. Fix via Command prompt

    If both of the beforementioned solutions fail, try running the command prompt and fix the issue from there. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden menu in Windows and click on Command Prompt (administrator) keyboard with windows and x markedWindows menu command prompt admin In command prompt type next line and press ENTERDEL /F /S /Q /A “C:\Windows\System32\drivers\mfewfpk.sys Reboot the system
  4. Scan your PC for malware

    Sometimes corruption in the system is caused by malware, Scan your system for malware, viruses, etc.
  5. Check connections or other hardware issues

    If all methods fail, open your PC case and check to see if connections everywhere are properly connected and tight. Clean your PC and turn it back ON
  6. Use system restore

    If anything fails, use Windows system restore and bring back computer into a state where everything was working fine.
Read More
How to Resolve Internal Error 2753

Internal Error 2753 - What is it?

Internal error 2753 is associated with Windows Installer failure. The Windows Installer is basically an in-built software program in Windows 7 and 8. It installs all programs on the system smoothly, saves the program in the computer program files and in the Windows Registry. Though this can be carried manually Windows Installer makes the installation process much easier. However, internal error 2753 can cause a great deal of distress and frustration during program installation. This error prevents you from installing your desired program successfully.

Solution

Restoro box imageError Causes

The 2 known causes for Internal Error 2753 are:
  • Viral infection
  • Windows Installer not properly registered

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve internal error 2753 on your system, try the methods discussed below. These methods are easy and require no technical expertise. Let’s get started:

Method 1 - Remove All Malicious Programs

Malicious programs like viruses, malware, adware, Trojan and spyware can corrupt programs on your PC like Windows Installer. If this is the underlying cause of error code 2753, then simply download a powerful antivirus on your system. Run it to scan for all such malicious programs and remove them. Once your PC is clean, try installing your desired program. This will hopefully resolve the issue. If the error still pops up then try method 2.

Method 2 - Register Windows Installer Properly

To do this, go to the start menu and then open Run and type ‘cmd’ in the box, and press OK. This will open the DOS command window. In the command prompt type "regsvr32 vbscript.dll" and then press Enter to proceed. After that, you will see a message that will read as "DllRegisterServer in vbscript.dll succeeded." This means Window Installer files have been successfully registered on your PC.  Now you can try installing your desired program again. If the installation begins and completes successfully, then the error is resolved.

Method 3 - Undo Recent Changes

If nothing works, then use the Windows System Restore Utility tool to undo recent changes. This will bring back your PC in the former state before you experienced the error 2753 on your PC. To access System Restore Utility, press Start and type System Restore in the search box. Now follow the steps in the Wizard to choose a restore point. Once you select the point, reboot your system to activate changes.
Read More
1 2 3 171
Logo
Copyright © 2023, ErrorTools. All Rights Reserved
Trademark: Microsoft Windows logos are registered trademarks of Microsoft. Disclaimer: ErrorTools.com is not affiliated with Microsoft, nor claims direct affiliation.
The information on this page is provided for information purposes only.
DMCA.com Protection Status