Hello everyone, last time we were talking about disk cleanup and its benefits, but as you need to keep your System clean you should also clean and keep your hardware clean as well. Many system issues could be traced and could happen due to dirty PC. In this article, we will give you tips on how to perform safely cleaning on your computer and hopefully point good sides to it so you can develop a healthy habit of regularly cleaning it and keeping it tidy.
Keeping your PC clean is not rocket science and you can do it with things you already and probably have in your house. One thing that I would recommend tho to purchase is antistatic gloves since they could prevent any kind of electrostatic discharges thus protecting your electric components.
If you have the option to disconnect your PC and get it outdoors, I would highly recommend this approach since all the dust will be dusted outside and not in the room where your computer is. If you can not it is still ok, but since some portion of dust will be set in the room, you might need to dust your room after cleaning your computer.
Cleaning outside case & redusting inside
The first thing after disconnecting your computer is to dust it from outside, here you will need a vacuum cleaner and a brush, gently brush outside dust from your casing and vacuum it with your vacuum cleaner. You can use dustcloth for larger parts but use the brush for fans and connectors.
After you have done cleaning the outside part, open the side of your computer casing, put on your antistatic gloves, and get a fine and soft brush, repeat dusting and vacuuming of the inner parts of your computer. If your computer is not regularly been cleaned this part will take a little longer since there would be excess dust inside and it will take a longer time to vacuum it all but keep going until you are left with no dirt.
Cleaning it inside
Fans are troublesome to clean since they will rotate when brushed and that could make you miss certain sports, in order to battle this get a tape and stick the fan into one position, brush areas that you can reach, then unstick it, rotate the head, stick it again in another position and dust off remaining areas which you could not reach before.
If your computer is very dirty and some hard dirt is at bottom of the connectors, disconnect desired component and clean the connection properly. plug it back in immediately after cleaning to avoid connecting it somewhere else.
Harder stains that could not be dusted could be cleaned with little alcohol. Get your dustcloth just a little wet with alcohol, just a corner, and gently wipe out sticky dust or spills if they are present. Leave it 10 minutes for alcohol to evaporate before plugging it back into an electric socket.
Thermal paste and cable management
If you have money and expertise, every 2 years would be a good idea to change the thermal paste on your processor, all you need to do is buy it from your local computer store online, remove the CPU fan clean the CPU and bottom of the fan and apply new thermal paste, place fan back and lock it. If you do not have expertise in this area, call someone who has to show you how it is done.
When cleaning it would be a good idea if you do not have any cable management to do it now, nice and tidy cables not only look good, they also improve your air circulation inside your casing making your computer cooling better.
once you are done with it, close back the casing side and plug it back in the wall.
Peripherals
When you are cleaning your computer, do yourself a favor and clean your keyboard, mouse, and screen as well. the keyboard can be quickly cleaned with compressed air in the can and screen and mouse with dustcloth.
That's it, remember, keep your PC clean and tidy and enjoy the benefits of non-hardware malfunctions caused by dirt and dust.
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:
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.
MyScrapNook is a browser extension for Google Chrome that allows users to easily find scrapbook templates, layouts, and graphics. This extension requires the use of Adobe Flash Player and does not work with Chrome’s built-in flash player.
When installed MyScrapNook will change your home page and default search engine to MyWebSearch.com. It will also inject unwanted ads and sponsored links into your search queries.
This extension has been marked as a Browser Hijacker by several anti-virus applications and is recommended to remove it from your PC.
From the Author:
FREE scrapbooking templates, layouts, and graphics!Get creative with tons of FREE scrapbooking features.With MyScrapNook, you can make beautiful, custom scrapbooks — with just a few clicks. Let us help you capture the memories with FREE scrapbook templates.The MyScrapNook extension offers convenient web search and features from the Chrome New Tab page.
About Browser Hijackers
Browser hijack is a common type of internet fraud where your web browser configurations are altered to make it do things you don’t intend. Basically, nearly all browser hijackers are created for marketing or advertising purposes. These are generally used to force visitors to predetermined sites, manipulating web traffic to generate ad revenue. Many people assume that such websites are legitimate and harmless but that is not the case. Nearly all browser hijacker pose an existent threat to your on-line safety and it is important to classify them under privacy dangers. Browser hijackers can even allow other vicious programs without your knowledge to further damage your computer.
How to know whether the web browser is hijacked?
There are numerous signs of browser hijacking. Below are some of them: the browser’s home page is changed; bookmark and the new tab are likewise modified; the default online search engine has been changed and your browser security settings have been cut down without your knowledge; you notice many toolbars on the web browser; numerous pop-up ads show up and/or your browser popup blocker is disabled; your web browser gets slow, buggy, crashes often; You cannot access particular websites, especially anti-virus sites.
Exactly how browser hijacker infects PCs
There are several ways your computer can become infected by a browser hijacker. They typically arrive through spam e-mail, via file-sharing websites, or by a drive-by-download. They also come from add-on application, also known as browser helper objects (BHO), web browser extensions or toolbars. Also, certain freeware and shareware can put the hijacker within your PC through the “bundling” technique. An example of some notorious browser hijacker includes Anyprotect, Conduit, Babylon, SweetPage, DefaultTab, Delta Search, and RocketTab, however, the names are constantly changing.
Browser hijackers can interrupt the user’s web browsing experience greatly, track the websites visited by users and steal sensitive information, cause problems in connecting to the net, and then finally create stability problems, causing applications and system to freeze.
Removing browser hijackers
Some hijackers can be removed by deleting the free software they came with or by eliminating any extension you have recently added to your browser. Sometimes, it could be a difficult job to discover and remove the malicious component because the associated file could be running as part of the operating system process. And there is no denying the very fact that the manual fixes and removal methods can certainly be a difficult job for an amateur computer user. On top of that, there are plenty of risks associated with fiddling around with the system registry files.
Experts always recommend users get rid of any malicious software including browser hijacker by using an automatic malware removal tool, which is easier, safer, and faster than the manual removal process. If you’d like to eliminate persistent hijackers effectively, install the top-rated, award-winning anti-malware software Safebytes Anti-Malware. Together with the anti-virus tool, a system optimizer, like SafeBytes’s Total System Care, will help you in deleting all linked files and modifications in the computer registry automatically.
Learn How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected PC
All malware is bad and the degree of the damage can vary greatly with regards to the type of infection. Some malware sits in between your computer and the internet connection and blocks a few or all internet sites that you want to visit. It might also block you from installing anything on your computer, especially the antivirus program. If you’re reading this, you may have infected by malware that prevents you from installing security software such as Safebytes Anti-Malware. There are some steps you can take to get around this issue.
Download the software in Safe Mode with Networking
In the event the malware is set to run at Windows start-up, then booting in safe mode should prevent it. Since only the bare minimum programs and services start-up in “Safe Mode”, there are rarely any reasons for issues to take place. Here are the steps you have to follow to boot into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista or 7 computers (go to Microsoft site for instructions on Windows 8 and 10 computers).
1) Press the F8 key repeatedly as soon as your computer boots, however, before the big Windows logo or black screen with white texts shows up. This will invoke the “Advanced Boot Options” menu.2) Select Safe Mode with Networking using arrow keys and press ENTER.3) As soon as this mode loads, you should have the internet. Now, utilize your browser to download and install Safebytes Anti-malware.4) Immediately after installation, run a complete scan and allow the software program to delete the threats it finds.
Switch to some other internet browser
Malicious code could exploit vulnerabilities in a specific browser and block access to all anti-virus software sites. If you seem to have a virus attached to Internet Explorer, then switch over to an alternate browser with built-in safety features, such as Firefox or Chrome, to download your favorite antivirus program – Safebytes.
Install and run anti-malware from your flash drive
Another solution is to store and run an antivirus program completely from a USB drive. Abide by these steps to run the anti-malware on the affected computer.
1) Make use of another virus-free computer to download Safebytes Anti-Malware.2) Connect the USB flash drive to a USB port on the uninfected computer.3) Double click on the downloaded file to open the installation wizard.4) Pick a thumb drive as the place when the wizard asks you where you want to install the software. Follow activation instructions.5) Transfer the USB drive from the uninfected computer to the infected PC.6) Double-click the EXE file to run the Safebytes program from the thumb drive.7) Click on the “Scan” button to run a full system scan and remove viruses automatically.
Detect And Destroy Viruses With SafeBytes Anti-Malware
Want to download the very best anti-malware software program for your desktop? You can find many applications on the market that comes in free and paid versions for Windows computers. A few are really worth your money, but most aren’t. You have to be very careful not to select the wrong product, particularly if you purchase a paid software. One of the highly recommended software by industry experts is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, a popular security application for Windows computers.
SafeBytes anti-malware is a trustworthy tool that not only protects your computer system completely but is also very user friendly for people of all ability levels. Once you’ve got installed this software program, SafeBytes superior protection system will ensure that absolutely no viruses or malware can seep through your personal computer.
There are many great features you will get with this particular security product. Here are a few popular features found in this computer software:
Anti-Malware Protection: With a critically acclaimed malware engine, SafeBytes offers multilayered protection that is intended to catch and get rid of threats that are concealed deep inside your computer’s operating system.
Live Protection: SafeBytes gives you round-the-clock protection for your PC limiting malware intrusions in real-time. This software will always keep track of your PC for any suspicious activity and updates itself continuously to keep abreast of the constantly changing threat situation.
“Fast Scan” Features: This software program has got one of the fastest and most efficient virus scanning engines in the industry. The scans are extremely accurate and take a short amount of time to complete.
Safe Web Browsing: SafeBytes inspects the links present on a web page for possible threats and tells you whether the site is safe to view or not, through its unique safety ranking system.
Light-weight: This software program is not “heavy” on the computer’s resources, so you’ll not see any performance troubles when SafeBytes is operating in the background.
24/7 Premium Support: You can obtain high levels of support 24/7 if you’re using their paid version.
SafeBytes has created a wonderful anti-malware solution to help you conquer the latest malware threats and virus attacks. Malware trouble will become a thing of the past once you put this tool to use. If you’re seeking the very best malware removal tool out there, and if you don’t mind paying out some dollars for it, go for SafeBytes Anti-Malware.
Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)
If you’d like to manually remove MyScrapNook without the use of an automated tool, it might be actually possible to do so by deleting the application from the Microsoft Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser plug-ins, going to the browser’s AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. It’s also advised to reset your browser settings to their default state.
If you opt to manually delete the system files and Windows registry entries, use the following list to ensure that you know precisely what files to remove before executing any actions. Please be aware that this is for professional users only and may be challenging, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. In addition, some malware keeps replicating which makes it difficult to get rid of. Doing this in Safe Mode is recommended.
Folders:
%LOCALAPPDATTA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\lbapdklahcjljfincdglncfpdgfhckcf
%LOCALAPPDATTA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\lbapdklahcjljfincdglncfpdgfhckcf
%LOCALAPPDATTA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\lbapdklahcjljfincdglncfpdgfhckcf
%LOCALAPPDATTA%\My Scrap NookTooltab
Registry:
key My Scrap Nook at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\
key My Scrap NookTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
One of the common causes of Blue Screen of Death or BSOD errors is system driver files due to varying reasons. So if you encounter a Stop error caused by some system driver files such as isapnp.sys, gv3.sys, storahci.sys, or myfault.sys, on your Windows 10 PC, then this post should help you fix the problem.
These system driver files are associated with different error codes. The isapnp.sys file is related to the following error codes:
SYSTEM SERVICE EXCEPTION
PAGE FAULT IN A NONPAGED AREA
KERNEL DATA INPAGE
SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
IRQL NOT LESS EQUAL
KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED.
While the gv3.sys file is related to the following BSOD error codes:
IRQL NOT LESS EQUAL
KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
PAGE FAULT IN NONPAGED AREA.
On the other hand, the storahci.sys file is related to these error codes:
IRQL NOT LESS EQUAL
KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
PAGE FAULT IN NONPAGED AREA.
And the myfault.sys file is associated with this error code:
SYSTEM SERVICE EXCEPTION.
Although this system driver file causes different kinds of Blue Screen errors, some of their potential fixes are quite the same so you need not carry out tons of troubleshooting steps. But before you troubleshoot the problem, you might want to check out System Restore first, especially if you create a System Restore point from time to time. To perform System Restore, follow these steps:
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.
If System Restore didn’t help in fixing the Blue Screen error, now’s the time for you to resort to the troubleshooting tips provided below but before you get started, make sure that you create a System Restore point first and boot your computer into Safe Mode.
Option 1 – Use the System Configuration utility
Note that this first fix is only applicable for Blue Screen errors associated with the myfault.sys file.
In the Cortana Search box, type “MSConfig” and click on the “System Configuration” entry to open it.
After opening System Configuration, go to the Processes tab.
Then scroll down and look for the “Digital Line Detection” process and disable it.
Now restart your computer and check if the Stop error is fixed or not.
Option 2 – Try to update, rollback or disable related device drivers
Incompatible and outdated drivers can also cause computer malfunctioning or crashing as well as Blue Screen errors. To fix that, you can update, roll back or disable the device drivers in your computer.
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
After opening the Device Manager, from the list of device drivers, look for the “WIN ISA Bus Driver” if you are facing a Stop error related to the isapnp.sys file. While you have to look for the Sony Recovery CDs PCG-Z1RAP Series device drivers if you face a Stop error concerning the gv3.sys file. For the storahci.sys, on the other hand, look for any outdated drivers and update them.
To update or roll back or disable these drivers, just right-click on each one of them, and depending on your preference, you can either select “Update driver”, “Disable device” or “Uninstall device”.
After that, restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the Blue Screen error.
Option 3 – Use System File Checker
One of the built-in tools in Windows that you can use to fix Blue Screen errors is the System File Checker. This built-in command utility can help you restore corrupted or missing files as well as replace bad and corrupted system files. Chances are, any of the aforementioned system driver files might be corrupted so to fix them, use System File Checker.
First, right-click on the Start button and click on the “Command Prompt (Admin) option.
Next, type in the sfc /scannow command and hit Enter to execute it.
The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Now restart your computer.
Option 4 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter
Troubleshooting Blue Screen of Death errors wouldn’t be complete without the Blue Screen troubleshooter. As you know, it is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors. You can find it in Settings, under the 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.
Microsoft has been bringing new lock-screen features with every iterative feature release of Windows 10 in order to improve user experience. However, Windows 10 users have different opinions regarding it. Some users are pleased with it while some users simply do not like it. So if you are one of the users who seem to not approve of this feature, read on as this post will be about enabling or disabling the Console Mode sign-in feature in Windows 10.
Before you proceed, take note that you will not be able to use your mouse pointer in this Consol Mode login screen and you can only use your keyboard to navigate around various options. You might also want to create a System Restore point just in case.
To enable or disable the Console Mode sign-in in your Windows 10 computer, refer to the given steps below.
Step 1: Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Step 2: Then type in “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Step 3: Next, navigate to the following registry path:
Step 4: From there, look for a DWORD named “ConsoleMode”. If you don’t see this DWORD, you can just create a new DWORD and name it as “ConsoleMode” and make sure that its base is set to Hexadecimal.
Step 5: After that, double click on ConsoleMode and change its value to “0” to disable it and “1” to enable it.
Step 6: Now restart your computer to apply the changes made.
Like pointed out, you can only use your keyboard when you’re in the Console Mode login window or screen. You can just use the ESC button to go back to the menu while you can utilize the arrow keys so you can go through the options that are mostly vertically arranged and the Enter key to select an option. In the Console Mode, sign-in using the Passwords and PINs worked efficiently.
0x0000007c error inside Windows 11 is a printer error that is manifested when Windows users are trying to connect to a shared network remote printer. Error is displayed by the message:
Windows cannot connect to the printer. Operation failed with error 0x0000007c.
If you are experiencing this type of annoyance, fear now we are providing you with several solutions to this problem.
Update Windows 11
Open the Start menu, click on the settings app
Select Windows update tab
Click on Check for updates
Click on Advanced options
Inside select Optional updates
If there are optional updates click on Download & Install
Run the printer troubleshooter
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
Click on Troubleshoot navigation on the system tab
Select Other trouble-shooters
Click on the Run for printer troubleshooter
If the error is found click on Apply this fix
Restart the Print Spooler Service
Right-click on the Start button
Click on RUN
Type in services.msc and press OK
Right-click on Printer Spooler service and select Restart
Clear the Print Spooler
Open services like in the previous step
Right-click Print Spooler and select STOP
Open File explorer
Navigate to: C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\3 (64-bit Platform)
C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\W32X86\3 (32-bit Platform)
Delete everything inside folders
Go back to services, right-click on Print Spooler and select RESTART
Reinstall Driver for printer
Right-click on Start and select device manager
Double click on the Print queues category
Right-click on the printer and select Uninstall device
Click on Uninstall on prompt
Right-click on the Print queues category and select Scan for hardware Changes
As you know, all the web browsers come with the support of auto-updates which include both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. However, with these updates, the browser comes with the support of a new web APIs and better rendering. Although there could be a lot of problems that may arise due to these updates. These problems consist of depreciation of features, incompatibility with some websites, to name a few.
It includes incompatibility with some websites, depreciation of features, and more. This might push someone to stop the auto-updates of these web browsers. So, in this guide, we will be checking out how to stop auto-update in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox on Windows 10. Thus, if you want to be rid of these issues, then you can disable the Chrome & Firefox auto-update and you can do that by either using the Windows Services Manager and the System Configuration utility.
Option 1 – Disable Chrome & Firefox auto-update via Windows Services Manager
The first thing you can do to disable the Chrome auto-update is through the Windows Services Manager. To do so, follow these steps:
First, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
After that, you will see a list of services and from there, look for the Google Update Services (gupdate) and Google Update Service (gupdatem).
Once you find these services, right-click on each one of them and select Properties and then make sure that the Service Status is set to be Stopped.
You should also select the Startup Type to Disabled and click on the Apply and OK buttons.
Now restart your computer. This should stop the automatic update of the Chrome browser.
Option 2 – Disable Chrome & Firefox auto-update via System Configuration utility or MSConfig
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “msconfig” in the field and tap Enter to open the System Configuration.
After that, go to the Services tab and uncheck the two entries, namely Google Update Service (gupdate) and Google Update Service (gupdatem).
Next, click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
Restart your computer.
Note: Now that you’ve stopped the auto-update in Firefox, it’s time for you to stop the auto-update in Mozilla Firefox. To get started, follow the steps below.
Open the Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the hamburger menu located on the top-right portion of the screen.
After that, select Options and under the General panel and then go to the Firefox Updates section.
Next, click on the radio button for updates but select the option to let you install them.
You also have to uncheck the options named “Use a background service to install updates” and “Automatically update search engines”.
Once done, restart the Firefox browser. This should stop the automatic update.
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.
RSAT or Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 is a collection of programs for IT experts. It helps in managing Servers from a Windows 10 PC and starting with the Windows 10 v1809 or the October 2018 update, users have to install the Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 as Features on Demand or as Optional Features.
The program includes the Microsoft Management Console or MMC snap-ins, Server Manager, consoles, Windows PowerShell cmdlets, and providers as well as command-line tools for managing roles and features that run on the Windows Server. So if you have updated your Windows 10 pc to v1809 or later then the RSAT tool has to be installed as a set of Features on Demand right from Windows 10. You can install RSAT Tools on Windows 10 Enterprise or Windows 10 Professional and once you install it, make sure that you do not install RSAT tools from the Microsoft Download page directly.
Step 1: Open Settings and then go to Apps > Apps & Features.
Step 2: Next, click on Manage Optional Features.
Step 3: After that, click on Add a Feature which will load all the optional features one can install.
Step 4: Now scroll to find the listing of all 18 RSAT tools and depending on what you need, click and install them.
Step 5: Then go back to where you should see the progress of the installation. Click on the Manage Optional Features page to check the status.
Note: If you are well-versed with the command line or automation, you can also install Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 via DISM /add-capability. And when you install anything via Features on Demand, they stay across Windows 10 version upgrades.
On the other hand, if you feel that you don’t need a particular RSAT feature, you have the option to uninstall it using the Manage Option Features. However, bear in mind that some tools depend on one another which means that if you uninstall anything that has a dependency, it will only fail that’s why you need to be careful.
To uninstall an RSAT feature, here’s what you have to do:
Step 1: Go to Settings > Apps > Manage Optional Features.
Step 2: After that, look for the list of installed feature that appears before this.
Step 3: Now select the feature you want to uninstall and go back.
If you have some system-related issues that need to get fixed, there is a one-click solution known as [product-name] you could check out to resolve them. This program is a useful and efficient tool that could repair corrupted registries and optimize your PC’s overall performance. Aside from that, it also cleans out your computer for any junk or corrupted files that help you eliminate any unwanted files from your system. This is basically a solution that’s within your grasp with just a click. It’s easy to use as it is user-friendly. For the complete set of instructions in downloading and using it, refer to the steps below.
Many times we were talking and writing here on Errortools.com about security, privacy, hacking, identity theft, etc. We tried to raise important security questions and I hope I have managed to at least shed some light and change maybe some bad behaviors for some, helping them embrace better routines about their security on their PC.
In this light, I will today present you with one neat and awesome piece of software, a password manager worth your time and money (if you want premium features): BitWarden.
What BitWarden offers?
The first thing that it offers is the completely free basic plan, granted BitWarden is not an open-source project nor completely free but it has an unlimited free basic plan that will cover 90% of user needs. There is also a free basic unlimited plan for Organizations letting you and one more user share files and other stuff via BitWarden making it a cool option if you need it.
Premium features offer you encrypted sharing of files, two-step login, 1GB file attachments (encrypted), Bitwarden Authenticator (TOTP), Vault Health Reports, Emergency Access, and Priority Support. The cost for all of these additional features is 10 USD per year for an individual plan or 40 USD per year for organizations where you will get an increase of maximum users from 2 to 6. Yes, you read that correctly, only 10 USD per YEAR for the whole set of features. Granted if you do not need any of them, enjoy the free version forever.
Besides very low premium cost BitWarden will offer you compatibility with all major browsers and devices including both Android and iOS platforms making it a great cross-platform solution to login and maintain your passwords anywhere with just one click.
Once installed all you need to do is set one master password and be very careful not to lose or forget this one, if you do all of your other generated passwords will be lost forever.
Features
Secure Password Sharing
Share your encrypted data quickly and easily, and only with the users or teams who need access
Cross-Platform Accessibility
Access critical data in your Bitwarden vault from any location, browser, and device
Cloud-Based or Self-Host
Get up and running in minutes in the cloud or you can self-host Bitwarden for complete data control
Security Audit & Compliance
Open source and third-party audited, Bitwarden complies with Privacy Shield, GDPR, CCPA regulations
Vault Health Reports
Access insightful reports to reveal weak, reused passwords, and other helpful data security metrics
Directory Sync
Our powerful Directory Connector streamlines user and group onboarding and keeps them in sync
Always-On Support
Our Customer Success agents are available to support you around the clock
Detailed Event Logs
Bitwarden creates audit trails to help you keep track of user and group access to sensitive data
Flexible Integrations
Unite your existing systems with Bitwarden using SSO authentication, Directory services, or powerful APIs
Conclusion
There are many password managers out there but via recommendation I have tried BitWarden and truth to be told, I really never felt the need to try anything else, it is great at what it does and it is moving forward with features and it is constantly updated and maintained.
What software are you using to keep your information and all your files and memories safe?
None? Yikes. Let’s hope no damage has been done to your data yet then. Because with how the digital world has evolved, your data might be getting leaked and you have no idea.
Why do you need to invest in security software?
There’s really no good excuse not to purchase a quality platform for PC protection. Especially since top security solutions are available at such affordable prices nowadays, your wallet would barely even notice it.
At this point, only people who barely use their PCs and have zero sensitive information on them can get away with simply using the built-in Windows 10/11 security software. But we guarantee that those people are extremely hard to find and that you’re not one of them, and here’s why.
Even if you don’t use your computer for things that are very obviously sensitive, such as internet banking, you still have some personal data at risk of being stolen. How so? Well, think about the data you enter into your social media profiles, for example. How devastating would it be if somebody got a hold of any of it? Yep, that’s what we thought.
In the hands of a skilled cybercriminal, your phone number alone could put you at risk of scams, ransomware, identity theft and more. Also think about the stuff you share in texts and social media chats. Think about the websites you visit and how many times you may have accidentally clicked on an ad, which could very well contain malicious software. Those all seem harmless until someone’s actually used them against you.
Now imagine the dangers involved when you actually store truly confidential data on your PC and browsers. Sends shivers down your spine, doesn’t it?
In the case of a successful cyberattack of whatever type (virus, phishing, worms, etc.), there’s so much that is at stake. Businesses/legal persons will suffer from financial loss and damaged reputation, at the very least. Natural persons may be threatened or exploited, get their banking or medical information and even their identity stolen, etc. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
These are our biggest reasons for investing in Windows PC protection software:
Cyberthreats are constantly evolving to the point where built-in or free software won’t cut it anymore.
Those working remotely can have peace of mind knowing both personal and business data is completely secure.
Businesses using top security solutions ensure their customers trust them.
Data breaches are a pain in the you-know-what to handle. Fighting a cyberattack and going back to normal is a demanding process, and not to mention the stress it’ll cause. We’d rather prevent all that by using trustworthy security products!
It helps parents worry a little less about their children’s safety in the online world.
Added bonus: with most products, you get an ad-free browsing experience!
Obviously, there are a lot more reasons to get your PC secured. But we think you get it. So let’s cut to the chase and take a look at our 6 favorite protection solutions and the wonders they can do for you.
*Note that in this article we’re looking at products primarily suited for households and home offices, some for small businesses. No enterprise solutions will make the list today, but stay tuned for a future article on those.
Top 6 best PC protection solutions
1. Bitdefender Total & Internet Security\
One of the biggest security product vendors out there, Bitdefender offers several awesome solutions. We want to introduce two of our favorites, Bitdefender Total Security and Bitdefender Internet Security.
Bitdefender Total Security is great for both households and smaller offices. You can choose to protect 5 or 10 devices, and not necessarily just Windows devices. It also works for macOS, Android and iOS. It offers a range of powerful features, such as:
Real-time data protection
Webcam and microphone protection
Device optimization options
Anti-phishing/-fraud/-spam technology
Ransomware protection
Anti-loss and anti-theft tools
VPN and privacy firewall
Anti-tracking technology
Parental controls
24/7 support
Bitdefender Internet Security shares almost all of these features, but there are a few important differences to note. Unlike Total Security, Internet Security has more options in terms of the number of protected devices: 1, 3, 5 or 10. However it’s only compatible with the Windows platform and it doesn’t offer device optimization tools or anti-theft options. Whether or not this is a deal-breaker depends on your needs alone - we still find it a great security tool.
2. ESET Internet Security
An award-winning Windows security product, ESET Internet Security is essential on this list. It has an outstanding protection rate of 99.9% and a range of amazing options you’ll definitely want to make use of. It can be installed on up to 10 devices, making it an awesome tool for your household, home office or a small business. It’s also compatible with macOS and Android.
These are ESET Internet Security’s best features:
Protection against ransomware and spyware
Protection against malware specifically designed to avoid detection
In-depth scans when the computer is not in use
Firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your PC
Anti-spam tool
Anti-phishing and botnet protection technologies
Tool to scan your router and smart devices for vulnerabilities
Special browser for secure internet banking
Parental controls
Prevention of unauthorized webcam access
If you ask us, ESET has it all!
3. Kaspersky Total & Internet Security
Having a deja vu? Didn’t you just read Total Security and Internet Security somewhere? Oh, that’s right - the first entry on our list! But here we’re talking about Kaspersky, a vendor you’ve also definitely heard about before.
Just like Bitdefender, Kaspersky is another one of those renowned names in the cybersecurity world that always make it to every ‘best of’ list. And for good reason - its products really fulfill their purpose. So let’s take a closer look at the two we chose.
These are the features both Kaspersky Total Security and Kaspersky Internet Security have in common:
Real-time virus and spyware blocking
Webcam protection
Wi-Fi security notifications
Advanced identity theft protection
Free technical support on several channels
Remote security management
Multiple devices (up to 10)
The main difference between Kaspersky Total Security and Internet Security is that the former offers more capabilities. These are the features KTS offers that KIS does not:
System cleanup
File shredding
Password management
Data backup and encryption
Both are excellent security tools, though we do prefer KTS a little more because of these additional options.
4. Norton 360 Deluxe
Of course one of the industry-leading solutions makes the list. Norton 360 Deluxe can protect up to 5 devices, be it Windows, iOS, macOS or Android. It’s worth noting that its features are best developed for Windows. Here’s what you get with Norton 360 Deluxe:
Protection against viruses, hackers, malware
100% virus protection promise
VPN included for all devices
Unlimited VPN on Windows
Password manager
Parental controls
So is there anything aside from these standard protection features that makes it such a favorite among us techies? Let us tell you! Norton added a little bit of spice here with two really powerful capabilities. The Deluxe product offers 50GB of cloud backup and dark web monitoring. The latter means the software notifies you if any of your personal information is found on the dark web, which helps protect you against identity theft.
5. McAfee Antivirus
Don’t be misled by the name of this product. Antivirus software may have started as protection against viruses only, but it’s developed quite a lot. The name simply stuck. All that to say that McAfee Antivirus - another award-winning security solution - protects you against several different threats.
The basic and essential plan allow 1 and 5 devices respectively, while McAfee+ Premium and Advanced work on an unlimited number of devices. The latter two also offer more capabilities, as you can imagine. Here’s what you can expect from all of them:
Secure unlimited VPN
File shredder to delete sensitive files completely
Ultimate safety while browsing
Protection against hackers
100% virus protection promise
Advanced firewall to block dangerous traffic
Online support from specialists
Protection score (shows how safe you are and detects vulnerabilities)
Identity monitoring (notifies you if any of your information is on the dark web)
Password management
Unlike the previous products, McAfee Antivirus does not offer parental controls. Otherwise it’s a pretty strong and comprehensive protection tool and might just be the right choice for you!
6. Trend Micro Maximum Security
Last but definitely not least, we’ve got Maximum Security by Trend Micro. And yes, you guessed it, Trend Micro is also an award winner in terms of cybersecurity. Its products have been recognized as industry-leading security solutions by AV-Test since 2003. Among all its fantastic solutions, our favorite for households or small offices is Maximum Security.
You can use Trend Micro Maximum Security to protect 3-5 devices for a year or two years before needing to renew your license. Aside from Windows, it’s compatible with iOS, Android, Mac and Chromebook devices. Here’s what you can expect from this protection software:
Powerful malware protection
Phishing detection and prevention (email)
Password management and protection
Maximum security for online banking and shopping
System optimization
Social media privacy protection
Parental controls
24/7 technical support
No notifications during gaming
It’s truly one of the most effective platforms out there dedicated to protecting your digital life. Using this product, ransomware, identity thieves and malicious websites don’t stand a chance.
The bottom line
If you’ve made it all the way here, congratulations, you’ve made the right choice: to invest in securing your valuable data! Now the question is: which one of these 6 awesome antivirus/antimalware products to select?
The paradox of choice is a very real thing - we feel you. As mentioned, it comes down to what your specific needs are. So before you go ahead and purchase your security software, make sure to explore all options.
And if you really can’t handle the decision-making anxiety, feel free to reach out. We’ll happily assist you in finding the right product to keep your digital life secure!