Completely Remove MapsGalaxy Malware Removal Tutorial

MapsGalaxy is a Browser Extension developed by MindSpark Inc. witch usually comes bundled with other software. This extension claims it allows users to search the web, open maps, and check out fasters routes to a destination.

While active, it monitors your browser activity. The links you visit, the searches you make, the websites you use, and even personal information is sent back to MindSpark Inc. to later be sold/used to deliver ads to your browser.

While this extension is active you may see additional unwanted ads, sponsored links, and pop-up ads displayed in your search results and browser. It also changes your default search engine to MyWay, ensuring its ads are displayed. Several anti-virus scanners have marked this extension as a Browser Hijacker and are therefore not recommended to keep on your PC.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is actually a form of unwanted software program, usually a web browser add-on or extension, which causes modifications in browser settings. Practically all browser hijackers are made for marketing or advertising purposes. Typically, it will drive users to predetermined websites that are looking to increase their advertising campaign revenue. Many people believe that such websites are legitimate and harmless but that is not true. Almost every browser hijacker poses an actual threat to your online safety and it is vital to classify them under privacy risks. They do not just screw up your internet browsers, but browser hijackers can also modify the computer registry to make your computer or laptop vulnerable to various other malware attacks.

How to know if your internet browser has been hijacked

Below are some symptoms that indicate you have been hijacked:
1. your web browser’s homepage is suddenly different
2. you observe new unwanted bookmarks or favorites added, usually directed to ad-filled or pornography websites
3. The default search page of your web browser is modified
4. discover new toolbars that you didn’t add
5. you’ll notice random pop-ups start occurring frequently
6. websites load very slowly and sometimes incomplete
7. Inability to navigate to certain websites, especially anti-malware and other security software sites.

Exactly how they infect computer systems

There are many ways your PC can get infected by a browser hijacker. They typically arrive by way of spam email, via file-sharing networks, or by a drive-by download. They could also be deployed via the installation of a web browser toolbar, extension, or add-on. A browser hijacker could also be installed as a part of freeware, shareware, demoware, and pirated programs. Well-known examples of browser hijackers include Conduit, CoolWebSearch, RocketTab, OneWebSearch, Coupon Server, Searchult.com, Snap.do, and Delta Search.

Browser hijackers might record user keystrokes to collect potentially invaluable information leading to privacy concerns, cause instability on computers, significantly disrupt the user experience, and eventually slow down the PC to a point where it will become unusable.

How to fix a browser hijack

The one thing you can try to get rid of a browser hijacker is to locate the malicious software in the “Add or Remove Programs” list in the Windows Control Panel. It may or may not be there. When it is, try to uninstall it. Having said that, most hijackers are quite tenacious and need specialized tools to remove them. Inexperienced PC users should not attempt the manual form of removal methods, since it requires in-depth computer knowledge to do fixes on the system registry and HOSTS file.

Find Out How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected Computer system

Practically all malware is inherently unsafe, but certain kinds of malicious software do more damage to your PC than others. Some malware variants alter web browser settings by adding a proxy server or change the PC’s DNS configurations. In these cases, you’ll be unable to visit certain or all internet sites, and therefore unable to download or install the required security software to eliminate the infection. If you’re reading this article now, you have perhaps recognized that virus infection is the cause of your blocked web connectivity. So how to proceed when you want to download and install an antivirus application such as Safebytes? There are some options you could try to get around with this problem.

Get rid of viruses in Safe Mode

Safe Mode is a special, basic version of Microsoft Windows in which just a bare minimum of services are loaded to prevent viruses as well as other problematic applications from loading. In the event, the malicious software is set to load immediately when the computer boots, switching into this particular mode could prevent it from doing so. In order to get into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press F8 while the computer is booting up or run MSCONFIG and look for the “Safe Boot” options under the “Boot” tab. Once you’re in Safe Mode, you can attempt to download and install your anti-malware program without the hindrance of the malware. At this point, you are able to run the anti-virus scan to remove computer viruses and malware without hindrance from another malicious application.

Utilize an alternate web browser to download the anti-malware application

Malicious code could exploit vulnerabilities in a specific browser and block access to all anti-virus software sites. If you seem to have a trojan attached to Internet Explorer, then switch to a different browser with built-in safety features, such as Chrome or Firefox, to download your favorite antivirus program – Safebytes.

Install and run anti-virus from your flash drive

Here’s another solution which is utilizing a portable USB anti-malware software package that can scan your computer for malicious software without the need for installation. Adopt these measures to run the anti-virus on the infected computer.
1) Download Safebytes Anti-Malware or Microsoft Windows Defender Offline onto a clean computer.
2) Plug the pen drive into the uninfected computer.
3) Double-click on the downloaded file to open the installation wizard.
4) Select the drive letter of the pen drive as the place when the wizard asks you exactly where you would like to install the antivirus. Do as instructed on the screen to finish up the installation process.
5) Unplug the USB drive. You may now utilize this portable anti-malware on the infected computer.
6) Double-click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the flash drive to run the software.
7) Run Full System Scan to detect and clean-up up all types of malware.

Features and Benefits of SafeBytes Anti-Malware

If you are looking to download an anti-malware application for your computer, there are plenty of tools in the market to consider nonetheless, you should not trust blindly anyone, regardless of whether it is a paid or free program. Some are worth your money, but many aren’t. You need to pick one that is trustworthy, practical, and has a strong reputation for its malware source protection. On the list of the recommended tools by industry leaders is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, the most dependable program for Windows computers.

SafeBytes anti-malware is really a powerful, very effective protection tool created to assist users of all levels of computer literacy in detecting and removing harmful threats from their personal computers. This software program can easily identify, eliminate, and protect your PC from the most advanced malware threats such as spyware, adware, trojan horses, ransomware, worms, PUPs, along with other possibly damaging software programs.

SafeBytes carries a plethora of amazing features which can help you protect your laptop or computer from malware attack and damage. Let’s look into some of them below:

Live Protection: SafeBytes provides real-time active checking and protection from all known computer viruses and malware. It will regularly monitor your pc for hacker activity and also provides end-users with sophisticated firewall protection.

Optimum AntiMalware Protection: With its advanced and sophisticated algorithm, this malware elimination tool can detect and remove the malware threats hiding in your computer system effectively.

Safe Web Browsing: SafeBytes inspects the hyperlinks present on a web page for possible threats and notifies you if the website is safe to check out or not, through its unique safety rating system.

Fast Multi-threaded Scanning: SafeBytes’s virus scan engine is among the quickest and most efficient within the industry. It's targeted scanning drastically increases the catch rate for viruses that are embedded in various PC files.

Lightweight: The program is lightweight and can run silently in the background, and will not impact your PC efficiency.

24/7 On-line Tech Support: Support service is available for 24 x 7 x 365 days via email and chats to answer your queries.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you want to manually get rid of MapsGalaxy without the use of an automated tool, it might be actually possible to do so by removing the program from the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser extensions, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. You’ll likely also want to reset your internet browser.

If you choose to manually delete the system files and registry entries, make use of the following list to make sure you know exactly what files to remove before undertaking any actions. But bear in mind, this can be a difficult task and only computer experts could accomplish it safely. Additionally, certain malicious programs have the capability to defend against its deletion. It is highly recommended that you carry out the removal process in Safe Mode.

Files:
%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%Maps4PC_0cbar.bin%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%Maps4PC_0cbar.bin%#MANIFEST#%cbrmon.exe 26,576 682c1b3de757f8d44c49aa01fff940ab
%PROGRAMFILES%Maps4PC_0cbar.bin%#MANIFEST#%cbarsvc.exe 34,864 2114e46c4564da66ac9026e9c848504d
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39bar.binbarsvc.exe 87,264 6b0c56f3192873cddf2bda0c6615118d
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsmjkonbafhhjkakmgejhidcnkkidokinm
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionseejjfjgkdnjfeflpeeopjobjjldcmlfi
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsggjmakejeechofmkhjljemfepbhppbbh
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionslkfkgnbjmeminilhckfckamlbkdgeaik
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsijjnmdphpnlnelhbhefnfmimenjgbfcn
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39EIMapsGalaxy_39EIInstallr.binEIPlug.dll 55,784 59a25ac6974b6c98bfd4d11d4b2653f8
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39EIMapsGalaxy_39EIInstallr.binEzSetp.DLL 739,816 8e7674f70d21bbc0703000ce5c72398a
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39EIMapsGalaxy_39EIInstallr.binNP39EISb.DLL 31,216 fa7fbc48b84026c2a0dcb611e0e04bf9
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsdcahllpkcnofkhpacpajmibjfjccajlj
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionshfnlkbpoacofighnabkdomkfdbpjeomm
%LOCALAPPDATA%MapsGalaxy Installer(00ef2c80).exe

Registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareAppDataLowHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMapsGalaxy_39
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMapsGalaxy_39
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy6818868a-1b3d-4e35-a561-fa964a96cd3b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy79e57afa-bc05-4636-9457-fbc0abb3576b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy9193e23b-4182-493f-a38e-682307a7c463
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicyae0f4663-eae3-437f-be60-9ec9b745dbfa
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicye1f80eb5-8af4-410d-87c1-4f3e2776822a
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerToolbar, value: 364ea597-e728-4ce4-bb4a-ed846ef47970
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionexplorerBrowser Helper Objects1e91a655-bb4b-4693-a05e-2edebc4c9d89
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionexplorerBrowser Helper Objects71c1d63a-c944-428a-a5bd-ba513190e5d2
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved3ED5E5EC-0965-4DD3-B7D8-DBC48A1172B9
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved4b7d0b0c-cff3-49c5-9bc3-ffabc031c822
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved8f0b76e1-4e46-427b-b55b-b90593468ac6
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproveda35ff019-6dbe-4044-b080-6f3fa78a947f
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApprovede045df14-bf1d-405c-a37b-a75c1551ad17
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun, value: MapsGalaxy Search Scope Monitor
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstallMapsGalaxy_39bar Uninstall Firefox
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstallMapsGalaxy_39bar Uninstall Internet Explorer
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy1241cebd-9777-4bc6-aae5-2a77e25db246
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy6818868a-1b3d-4e35-a561-fa964a96cd3b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy79e57afa-bc05-4636-9457-fbc0abb3576b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy9193e23b-4182-493f-a38e-682307a7c463
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicyae0f4663-eae3-437f-be60-9ec9b745dbfa
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicye1f80eb5-8af4-410d-87c1-4f3e2776822a
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerToolbar, value: 364ea597-e728-4ce4-bb4a-ed846ef47970
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved1796ec91-d094-4a5f-b681-e16015d1ceac
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved3ED5E5EC-0965-4DD3-B7D8-DBC48A1172B9
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved4b7d0b0c-cff3-49c5-9bc3-ffabc031c822
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved8f0b76e1-4e46-427b-b55b-b90593468ac6
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproveda35ff019-6dbe-4044-b080-6f3fa78a947f
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApprovede045df14-bf1d-405c-a37b-a75c1551ad17
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun, value: MapsGalaxy Search Scope Monitor
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce, value: MapsGalaxy_39bar Uninstall
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicybf75b5a2-8403-4f70-88a6-488e3bea0d7b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMapsGalaxy_39
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicybf75b5a2-8403-4f70-88a6-488e3bea0d7b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerApproved Extensions, value: 71C1D63A-C944-428A-A5BD-BA513190E5D2
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtSettings364EA597-E728-4CE4-BB4A-ED846EF47970
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtStats1E91A655-BB4B-4693-A05E-2EDEBC4C9D89
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtStats364EA597-E728-4CE4-BB4A-ED846EF47970
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtStats71C1D63A-C944-428A-A5BD-BA513190E5D2
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerDOMStoragesearch.myway.com
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerSearchScopesb0441a0e-a49a-4e16-afc1-74ecced1921f
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerDOMStoragemapsgalaxy.dl.myway.com
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerSearchScopesb0441a0e-a49a-4e16-afc1-74ecced1921f
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMapsGalaxy
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMapsGalaxy
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLowRegistryDOMStoragewww.mapsgalaxy.com
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLowRegistryDOMStoragemapsgalaxy.dl.myway.com
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLowRegistryDOMStoragemapsgalaxy.com
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerStartupApprovedRun32, value: MapsGalaxy EPM Support
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun, value: MapsGalaxy EPM Support
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftTracingMapsGalaxy_RASMANCS
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftTracingMapsGalaxy_RASMANCS
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftTracingMapsGalaxy_RASAPI32
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftTracingMapsGalaxy_RASAPI32
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLowRegistryDOMStoragemapsgalaxy.dl.tb.ask.com
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftware[APPLICATION]MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstall..Uninstallercbrmon.exe 26,576 682c1b3de757f8d44c49aa01fff940ab
%PROGRAMFILES%Maps4PC_0cbar.bin%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%Maps4PC_0cbar.bin%#MANIFEST#%cbrmon.exe 26,576 682c1b3de757f8d44c49aa01fff940ab
%PROGRAMFILES%Maps4PC_0cbar.bin%#MANIFEST#%cbarsvc.exe 34,864 2114e46c4564da66ac9026e9c848504d
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39bar.binbarsvc.exe 87,264 6b0c56f3192873cddf2bda0c6615118d
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsmjkonbafhhjkakmgejhidcnkkidokinm
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionseejjfjgkdnjfeflpeeopjobjjldcmlfi
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsggjmakejeechofmkhjljemfepbhppbbh
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionslkfkgnbjmeminilhckfckamlbkdgeaik
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsijjnmdphpnlnelhbhefnfmimenjgbfcn
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39EIMapsGalaxy_39EIInstallr.binEIPlug.dll 55,784 59a25ac6974b6c98bfd4d11d4b2653f8
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39EIMapsGalaxy_39EIInstallr.binEzSetp.DLL 739,816 8e7674f70d21bbc0703000ce5c72398a
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39EIMapsGalaxy_39EIInstallr.binNP39EISb.DLL 31,216 fa7fbc48b84026c2a0dcb611e0e04bf9
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsdcahllpkcnofkhpacpajmibjfjccajlj
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionshfnlkbpoacofighnabkdomkfdbpjeomm
%LOCALAPPDATA%MapsGalaxy Installer(00ef2c80).exe

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareAppDataLowHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMapsGalaxy_39
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMapsGalaxy_39
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy6818868a-1b3d-4e35-a561-fa964a96cd3b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy79e57afa-bc05-4636-9457-fbc0abb3576b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy9193e23b-4182-493f-a38e-682307a7c463
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicyae0f4663-eae3-437f-be60-9ec9b745dbfa
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicye1f80eb5-8af4-410d-87c1-4f3e2776822a
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerToolbar, value: 364ea597-e728-4ce4-bb4a-ed846ef47970
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionexplorerBrowser Helper Objects1e91a655-bb4b-4693-a05e-2edebc4c9d89
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionexplorerBrowser Helper Objects71c1d63a-c944-428a-a5bd-ba513190e5d2
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved3ED5E5EC-0965-4DD3-B7D8-DBC48A1172B9
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved4b7d0b0c-cff3-49c5-9bc3-ffabc031c822
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved8f0b76e1-4e46-427b-b55b-b90593468ac6
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproveda35ff019-6dbe-4044-b080-6f3fa78a947f
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApprovede045df14-bf1d-405c-a37b-a75c1551ad17
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun, value: MapsGalaxy Search Scope Monitor
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstallMapsGalaxy_39bar Uninstall Firefox
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstallMapsGalaxy_39bar Uninstall Internet Explorer
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy1241cebd-9777-4bc6-aae5-2a77e25db246
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy6818868a-1b3d-4e35-a561-fa964a96cd3b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy79e57afa-bc05-4636-9457-fbc0abb3576b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicy9193e23b-4182-493f-a38e-682307a7c463
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicyae0f4663-eae3-437f-be60-9ec9b745dbfa
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicye1f80eb5-8af4-410d-87c1-4f3e2776822a
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerToolbar, value: 364ea597-e728-4ce4-bb4a-ed846ef47970
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved1796ec91-d094-4a5f-b681-e16015d1ceac
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved3ED5E5EC-0965-4DD3-B7D8-DBC48A1172B9
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved4b7d0b0c-cff3-49c5-9bc3-ffabc031c822
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproved8f0b76e1-4e46-427b-b55b-b90593468ac6
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApproveda35ff019-6dbe-4044-b080-6f3fa78a947f
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtPreApprovede045df14-bf1d-405c-a37b-a75c1551ad17
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun, value: MapsGalaxy Search Scope Monitor
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce, value: MapsGalaxy_39bar Uninstall
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicybf75b5a2-8403-4f70-88a6-488e3bea0d7b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMapsGalaxy_39
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLow RightsElevationPolicybf75b5a2-8403-4f70-88a6-488e3bea0d7b
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerApproved Extensions, value: 71C1D63A-C944-428A-A5BD-BA513190E5D2
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtSettings364EA597-E728-4CE4-BB4A-ED846EF47970
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtStats1E91A655-BB4B-4693-A05E-2EDEBC4C9D89
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtStats364EA597-E728-4CE4-BB4A-ED846EF47970
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtStats71C1D63A-C944-428A-A5BD-BA513190E5D2
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerDOMStoragesearch.myway.com
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerSearchScopesb0441a0e-a49a-4e16-afc1-74ecced1921f
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerDOMStoragemapsgalaxy.dl.myway.com
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftInternet ExplorerSearchScopesb0441a0e-a49a-4e16-afc1-74ecced1921f
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMapsGalaxy
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMapsGalaxy
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLowRegistryDOMStoragewww.mapsgalaxy.com
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLowRegistryDOMStoragemapsgalaxy.dl.myway.com
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLowRegistryDOMStoragemapsgalaxy.com
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerStartupApprovedRun32, value: MapsGalaxy EPM Support
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun, value: MapsGalaxy EPM Support
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftTracingMapsGalaxy_RASMANCS
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftTracingMapsGalaxy_RASMANCS
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftTracingMapsGalaxy_RASAPI32
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWow6432NodeMicrosoftTracingMapsGalaxy_RASAPI32
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerLowRegistryDOMStoragemapsgalaxy.dl.tb.ask.com
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftware[APPLICATION]MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstall..Uninstallercbarsvc.exe 34,864 2114e46c4564da66ac9026e9c848504d
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39bar.binbarsvc.exe 87,264 6b0c56f3192873cddf2bda0c6615118d
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsmjkonbafhhjkakmgejhidcnkkidokinm
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionseejjfjgkdnjfeflpeeopjobjjldcmlfi
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsggjmakejeechofmkhjljemfepbhppbbh
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionslkfkgnbjmeminilhckfckamlbkdgeaik
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsijjnmdphpnlnelhbhefnfmimenjgbfcn
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39EIMapsGalaxy_39EIInstallr.binEIPlug.dll 55,784 59a25ac6974b6c98bfd4d11d4b2653f8
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39EIMapsGalaxy_39EIInstallr.binEzSetp.DLL 739,816 8e7674f70d21bbc0703000ce5c72398a
%PROGRAMFILES%MapsGalaxy_39EIMapsGalaxy_39EIInstallr.binNP39EISb.DLL 31,216 fa7fbc48b84026c2a0dcb611e0e04bf9
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionsdcahllpkcnofkhpacpajmibjfjccajlj
%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultExtensionshfnlkbpoacofighnabkdomkfdbpjeomm
%LOCALAPPDATA%MapsGalaxy Installer(00ef2c80).exe

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Computer gets stuck on Preparing to configure

If you suddenly find your Windows 10 computer stuck on the “Preparing to configure” screen for quite a long time now after you run Windows Update, read on as you will be guided on how you can fix that issue in this post. During an update process, there’s a lot of things that go on in the background which is why Windows Updates take quite a while before it finishes. It can be at 25%, 50%, or even 100% but the only message you’re going to see on your screen is the “Preparing to configure Windows, Don’t turn off your computer”. However, if you notice that the Windows Update is taking a longer time than it’s supposed to, the first option is to wait some more but if it’s still the same, then there’s definitely something wrong. This kind of issue occurs when Windows Update fails to configure in short correctly download and install the update. When this happens, it will revert all the changes which are why you were advised to wait for a couple of hours. There are two possibilities why your computer is stuck on the “Preparing to configure Windows, Don’t turn off your computer” screen. The first one is that the Windows 10 operating system is installing any updates. The second one is when the user profile takes time to load or encounters an error. There are several options you can try to fix the problem. You can try running System Restore or boot your computer in Safe Mode or repair the corrupted profile via Registry Editor. You might also want to try using installation media to boot and repair your computer if the other options didn’t work.

Option 1 – Perform System Restore

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.

Note: If you can’t boot into the desktop of your computer, you can run System Restore in the Advanced Startup Options by following these steps:

Boot your computer into the Advanced Startup Options screen.
From there, you will see some options to troubleshoot when you can’t log in to Windows in the usual way.
Now select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
After that, type “rstrui” and hit Enter to execute the command which will start the System Restore process.
Once it’s done, restart your computer.

Option 2 – Boot your computer in Safe Mode

You can try to tap the F8 key if you have it enabled in your Windows 10 computer, as you start your system to boot into Safe Mode. Once your computer is in Safe Mode, you can access the Start Menu and the Mouse and Keyboard. Aside from that, you can also access your files and other built-in tools in Windows such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, Computer Manager, Device Manager, Event Log Viewer, and many more. On the other hand, if you haven’t enabled the F8 key, you can just go to the Advanced Startup options to boot your computer into Safe Mode. Once you’re there, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart > Tap the number 4 key. After that, your computer will restart in Safe Mode. If you want to reboot into Safe Mode with Networking instead, you can tap the number 5 key and for Safe Mode with Command Prompt, tap the number 6 key. Once your computer is in Safe Mode, you can use any of the built-in tools to restore your computer or troubleshoot the problem that’s causing your computer to get stuck at the “Preparing to configure” screen.

Option 3 – Try to repair your corrupted profile via Registry

In this third option, you can try to repair the corrupted profile using the Registry but before you proceed, take note that you can only try this if you can boot into your desktop and if you can, make sure to create a System Restore Point and then follow the steps below.

Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Registry Editor.
Next, go to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList
Once you’ve opened the registry key, you should see a list of all the user profiles on your computer. Now click on each S-1-5 folder and look for the “ProfileImagePath” entry and double click on it to check which user account it is related to. You will see a path like “CUsersACK” where “ACK” is the username.
You should know which of the user account is corrupted. Just look for a key named “RefCount” and change its Value data to “0” and click OK. And if it isn’t available, simply right-click on the right pane and create it.
After that, double click on the key named “State” and make sure that the Value data is “0” and click OK.
Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 4 – Try to use installation media to boot and repair your computer

Another thing you can try to resolve the issue is to use the Windows installation bootable media so you can boot and repair the operating system. To use it, follow these steps:

You need to first create an installation media which has the dame version of the operating system installed in your computer.
After that, once you reach the Install Windows screen, click on the “Repair your computer” link.
Wait until the repair is completed and then shut down your computer
Now once your computer has restarted, check if it can now boot properly.

Completely Remove MixGames from Your Windows PC

mixGames is an Extension for Google Chrome that adds “Games:” functions to Google Chrome. In our testing, this function did not work and only redirects you back to the extension page. There are two variations of mixGames: mixGames Search, which changes the Chrome homepage to one managed by their own advertising-driven search; and mixGames Start, which changes the homepage in Chrome. These extensions utilize Searchalo to change search engine functions from the default or user-set preferences to Yahoo, injecting additional advertising. Due to the browser function modifications, mixGames is classified as potentially unwanted and is flagged for detection and optional removal by some Antivirus programs.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is a common type of online fraud where your web browser configuration settings are altered to allow it to do things you do not intend. They are created to disrupt web browser programs for a variety of reasons. These are typically used to force hits to predetermined sites, manipulating web traffic to generate ad revenue. Nevertheless, it isn’t that innocent. Your internet safety is jeopardized and it is also extremely annoying. What’s more, hijackers can make the entire infected system fragile – other dangerous malware and viruses would use these opportunities to get into your system very easily.

Indications of browser hijack

There are various symptoms that could indicate a browser hijacking: 1. the browser’s home page is modified 2. new bookmarks pointing to pornographic websites are added to your favorite pages 3. the main web browser settings are modified and unwanted or unsafe resources are added to the trusted websites listing 4. you’re getting new toolbars you have never noticed before 5. your browser will display constant pop-up windows 6. your internet browser starts running sluggishly or exhibits frequent errors 7. you cannot go to certain sites like home pages of antivirus software.

Exactly how browser hijacker finds its way onto your computer

Browser hijackers infect computers by numerous means, including through a file-share, a drive-by download, or an infected e-mail attachment. Many internet browser hijackings come from add-on programs, i.e., browser helper objects (BHO), toolbars, or plug-ins added to web browsers to give them extra capabilities. A browser hijacker can be installed as a part of freeware, demoware, shareware, and fake programs. A good example of a well-known browser hijacker is the latest Chinese malicious software known as “Fireball”, which has infected 250 million computer systems globally. It works as a hijacker but can be turned into a full-functioning malware downloader later on. Browser hijacking can cause severe privacy problems and even identity theft, disrupt your web browsing experience by taking command over outbound traffic, substantially slows down your personal computer by depleting a lot of resources, and result in system instability at the same time.

How you can fix a browser hijack

Some hijackers can be easily removed by uninstalling the free software they were included with or by eliminating any extension you’ve recently added to your browser. But, the majority of hijacking codes aren’t easy to remove manually, since they go deeper into your operating system. Besides, browser hijackers can modify the Windows registry therefore it can be quite hard to restore all of the values manually, especially if you’re not a very tech-savvy individual.

How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected PC

All malware is bad and the consequences of the damage will vary according to the specific kind of malware. Certain malware types modify web browser settings by including a proxy server or change the computer’s DNS settings. In such cases, you will be unable to visit certain or all internet sites, and therefore unable to download or install the required security software to remove the infection. If you are reading this, you may have affected by a virus that stops you from downloading a computer security application like Safebytes Anti-Malware. Do as instructed below to remove malware by alternate methods.

Get rid of viruses in Safe Mode

In Safe Mode, you could modify Windows settings, uninstall or install some applications, and remove hard-to-delete viruses. In the event the malware is blocking internet access and affecting your computer, running it in Safe Mode allows you to download anti-malware and run a diagnostic scan while limiting possible damage. To get into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press the F8 key while the PC is starting up or run MSConfig and find the “Safe Boot” options in the “Boot” tab. Once you are in Safe Mode, you can try to download and install your antivirus software program without the hindrance of the malware. Following installation, run the malware scanner to get rid of standard infections.

Switch over to an alternative browser

Some malware only targets specific internet browsers. If this sounds like your situation, make use of another internet browser as it could circumvent the computer virus. The ideal way to avoid this issue is to pick a web browser that is well known for its security features. Firefox contains built-in Malware and Phishing Protection to keep you secure online.

Create a portable USB antivirus for removing malware

Another option would be to make a portable antivirus program on your USB flash drive. Do these simple steps to clean up your affected computer using a portable antivirus. 1) On a clean computer, download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Plug the USB drive into the uninfected computer. 3) Double-click the executable file to open the installation wizard. 4) Choose the drive letter of the pen drive as the location when the wizard asks you where you want to install the antivirus. Follow activation instructions. 5) Transfer the flash drive from the clean PC to the infected PC. 6) Double-click the EXE file to run the Safebytes program from the pen drive. 7) Run Full System Scan to detect and get rid of all types of malware.

Protect Your Computer & Privacy With SafeBytes Anti-Malware

These days, an anti-malware tool can protect your computer from different kinds of online threats. But how do choose the best one among several malware protection software that’s available on the market? You may be aware, there are lots of anti-malware companies and tools for you to consider. Some are well worth your money, but most aren’t. You have to be very careful not to choose the wrong application, especially if you purchase a paid software. Among few good applications, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is the highly recommended program for the security-conscious user. SafeBytes anti-malware is a powerful, very effective protection software intended to assist users of all levels of IT literacy in identifying and removing harmful threats out of their personal computers. Using its outstanding protection system, this software will quickly detect and remove the majority of the security threats, which include browser hijackers, viruses, adware, ransomware, PUPs, and trojans. SafeBytes anti-malware takes PC protection to a whole new level with its enhanced features. The following are some of the best ones: World-class AntiMalware Protection: Using its enhanced and sophisticated algorithm, this malware removal tool can identify and eliminate the malware threats hiding in your computer effectively. Active Protection: SafeBytes delivers complete and real-time security for your PC. It’ll constantly monitor your pc for hacker activity and also provides users with superior firewall protection. Website Filtering: Through its unique safety rating, SafeBytes alerts you whether a site is safe or not to visit it. This will assure that you’re always certain of your online safety when browsing the web. Faster Scan: This tool has one of the fastest and most efficient virus scanning engines in the industry. The scans are very accurate and take a short amount of time to complete. Low Memory/CPU Usage: SafeBytes is really lightweight software. It consumes an extremely small amount of processing power as it works in the background therefore you will not see any computer performance problems. 24/7 Assistance: You can get totally free 24/7 technical support from their computer experts on any product queries or computer security issues.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you do not wish to use malware removal software and like to remove mixGames manually, you may accomplish this by going to the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and removing the offending program; in cases of browser extensions, you could uninstall it by going to the browser’s Add-on/Extension manager. It is also suggested to factory reset your browser settings to their default state. Lastly, examine your hard disk for all of the following and clean your Windows registry manually to remove leftover application entries following an uninstallation. But bear in mind, this is a complicated task and only computer experts can perform it safely. In addition, certain malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. Completing this task in Safe Mode is recommended.

Registry: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerMain Default_Page_URL HKEY_LOCAL_MachineSoftwareClassesmixGame HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun .exe HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInternet Settingsrandom HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionrunrandom HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInternet Settings CertificateRevocation = ’0

Problem running preinstall.cmd scripts

Setting up the Windows operating system in a computer can be quite a complicated task since there are a couple of things that take place in the background to ensure a full and protected setup of the operating system which includes a number of programs, scripts, and so on. They work together in the background to guarantee the integrity of the Windows operating system. However, there are times when this piece of code could also go wrong. As a result, you might encounter errors like the “There was a problem running preinstall.cmd scripts” error. “Preinstall.cmd” is a type of CMD file associated with Applications & Drivers developed by Gateway for the Windows OS. To fix the “There was a problem running preinstall.cmd scripts” error, there are several things you can try. You can try to download a new Windows installation image or create a new bootable drive as well as uninstall conflicting or incompatible programs. In addition, you can also run the Windows Update troubleshooter or reset Windows 10.

Option 1 – Try to download a new Windows installation image

Your first option to fix the “There was a problem running preinstall.cmd scripts” error is to download a new Windows installation image. You can get the official ISO files for the latest release of Windows 10. After you’ve downloaded the ISO files, you can use them to upgrade to the latest Windows 10 version.

Option 2 – Try creating a new bootable drive

Insert your USB drive into your PC.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type in “cmd” and tap Enter to open the Command Prompt. Alternatively, you can also search for “cmd” in the Cortana search box to open Command Prompt.
Once you’ve opened CMD, type in this command to open the DISPART utility – diskpart
After that, you should see a new black and white window that would say, “DISKPART>”.
Next, type in “list disk” in the command line and tap Enter to see the list of all the Storage devices as well as your hard disk connected to your PC. Here, you have to identify your disk’s number.
Type in this command where “X” is the disk number you have identified and then tap Enter – disk X
Type in this command and hit Enter to clear the table records and all the visible data on the drive – clean
Now you have to recreate a new primary partition of the drive so you’ll have to type in this command and tap Enter right after – create part pri
A new primary partition has been created so you have to select it by typing this command and tapping Enter – select part 1
Now you have to format it to make it visible to normal users by typing – format fs=ntfs quick

Note: If your platform supports the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface or UEFI, replace the “NTFS” with “FAT32” in the command on Step 10.

After that, type in this command and tap Enter after – active
Finally, type this command and hit Enter to exit the utility – exit
After you prepare the image for the operating system, save it to the root of your USB Storage device.

Option 3 – Try to uninstall conflicting programs

If you are using a computer made by Dell and got Windows 10 preinstalled in it, then you can try to uninstall the programs listed below and see if it fixes the problem.

Dell Encryption Management service
Dell Digital Library service

Option 4 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

You might also want to run the built-in Windows Update Troubleshooter in Windows that could help you in resolving the “There was a problem running preinstall.cmd scripts” error. All you have to do is go to Settings > Update& security > Troubleshoot > Windows Update. From there, click on the Run the troubleshooter button and follow the next one-screen instructions that appear. After that, restart your computer and check if the error is now fixed or not by trying to install the update once again.

Option 5 – Run Microsoft’s online troubleshooter

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

Option 6 – Try to reset Windows 10

Tap the Win key or click on the Start button located in the Taskbar.
Then click on the Power button at the bottom right portion of the screen.
Next, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard and then click on Restart. This will restart your Pc into the Advanced Startup options.

Note: Once you have access to the Advanced Startup options, you have to go to the setting which allows you to Reset your Windows 10 PC. All you have to do is select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC to reach the following screen Afterward, select either the “Keep my files” option and then proceed to the next on-screen instructions that follow to reset your Windows 10 computer without losing your files.

Fix Chrome ERR_SOCKET_NOT_CONNECTED

Recently, a number of users reported an error in Google Chrome that says, “ERR_SOCKET_NOT_CONNECTED”. If you are one of these users, read on as this post will guide you in resolving this error. This kind of error in Chrome is kind of vague so it could be caused by a couple of factors like DNS server issues, Socket Pools, third-party plugins or extensions, and many more. Whatever the cause may be, there are several options you can check out to resolve the problem. You can try to flush the Socket Pool or change the DNS address or remove unwanted extensions or reset your Google Chrome browser.

Option 1 – Try to flush the Socket Pool

Open Google Chrome and in the address bar, type “chrome://net-internals/”.
After that, select Sockets on the left side panel.
Next, select Flush socket pools from the right-side panel.
And once it’s done, restart your Chrome browser and check if the “ERR_SOCKET_NOT_CONNECTED” is fixed or not.

Option 2 – Try to change the DNS Server

In this option, you can try changing your current DNS settings to the Google Public DNS as it could also help in fixing the “ERR_SOCKET_NOT_CONNECTED” error. To do so, follow the steps below.

The first thing you have to do is right-click on the network icon in the Taskbar and select Network and Sharing Center.
Next, click on the “Change Adapter Settings” option.
After that, search for the network connection that you are using to connect to the internet. Note that the option might be “Wireless Connection” or “Local Area Connection”.
Right-click on your network connection and click on Properties.
Then select the new window to choose the “Internet Protocol 4 (TCP/IPv4)” option.
After that, click on the Properties button and click the checkbox in the new window for the option “Use the following DNS server addresses”.
Type in “8.8.8.8” and “8.8.4.4” and click OK and exit.

Option 3 – Get rid of any conflicting browser extensions

Open Chrome and press Alt + F keys.
Go to More tools and click Extensions to look for any suspicious browser extensions or toolbars.
Click the Recycle bin and select Remove.
Restart Chrome and press Alt + F keys again.
Proceed to On Startup and mark Open a specific page or set of pages.
To check if the browser hijacker is still active, click Set pages, if it is active, overwrite the URL.

Option 4 – Try to reset Google Chrome

Before you proceed, make sure that the Chrome browser is not running anywhere in the background via Task Manager. Once you’ve made sure that it’s no longer running, refer to these steps:

Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalGoogleChromeUser Data” in the field and tap Enter to open this location.
From there, look for the Default folder and then tap the Shift + Delete button and if a confirmation prompt appears, click on Yes.
After deleting the Default folder, open Google Chrome and click on the three vertical dots icon located in the top-right corner to open the menu.
Next, click on Settings and scroll down and then click on Advanced to open the Advanced Settings.
Then scroll down until you see the “Reset and clean up” section and click the “Restore Settings to their original defaults” option.
After that, you will see a confirmation box and from there, click on the Reset settings button to reset your Google Chrome browser.

How to Fix Windows 10 Upgrade Compare Exchange128 Error Message

Compare Exchange128 error – What is it

Some Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users reported experiencing a Compare Exchange128 error when trying to upgrade to Windows 10. The error reads, “You can’t install Windows 10 because your processor doesn’t support CompareExchange128”. In order to upgrade to Windows 10 (64-bit), the CMPXCHG16B instruction must be present. If you receive this error, this mostly means that your CPU doesn’t have the CMPXCHG16B instruction.

Solution

Error Causes

The CompareExchange128 error normally occurs due to two possible reasons:

CPU lacks CMPXCHG16b Instruction
Old & Outdated BIOS – Even if your CPU has the CMPXCHG16b instruction, the CompareExchange128 issue can still occur if you have an older BIOS.

Further Information and Manual Repair

One main requirement to upgrade to Windows 10 is for your CPU to have the CMPXCHG16b instruction. You also need the right BIOS version to guarantee a smooth installation. See below on how to manually fix this issue.

NOTE: If you don’t feel confident using the manual methods listed below, it’s highly advisable to get help from an expert technician. If you don’t know someone, you can also use an automated tool to fix this.

Before performing any fixes, try to determine first if the cause of the error is due to your CPU lacking the CMPXCHG16b instruction. You can use a CPU Info tool that provides complete details about your processor, memory, and motherboard. If you’re looking for more in-depth information, you might also try command-line utilities. But, the safest and easiest way to check this is by simply searching online. Try using the search query: <CPU Model> CMPXCHG16b

Method 1 – Update your BIOS

This method will download the latest BIOS from your motherboard’s manufacturer. This makes sure your CPU has the CMPXCHG16b instruction needed to complete the Windows 10 64-bit installation. To update your computer’s BIOS, complete the following steps:

Determine first the current BIOS you have on your computer. Open System Information Windows app and type msinfo32 in the search bar. The BIOS version will appear under the processor speed. Record it somewhere.

Go to the support page of your motherboard’s manufacturer. Find if there’s any update on the BIOS that you’re currently using. If you find one, download the BIOS update file available. Make sure that you’re looking into the right model and you download all the necessary documentation. Otherwise, the BIOS update might not work.

Update your BIOS. Most BIOS update steps are straightforward. Just make sure to follow the steps provided.

Method 2 – Install Windows 10 32-bit version

If updating the BIOS doesn’t work, what you can do is install a 32-bit version of Windows 10 instead of the 64-bit version. Here’s how to do this:

Download and install the 32-bit version of Windows you currently have. If you have a Windows 7 64-bit version, get the 32-bit version of Windows 7. The same goes for Windows 8.1. When you do this, you might want to back up your files first. Remember that installing the 32-bit version works like other installations, and could delete some of your files.

After installing the 32-bit version, go to Updates and install all the necessary updates. This includes upgrading to Windows 10 if you’re asked to.

When you installed the Windows 10 upgrade, you’ll now have the Windows 10, 32-bit version installed. This will be the version activated on Microsoft servers. Despite this, the activated version stored is only applicable to your computer’s hardware, not the version of Windows 10.

Download Windows 10, 64-bit version.

Prepare an empty DVD or USB flash drive. Use Creation Media software then click the Create Installation Media for Another PC option.

Install the 64-bit Windows 10 version you downloaded from Step 4. Make sure not to put anything when you’re asked to input the serial number.

Once the installation is complete, you’ll have the 64-bit version of Windows 10.

Method 3 – Buy a new processor/motherboard

If the above two methods don’t work, there’s a great chance that this error occurs because of an outdated processor/motherboard. Your next possible solution is to buy an updated model that’s fully compatible with 64-bit Windows 10.

Method 4 – Download an automated tool

If all else fails, you might want to consider using this powerful automated tool to quickly fix the problem and any other computer-related issues.

Fix MS Store error code 0x80073d12 in Windows

The Microsoft Store error 0x80073d12 occurs when you try to download software from the store. In order to solve the issue follow the presented guide step by step in the order presented.

Check do you have enough hard drive space for installation
Store locates and assigned space on the hard drive before it installs the application, if there is not enough space available it will return the given error. Go to file explorer and check is there enough space available.
Check that game is not expansion
If you are trying to install expansion for the game without owning the required base game, you will receive the mentioned error. Check the store page to see if there are some prerequisites for the game like other games or packs.
Install the game from my library
Press Start. Open the Microsoft Store App. Click the See more … button at the top right of the MS Store app’s window. Click Download and updates on the menu. Click Downloads on the left to open My library. Then click Ready to install to open a list of apps. Click the Install button for the game app that you need to install.
Install on another partition
It was reported that an error vanishes if installation is placed on another partition instead of the default C drive.

Clipboard history in Windows 10

Copy & Paste is an essential part of Operating and working on a computer. We copy and paste a lot of different stuff through our workday, moving stuff from application to application. In an earlier article today we have explored troubleshooting and how to repair copy-paste stopped responses, this time we are going to focus on a little feature of Windows 10 called Clipboard history. Clipboard history is a built-in feature in Windows 10 which lets you store multiple copies of different types and then selectively pasting them into another application. Let's say you have multiple copies of different text from different websites and you then paste everything or just some into a Word processor. If this feature sounds interesting to you then let's turn it on. Press the start button and then on settings.

In settings window click on System Windows settings with System section selected

in system dialog click on the clipboard and on the right screen turn ON CLipboard history. Windows settings for Clipboard

Should you buy used GPU in current market?

Things have stirred lately with Chinas ban on crypto mining and many used GPUs will flow the market probably. But should you buy a used GPU? Short answer: NO, long answer: keep on reading to find out why.

GPU shortage and its cause

As you all know by now, we live sadly in a world struck by a global Pandemic. Due to this awful disease and measures taken against it, many people are either working from home or are at home making the manufacturing of new chips problematic while demand on the market has raised. Throw into that mix crypto mining which has raised in popularity and you have, well today's market where we have GPU shortage. Now with the latest news that China has banned the mining of cryptocurrency, there is to be expected that at some point in time mining cards used there will fit the market in the whole world. Sadly even with a large quantity of GPUs that will become available, the overall price of cards will not be much lowered I am afraid since demand is still very high and many people would not want to purchase used mining cards and neither should you.

Be prepared for the worst scenario

Although this sounds very pessimistic and in most cases, it will not turn out to be true, you should always prepare yourself mentally that you might be in that lower percentage that will end up with a really bad GPU. What has come up to be absolutely true when considering GPU that were mining is that if anything at all can be done to GPU in order to increase performance, it has been done. Miners want to optimize and almost every GPU if could be overclocked, it was overclocked. Extensive mining also means that thermal paste has been dried and it is pretty useless at this point and there is a very high chance that fans and heat sinks will need much cleaning or even replacement raising the price of the card itself for mentioned paste, fans, and heat sinks. There's no way to tell what the previous owner might have done with a graphics card when you're shopping online, so our advice is to assume the worst. Don't trust the seller to give truthful information. Any listing that says it was "never used for mining" at this point is probably a lie.

Age of the GPU matters

Date when GPU itself has manufactured really matters. Newer cards even if used extensively have been used for a much shorter period of time and are not so damaged were ones produced a few years ago have seen a lot of action. Let’s say that you get RTX 3060, In the worst-case scenario it has been mining since late February of 2021 and basically, it is still under warranty so it should behave OK and put some good work in gaming even in that state. On another hand, if we take for example GTX 1080Ti which is 4 years old GPU things start to change drastically. 4 years GPU could be worn out even if it was used just for extensive gaming sessions let alone for mining.

No return policy and seller rating

Most of the time you will run into a product that cannot be returned or no refunds policy. This should bring a red flag right away and deter you from purchase. Sellers with the highest ratings are more trustworthy since many of them will not want to destroy their reputation but these will probably not even have these kinds of merchandise in their store. Buying with a poor rating seller and no return policy on a product is just asking for trouble. And although some stores do have arbitration and will stand on the customer side there is no guarantee for that and it will take too much time to process.

If you really must buy a second-hand GPU

Of course in these troubled times sometimes due to malfunction or any other reason, there would not be another choice than to buy a second-hand GPU. In this case, if there is no other option consider sellers with many positive ratings. If you can buy locally that would even be better or the best-case scenario would be if you could visually see and inspect GPU itself in order to see in what state it is. Look for warranty stickers to see if they are thorn and the card has been tampered with. Also take a good look at screws, if they have scratches card has been opened, probably to replace fan or heating sinks which means that it has worked a lot.

Conclusion

It is very difficult to give the best possible advice on this situation since of GPU shortage, but I would much prefer a new GPU with lower performance than a hi-performance one which was mining.

Malware Guide: How to Remove Webguard

What is Webguard?

Developed by Interesting Solutions, Webguard is a tool supposedly used for tracking those online who’ve developed a habit of tracking you. The application would provide logical analysis into a user’s website history, providing insight on what websites you’ve visited and also how persons are able to track your every move while browsing. While Webguard is unable to dispose of who specifically is tracking your computer usage, they’re able to determine what computer installed tracking codes or cookies on your computer system. In this case, it’s then left up to the user’s discretion to determine who they want to allow or block from tracking their online use. Overall, this application allows the user some measure of freedom and control over their online experience. Like any other application, however, which has landed themselves a spot on Virus Total, Web guard has hidden agendas. At a distance, Webguard installs a service for Windows but later distributes advertisements. Technical details about Webguard include:

Product Version: 1.0.0.0 Original File Name: crss.exe Entry Point: 0x000C5AAE

Assessment of Webguard Potentially Unwanted Program

While Webguard claims to track your computer usage, information reported by the application isn’t sufficient for the common computer user. This brings us back to the ulterior motive or principal objective of developing Webguard – to advertise and generate revenue from clicks made by users on Ads displayed on Internet Browsers – namely Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox. Why should a computer user remove Webguard? Simply, it compromises one's Internet privacy and security and it keeps abreast of your Internet history. If you’re online for an extended period, you’ll see what Webguard does. While the publishers behind the application did not alert users to the use of web beacons, cookies for tracking, and other related tracking technology, that’s not why Webguard is considered unwanted. The program is potentially unwanted because of the unpredictable advertisements it displays. Not all sites are trusted and so it’s difficult to determine, in some cases, what websites are legit for business.

Remove Webguard with Spyhunter

In most cases, at least from what I’ve seen, Webguard is installed as a single application. After it was installed for this assessment, it could be found in ‘All Programs”. This meant that one could manually delete the application from their computer system (see manual steps below). However, is that really sufficient to completely rid your PC of Webguard’s blueprints? While you might opt to remove Webguard manually – maybe because it’s more economical – an automated process is able to completely eradicate hidden threats from Webguard. In comparison to manually removing Webguard, Spyhunter penetrates your computer system for all infections. In most cases, nasty threats are unable to be removed manually. Additionally, Spyhunter not only removes installed threats, but it detects incoming ones – hence, acting as a preventative tool. Furthermore, Spyhunter detects cookies placed on your computer by Webguard. These are all undetectable threats and so an automated tool, as Spyhunter, should be used to remove Spyhunter effectively from your computer.

**Manual Steps for Removal of Webguard**

I found this removal pretty simple. Depending on your Operating System, there will be slight discrepancies in the manual removal steps. Using the Windows 8 (8.1) OS on your computer:

Step 1: Locate the CONTROL PANEL on your computer using the SEARCH option.
Step 2: Once the search box appears , input 'CONTROL PANEL'.
Step 3: The Control Panel option will then appear. From the menu, choose the "Programs" option.
Step 4: Another menu will appear. Select "All Programs and Features".
Step 5: From the 'Programs list', search for the Webguard application.
Step 6: Right-click on Webguard when it's found.
Step 7: Choose the "Uninstall" option.
Step 8: Follow the uninstall wizard instructions until the Webguard application is fully removed.

To completely remove Bandoo from your computer, click here to download and install Spyhunter

What to do if Windows Media Player is not playing the Music Playlist in Windows 10

Many users would probably agree that the Windows Media Player, in most cases, is a lot better than the Groove. Although it is understandable why the Groove Music app was created, it may be time for Microsoft to bring its focus back on Windows Media Player. Even more, so that some users are experiencing an issue where they were not able to play their playlist in the Windows Media Player on their Windows 10 PCs. One particular user claimed that when he removed his music from the C drive and transferred them to the C drive for some reason he didn’t state. Right after he did that, any attempts to play songs in the Windows Media Player just don’t seem to work. Transferring music to a different location shouldn’t cause any issue but for some unknown reason, it did. According to security experts, the reason why the Windows Media Player didn’t play the playlist is that it still believes that the songs are still located in the C drive when they’re really not. So the question here is, how can you get the Windows Media Player to recognize the exact and correct location of the songs? Worry not, for this post will show you how exactly you can do that. Carefully follow each one of the instructions given below to fix the Windows Media Player issue.

Option 1 – Try running the WMP Troubleshooters

In case there are any issues with the Windows Media Player, you can always count on the WMP Troubleshooters to fix the problem for you. These built-in troubleshooters, namely, Windows Media Player Library and Windows Media Player DVD Troubleshooters can help you fix the problem, so run them both and see if you can now play those songs or not.

Option 2 – Try rebuilding the Windows Media Player Database

If the first option didn’t work for you, you might have to rebuild the Windows Media Player database. You can do this by following the steps below.

Tap the Win + R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.
After that, copy and paste this command in the field: %userprofile%Local SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftMedia Player
Once you’ve pasted the command, hit Enter then you will see a new File Explorer which is the folder for the Media Player. You will have to delete every item in this folder, except for the folders. Meaning to say, you must only delete the individual contents inside but not the folders.
Now launch the Windows Media Player again and watch as it rebuilds the music library automatically.

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Completely Remove MapsGalaxy Malware Removal Tutorial

About Browser Hijackers

How to know if your internet browser has been hijacked

Exactly how they infect computer systems

How to fix a browser hijack

Find Out How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected Computer system

Get rid of viruses in Safe Mode

Utilize an alternate web browser to download the anti-malware application

Install and run anti-virus from your flash drive

Features and Benefits of SafeBytes Anti-Malware

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

Do You Need Help with Your Device?

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Option 1 – Perform System Restore

Option 2 – Boot your computer in Safe Mode

Option 3 – Try to repair your corrupted profile via Registry

Option 4 – Try to use installation media to boot and repair your computer

About Browser Hijackers

Indications of browser hijack

Exactly how browser hijacker finds its way onto your computer

How you can fix a browser hijack

How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected PC

Get rid of viruses in Safe Mode

Switch over to an alternative browser

Create a portable USB antivirus for removing malware

Protect Your Computer & Privacy With SafeBytes Anti-Malware

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

Option 1 – Try to download a new Windows installation image

Option 2 – Try creating a new bootable drive

Option 3 – Try to uninstall conflicting programs

Option 4 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Option 5 – Run Microsoft’s online troubleshooter

Option 6 – Try to reset Windows 10

Option 1 – Try to flush the Socket Pool

Option 2 – Try to change the DNS Server

Option 3 – Get rid of any conflicting browser extensions

Option 4 – Try to reset Google Chrome

Compare Exchange128 error – What is it

Solution

Error Causes

Further Information and Manual Repair

Method 1 – Update your BIOS

Method 2 – Install Windows 10 32-bit version

Method 3 – Buy a new processor/motherboard

Method 4 – Download an automated tool

Check do you have enough hard drive space for installation

Check that game is not expansion

Install the game from my library

Install on another partition

GPU shortage and its cause

Be prepared for the worst scenario

Age of the GPU matters

No return policy and seller rating

If you really must buy a second-hand GPU

Conclusion

What is Webguard?

Assessment of Webguard Potentially Unwanted Program

Remove Webguard with Spyhunter

Manual Steps for Removal of Webguard

Option 1 – Try running the WMP Troubleshooters

Option 2 – Try rebuilding the Windows Media Player Database

**Manual Steps for Removal of Webguard**