Deleting a User Account in Windows

All malware is detrimental and the magnitude of the damage will vary greatly depending on the type of infection. Some malware variants modify internet browser settings by adding a proxy server or modify the PC's DNS settings. When this happens, you'll be unable to visit certain or all the sites, and therefore not able to download or install the required security software to clear out the computer malware. If you’re reading this article, chances are, you’re stuck with a virus infection that is preventing you from downloading and/or installing the Safebytes Anti-Malware program on your computer. Refer to the instructions below to remove malware through alternate methods.

Method 1: Install Anti-Malware in Safe Mode with Networking

If the malware is set to load automatically when Microsoft Windows starts, entering safe mode may block the attempt. Since only the minimal applications and services start-up in safe mode, there are rarely any reasons for conflicts to happen. You will need to do the following to remove malware in Safe mode.

• 1) Tap the F8 key continuously as soon as your computer boots, however, before the large Windows logo or black screen with white texts come up. This would invoke the Advanced Boot Options menu.
• 2) Choose Safe Mode with Networking using arrow keys and press Enter.
• 3) When you are into this mode, you will have access to the internet once again. Now, utilize your web browser normally and download Safebytes Anti-Malware.
• 4) After installation, do a complete scan and allow the software to get rid of the threats it detects.

Method 2: Utilize An Alternate Internet Browser to Download Anti-Malware Software

Malicious program code may exploit vulnerabilities in a specific web browser and block access to all antivirus software sites. If you suspect that your Internet Explorer has been hijacked by computer malware or otherwise compromised by cybercriminals, the most effective plan of action is to switch to an alternate web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to download your chosen security program - Safebytes Anti-Malware.

Download SafeBytes Anti-Malware for Malware Removal

Method 3: Install and Run Anti-Malware From a USB Drive

To effectively remove the malware, you might want to approach the problem of installing an antivirus software program on the affected computer from a different angle. Adopt these measures to employ a flash drive to fix your infected computer.

• 1) Use another malware-free PC to download Safebytes Anti-Malware.
• 2) Plug the thumb drive into the uninfected computer.
• 3) Double click on the executable file to open the installation wizard.
• 4) Choose the drive letter of the USB drive as the place when the wizard asks you exactly where you would like to install the anti-virus. Follow activation instructions.
• 5) Now, transfer the thumb drive to the infected computer.
• 6) Double-click the antivirus program EXE file on the USB flash drive.
• 7) Click on the “Scan Now” button to start the malware scan.

If no other method of downloading and installing the antivirus software works, then you've no other option than to hit the last resort: a full Windows reinstallation, the only approach known to have a 100% rate of success at virus removal.

Windows 11 has brought some new features and changed some of the existing ones. One of these changes includes quick switching of audio devices which will play audio. Audio switching can still be done under the taskbar, it is just a little different and one could say even hidden. Follow this quick guide and you will be switching from your headphones to speakers as an example in a matter of seconds.

1. Click on the speaker icon located in the far-right part of the taskbar.
2. After the quick settings menu appears click on the right arrow located right of the volume slider. If the arrow is not present, instead of click on the pencil icon, then on add, and finally select Volume from the list.
3. After clicking on the arrow icon, a list of all enabled audio devices on the system will replace the volume slider. Click on the desired audio device in order to make it active.
4. Click anywhere outside the quick setting menu to save changes and close it.

Note: in the Quick settings menu if you choose More Volume Settings it will bring you to System > Sound where you can access more sound input and output options.

This post will show you how to fix the Windows update error 0xca00a000 which you can encounter during the installation of Windows updates. Here’s the full error message of this Windows Update error:

“Updates failed There were problems installing some updates, but we’ll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search the web or contact support for information, this may help: 2018-07 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems (KB4345421) – Error 0xca00a000”

This kind of Windows Update error pops up when Windows has missed installing one of the cumulative updates needed or when there is some problem with the driver that won’t let the installation of the updates push through. There are also instances when the system files are modified with incorrect permission that may result in the Windows update error 0xca00a000. Thus, you need to fix the trusted installer permission as well as resolve the issue with the driver. To do these things, you need to follow the options laid out below.

Option 1 – Run the Windows Module Installer

The Windows Module Installer is a built-in service in the Windows operating system that could help you resolve the Windows update error 0xca00a000. You need to make sure that this service is Started and that its Startup type is set to Automatic – you can do this via Services Manager or by executing the command given below in an elevated Command Prompt.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “command prompt” in the field and hit Enter to open Command Prompt.
• And in the elevated Command Prompt type in the following command and hit Enter:

SC config trustedinstaller start=auto

• After executing the command successfully, you should see the “[SC] ChangeServiceConfig SUCCESS” message on the Command Prompt window.

Option 2 – Try manually installing the updates

As mentioned, the error might be because Windows missed installing a particular update which is why you are not able to proceed with the current update. So to resolve the issue, you need to install the update that wasn’t installed by downloading it from the Microsoft Update Catalog website. You also have to make sure that you didn’t turn off the Windows update or have it delayed.

Option 3 – Delete the files from the Software Distribution folder

The Software Distribution folder in the Windows operating system is a folder that can be found in the Windows directory and is used to store files temporarily which might be required to install the Windows Update on your PC. Thus, it is required by the Windows Update and maintained by WUAgent. A lot of users tried deleting the files in this folder to fix the problem and so far it has worked. Like them, you can try clearing the Windows Update cache by simply deleting the contents of the folder named “SoftwareDistribution” since Windows apparently can’t clear and re-download the update contents once they are corrupted. Thus, deleting the contents of this folder will make Windows download the contents again which will fix the problem. To do that, follow the steps below.

• Open the WinX Menu.
• From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.

net stop wuauserv net stop bits

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
• Next, go to the C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files thereby tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.
• Once all the contents in the Software Distribution folder are deleted, restart your PC and then go back to Command Prompt and input the following commands again.

net start wuauserv net start bits

Since the folder has already been flushed, it will be populated afresh the instant your restart your computer and open Windows Update.

• Now Open Settings and check for Windows Updates. Windows 10 should begin the download right away.

Option 4 – Install the updates in a Clean Boot State

You might want to try putting your computer in a Clean Boot state and then install Windows Updates again without any trouble. During this state, you can start the system with a minimum number of drivers and startup programs that will surely help you in isolating the root cause of the issue.

• Log onto your PC as an administrator.
• Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
• From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
• Clear the “Load Startup items” checkbox and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” checkbox.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• After that, try to install the Windows Updates or upgrade again.

Option 5 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter could also help you resolve the Windows update error 0xca00a000. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 6 – Run Microsoft’s online troubleshooter

Running Microsoft’s online troubleshooter might also help you fix the Windows update error 0xca00a000. 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.

Computer upgrades are the most common and most efficient ones. RAM upgrade is one of the easiest ones you can do and the most common ones but even as simple an upgrade as this one can cause certain issues. If you are experiencing error 0164, memory size decreased after RAM upgrade we are offering you solutions on how to fix this particular error and get your computer back in working order.

1. Change BIOS settings

   Enter your motherboard BIOS (usually by pressing the del key on startup) Load BIOS defaults Save changes and exit If the Error 0164: Memory size decreased issue persists even after loading setup defaults, then it must be configured manually inside the BIOS.

2. Clear CMOS

   Follow the instructions precisely:
   • Turn off all peripheral devices connected to the computer.
   • Disconnect the power cord from the AC power source.
   • Remove the computer cover.
   • Find the battery on the board. The battery may be in a horizontal or vertical battery holder or connected to an onboard header with a wire.
   If the battery is in a holder, note the orientation of the + and – on the battery. With a medium flat-blade screwdriver, gently pry the battery-free from its connector. If the battery is connected to an onboard header with a wire, disconnect the wire from the onboard header.
   • Wait one hour, then reconnect the battery.
   • Put the computer cover back on.
   • Plug the computer and all devices back in.
   • Power on the computer.

I often switch between my desktop speakers and headphones and because of this I very often use the volume adjustment bar to adjust sound levels so it is not too loud and each time when I set it I get annoying BEEP at the end. Now personally this might not bother you and you might want to leave it since it can be a useful feature to tell you how much volume is loud but if you are adjusting multiple times volume during the say it can become really frustrating to hear it each time, especially when switching to headphones and it beeps into your ears. In this guide, I will show you how to remove the beep so it is not heard anymore when you adjust the volume. Please know that beep is part of the Windows sound scheme and you can either remove specific sound with a completely silent wave or just turn off all windows alert sounds.

• Open Windows settings and go to system > sound
• in system sound, go to the right part of the screen and click on the sound control panel
• In the sound control panel click on the Sounds tab
• In the sounds, tab click on the drop-down menu under the sound scheme and choose no sounds.

There you go! You have successfully removed annoying BEEP each time you adjust the volume in Windows 10

Having a youtube channel nowadays is quite an easy task, you just need to create a free google account and there you go, you can start uploading videos to your YouTube channel. All you need in today's world is some applications for manipulating video material, creation of titles and graphics, some charisma and ideas for content and you could be a well-known YouTuber. For some guidance on software needed for this kind of creativity, we urge you to check our article about open source free software alternatives to paying ones here. So now that we have technicality out of way there is one more prerequisite that is needed in order for you to have your unique custom URL for your channel.

• The channel must be at least 30 days old.
• The channel must have a profile picture and a banner image.
• The channel must have at least 100 subscribers.

You need to fulfill all three prerequisites in order to change your typical URL to something nicer and personal like youtube.com/myGREATchannel So if you have everything needed let's get that custom URL for your channel.

1. Sign in to your YouTube channel
2. On the top-right corner of the YouTube window, click on your profile picture.
3. From the drop-down menu, select YouTube Studio.
4. From the list on the right side of the YouTube Studio page, select Customization.
5. Under Channel customization, select Basic info.
6. Under Channel URL, click on Set a custom URL for your channel.
7. Your custom URL will appear in the box below. You can change it as you desire.
8. Click on the Publish button on the top-right corner of the window to set your custom URL.

WORD OF WARNING:

Once the custom URL is set, it can neither be changed nor transferred to someone else so make sure that channel name is really something that you want for the long run.

The new widget's menu inside Windows 11 is generally met with a positive attitude but there are still users which prefer not to have it. Luckily for them, Microsoft included a very easy way to turn the widgets menu on or off. Follow this easy guide to see how. Right-click on the widget button in the taskbar and click on Hide from Taskbar and that’s it Alternatively, you can also turn it off via the setting app. Go to the settings app and navigate to Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Items and flipping the switch beside Widgets to Off. Please note that both methods will only hide the button to toggle widgets menu, at the current state there is no really a way to actually turn it off, only hide it and make it not available to bring it up.

If you encounter Error 0xc0000005 when you try to launch a program on your Windows 10 computer then this means that Windows was unable to process the files and the configuration correctly needed in order to run the program properly. You can encounter this kind of error with an installed program and even as the installer for a particular program. To fix this error, this post will provide you with some potential fixes that might help. Error 0xc0000005 occurs due to Access Violation which happens when a user tries to open a program and this error code may be accompanied by any of the following three error messages:

• The application was unable to start correctly
• Access violation Exception Error
• Windows Installation Error

To fix this error, you need to follow the given options below carefully but before you do that, you can try to use System Restore Point first to put your computer back to its previously known stable state.

• 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.

After performing System Restore check if Error 0xc0000005 is now fixed or not. If not, then make sure to use the options given below to resolve the problem.

Option 1 – Update or rollback drivers

If the System Restore didn’t work, then it’s time to either update or roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.

• Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
• Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
• After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
• Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
• Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.

Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.

Option 2 – Try running the System File Checker Scan

The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing Error 0xc0000005. SFC is a built-in command utility which helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

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

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

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

 Now restart your computer.

Option 3 – Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool

Since this error could be caused by some issues in the memory, you can try running the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool and see if it helps.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type exe and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
• After that, it will give two options such as:
  • Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)
  • Check for problems the next time I start my computer
• Once your computer has restarted, perform a basic scan or you could also go for the “Advanced” options such as “Test mix” or “Pass count”. Simply tap the F10 key to start the test.

Note: After you select the option, your PC will restart and check for memory-based issues. If it finds any issues, it will automatically fix them and if there’s no issue found, then it’s most likely not a memory-based issue so you should try the other options given below.

Option 4 – Try recreating the Boot records

If your system files are infected and modified by some malware, then it’s no wonder why you’re getting Error 0xc0000005 since this error can also be due to malware. To fix this, you can try to recreate the boot records on your computer. How? Follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “cmd” in the field and hit Enter to open Command Prompt.
• After that, type in each one of the following commands below and hit Enter right after you input each one of them.
  • Del D:WindowsSystem32xOsload.exe
  • Del D:WindowsSystem32xNtKrnl.exe
  • Del D:WindowsSystem32Driversoem-drv64.sys
  • attrib c:bootbcd -h -r –s
  • ren c:bootbcd bcd.old
  • bootrec /rebuildbcd
• After you input the listed commands above, it will recreate all the files needed inside the boot record.

Option 5 – Try turning off Data Execution Prevention or DEP

You might want to turn off Data Execution Prevention or DEP if it could be the one that’s blocking your process to run a particular program. To disable DEP, refer to the steps below.

• Type “cmd” in the Start Search and then right-click on Command Prompt from the results and select Run as Administrator.
• After that, type the following command and hit Enter to disable DEP:

bcedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff

• Restart your computer.

Option 6 – Try to fix Registry

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• After that, go to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWindows
• From there, double click on LoadAppInit_DLLs located at the right side of the panel and change its value from “0” to “1”.
• Now restart your computer.

Option 7 – Try checking RAM

You can also check RAM physically and see if it is in an operable condition. You might want to consider replacing it and see if it fixes the error.

Option 8 – Try to disable your antivirus program temporarily

Disabling the antivirus program or any security software installed in your computer might help in resolving the error since there is a good chance that it’s blocking the program from execution due to suspicious behavior. Just don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.

Option 9 – Troubleshot the problem in a Clean Boot State

There are some instances that some conflicting programs installed in your computer might be the one that’s causing Error 0xc0000005. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Log onto your PC as an administrator.
• Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
• From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
• Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.

Option 10 – Try resetting Windows 10

To fix this error, you can try resetting Windows 10. Doing so won’t get rid of any file in your system – instead of erasing all your media files and documents, this reset option resets all the system settings and files.

One of the cool and interesting features in Windows is the Screensaver which allows users to display animation or change the wallpaper automatically when the computer is not being used. This feature can also time out and lock your computer when it remains idle for quite some time. However, if you notice that the screensaver of your computer turns on a lot earlier, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can change the timeout settings of the screensaver of your Windows 10 computer. Usually, the screensaver in Windows 10 is turned off by default, however, if some other user has turned it on or if you have turned it on, you can actually change the timeout settings of the screensaver using several methods. You can do it through the Personalization settings, Registry Editor, as well as the Group Policy Editor. Before you proceed with the instructions provided below, make sure that you create a System Restore point first. Once done, follow each one of the suggestions carefully to successfully change the Screensaver timeout settings in Windows 10.

Option 1 – Modify the timeout settings of Screensaver via Personalization settings

• Open the Start menu and type “screen saver” in the field.
• On the search results that appear, click on the “Change Screen Saver” option.
• From there, you have the option to change the screen saver type, preview, open settings, change the wait time, as well as choose to display lock screen on your resume.
• Now to change the timeout settings of your screensaver, you have to increase the wait time from 1 to 15 or anything that works for you.
• Once done, click OK and exit to save the changes made.

Option 2 – Try to change the screensaver time via Registry Editor

The next option you can try to change the timeout settings in the screensaver is using the Registry Editor. To get started, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindows
• From there, right-click on Windows located in the right pane and select New > Key.
• Name the key as “Control Panel” and right-click on it and select New > Key and then name it as “Desktop”.
• Once done, click on the newly created Desktop key to highlight it.
• After that, right-click on any empty space in the right pane and select New > String Value and then type “ScreenSaveTimeOut” and hit Enter to save it.
• Now right-click on ScreenSaveTimeOut and select Modify and then set its value data in seconds.
• Click on OK and exit the Registry Editor to save the changes made.

Option 3 – Change Screensaver timeout settings via Group Policy Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “gpedit.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
• Next, navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization.
• Then look for a policy setting named “Screen saver timeout” and double click on it and then click on the Enabled option to enable it.
• Add the screen timeout in seconds and click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes.
• Restart your computer.

Note: If you want to disable the screensaver feature in your computer, you can always do so by disabling a policy setting named “Enable Screen Saver”.

If you are trying to upgrade your computer but encounter the Windows Update Error 0x800F081F – 0x20003 instead, then read on as this post will guide you in fixing this Windows Update error. This kind of error is commonly encountered when upgrading your copy of Windows 10 and is caused by errors with various developer-related settings that are being enabled in the system. When you encounter Windows Update Error 0x800F081F – 0x20003, you will see either of these error messages:

“We couldn’t install Windows 10. The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during INSTALL_UPDATES operation: Error 0x800F081F”  “The installation failed in the Safe_OS phase with an error during apply_image operation: Error: 0x800f081f – 0x20003”

To fix this kind of Windows Update error, you need not use external programs but you can try to disable the Developer Mode, run the Windows Update troubleshooter or restart all the Windows Update-related services and components. For more details, refer to the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to disable Developer Mode

You might have to disable Developer Mode to fix the Windows Update Error 0x800F081F – 0x20003. How? Refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys on your keyboard to open the Settings app.
• Next, go to Update & Security > For Developers.
• From there, select the toggle for Sideload apps or Microsoft Store apps located on the right-side panel.
• If you get any prompt, just click on Yes.
• After that, navigate to Apps > Apps & features and then click on Optional features on the right-side panel.
• Then scroll down to locate the Windows Developer Mode entry and select it and click on Uninstall.
• Once you’re done uninstalling the Windows Developer Mode component, close the Settings app and restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 2 – Try to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

You should also try to run the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter as it could help you resolve the Windows Update Error 0x800F081F – 0x20003. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 3 – Try restarting various Windows Update-related services and components

• Tap the Win + X key combination and select Command Prompt (Admin) to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt, copy and paste each one of the commands listed below one by one and tap Enter right after you enter each command.
  • net stop wuauserv
  • net stop bits
  • net stop appidsvc
  • ren %systemroot%SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak
  • ren %systemroot%system32catroot2 catroot2.bak
• Once you’ve entered all the commands given above, they will stop all the Windows Update services that are running on your computer as well as clear the SoftwareDistribution folder, and reset the Catroot2 folder. Now you have to start all these Windows Update services you’ve just stopped by executing the following commands:
  • net start wuauserv
  • net start bits
  • net start appidsvc
  • net start cryptsvc
• After that, restart your computer and try to run the setup again, and see if the error is now fixed.