Do you need Antivirus software for Windows 11

Windows 11 has arrived and it is being adopted all around the globe as we are writing this article. People are adapting it daily and today we will take a look at some advanced security features of the new Windows and do you really need an antivirus in it.

Windows securityIt is not a secret that Windows 11 is the most secure Windows ever created, well at least up until now. It is packed with advanced security features like S-mode, Secure Boot, and Trusted Platform Module (TMP 2.0). All these new security features that Microsoft has advertised made people question are enough for security or do you still need third-party Antivirus software.

In order to get an answer to this question, let us first take a detailed look at what each one of them does, and then we will give you our opinion on a given subject.

Windows S mode

For everyday home use, Windows 11 S mode is the most secure feature to have on your PC. This is a safety protocol where only apps from Microsoft Store are allowed to be installed. This eliminates the risk of installing third-party apps that may contain viruses or malware. Furthermore, S-mode protects your web browsing activity through the Microsoft Edge browser. S-mode does not allow you to use other browsers for security reasons. If you are using Windows 11 in S-mode, your PC and data will be secure in most parts. You need not buy antivirus when using Windows 11 in S-mode.

Windows Defender

The inbuilt security suite, Windows Defender was launched for the first time in 2006. Earlier to that it had existed and was known as Microsoft AntiSpyWare. Windows Defender has undergone significant improvements over the years. In its latest version available with Windows 11, Windows Defender offers a comprehensive range of security features. It is available under the Windows Security system. Some key security features include real-time virus and threat protection, account protection, firewall & network protection, app and browser control, parental controls, and device (hardware) security. This is comparable to security features offered by third-party antivirus programs.

Microsoft Account

In Windows 11, it is necessary to use a Microsoft account that will be linked to your device. This ensures the security of your data in case your device is lost or stolen. You just need to make sure that you have set a strong password for your device. Windows 11 also has Bitlocker that keeps your data in encrypted form.

Ransomware protection

In view of rising cases of ransomware, Microsoft has introduced dedicated ransomware protection in Windows 11. It works by stopping apps from carrying out unauthorized changes to files and folders. Users can choose their important files and folders that they want to be protected from ransomware.

Conclusion

As we went through Windows 11 security features, we can clearly see that it is packed heavily with many security features that aim to protect your data and your identity. Looking at them, one can clearly come to the conclusion that you do not really need any third-party software and that Windows itself can catch and protect most of the issues, and they would be right.

If you use Windows 11 carefully, meaning that you go only to trusted websites, do not open suspicious emails, and click on suspicious links, if you do not use extensively external USB devices or mass media you really do not need any kind of third party protection, Windows built-in tools will do well and keep you protected.

However, if you do come in contact with other people's USB devices if you surf over the net, and overall if you really want to be at peace of mind that you are protected you will still need a well-established third-party software protection solution.

Windows 11 has great security features, best so far in any Windows but it is still far from being a solution that does not require dedicated protection solution. So do yourself a favor and grab one.

We recently had a top antivirus software review, find the article here and pick one that is best for you.

https://errortools.com/viruses/the-best-antivirus-software-of-2021/

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How to Stop online tracking in Browsers
It is no longer a secret that websites, social media, and other various places on WEB are tracking you and your messages and emails for keywords that they will later use to promote and serve your specific ads linked to those keywords. Altho the process is fully automated it does feel a little forced and uneasy. That is why we are bringing you this article in which we will show you how to stop website tracking in the most popular and used browsers.

SAFARI

Apple’s Safari browser gives you the option to block cross-site tracking. It also has a Privacy Report that displays all the sites and agencies that are gathering information about you. Before blocking these trackers, you may want to review exactly which sites are tracking you online and gathering information about you. Armed with this information, you may decide that cross-site tracking isn’t a huge issue for your particular browsing habits, or you may decide to avoid certain websites entirely. To access Safari’s Privacy Report:
  1. Launch the Safari web browser.
  2. In the toolbar, select Safari > Privacy Report.
  3. Select the Websites tab. This will display information about all the websites that are profiling you.
  4. Select the Trackers tab. This displays a list of all the trackers that are gathering information about you. This includes the companies that created these trackers and the number of times Safari detected these trackers during your browsing sessions.
You can also check how intrusive a particular website is by navigating to the website in question and then selecting the shield icon that appears alongside Safari’s address bar. You can then select Trackers on This Web Page, and Safari will display a list of all the trackers that are active on this particular webpage. Once you’ve seen all the websites and agencies who are tracking you, if you want to block these trackers:
  1. In the Safari toolbar, select Safari > Preferences …
  2. Select the Privacy tab.
  3. Select the following checkbox: Prevent Cross-Site Tracking.
Safari will now prevent these trackers from following you across the World Wide Web.

CHROME

As you’re browsing the web, Chrome can send a request for websites not to collect or track your browsing data. It’s important to note that this is a request, so there’s no guarantee that every website will honor the request. Frustratingly, Chrome doesn’t provide information about the websites that are tracking you online. However, we still recommend enabling this feature, as it can help minimize the number of websites that are tracking your online movements:
  1. In Chrome’s upper-right corner, select the three-dot menu icon, then Settings.
  2. In the menu on the left, select Privacy and security.
  3. Click Cookies and other site data.
  4. Find the Do not track slider and push it into the On position.
Now Chrome will send a Do Not Track request to every website you visit. Since this is only a request, you may want to take additional steps to protect your online privacy. Ghostery is a Chrome extension that enables you to view and block online trackers. After installing Ghostery, you can view all the trackers that are active on a particular website:
  1. Head to the site in question.
  2. Click the Extensions icon in the Chrome toolbar.
  3. Select Ghostery to see a list of all the trackers this extension has detected.
  4. You can block all of these trackers by selecting the Detailed tab and then clicking Restrict site.
Repeat this process for every site you visit.

MOZILLA FIREFOX

Firefox has an Enhanced Tracking Protection feature that can block all the cross-site trackers identified by Disconnect. This feature can also preserve your online privacy by blocking social media trackers, fingerprints, and crypto miners, making this a great all-arounder for the security-conscious Internet user. Enhanced Tracking Protection should be enabled by default. However, you can verify whether it’s active for your particular Firefox installation by navigating to any website. Next, click the little shield icon that appears alongside Firefox’s address bar and you should see a message confirming that Enhanced Tracking Protection is enabled.
If Enhanced Tracking Protection isn’t enabled, we recommend activating it:
  1. In Firefox’s upper-right corner, select the three-line icon, then Preferences.
  2. In the menu on the left, select Privacy & Security.
  3. You can now select either Standard or Strict. Note that Strict may affect the functionality of certain websites, so it’s recommended you opt for Standard unless you specifically require a greater level of protection.
Similar to Chrome, Firefox can send a Do Not Track request. While you’re in the Privacy & Security menu, you may want to consider activating Mozilla’s Do Not Track feature.

OPERA

When you first installed Opera, it gave you the option to block trackers. If you didn’t take Opera up on the offer then, you can start blocking trackers now:
  1. Along the left side of the Opera browser, click the cog icon. This opens Opera’s settings.
  2. In the menu on the left, select Basic.
  3. Find the Block Trackers slider and push it into the On position.
  4. Blocking trackers can impact the functionality of certain websites. If you start noticing strange behavior on a particular website, you may want to add that site to your Exceptions list. By allowing this site to use trackers, you should be able to resolve any issues you’re experiencing.
To make an exception for one or more websites:
  1. Launch Opera’s settings by clicking the little cog icon.
  2. Navigate to Basic > Manage Exceptions.
  3. Click Add and then type the address of the site where you want to permit trackers.
Repeat for all the sites that you want to add to your exceptions list.
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FreeMaps Removal Tutorial

FreeMaps is a google chrome extension by Mindspark powered by Ask or MyWay. This extension offers users a quick and easy way to find the routes or locations that they desire. While all of this may seem appealing, this extension was classified as a Browser Hijacker by many anti-virus applications and was marked for removal.

When installed FreeMaps will change your home page, new tab and default search engine to MyWay.com, it will monitor your browsing activity and send it back to Mindspark ad servers. This data is later used/sold to better display targeted ads depending on your search queries.

While browsing the internet with this extension active you will see additional pop-up ads, sponsored links, and injected ads displaying throughout your browsing sessions, and even injected into websites that should be ad-free. Due to poor code optimization, these ads can sometimes cover a part of the page, making it unreadable or inaccessible.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is a form of unwanted software, commonly a browser add-on or extension, which then causes modifications in the web browser’s settings. Browser hijackers are capable of doing more than simply changing home pages. These are typically used to force hits to a specific site, manipulating web traffic to earn ad revenue. It could seem naive, but most of such websites aren’t legitimate and could present a major threat to your online safety. As soon as the malware attacks your laptop or computer, it begins to mess things up a whole that slows your computer down to a crawl. In the worse case, you will be forced to tackle serious malware threats too.

How you can know whether the browser is hijacked?

Signs that your web browser is hi-jacked include: your browser’s homepage is suddenly different; bookmark and the new tab are likewise modified; default web engine is modified; find new toolbars which you didn’t add; unstoppable flurries of popup adverts show up on your computer screen; your browser has instability issues or exhibits frequent errors; you cannot visit specific websites such as home pages of anti-malware software.

Exactly how browser hijacker finds its way onto your computer

A browser hijacker could be installed on your PC if you check out an infected website, click an e-mail attachment, or download something from a file-sharing website. They can also be deployed via the installation of a web browser toolbar, extension, or add-on. Some browser hijackers spread in user’s computer systems by using a deceptive software distribution method known as “bundling” (usually through freeware and shareware). Typical examples of browser hijackers include Conduit, CoolWebSearch, OneWebSearch, Coupon Server, RocketTab, Searchult.com, Snap.do, and Delta Search. Browser hijackers can record user keystrokes to gather potentially invaluable information that leads to privacy issues, cause instability on systems, drastically disrupt user’s browsing experience, and eventually slow down the system to a point where it becomes unusable.

Tips on how to remove browser hijackers

Some types of browser hijackers can be removed from your PC by deleting malicious software applications or any other recently installed shareware. Having said that, many hijackers are very tenacious and require specialized tools to eliminate them. You should think of carrying out manual repairs only if you are a tech-savvy person since there are dangers associated with messing around with the computer registry and HOSTS file. Professionals always suggest users to remove any malicious software including browser hijacker with an automatic malware removal tool, which is better, safer and faster than the manual removal procedure. One of the best tools for repairing browser hijacker malware is SafeBytes Anti-Malware. It will help you remove any pre-existing malicious software in your pc and provides you real-time monitoring and protection against the latest threats.

How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected Computer

All malware is inherently harmful, but certain kinds of malware do a lot more damage to your computer or laptop than others. Certain malware goes to great lengths to prevent you from downloading or installing anything on your PC, especially antivirus applications. So what should you do if malware prevents you from downloading or installing Safebytes Anti-Malware? Follow the instructions below to get rid of the malware in alternate ways.

Start Windows in Safe Mode

In the event the malware is set to run at Windows start-up, then booting in safe mode should avoid it. Only the bare minimum required programs and services are loaded when you start your PC in Safe Mode. Here are the steps you should follow to start your computer into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers (visit Microsoft website for directions on Windows 8 and 10 computers). 1) Hit the F8 key repeatedly as soon as your PC boots, however, before the big Windows logo or black screen with white texts comes up. This should bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Use the arrow keys to choose Safe Mode with Networking and press ENTER. 3) As soon as this mode loads, you will have an internet connection. Now, obtain the malware removal software you want by utilizing the internet browser. To install the program, follow the directions within the setup wizard. 4) After installation, run a full scan and let the program get rid of the threats it discovers.

Obtain the anti-malware software in a different internet browser

Some malware mainly targets specific browsers. If this sounds like your case, employ another web browser as it could circumvent the virus. If you appear to have malware attached to Internet Explorer, then switch to an alternate internet browser with built-in safety features, such as Chrome or Firefox, to download your preferred antivirus program – Safebytes.

Install antivirus on a flash drive

Here’s yet another solution which is using portable USB anti-malware software that can scan your system for viruses without the need for installation. Abide by these steps to run the anti-virus on the affected computer system. 1) Download Safebytes Anti-Malware or Microsoft Windows Defender Offline onto a virus-free PC. 2) Insert the USB drive into the clean PC. 3) Double click on the exe file to open the installation wizard. 4) Select the flash drive as the location for saving the software file. Follow activation instructions. 5) Transfer the thumb drive from the uninfected computer to the infected PC. 6) Double-click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the pen drive to run the program. 7) Press the “Scan Now” button to start the virus scan.

Protect your PC from Malware With SafeBytes Security Suite

In order to protect your computer from many different internet-based threats, it is important to install an anti-malware application on your laptop. However, with so many anti-malware companies out there, these days it’s tough to decide which one you should purchase for your PC. Some of them are great while some are scamware applications that pretend as legit anti-malware programs waiting around to wreak havoc on your PC. You have to be very careful not to pick the wrong product, especially if you purchase a premium application. When it comes to commercial anti-malware software options, the majority of people go with popular brands, like SafeBytes, and they are very happy with it. SafeBytes anti-malware is a highly effective and user-friendly protection tool that is designed for end-users of all levels of computer literacy. This program could easily detect, remove, and protect your PC from the latest malware intrusions including adware, spyware, trojan horses, ransomware, parasites, worms, PUPs, along with other potentially harmful software applications.

SafeBytes has fantastic features when compared with other anti-malware programs. The following are some of the great features included in the software.

Live Protection: SafeBytes gives real-time active supervision and protection from all known viruses and malware. It’ll continuously monitor your pc for hacker activity and also provides end-users with advanced firewall protection. World-class AntiMalware Protection: Safebytes is built on the best virus engine in the industry. These engines will detect and remove threats even during the initial stages of a malware outbreak. Safe Browsing: SafeBytes inspects the hyperlinks present on a web page for possible threats and tells you whether the website is safe to explore or not, through its unique safety rating system. “Fast Scan” Features: Safebytes AntiMalware, using its advanced scanning engine, gives ultra fast scanning which can quickly target any active online threat. Lowest CPU/Memory Usage: This software is lightweight and can work quietly in the background, and will not impact your computer efficiency. Premium Support: You can get 24/7 technical assistance to immediately resolve any issue with your security application. To conclude, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is really great for securing your laptop or computer against all kinds of malware threats. Now you may realize that this particular software does more than just scan and eliminate threats in your PC. If you’re searching for the best malware removal application out there, and if you don’t mind spending some dollars for it, go for SafeBytes Anti-Malware.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you’d like to manually get rid of FreeMaps without the use of an automated tool, it may be actually possible to do so by removing the program from the Microsoft Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser extensions, going to the browser’s AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. It’s also suggested to factory reset your browser settings to their default state. If you opt to manually remove the system files and registry entries, use the following list to ensure that you know precisely what files to remove before executing any actions. Please remember that this is for professional users only and may be challenging, with incorrect file removal resulting in additional PC errors. In addition, certain malware is capable of replicating or preventing removal. Completing this task in Safe Mode is advised.
Files: %LOCALAPPDATA%\FreeMapsTooltab\TooltabExtension.dll %TEMP%\nsf516A.tmp\nsDialogs.dll %TEMP%\nsf516A.tmp\System.dll %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\[email protected][1].txt %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Recovery\High\Active\RecoveryStore.E9B13F93-5957-11E6-93FC-0A00273BA4BE.dat %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\T1CS2ORS\installerParams[1].jhtml %TEMP%\nsf516A.tmp\installerParams
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Fixing PowerShell: File cannot be loaded ...
If you are using Windows PowerShell and it suddenly throws an error message saying, “File cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system”, then read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix this issue your Windows 10 computer. This kind of error in PowerShell is most likely due to the fact that your user account does not have the required permissions to execute the script. Although this does not mean that you need to have administrator-level permissions as it could also indicate that you have to be unrestricted to run these types of PowerShell scripts or cmdlets. Thus, to fix the error and carry out the task, you have to set the execution policy to be unrestricted. And to do that, you need to use the steps provided below as a reference. Step 1: To get started, you have to check what policies are set for the individual user groups on your computer by tapping the Win + X key combination or by right-clicking on the Start button and clicking on Windows PowerShell (Admin). You can also search for PowerShell in the Start Search and then right-click on Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator. Step 2: If a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click Yes to proceed. Once you’ve pulled up Windows PowerShell, type the following command to get the List of Execution Policy for all the scopes on your computer.
Get-ExecutionPolicy –List
Step 3: After you execute the command, it will give you a list of the User Groups as well as their Execution Policy status, and under the Scope column, look for “LocalMachine”. Once you find its Execution Policy you will notice that it’s either set to Undefined or Restricted. Step 4: Now that you’ve determined the Execution Policy, you need to set it to Unrestricted if it is set to Restricted. To do that, you have to enter the following command in the very same PowerShell window.
Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
Step 5: After you execute the command, you will see a message that asks for various permissions for which you either have to tap Y to say Yes to each one of the messages individually or tap the A key to say Yes to all the messages to once. However, if the command throws another error, you can just force the Execution Policy to change by executing the following command.
Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Force
Step 6: Once you’re done, it will finally set the Execution Policy for the Windows PowerShell scripts as well as cmdlets to be Unrestricted and fix the “File cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system” error.
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Fix Windows Update error 0x80070422
If you were trying to run Windows Update or activate Windows Firewall or download from the Windows Store but encounter the Windows Update Error 0x80070422 instead, read on as this post will show you how you can resolve the problem. This kind of Windows Update error occurs when the Windows Update or WUAUSERVE is not started or when the Background Intelligent Transfer Service or BITS can’t be started. It could be that they are disabled or because they have no enabled devices associated with them. Whichever the case is, you can check out the options given below to fix the Windows Update Error 0x80070422 and make sure that you create a System Restore point first before you start.

Option 1 – Check the status of some Windows Update Services

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open Services.
  • From the list of Services, look for the following services and make sure that their Startup type is as follows:
    • Windows Update – Manual (Triggered)
    • Background Intelligent Transfer Service – Manual
  • After that, check if the Service status of the listed services above is set to Running. If they’re not, click on the Start button to start these services and then check if you can now enable the Windows Update service or not.

Option 2 – Try to disable IPv6 in the Network Center

You might also want to disable IPv6 in the Network Center in order to fix the Windows Update Error 0x80070422. How? Follow these steps:
  • Tap the Win + X key combination on your keyboard and click on Network Connections.
  • This will open the Network Connections section under the Setting app. From there, click on the Network and Sharing Center link located at the right side of the panel which will open a Win32 version of the Windows settings known as Control Panel.
  • In the Control Panel, click on the network your computer is connected to.
  • A mini window will appear and in that window click on Properties which will open another mini window that will provide a list.
  • From this list, uncheck the option that says, “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)”.
  • Now click on OK and close all the other windows and see if it fixes the Windows Update error.

Option 3– Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

If disabling IPv6 didn’t work, you could also try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing any issues related to Windows Update including the Windows Update Error 0x80070422. 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 4 – Try running the DISM tool

You can also try to run the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the Windows Upgrade error. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.
  • Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
    • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
    • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
    • exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
  • Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Option 5 – Run Microsoft’s online troubleshooter

Running Microsoft’s online troubleshooter might also help you fix the Windows Update Error 0x80070422. 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.
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Enable or Disable Auto-Mounting in Windows
Every time a new drive or any storage device is connected to a Windows 10 computer, the operating system tends to allot a drive letter to it automatically. Not only that, as the OS also maps the location of the drive which helps it point the letter to the exact port location of the drive and serve requests from the user. As a result, it builds up a bit of cache as per the pattern in which the user uses the storage of the computer. This whole process is known as “Auto Mounting” which works for hard disks or optical drive readers that are connected using the SATA ports and even for USB drives that are connected using the USB ports. There are several ways you can enable or disable the Auto-Mount feature in Windows 10. You can do it using the MountVol tool or the Registry Editor or the Diskpart utility. Before you proceed, it is recommended that you create a System Restore point first so that you can always undo the changes you made in case anything goes wrong.

Option 1 – Enable or disable Auto Mounting via MountVol tool

In this option, you will be using the mountvol command in the Command Prompt. Refer to the steps below.
  • Tap the Wins key once and type in “command prompt” in the field.
  • From the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option to run it with admin privileges.
  • Next, type the following command and tap Enter to enable the Auto Mount feature:
mountvol /E
  • On the other hand, if you want to disable the Auto Mount feature, type the following command instead:
mountvol /N
  • After that, type the command below to remove all the previously assigned drive letters:
mountvol /R
  • Finally, restart your computer.

Option 2 – Enable or disable Auto Mounting via Registry Editor

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Then type “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  • After that, navigate to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesmountmgr
  • Next, look for a DWORD named “NoAutoMount”. If you can’t find a DWORD with that name then simply create a new DWORD with the same name and make sure that the base is selected to Hexadecimal.
  • Now double click on that DWORD and change its value to 0 if you want to enable it, otherwise, input 1 as its value to disable it.
  • Restart your computer.

Option 3 – Enable or disable Auto Mounting via Diskpart utility

  • Tap the Wins key once and type in “command prompt” in the field.
  • From the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option to run it with admin privileges.
  • After opening Command Prompt as admin, type the following command and hit Enter to launch the Diskpart utility:
diskpart
  • After that, a User Account Control prompt will appear. Just click on the Yes button.
  • Next, type the following command and hit Enter:
automount
  • Following the command you entered, you will an output that either says, “Automatic mounting of new volumes enabled” or “Automatic mounting of new volumes disabled” which means you can use it to check the status of Auto Mount.
  • Now if you want to enable the Auto Mount feature, type the following command and tap Enter:
automount enable
  • And if you want to disable the Auto Mount feature, just enter the following command:
automount disable
  • To remove all the assigned letter and history of drives that were connected previously, type the following command:
automount scrub
  • Finally, restart your computer.
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Software and hardware cleaning tips
Spring is almost here and with spring comes work, nature wakes up, people wake up, no more heating bills, time to start working, and time to start cleaning your PC. Good day everyone and welcome to another tip & trick for your PC. This time we are talking about cleaning your PC and keeping it up to software tight so you are ready for the upcoming spring season. Thank you for being with us and let's start:

Uninstall applications that you are not using

The unused applications can cause many issues for PC, from taking unnecessary disk space to even causing slower boot times if they have active services that require to be all-time up and running. They could slow down other applications like file explorer if they have extensions installed into them and can take RAM space with their background processes. If you are not using a particular application anymore or do not plan to use it soon it is always best practice to delete it from the system and thus removing all services and processes that go with it freeing so much-needed RAM and disc space.

Remove browser extensions you do not need

Browser extensions like applications can cause some issues with PC performance. if you spend a lot of time on the internet browser extensions can slow down browser and page loadings, they can make browsers take up more RAM memory and if they are outdated they could even present a serious security threat. Best practices are to keep only the extensions that you need all time, maybe some password managers or similar, extensions that you use on a daily basis, the rest should be uninstalled.

Remove things from the startup

Many services are booted along with Windows itself, some of them are crucial to the system even working, some not so. By eliminating not-needed services from the startup menu you will make sure that your boot times and overall performance of the system are in healthy form and that your PC is more responsive.

Organize files, folders, and desktop

The speeding of computer is not the only thing that you need to take care of, in order to be prepared and have maximum efficiency you will need to organize your files and folders as well. In a working environment, we often tend to save and place files all over the place, and in time they clog up desktop and hard drives. If the files are not well organized we will lose precious time trying to find anything that we need and require, so instead of wasting your time in locating files, why not organize them for easy and logical search so you can access them easily when needed.

Clean taskbar and start menu

Taskbar and start menu as well can be clogged with icons and non-organized application shortcuts and document shortcuts. Remove everything you do not need for that tidy and easily accessible access.

Sort bookmarks

It is very likely that you have plenty of bookmarks saved in our browser. It is also very likely that these bookmarks are not sorted and organized and now would be a great time to do it. Like files bookmarks also can cause you a lot of time loss if you need to find a specific one in a sea of many.

Run disc cleanup

Built-in disc cleanup utility will find temporary files, unused ones, and plenty of other junk on your hard drive. Now would be a great time to run it and get rid of junk files from your system.

Physically clean your computer

Now when we have taken care of the software part of our computer and system, it is time to clean up the computer itself. Unplug your computer and clean it, we will not go into details of this procedure, there is already an article on our site which deals with this part in detail so look it up if you need assistance with this part.

Clean your peripherals

Besides the computer for effective and pleasant work take care of your screen, keyboard, mouse, printer, etc. All of these devices need to be dust-free and clean if you expect them to behave on top of their game. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.
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Configuring Groove Music Equalizer in Windows
In case you don’t know, Groove Music is due to retire its OneDrive streaming service this month. Despite that being the case, there is actually a workaround you can try to still continue enjoying music streaming. The app also allows you to play your own local files and if required, you can also modify or tailor the experience with new features – for instance, Groove Music brings an Equalizer to the settings of the app. As the name suggests, the equalizer allows you to tweak frequency responses to your liking. On top of being able to tweak individual bands, the equalizer supports few pre-set settings to enable quick changes. This post will guide you on the process of accessing and using the equalizer in the Groove Music app. To get started, refer to the instructions provided below. Step 1: You need to make sure that you are running the latest version of the Groove Music app or version 10.18011.1211.0 or higher in order to use the equalizer in Groove Music. If needed, you can check the version number from Windows Store. Step 2: Open Windows Store and then click on the ellipses icon and select the Downloads and Updates option. Step 3: Next, search for Groove Music and check its version number. Step 4: Now that you’ve verified the version number of Groove Music, you need to open the equalizer setting. It is enabled by default and to access it, click on the gear icon for Settings and select equalizer under the Playback settings. Step 5: After that, the Equalizer window will pop up. It is where you can configure the equalizer settings using the drop-down menu. Here are the following presets you can choose from:
  • Flat
  • Treble Boost
  • Bass Boost
  • Headphones
  • Laptop
  • Portable speakers
  • Home Stereo
  • TV
  • Car
  • Custom
Step 6: Drag the dots upwards or downwards to set your own preferences, as needed. Note: The only downside to this setting is that there is no shortcut available for quick access as you have to navigate through the Settings section manually to access it and change the preset configurations. In addition, the Groove Music app also works on the mobile version of Windows 10.
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Fix Windows Sandbox failed to start 0x80070015
As of late, many users reported getting an error in Windows Sandbox that has an error code of 0x80070015. According to users, they encountered this error when they tried to start Windows Sandbox. Based on the error code, it seems that there are some problems with the supporting services of Windows Sandbox that trigger the error. It is possible that these services are misconfigured or that they are outdated and have to be updated. Here’s the complete message of the error:
“Windows Sandbox failed to start. Error 0x80070015. The device is not ready. Would you like to submit feedback about this issue?”
If you are one of the users who encountered this kind of error in Windows Sandbox, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will help you sort this problem out. All you have to do is follow each one of the options provided below.

Option 1 – Make sure that all the supporting processes and services of Windows Sandbox are running properly

If running Windows Sandbox as an administrator didn’t fix the error, you have to ensure that all related processes for Windows Sandbox are running properly. To do that, follow these steps:
  • Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
  • Next, from the list of services, look for the following services in the given order:
    • Network Virtualization Service: (Startup type: Manual)
    • Virtual Disk: (Startup type: Manual)
    • Hyper – V Virtual Machine: (Startup type: Manual)
    • Hyper – V Host Compute Service: (Startup type: Manual)
    • Container Manager Services: (Startup type: Automatic)
  • After you find the aforementioned services, restart each one of them.
  • Once done, try to open the Windows Sandbox again and see if the error is fixed or not.

Option 2 – Try to install any pending Windows Updates

If the second option still didn’t work, then you might want to check Windows Updates on your computer and see if there are any pending Windows Updates you have to install. All you have to do is go to the Windows 10 Settings app and then go to the Windows Updates section and click on the “Check for updates” button to check if there are any pending updates that are needed to be installed. This could fix the Windows Sandbox Error 0x80070015.

Option 3 – Try to run Windows Sandbox as an admin

  • In the Start Menu, scroll down until you see the entry for the Windows Sandbox.
  • Then right-click on it and select More and then select the “Run as administrator” option to open it with admin privileges.
  • Next, if a User Account Control or UAC prompt pops up, just click on Yes to proceed.
  • You should now be able to open the Windows Sandbox without the error. However, if the error persists, proceed to the next given option below.
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Fix Feature Update failed, error 0x8007000e
In every task carried out in the Windows 10 operating system, some of them don’t go smoothly and it could encounter a couple of errors along the way. One of these errors you could encounter is the Windows Update error code 0x8007000e. This particular error was reported to occur a lot when downloading and installing a Feature update via Windows Updates. And recently, it has been reported to occur a couple of times for the Windows 10 1903 May 2019 update. According to security experts, this error could be caused by a lack of memory or disk space as well as issues in the Windows Update mechanism. Whatever the cause is, troubleshooting this problem shouldn’t be hard as this post will give you some potential fixes you can check out. To fix this error, here are some options you need to consider:

Option 1 – Clear up temporary or junk files

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

Option 2 – Reset the Windows Update components

If by any chance that the second option didn’t work, resetting the Windows Update components could also help you resolve the problem. How? Refer to the following steps:
  • Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
    • net stop wuauserv
    • net stop cryptsvc
    • net stop bits
    • net stop msiserver
Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS and MSI Installer.
  • After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
    • ren C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution/SoftwareDistribution.old
    • ren C:/Windows/System32/catroot2/Catroot2.old
  • Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
    • net start wuauserv
    • net start cryptsvc
    • net start bits
    • net start msiserver
  • Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.

Option 3 – Try configuring the Windows Update-related Services

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

Option 4 – Try running the Windows Update troubleshooter

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

Option 5 – Try to use the Media Creation tool

The Media Creation tool in Windows allows you to use the ISO installation file to make a bootable device that you can use to install Windows on your PC. Note that this is kind of different from the usual installation process as it could erase your computer’s current settings and data on the primary drive. Thus, before you proceed, you need to backup all your data into some removable drive and then use the Media Creation tool to make a bootable drive.
  • After making the bootable drive, you need to plug it in your computer and then reboot.
  • Next, tap the F10 or Esc key to open the boot options.
  • Now set the boot priority of the removable drive the highest. Once the setup comes forth, follow the next onscreen instructions and install Windows without any problems.
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How to Fix Windows 10 Error 0x8007001

Error Code 0x8007001 - What is it?

Error Code 0x8007001 occurs during installations that take place in Windows 10.  Various versions of this same error have also been present in previous editions of the software and the methods to resolve the error across these versions are the same

Common symptoms include:

  • Inability to complete the installation process for updates, programs, and system versions.
  • Installations quitting out in the middle of the process, particularly as the files are unpacked.

Several solutions for Error Code 0x8007001 require the user to complete semi-complex tasks. If you aren’t comfortable with the processes necessary to finish the methods below, make sure that you get in touch with a certified professional who is familiar with the Windows operating system to assist you in the resolution of the error code.

Solution

Restoro box imageError Causes

In many cases, Error Code 0x8007001 is caused by an installation disk that is not functioning properly or installation files that have been corrupted or changed. When this is the case, the operating system will not be able to begin actually installing the files and will instead hang up as the files are unpacked from the installation set.

Further Information and Manual Repair

For Error Code 0x8007001 to be repaired properly, the missing or corrupted installation files need to be repaired or the system needs to be able to recognize the files that it is missing. This can require some advanced computing knowledge. If you don’t feel comfortable with the idea of undertaking the methods below on your own, contact a computer repair technician who can assist you in following these steps.

Method One:  Load the Install Files on an Alternative Disk

In some cases, the operating system simply cannot recognize the installation files that are present on the disk in question, whether it is on a hard drive, a set of downloaded files, or files from a flash drive. If this is the case on your particular machine, the simplest way to work around the problem is to load the installation files onto an alternative disk source, whether it be a flash drive, CD, DVD, or secondary hard drive. After these files have been properly loaded onto that alternative disk, attempt to run the installation from the alternative source instead.

If this method is successful, it means that the system may have had trouble recognizing the files involved in the installation from the first source, but that the files themselves were not corrupted or changed.

Make sure that you save the alternative disk source after your installation is complete in case you ever need to do a fresh installation on your machine.

Method Two:  Clean Your Disc and Your Drive

If you are installing files from a DVD or CD, check to make sure that the back of the disc is free from scratches and dust. If there are no visible marks on the disc, you may need to open up your disk drive to see if there is a build-up of dust or debris inside of the drive. If this is the case, simply clean your drive and re-attempt your installation process from the included disk.

Method Three:  Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter and Update Your Programs

If the error code is still appearing on your machine, you can open up your Windows Update tool and run the troubleshooting wizard, which will then scan your machine to see if there are any potential problems that it can fix. Next, run the Update tool itself if there are any updates that need to be performed. Sometimes, this can resolve the error at hand. Make sure to restart your computer after any updates or changes have been made so that you can ensure that they are applied by the operating system appropriately.

Method Four: Use An Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 10 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.
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