Expand right-click menu in Windows 11

As you know, all computer mouse devices are designed ergonomically for users who are right-handed. Although that’s mostly the case, there are also other mouse devices that are designed specifically for left-handed users or the ones that can be used by either the right or left hand. But before you look for these kinds of mouse devices, there is actually an option you can try so that your mouse device can work with either the left or right hand. All you have to do is configure your mouse device. Aside from setting the device to work on either hand, you can also switch mouse buttons, from left to right, using only a couple of simple steps. As mentioned earlier, most mouse devices are created for right-handed users. Meaning to say, these mouse devices are configured to be right-handed with their primary button on the left and the second one on the right. The primary button is used for certain functions such as selecting and dragging. Now you can configure your mouse to be left-handed by swapping its predefined functionality. How? Refer to each one of the given instructions below.

Option 1 – via Control Panel

• First, go to the Start Menu and search for “control panel” in the Start search.
• Once you see it from the search results, click on it to open it and then go to the Hardware and Sound section.
• From there, click on Mouse under the Device and Printers section. This will open the window for Mouse Properties.
• Now you have to check the Switch primary and secondary buttons box.
• Then click on OK to save the changes made. After that, your primary select button on your mouse device is your right button while the secondary button, also known as right-click, is now the left button.

Option 2 – via Windows 10 Settings

This is the second option you can check out to change the configuration of your mouse from being right-handed to being left-handed.

• First, right-click on the Windows icon and select Search.
• Next, type “mouse” and from the search results that appear, click on Mouse Settings.
• After that, select “Right” from the “Select your primary button” drop-down menu. This should set the mouse device from being right-handed to being left-handed.

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.

Recently, a number of users reported that they were not able to run PLEX and other similar streaming services ever since a Windows Update was automatically installed in the system. The error in these streaming services has something to do with a missing Mfplat.dll DLL file from the Windows Media Feature Pack. On the other hand, some users also reported that the mfplat.dll error occurred on several games as well which used the Media Feature Pack. Usually, the mfplat.dll error is caused by the missing Media Feature Pack in Windows 10. Although most of the time the Media Feature Pack is installed by the application that needs it or through Windows Update automatically, there are just certain installers that do not have it. It could be that the Media Playback service was disabled by a particular Windows Update. Aside from that, the error might be because your computer is using Windows 10 N – a Windows 10 version that does not include the Media Feature Pack by default. Whatever the cause may be, you can troubleshoot the problem with the help of the options given below. But before you go on, keep in mind that downloading the missing DLL file and copying it to the folder of the program where you encounter the error won’t really help and will only make things even more complicated.

Option 1 – Install the Media Feature Pack for Windows 10 N version

As mentioned, the Windows 10 N version does not come with Windows Media Player. Meaning to say, the Media Feature Pack is also not installed by default or won’t be updated by the Windows Update component. So if you are not quite sure what Windows 10 version you currently have installed, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Windows key + S and then type “about” in the search box.
• From the search results, click on the “About your PC” to open the About tab of the Settings app.
• Afterward, scroll down to the Windows specifications and check your Windows version under Edition.

Note: If you’ve determined that your computer is using the Windows 10 N version, you need to install the appropriate Media Feature Pack for your computer. How? Refer to the steps below:

• Click this link to download and install the Media Feature Pack from Microsoft’s official website.
• Upon installation, select the edition you want to install using the drop-down menu and then click on Confirm. Take note that there are few reasons why you’d want to install the older version since most streaming services like PLEX and most games usually require version 1803.
• After that, wait until the request is validated. The download should begin in a few minutes automatically.
• Once the download is completed, open the installation executable file and follow the next on-screen instructions to install the Media Feature Pack on your computer.
• Restart your computer. After your computer has rebooted, open the application where you’re getting the mfplat.dll missing error and then check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 2 – Enable Media Playback via Command Prompt

If you encounter the mfplat.dll missing error when you attempt to run PLEX or other similar streaming service and you’ve already verified that the Media Feature Pack is indeed installed, you might want to try enabling it using an elevated Command Prompt. There are cases when a particular Windows Update ends up disabling the feature and creates the grounds which results in the mfplat.dll missing error. Thus, you can have to enable the feature via Command Prompt.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “cmd” in the field and hit Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
• Next, click on Yes if a User Account Control prompt pops up.
• After opening Command Prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter to execute it:

dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:MediaPlayback

• Close Command Prompt and then open the app once again to check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 3 – Try extracting a copy of the mfplat.dll file from the windows.old directory

If you encounter the error shortly after you just upgraded to Windows 10 from an older version, the best thing you can do to resolve the problem is to use windows.old directory to fetch an old copy of the mfplat.dll file. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Go to the Windows drive and then look for the windows.old directory where it preserves a copy of your old operating system as well as associated files in case something goes out of hand during the upgrade process.
• After that, open the windows.old folder and then go to the syswow64 folder.
• Next, from the syswow64 folder, copy the mfplat.dll file and paste it to C: windows syswow64.
• Restart your computer and check if the error is now resolved or not.

Each time we turn ON our computer or wake it from hibernation we are greeted with a Windows login screen where we need to provide login credentials in order to get into Windows itself and start working. This method of preserving data and privacy is perfectly fine and as a matter of fact, it is recommended for mobile computers but if you have a home computer in a safe environment where no one will try to look at your data or rummage through your personal stuff then removing login screen is safe enough action and can cause you a lot piece, from time-saving to less frustration on every restart or sleep action. In previous Windows versions, it was much easier to turn off this feature but it seems Microsoft has determined that our privacy and security are important and somewhat removed the ability to turn OFF the lock screen. In this guide, we will show you how you can still remove the lock screen and automatically log in with your account like in the good old days. The first thing you need to do is to press ⊞ WINDOWS + R  to bring up the Run dialog In the dialog, type in netplwiz and press ENTER. You will find yourself in the User Accounts window, inside deselect Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer. Press OK Sign in the window will pop up where you will have to type in your password and confirm it in order to start the feature. After typing in your password and confirming it, press OK. That's it, next time you wake your computer from hibernation or turn it ON, you will automatically be greeted with a desktop instead of a Windows login screen.

If you are browsing the internet using the Google Chrome browser in your Windows 10 computer but you suddenly encounter an error message that states, “ERR_ICAN_NAME_COLLISION”, read on as this post will walk you through in fixing the problem. Here’s the full content of the error message:

“The site can’t be reached, This site on the company, organization, or school intranet has the same URL as an external website. Try contacting your system administrator. ERR ICAN NAME COLLISION.”

This kind of error is caused by an error in a private namespace or a random redirection to an incorrect proxy server. There are several ways to fix this error. You can try to check the integrity of the Hosts file or check the proxy. You could also try to use the Registry Editor and apply some tweaks or remove any conflicting browser extensions or flush the DNS cache, as well as run a malware scan.

Option 1 – Try to check the integrity of the Hosts file

To check the integrity of the Hosts file, refer to the following steps:

• You have to navigate to this path inside File Explorer: C:/Windows/System32/driversetc
• After that, look for a file named “Hosts” and right-click on it, and open it with the Notepad app.
• Next, make sure that you write the block URLs in your computer in the list and then save the file.

Note: There are times when you are logged in with administrator credentials and you may receive an error message. In such case, type “notepad” in the Start Search and right-click on Notepad from the search results, and then select the “Run as administrator” option. After that, open the Hosts file and make the necessary changes and save it.

Option 2 – Try to check the Proxy server

There are some users who reported that they’ve fixed the problem after they’ve disabled the use of a proxy server using the built-in way. Follow the steps below to disable the proxy server.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “inetcpl.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to pull up the Internet Properties.
• After that, go to the Connections tab and select the LAN settings.
• From there. Uncheck the “Use a Proxy Server” option for your LAN and then make sure that the “Automatically detect settings” option is checked.
• Now click the OK and the Apply buttons.
• Restart your PC.

Note: If you are using a third-party proxy service, you have to disable it.

Option 3 – Try to use the Registry Editor

Before you apply some registry tweaks, make sure that you create a System Restore point. Once you have that covered, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• After that, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTcpipParametersDataBasePath
• Look for the default key and double click on it and make sure that its Value data is set as “C:/Windows/System32/driversetc”.
• Now exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made

Option 4 – Flush the DNS cache

You could also try to flush the DNS cache to fix the “ERR_ICAN_NAME_COLLISION” error. All you have to do is open Command Prompt as an administrator and then execute each one of the following commands sequentially to flush the DNS cache:

• ipconfig/release
• ipconfig/renew
• ipconfig/flushdns

Option 5 – 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.

Note: If removing the browser extensions or toolbars didn’t work, you can also try to reset your Google Chrome browser.

• Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
• After that, click on Settings.
• Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
• After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
• Now restart Google Chrome.

Option 6 – Run a malware scan using Windows Defender

It is possible that your computer is infected with malware which could be why you’re getting the “ERR_ICAN_NAME_COLLISION” error. Thus, you need to scan your computer using Windows Defender.

• Tap the Win + I keys to open Update & Security.
• Then click on the Windows Security option and open Windows Defender Security Center.
• Next, click on Virus & threat protection > Run a new advanced scan.
• Now make sure that Full Scan is selected from the menu and then click the Scan Now button to get started.

What is Solimba?

Solimba is a bundled executable program. It was created to be launched as a promotional tool to get advertisements loaded on a user’s system, upon installation. As a bundle, Solimba offers installation of various programs, with the objective of promoting various products and services. It utilizes unethical techniques, as in the case with adware tactics to influence or for want of a better word, hijack an Internet Browser to affect a website’s result on a search results page. In this assessment, Solimba distributed ads on Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Mozilla browsers, by hijacking various Internet Browsers to change the user's experience. (Images are shown below) Technical details about Solimba PUP include:

Digital Signature:  POPELER SYSTEM, S.L. Entry Point:   0x0000C1DC

Assessment of Solimba Potentially Unwanted Program

Solimba PUP is all about the ads. Once this executable is installed, it penetrates your computer system and sends ads all over your Internet Browser – Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and the likes. For this assessment of Solimba.exe PUP, two installations were carried through. In layman's terms, I actually installed Solimba on two occasions to decipher the true nature of the PUP. It was shocking to find that both installations revealed different bundled programs and advertisements. In the first instance (as shown below), Solimba proved more aggressive in featuring ads for revenue advancements.

 Solimba employed aggressive advertising techniques

It’s important to note that hijacked results resulting from the installation of Solimba. This affected the results of the website on the Internet browser to boost its ranking, even without the use of a search engine. The advertisement displayed on the Internet Explorer search page routes the user to a software installation website. The utility tool in question was a “Windows 8.1 PC Repair” tool used to identify threats present on the Windows 8.1 OS. The advertisement displayed on the Chrome Browser search page routes the user to a health and beauty magazine website. This site advocates health and beauty, especially issues concerning weight loss. Several ads were visible on-site, displaying products to assist people in losing weight. During my installation of Solimba, the installation wizard underscored that four programs would be downloaded. These programs included N8Fanclub.com_KinoniRemoteDesktop, Lolliscan, PaceItUp, and SearchProtect. Interestingly, only two programs from the list were apparent or obvious. An N8Fanclub.com_KinoniRemoteDesktop file was made on the Desktop and SearchProtect was seen in “All Programs”, along with files stored on the computer’s Local Drive. The other programs that were “supposedly” installed remained concealed. A test was done to determine whether these were counted as extensions or add-ons to the varying web browsers but nothing was found on any of the tested browsers – Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox.

Description of 4 Installed Files

N8Fanclub.com_KinoniRemoteDesktop

When this file was initially found on the Desktop, a rootkit came to mind. A rootkit was used as a means to an end. Whoever was on the receiving end of this unwanted file would be able to connect to an infiltrated system without the knowledge of the user. After running the file to determine its behavior, nothing much happened. A message appeared indicating that the software couldn’t execute on the computer. That was pretty tricky since, to begin with, I didn’t place that specific file on the desktop but it came along with the territory and so I had to accept it. Further research online into N8Fanclub.com_KinoniRemoteDesktop proved very rewarding. A search of the entire file name was not able to do the trick so I had to do research on both terms separately. After landing on N8Fanclub.com, I was nicely asked to disable my adblocker. There seemed nothing harmful about the site. However, due to the fact that it was not what I initially installed, the program was an unwanted program. That’s exactly what Solimba does. It installs several other programs that were not requested by the user in an attempt to make money from advertising. The mere fact that this program got installed meant that it was to promote an online service.

KinoniRemoteDesktop

was a separate program. It was combined with N8Fanclub as a way to allow users to use their PC computer “as if they were sitting in front of it.” A user would be able to make use of a full web browser, watch Flash videos, play games, and even use office applications. This would be done from the user’s Nokia device. This is an advertisement at its best.

Lolliscan

This program did not allow me to see much since it didn’t leave a physical trace behind. However, during the installation, Lolliscan was listed as one of the four programs that would be installed. Overall, Lolliscan supposedly should be able to save people money since this form of the ad focuses on showing coupons when visiting sites such as Amazon. While this seems like a good deal, this ad will invade your personal space and distribute pop-ups at the most inopportune times.

PaceItUp

As the name states, PaceItUp is software added to a browser with the intent to speed your computer. Quite the contrary, PaceItUp does the total opposite since it installs bundled programs that slow down a computer system. PaceItUp is also known for displaying ads and tracking what the user does on his/her computer system.

SearchProtect

It’s known for hijacking your computer’s homepage. In fact, this addition is very stubborn and often possesses a challenge when a request to uninstall is made.

Further Information on Solimba

The second installation of Solimba also had its own dose of bundles to display. In comparison to the first installation, two programs from the bundle were different while two remained the same. two additional programs were installed along with the second installation of this bundle. These were dubbed Optimizer Pro and GamesDesktop. SearchProtect and N8Fanclub.com_KinoniRemoteDesktop remained triumphant and unbeatable. They were repeated within the installation. To completely remove Solimba from your computer, click here to download and install Spyhunter.

If you open any program in your Windows 10 PC such as Outlook and suddenly get an error message saying, “Failed to register a VB Script dll. Reinstall or run Regsvr32.exe Vbscript.dll to self-register”, read on, as this post will guide you on what you can do to fix it. The obvious solution to this problem is by re-registering the “vbscript.dll” file on your computer. Refer to the instructions given below to re-register the VB Script DLL file and to fix the error.

• Step 1: Open the Command Prompt as an administrator from the WinX Menu.
• Step 2: After opening Command Prompt, type in the following command and tap Enter on your keyboard.

regsvr32.exe vbscript.dll

• Step 3: Once you enter the command, it will re-register the VB Script DLL file using the Windows OS tool called Regsvr32 or regsvr32.exe. This tool is a command-line utility used to register and unregister OLE controls such as DLL and ActiveX (OCX) controls in the Windows environment. After the execution of the command, you should see the following pop-up on your screen which means the re-registering of the concerned DLL file has succeeded.

On the other hand, if re-registering the DLL file didn’t work, then you can try logging in using an administrator account and then register the DLL file again or you could also use the System File Checker to figure out what the problem really is and automatically fix it. System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files. 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.

Privacy is a hot topic lately in all circles so naturally themes like private or incognito browsing pop up immediately as discussion topics. Naturally, when discussing private or incognito browsing it is very important to understand what exactly private or incognito browsing is, what does it do and how it works in order to shed some light on is it really private and safe as we are told. So, when you browse the internet normally websites have tendencies to save your browsing data, save cookies, remember passwords, etc in order to provide you with a better surfing experience next time you visit that same site. Private or incognito browsing treats you as a completely new user which is the first time visiting a given website. It clears all your data, including your browsing history, cookies, etc., on exiting. Every website you visit in private or incognito mode treats you as a new visitor, even if you have visited it before in incognito mode. And basically, that's it. So is it really private? No, it is just a non-remembering mode of internet browsing where after your browsing session history and other data is cleared from the browser, but while you are on the internet you are pretty visible to all like any other normal user. There are a lot of misconceptions and wrong thinking about browsing the internet in this mode so let's take a look at some typical ones.

1. The government and other companies can not track me

   Many people think that the Government cannot trace their identity when they surf privately. This is only a myth. There are many ways by which the Government can reach you if you do something illegal. When you surf online, you are connected with an ISP of your area, which helps the officials track your location.

2. Virus and other malware can not infect me while in private or incognito mode

   Many people think that private mode protects them from virus and malware attacks. It is not true because malware and viruses can enter your PC through a software download, phishing email, etc. To protect your PC from virus and malware attacks, you should have good security software.

3. My IP address is hidden when I am in incognito or private browsing mode

   This is not 100% true. If you search “What is my IP” in incognito and standard mode, you will get the same results. This means that websites can view your IP address in private mode also. Using a VPN would be a good option if you want to hide your IP.

4. I can not be tracked via ads

   Since cookies are deleted after exiting private browsing, many people think that ads cannot track them. When you surf in incognito mode, the browser saves cookies in a temporary mode, allowing ads to track you during your entire private browsing session.

5. I am not visible when I am in incognito or private

   You may think if you sign in to your Gmail or other social media accounts in private mode, no one will see you online. This is not true. It does not matter whether you have signed into your account in normal mode or incognito mode; others can always spot you online.

In your regular browsing mode, you may have some addons, extensions, themes, etc installed and you can use them. They may track your activities. The data is deleted when you exit the browser. When you use the private browsing mode, the browser is loaded in its original form, typically without the installed addons, extension, themes, etc. The data gets deleted when you exit the browser. This mode doesn’t save data to disk but keeps it in memory during the current session. If you are really concerned about your privacy we have articles about using DuckDuckGo and deep web where you can be sure that your browsing sessions are encrypted.

Recently, a lot of users reported having an issue with Windows Update. According to these users, they got an error message saying, “Windows Update components must be repaired” after they run the Windows Update troubleshooter. So if you are also facing this issue then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you in fixing this problem. There are various suggestions you can check out to fix this problem – you can try running the Windows Update troubleshooter again but this time, in a Clean Boot State or you could also run System File Checker or the DISM tool to repair corrupted Windows Update files or reset the Windows Update components. For more information, refer to the given options below.

Option 1 – Run the Windows Update troubleshooter in a Clean Boot State

Repairing the “Windows Update components must be repaired” error is not that complicated. One of the things you can try is to run the Windows Update troubleshooter again but this time, in a Clean Boot State. Refer to the steps below to get started.

• 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.)
• Now try to run the Windows Update troubleshooter again and see if the error is fixed or not.

Option 2 – Try to run System File Checker

If the Windows Update troubleshooter still failed to fix the problem, you can run System File Checker instead. It is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

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

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

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

Option 3 – Run the DISM tool

Running the DISM Tool helps in repairing the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in Windows 10. 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.

Note: If it happens that the Windows Update client is broken, you need to run the following command to repair it then restart your PC and click on Update once again.

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:RepairSourceWindows /LimitAccess

Option 4 – Delete the contents in the Software Distribution folder and Catroot2 folder

You can also delete the contents in both the Software Distribution and Catroot2 folders as it could potentially fix the “Windows Update components must be repaired” error.

• 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 start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Cryptographic, and the MSI Installer
• 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.

After resetting the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to reset the Catroot2 folder to restart the services you just stopped. To do that, follow these steps:

• Type each one of the following commands.

net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After that, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer, and then try to run Windows Update once more.

Error 115 - What is it?

Error 115 is a type of GameGuard redundant execution error.  If you have GameGuard installed on your PC, then you will most likely experience this error code. GameGuard is basically an anti-cheating robot toolkit developed by INCA Internet. It is installed to block possibly malicious applications and common methods of cheating on multiplayer online role-playing games. But at the same time, this software is infamous for error pop-ups. Error 115 is displayed on the Windows screen when a game has been executed multiple times or you have left the game running without logging out. Error 115 is displayed in the following format:

GameGuard Execute Error: 115 ‘There are multiple events of game execution or GameGuard is already running. Close the game then try again.’

Solution

Error Causes

The error 115 may appear on your Windows screen due to multiple reasons. These include:

• Multiple executions of the game
• Antivirus Conflict
• Firewall Conflict
• Registry Overloaded with Bad and Invalid Entries

This error may cause a great deal of inconvenience to you if you love to play multi-player role-playing games over the web like Blood Feud, 9Dragons, Phantasy Star Universe, and Alliance of Valiant Arms. To avoid such inconvenience, it is advisable to fix this error immediately.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some easy do-it-yourself methods to resolve the error 115 on your PC. These methods require no technical expertise.

Method 1 - Terminate the Game Already Running on Your System

To resolve the issue, hit ‘Ctrl+Shift+Esc’ to launch Task Manager. Here you will find a list of applications running on your system, terminate the gaming application to resolve error 115.  If this doesn’t work, then restart your PC.

Method 2 - Disable Antivirus Programs or Firewall Temporarily

Sometimes this error may appear on your computer screen because of antivirus or Firewall security conflict. These programs often block gaming applications and software like GameGuard and because of that, you are unable to play online games on your system. To fix the issue, try disabling these programs on your PC temporarily.

Method 3 - Clean and Repair the Registry

The error 115 may also occur because of the registry issue with Symantec. Follow these steps to enable the game to run:

• Go to your start menu then find Run then write Regedit.
• Find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. To proceed, go to SYSTEM then CurrentControlSet, and then Services.
• Look in the list for SysPlant and click it. Then look for the word 'Start', right-click on Start, and select rename.
• Rename 'start' to 'DWORD: 00000004’ then close Regedit and reboot your PC to activate changes.

Method 4 - Download and Run Total System Care.

This process can be slightly tricky and a bit time-consuming. Therefore it is advisable to download Restoro. This is a cutting-edge, easy-to-use PC Fixer deployed with a powerful registry cleaner. It removes all the unnecessary files cluttering the registry like bad and invalid registry entries. It fixes the damaged registry and enables it to resume back to its normal functioning. Click here to download Restoro.