People are becoming more and more concerned with their privacy and Facebook's flagship messaging application is caught between it all. While still widely popular it has becoming to lose its ground due to many unanswered questions about privacy encryption.
Lucky for all of us there are alternatives for more secure messaging.
SIGNAL
Arguably the most secure of all well-regarded messaging apps, Signal is the favorite of the European Commission, as well as newsrooms around the world. While Signal doesn’t disclose how many daily or monthly users the app has, Google’s Play Store says it has been installed more than 50 million times. While using Signal, each voice or video call connected through the app includes full end-to-end encryption.
Signal takes an extra step by hiding message metadata so that the location of the original message is missing. While it asks for your mobile number, that number isn’t used with your profile. Instead, it acts as a numeric username. Once registered, you will find 1-1 chat, audio, and video calls, disappearing or “secret” chats, and a privacy lock so nobody can access the app even if they have your phone. Best of all, it’s completely free to use.
TELEGRAM
One of the biggest competitors to Facebook Messenger (and WhatsApp), Telegram is a very strong alternative. With more than 400 million users, it offers an interface that should feel right at home for anyone coming from Messenger. Telegram offers some huge benefits over Messenger, including features like groups that can hold up to 200,000 members for a chat. There is no limit on your media or chat size, and you can share all types of files between users and in groups.
From a privacy standpoint, Telegram has robust security, but it is worth noting that only “secret” messages are end-to-end encrypted and can self-destruct. Non-secret messages can be stored on Telegram’s servers so you can pick them up between your devices quickly. That’s a consideration worth knowing prior to making Telegram your default Messenger replacement. Telegram is free across all platforms.
THREEMA
Rising in popularity, Threema is another privacy-focused alternative that has quickly become a competitor to Facebook Messenger. This paid service ($2.99 on both App Store and Play Store) is a pay-once, use forever option. Once you pay the small fee, you gain all of Threema’s touted privacy options, like open-source end-to-end encryption for both messages and calls.
Like Signal, Threema won’t require you to link any phone numbers or emails to your account. All chats are handled anonymously, and the service generates a random user ID when you first open and register for the app. No data is collected from any of your chats and no ads are shown.
The Swiss-made app does have its own servers hosted in Switzerland, which do not store any chat messages. Another privacy benefit of Threema is the notion that all of your contact lists, groups, and user profiles are hosted on your device, not on the Swiss servers. Because of that, Threema can once again state that none of your personal info is stored anywhere they have access.
In case you don’t know, the .Net Framework is a programming infrastructure introduced by Microsoft. You will need it to run on lots of services and applications. Note that most of the applications that require the .Net Framework are packed with their installation files which is why it will be installed automatically on your computer when you install an application. However, there are instances when you’ll get an error message saying, “The .NET Framework 4.7 is not supported on this operating system” while trying to install the .NET Framework as a standalone service.
The very reason why this error message appears is stated in the error message itself. Although the .Net Framework is supported on Windows 10, it is not actually compatible with some other Windows 10 versions. So it is most likely that you are seeing this error message because the .Net Framework in your computer is not compatible with the Windows 10 version you are running. Since that’s the case, you need to update Windows 10 to fix the problem.
Updating your Windows 10 computer is the only solution you can try to fix this problem. Thus, it is advised that you check for Windows Updates even if you are now using the latest version of Windows 10. And since the issue is caused by an incompatible operating system version, once you install the exact version of Windows 10 required by the .Net Framework, the problem will be fixed. Simply follow the steps given below to do so.
Step 1: Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Step 2: After that, type in “winver” in the field and tap Enter.
Step 3: Next, your Windows 10 version should be given in the new window that appears. Take note that the number after the Version which is in the second line is your version number of Windows 10. And that the number must be 1507 or 1709. The first two digits in these numbers are the year while the second two represent the month when the update was released. So if you are running a 1709 version, this means that the Windows 10 version you are using was released in September 2017.
Step 4: The next thing you have to do is to make sure that you have the Windows 10 version that’s compatible with the .Net Framework. To verify, you need to click here and click on the System Requirements.
After opening the link, take a look at the Supported Operating System section where it says, “Windows 10 Anniversary Update” and “Windows 10 Creators Update”. Since there are users who are not familiar with the version numbers related to both the Anniversary and Creators updates, refer to the list given below.
November Update (1511)
Anniversary Update (14393)
Creators Update (1703)
Fall Creators Update (1709)
Spring Creators Update (1803)
As you can see, the Creators Update has version 1703 while the Anniversary Update has version number 14393 so if you are using a version lower than the 14393 version then it’s no wonder you aren’t able to install the .Net Framework 4.7 on your Windows 10 PC. Now all that’s left to do is to update your Windows 10 version and make sure that you will be updating it to the latest version available and then try installing the .Net Framework again.
If you wish to continue where you have left off when you signed out of Windows follow this guide and learn how to continue your work after signing in, restart apps in your Windows.
You can set Windows 10 to Automatically save your restartable apps when you sign out and restart them after you sign in. Here’s how:
Right-click on the Windows logo to open the secret menu
Select Settings
Click open Accounts
From the left side, select Sign-in options
Scroll down till you see Restart apps setting
Toggle the Automatically save your restartable apps when you sign out and restart them after you sign in setting to On position
Error code 0xC1900101, 0x20017 in Windows 10 occurs when Windows users attempt to upgrade to Windows 10 but fail to complete the installation process. This Windows error code may occur due to issues with a third-party antivirus program or problems related to a driver or hardware. When this occurs users will receive an error message and their machine will automatically revert to the original operating system on the device. Common symptoms of the error code include the following:
Error code 0xC1900101-0x20017 message box
Inability to complete Windows 10 upgrade
Solution
Error Causes
Like many other error codes affecting Windows 10 users, 0xC1900101-0x20017 may result due to several different reasons. Oftentimes, error code 0xC1900101 -0x20017 affects users who attempt to upgrade their operating system but have incompatible drivers or hardware as well as antivirus or other security systems which prevent the upgrade from occurring. If this error message is not resolved, it could give birth to other error messages such as error code 0x80070652.
Further Information and Manual Repair
To fix this particular error code affecting Windows 10 devices, you will need to employ at least one manual repair method mentioned within this article. Manual repair methods offer effective solutions as they seek to address the root causes related to Windows error codes. When the manual repair methods are implemented correctly, users are usually able to quickly overcome issues that cause Windows error codes and can thereafter access all the benefits Windows has to offer to its users.
Note, however, that in a few cases where technical skills are required, the need for a Windows repair technician may present itself. In such a case, resort to Windows forums and other resources to access help from a certified Windows professional. Also, consider using an automated tool where necessary.
Method One: Temporarily Disable or Uninstall Third-party Security Software
Some third-party security programs or antivirus software may interfere with the installation process when Windows users attempt to upgrade to Windows 10. To verify if this is the issue causing error code 0xC1900101-0x20017 on your device, temporarily uninstall or disable these applications. You may easily do so by checking the settings of these programs or visiting Settings within the Windows Start Menu.
Once you have disabled these programs on your device, reboot your machine and attempt to update to Windows 10. If the issue was caused by a third-party app, error code 0xC1900101-0x20017 will no longer occur and your machine will successfully upgrade to the version of Windows 10 you attempt to download.
However, in the case where error code 0xC1900101-0x20017 in Windows 10 reoccurs during the installation process, you will need to resort to another manual repair method listed below.
Method Two: Disable Firewall Software
Like method one, this manual repair method can be effective in combating issues related to 0xC1900101-0x20017. This is of course, dependent on whether or not the error code is due to an incompatible security program.
Temporarily disable your firewall by adjusting its settings. Once this step is complete, reboot your machine and attempt to install the latest version of Windows 10. If you are able to complete the process, this means the problem was due to an issue with your firewall. You can then enable the firewall you previously disabled or download another program as its replacement.
If the error code reoccurs, however, consider implementing the next manual repair method on this list.
Method Three: Use Command Prompt to Check for Damaged System Files
Command Prompt can be very effective in helping regular as well as technically skilled users repair issues with their PC. In the case of error code 0xC1900101-0x20017 in Windows 10, access Command Prompt using the following instructions.
Step one: Right-click Start Menu
Step two: Select Command Prompt (Admin)
Step three: Type sfc /scannow
Be sure to enter the command as it is written above, with a space between “sfc” and “/scannow”. Wait until the scan is complete. If there are any errors related to system files, i.e. if any system files are damaged, corrupted, or missing, your machine will begin to fix it. Once the process is complete, reboot your PC then reattempt the Windows 10 upgrade process via Windows Update. If you are successful, it means that you have rectified error code 0xC1900101-0x20017. Otherwise, you may need to contact a Windows repair technician.
Method Four: Download 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.
If by any chance your search result in Windows is misleading, missing, or incorrect then it is a high probability that your search index is out of date. To repair this issue follow this guide step by step.
Please take note that rebuilding the whole search index can take a long time on some systems depending on the size of the index itself, CPU speed, HD speed, etc. Sometimes it can take even hours on large drives.
First, press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog and type in it Control panel to open the control panel.
Once you are in the control panel, switch your view to large icons and locate Indexing options.
Inside indexing options, click on advanced.
In advanced options click on the rebuild and confirm.
Leave your computer to finish and your searches should be working fine now.
One of the most popular and most used web browsers commonly used by Windows users is Google Chrome. This well-known web browser has been introducing various features recently in order to stay at the top. However, it makes the web browser a lot more complex and thus prone to errors. Although this may not be a big deal, it can be quite annoying as it can interrupt your web browsing.
There are various errors that can come up with this level of complexity of the web browser. One of these errors is the “This site can’t be loaded from the cache, ERR_CACHE_MISS” error message that can suddenly appear while you browse the web using your Google Chrome browser on your Windows 10 PC.
Take note that when you encounter this particular error, there really is no direct fault in the Chrome browser as there are also issues with caching the website data locally in the computer. Moreover, this error can also occur when a website is coded in an incorrect manner or if there are some browser extensions or toolbars that are in conflict with the proper functioning of the website.
To fix the ERR_CACHE_MISS error in Google Chrome, refer to the possible solutions laid out below.
Option 1 – Try clearing browser data
There are times when some data in the browser is conflicting with the loading of the website and triggers errors like ERR_CACHE_MISS. And so you can try to clear your browser’s data. This might be a very basic solution but oftentimes it works in fixing this kind of error in Google Chrome. Follow the steps below to clear the data in your browser.
Open your Google Chrome browser.
After that, tap the Ctrl + H keys. Doing so will open a new panel that allows you to delete the browsing history and other data in your browser.
Now select every checkbox that you see and click on the Clear browsing data button.
Then restart your Chrome browser and check if you can now open any website or not.
Option 2 – Try using the Developer Tools
You can also try using the Developer tools in Google Chrome to help you fix the ERR_CACHE_MISS error. Refer to the steps below to do so.
Open Google Chrome.
Tap the Ctrl + Shift + I keys on your keyboard and then tap the F1 key to open the Settings tab inside the Chrome Developer Tools.
Next, select the Disable cache option while DevTools is open and apply those settings.
After that, refresh your browser and check if the entries you’ve seen previously in the Network tab are gone.
Now try to load the same webpage again and see if the problem is resolved.
Option 3 – Reset Winsock, TCP/IP & Flush DNS
Resetting Winsock, TCP/IP, and flushing DNS might help you resolve the ERR_CACHE_MISS error. To do so, follow these steps:
Right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator) so you can pull up an elevated Command Prompt.
After that, execute each one of the commands listed below. And after you typed in one after the other, you have to hit Enter.
netsh winsock reset – type in this command to reset Winsock
netsh int ip reset resettcpip.txt – type in this command to reset TCP/IP
ipconfig /flushdns – type in this command to flush the DNS cache
Next, restart your PC and check if the problem’s fixed.
Option 4 – 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.
Skinning of applications is not new to PC users, but did you knew you could skin Steam?
With skin, you can customize the UI and style of the client to what you want making it more personal and to your liking. First thing is to find the skin that you would like to install. There are a lot of sites where you could find custom made Steam skins but we would recommend steamskins.org
The site itself is organized in tabs with different sections, once you click on the tab you will get a list of skins available for chosen section. If you click on the skin you will be taken to skin page detail where you can find what skin is aiming for, its legibility, a record of how the skin has been altered over time, or some mix of these aspects.
Note that some skins might have issues like some buttons might be missing from big picture mode but so far none of the skins has any kind of client breaking feature, only functionality one.
Downloading skin
Once you have chosen desired skin and while on the skin details page, scroll to the middle of the page just above the Related Skins sections with two options: Direct Download and External Download. Now usually I would recommend Direct download but in this case, I would advise going with External Download for the simple reason that the External link will send you to the developer's website where there is a higher chance to get the latest updated skin.
Installing it in Steam
Once the skin is downloaded you will first need to create a skin folder inside your Steam installation location. Navigate to your Steam installation folder (default: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam) and create a new folder inside it. Give new folder name Skins and confirm.
Extract the skin zip file in the newly made folder. Once the file is extracted you can delete the ZIP file if you wish.
Go to your Steam client and go to Steam>Settings. In settings select Interface on the left bar and on the right part then click the Select the skin you wish Steam to use the drop-down menu and select the skin that you wish to use. Confirm and restart your Steam client
Reverting to old skin
If you found skin unappealing or, unfortunately, has some functions missing you can always choose another skin or revert back to default Steam skin.
Default Steam skin is named in the drop-down menu as < default skin >.
C00002lA Fatal System Error is a blue screen of death error that may occur when you start your Windows NT 4.0 based computer. This error causes the screen to turn blue and the system also shuts down.
The stop C000021A error message is displayed in the following format:
Stop c000021a {Fatal System Error} The session manager initialization system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000017 (0x00000000, 0x0000000) The system has been shut down.
Error Causes
The stop C000021A error occurs when either Crsrss.exe or Winlogon.exe fails. When the Windows NT kernel identifies that either of these processes has failed, it stops and the error code stop C000021A appears on the computer screen.
Here are some of the underlying causes for the stop C0000021A error:
The incompatible third-party program
Hard disk issues
Service pack installation has failed
Mismatched system files have been installed
Bad and invalid registry keys
Further Information and Manual Repair
To resolve the stop C000021A Fatal System Error on your PC try the following solutions:
Remove Incompatible Third Party Programs
If the error occurred after you recently installed a new program, then it is advisable to remove that program. The error occurs due to the incompatibility of the program.
To remove the program go to the start menu and click on the control panel. Now click on Add/Remove Program tab and double click on the program name that you recently installed and remove it from the list.
Once removed, not reboot your PC. Reinstall a compatible program and run it. It is most likely to resolve the issue. However, if the stop C000021A error still occurs, then it means the problem is critical. It is related to the registry.
Repair and Restore the Registry
This procedure is slightly long and tricky.
To try it, you need to be technically sound. Here’s what you have to do: first create a parallel installation of Windows NT.
Start your PC to the parallel installation and then open the Registry Editor. On the Registry Editor’s Windows menu click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine and then click Load Hive.
Now type the path %systemroot%system32configsystem into the System hive of the prior installation. Then click open. Here you will be prompted to enter the name of the key, type TEST.
Note the setting for the current DWord value in the preceding registry key. This is 0x1 and is denoted by CURRENT:Reg_Dword: 0x1.
This value indicated that the Current Control Set for your original Windows NT installation corresponds to ControlSet001 in this window. Now if the value is 2, it indicated that the Current Control Set corresponds to ControlSet002.
Now locate the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETESTControlSetXXXControlSession Manager. XXX is the Current Control Set Value. And delete any pending file rename operation entries. Then click TEST hive and then click Unload Hive. After that again repeat the process, open the registry menu and click load hive, here type the path %systemroot%system32configSoftware to the Software hive of the prior installation and then click open.
Now you type TEST 2 when you are prompted for the name of the key. Remove any pending file rename operations entries in the following registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETEST2MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnceHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETEST2MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnceEx
Now click TEST2 hive and then click unload hive. Quit the Registry Editor and then restart your original installation.
This will resolve the stop C000021A error.
Disk partitioning is a concept that’s been around for so long, but is still only familiar to few. If done right, it can help get your computer in perfect order.
Today we bring you a simple definition of disk partitioning, its pros and cons, and a quick tip on how to do it properly to reap its full benefit!
Definition and purpose
The simplest way to define disk partitioning would be: it’s exactly what it sounds like. It means taking a hard disk drive and separating it into different segments. These segments are called partitions. You can visualize it as cutting a cake into smaller pieces - not necessarily of the same size, though.
So what is the purpose of these pieces?
Well, when you first get a hard drive, it’s basically just a bunch of unallocated storage space. Until there’s at least one partition, this space is unusable to your operating system. Once you create a partition, your OS will recognize it as usable storage space.
You can choose to create a single partition and use it for all your files, from program files to personal data. A lot of off-the-shelf computers come with one primary partition like this and a small secondary one reserved for recovery purposes.
Whether or not you want to split your disk into more than one segment is up to you. We would generally recommend it, though. The whole point of partitioning is for each segment to have its own purpose.
So treating all your storage space as a single unit containing different file types would be like constructing an office building with only one massive room for everything - day-to-day work, conferences, interviews, etc. And all of this for different departments of the company. You can see how this might get a little messy.
Creating multiple partitions eliminates the task of running several different types of files from the same place. This takes a heavy load off the entire process of accessing data.
Disk partitioning also brings a ton of other benefits to the table. An important disclaimer, though: there are disadvantages too. We will walk you through both sides to help you get an objective idea and make an informed decision.
What are the benefits of disk partitioning?
1. Better file organization
This is the most obvious and perhaps the biggest advantage of partitioning your hard drive.
As we already mentioned, partitioning allows you to create separate segments for different file and data types. You wouldn’t want to use the same partition for your system files and for games, would you?
If organization and time management are important to you, then multiple partitions are the right solution. Searching for specific files will be much easier overall. Say you have one hard drive, but three partitions: C for the system files alone, D for multimedia files and documents, and E for games and apps. Your computer loads the system from C without interference from the other two, and you know exactly where to look when searching for a file.
2. Easy reinstallation
File management isn’t the only thing made faster and simpler thanks to partitioning. If you opt for creating multiple segments on your drive, reinstalling Windows will be easy peasy.
That’s because all you need to do is format the partition your system is on. Then you reinstall the OS on it, and there you go. Now you have a clean installation, with all your files saved on other partitions intact. You can even make a copy of your system partition, so you can revisit the exact same installation in the future if you want. And the whole time your pictures, music, documents stay exactly where you left them.
3. Possibility of using multiple file systems
By now you’ve understood that partitions function completely separately. This means that, if for some reason you need multiple file system capabilities, partitioning will allow that.
One segment could be used for, say, an NTFS file system, while another could run ext or APFS.
4. Running different OSes
You’re an avid Windows user but need to use Linux on the side? No problem. You don’t need to buy a separate computer or anything. The possibility of running different file systems also means you can use partitioning to run multiple operating systems.
Doesn’t that sound enticing? One machine for multiple totally different uses!
5. Backup and recovery made simple
Data loss can happen on any disk, partitioned or not. However, it’s much easier to get it back on a partitioned one. You know where you stored what, and each partition can be backed up exactly as it is. It’s also a lot faster to back up single partitions than entire hard drives.
Ultimately this also means a faster path to recovery. If you lose or accidentally delete important files and data, you might want to use a recovery tool like Recuva to scan for them and get them back. Recuva is even powerful enough to recover data from damaged hard drives. But no matter how powerful, scanning a whole drive is strenuous for any recovery tool. Scanning independent partitions is a lot more convenient than that, and will get you to your goal more efficiently.
6. Optimized performance
Now, let’s keep in mind that computer performance is influenced by a number of factors. Partitioning alone isn’t what makes it better or worse. However, it can contribute to optimization. It’s easier for your computer to scan, say, a 40 GB partition to fetch the system file it needs than scanning the entire capacity of your drive.
7. Improved security (possibly*)
Separate partitions can help make your system more secure. Firstly, they minimize file corruption. If one partition gets corrupted, the others should remain unaffected. And keeping in mind the previous point about backup and recovery, ‘fixing’ the damaged partition would be much easier than fixing the entire hard drive.
Partitioning also improves security in terms of malware protection. A malicious attack on one partition is easier to deal with than malware on the whole drive. If your system partition gets infected, you can simply reinstall your OS and that should do the trick.
*Do keep in mind that partitioning can’t defend you against more advanced attacks. So make sure not to give in to a false sense of security.
What are the disadvantages of partitioning?
1. Data is still vulnerable
Yes, it’s easier to back up and recover data from independent partitions. And yes, partitioning may help protect separated files and data to a higher degree. But remember: everything is still on a single physical drive. So while digital errors and issues may be easier to deal with on partitioned drives, physical damage obviously won’t be.
If your hard drive is destroyed in some way, all data on it will be gone. That’s why, if you have crucial files on your PC, it’s important to give them the proper backup treatment before it’s too late.
2. Disbalance of space
Allocating storage space on separate partitions may be a little more tricky than you think. You may fill up one partition a lot faster than another. So on one side you’re struggling with space, and on another you have too much of it to spare. Imagine nearly filling up your system partition and then it turns out you need a lot more space for its updates than you thought.
That’s why you really have to be sure you actually have enough files of different types that you need help managing efficiently. Otherwise you’ll just create a struggle and disbalance in terms of storage.
3. Increased risk of error
If done incorrectly, partitioning can lead to more harm than good. Aside from space disbalance, there is an increased risk of incorrect partition sizes and formatting. Plus, human error is also a factor: in a moment of distraction, you may erase one partition when you meant another. Undoing such mistakes will definitely be tedious and time-consuming.
4. SSDs eliminate the need of partitioning
SSDs (solid-state drives) don’t function in the same way that HDDs do. They have faster read times and can organize files on their own. This quite literally eliminates the need for organization on your part.
Partitioning: yes or no?
The bottom line is that multiple partitions might not be necessary for the average user. But if you’re planning on storing many file types or different file and operating systems on the same PC, then you should give it a shot. It’s also an excellent solution for businesses, of course.
And if our pros and cons list isn’t enough to help you decide, you can always send us a message and we’ll help you make the right choice.
Decided to partition your hard drive?
If you’ve decided to give it a go, you definitely should make sure to do it right.
The two most effective and reliable ways to partition are using the built-in options on Windows or investing in a dedicated partitioning tool, like the EaseUS Partition Master. Which one you'll opt for depends on your specific needs.
Option 1 may be more suitable for users with at least some level of experience. In this case, you’d have to know exactly which steps to take without making errors. This is done in Disk Management on Windows 10/11. From there, you can select the partitions you’d like to split into different volumes of selected sizes.
If this is your first time partitioning, we highly suggest you either consult professionals for this or move on to option 2. The EaseUS partitioning software is specifically designed for beginners, with an intuitive interface helping you succeed in the process. All you need to do is pick the Partition Master package tailored to your needs and follow their guide.
Each package offers technical support as well, and even free upgrades (to varying degrees based on your subscription). Plus, all of this is valid for not one, but two PCs.
It’s the perfect solution for a smooth and error-free partitioning process. If you want to organize your hard drives efficiently and make the most of all your space without doing irreparable damage, it’s definitely worth the investment.
If your Windows 10 computer is having problems connecting to a wireless network and it takes too long to respond and only keeps on displaying the “Checking network requirements”, then you’ve come to the right place as this place will walk you through fixing the problem.
There are two things that can happen when your computer connects to a wireless network. Windows can either connect to the wireless network successfully or return an error message that says, “Cannot connect to the network. However, if none of these things happened, and it only remains at the “Checking network requirements” message, then it could be due to obsolete or incompatible drivers in your computer, particularly the network adapter drivers. To fix this problem, you can try to update or reinstall these drivers, reset the TCP/IP, or run the Network Adapter troubleshooter, as well as reset the Network. For more information, refer to the given options below.
Option 1 – Update the Network Adapter drivers
The first thing you can do to resolve the problem is to update the Network Adapter drivers by following these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the Network Adapters and expand them.
Look for the Broadcom Network Adapter and right-click on it, as well as other network adapters that have an exclamation icon, and update them all.
Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the problem.
Note: If updating the network drivers didn’t help in fixing the problem, you can also try to uninstall the very same drivers and restart your Windows 10 PC. After that, the system itself will reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled. Alternatively, you can also download and install the drivers from the manufacturer’s website directly.
To reinstall the network adapter drivers, refer to these steps:
Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.
Option 2 – Try to reset the TCP/IP
As you know, the TCP/IP or the Internet Protocol is the most important thing if you want to use the internet on your computer. That’s why if it ends up getting corrupted, you need to reset the TCP/IP to fix the problem. To reset TCP/IP, refer to these steps:
In the Windows start the search, type “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
Then select the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After that, execute this command: netsh int ip reset resettcpip.txt
Once it’s done, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer and then check if the error is now fixed.
Option 3 – Run the Network Adapter troubleshooter
To run the Network Troubleshooter, refer to these steps:
Open the Search bar on your computer and type in “troubleshoot” to open the Troubleshoot settings.
Next, scroll down and select the “Network Adapter” option from the right pane.
Then click on the Run Troubleshooter” button.
After that, your computer will check for any possible errors and will pinpoint the root cause of the problem if possible.
Restart your computer.
Option 4 – Try to perform Network Reset
You can also try to perform a Network Reset to resolve the problem. This will reset the entire network configuration including your IP address. To perform Network Reset, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + I keys to open Settings.
From there, go to the Network and Internet section.
Next, scroll down and look for “Network Reset” under the status pane.
After that, click on Network Reset and then on Reset now to start resetting the network configuration. Once done, check if it is able to fix the error or not.
If you are trying to connect to the internet using the Microsoft Edge browser but encountered an error message instead that says, “Can’t connect to the proxy server”, read on as this post will show you how you can fix this error. This kind of error in Microsoft Edge could be caused by incorrect proxy settings or worse, malware.
To fix this error, here are some suggestions you need to check out:
Option 1 – Try to check your internet connection
The first thing you can do to resolve the “Can’t connect to the proxy server” error in Microsoft Edge is to check your internet connection. There are times when your internet connection or Wi-Fi router can cause such problems. In such cases, you have to ensure that you have a valid internet source and if you are using a Wi-Fi router, you can try to use another connection and then see if the error is gone or not.
Option 2 – Try to disable the manual proxy set up from the Settings
In case you miss it, there is actually an option in the Settings panel that you can use to set up proxy in your Windows 10 computer. So if you encounter the “Can’t connect to the proxy server” error, you should disable manual proxy for the meantime and check if it fixed the error or not.
Tap the Win + I keys to open the Windows Settings.
Then go to Network & Internet > Proxy.
And on your right-hand side, ensure that the Automatically detect settings are enabled and that the Use a proxy server option under the Manual proxy setup is disabled.
Now try to open any website again and see if the problem’s fixed.
Option 3 – Try disabling the VPN
Like pointed out earlier, if you are using VPN, this could be the reason why you’re getting the “Can’t connect to the proxy server” error so the most obvious thing to do is for you to turn off the VPN and try to load a website in Edge again. And if you use a VPN software that works using their software, you can just completely exit or log-off from its account. On the other hand, if you are using a built-in Windows 10 VPN, you can simply turn it off or delete all the settings you have created there.
Option 4 – Disable the proxy server for your LAN
If your PC was just attacked by some adware or malware as of late, it is possible that it has changed the network settings in the system and might display spam advertisements. Thus, you have to disable the proxy server for your LAN. To do that, refer to these steps:
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 5 – Temporarily disable Firewall and third-party antivirus
Firewall and antivirus programs are known to block files the instant it detects a threat to the system. However, there are some cases when it can also block a file even when it’s a safe one. Thus, your antivirus or firewall programs might be the reason why you can’t download anything on your Windows 10 computer. To isolate the issue, you need to temporarily disable both the Firewall and antivirus programs and then check if you can now download anything from the internet. Do not forget to enable them again as disabling them can leave your computer vulnerable to cyber threats.
Option 6 – Clear the browsing data of Microsoft Edge
Open Microsoft Edge.
Then click on the three horizontal dots to open the menu.
From there, click on Settings. And under Settings, click the “Choose what to clear” button under the Clear browsing data section.
Next, check all the checkboxes and then click the Clear button to clear the browsing data in the Edge browser.
Restart Edge.
Option 7 – Try to reset, repair or reinstall Edge via Settings
You can reset, repair or reinstall the Edge browser through Settings.
If none of it helped, you can try the following:
Open File Explorer and then go to this path – C:/Users/YourUsername/AppData/Local/Packages
Note: Before you type in the path in the Address bar, make sure that you put your user account name in place with the “YourUsername”.
Tap Enter to proceed.
Next, look for the folder named “MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe” then right-click on it.
Click on Properties and uncheck the option “Read-only” under the General tab in the Properties window.
Click on Apply and then OK to save the changes made.
After that, look for the MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe folder again and delete it. And if a prompt stating “Folder Access Denied” appears on your screen, just click on the Continue button to proceed – doing so will delete most of the content inside the folder except for the folder named “AC”.
Restart your PC.
Now all you have to do is to re-register Microsoft Edge using PowerShell. In the Start Menu, search “Windows PowerShell”.
Right-click on Windows PowerShell from the search results and select the “Run as administrator” option.
Type in this command in the PowerShell windows and tap Enter – Cd C:/Users/YourUsername
Note: Once again, make sure that you key in your user account name in place of “YourUsername.
After that, type in this command and tap Enter – Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}
Restart your PC.
Option 8 – Scan your computer for malware using Windows Defender
Your computer could be infected with malware which might have triggered the “Can’t connect to the proxy server” error. To fix this, you need to scan your computer using a reliable program like 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.