Fix CSGO Crashes in Windows 10

What is WidgiToolbar?

The WidgiToolbar is an unscrupulous application designed to advertise other applications as a part of a bundle, steal financial information and penetrate the security of a computer system, making it open to other threats. In most cases, WidgiToolbar claims to center its installs on toolbars but that’s not always the case. Technical details about WidgiToolbar Malware include:

Digital Publisher: GreenTree Applications srl Product Version: YTD Video Downloader 4.8.9.7 Original File Name: YTDStub.exe Entry Point:  0x0000323C

Assessment of WidgiToolbar

Created by GreenTree Applications/ Spigot Inc., the WidgiToolbar is a list of nested toolbars. This application was in fact a bundle, installing several other applications upon installation. For this installation, WidgiToolbar installed only the YouTube Downloader toolbar and several other applications. Thereafter, the application appeared pretty harmless but is intended on distributing advertisements over the user’s computer, often without the user’s discretion. It’s all in the ads. Additionally, based on evaluations made by Security Analysts, the WidgiToolbar application is used for extracting personal and financial information from a user’s computer system. Financial information encapsulates banking and credit card details. Your passwords and other highly confidential information might be detected by the WidgiToolbar application if care is not taken. Overall, the WidgiToolbar installs and collects information from your computer system without your knowledge and permission. Furthermore, WidgiToolbar leaves a computer system vulnerable and susceptible to other threats and malware. The application is known for opening a portal or door into your computer system. This implies that other software can be installed on your computer via this avenue, once again without your knowledge. Responsible for wreaking havoc on your computer, it’s then pertinent that you remove it altogether. Manually removing the WidgiToolbar is not an option. Why? A manual removal procedure will not be able to remove the software in its entirety. An automated tool is the best option. Like all other programs offered as a bundle, several other programs were installed. These include:

1. MS Build
2. Reference Assemblies
3. PRO PC Cleaner

Soon after the installation of WidgiToolbar was completed, there were a total of four (4) new applications installed on the computer. These were all found in the computer's Local Drive. After WidgiToolbar was installed, the application attempted to change the default search provider to search.yahoo.com. This was a clear indication that this was a promotion to get more Internet users to use the Yahoo search engine.

Why Use Spyhunter to Remove WidgiToolbar?

As a result of its nature, the WidgiToolbar is difficult to remove. You might be able to remove other programs that were manually installed within the bundle, but to remove WidgiToolbar completely; an automated tool is a necessity. This is to ensure that specific registry keys installed by WidgiToolbar are found and removed. To completely remove WidgiToolbar from your computer, click here to download and install Spyhunter. After a scan was done with Spyhunter, there were 330 threats detected. Spyhunter was able to remove all 330 threats with ease and success.

Today most users have an SSD drive, times have changed and SSD has become your typical computer equipment. A lot of time has passed from the first SSD hard drives up to today and technology has evolved and improved but still, there are some cool tricks and tips to speed up and extend the lifespan of your SSD hard drive. That being said let us dive right into what I would like to call the essentials of having an SSD hard drive.

1. Keep your SSD firmware up to date.

   This one really is a no-brainer, keeping your firmware updated at all times will ensure longer life and SSD stability. The trick here is that each SSD manufacturer has its own ways of updating firmware so this is not something universal, you will have to go to the official website of your SSD manufacturer and get firmware updates and instructions from them directly.

2. Enable ACHI.

   Advanced controller host interface or short ACHI is a feature that will ensure that your Windows will support all of the features that come with running SSD on your computer. It controls the TRIM feature which is crucial in helping Windows itself in its garbage collection on your hard drive. In order to enable ACHI, you will have to do it from your BIOS and it would be very good if the feature is enabled before Windows itself is installed so it can take full advantage of it.

3. Enable TRIM.

   TRIM feature is vital in extending your SSD lifespan and it should be enabled by default in Windows but you can never be too cautious and double-check and enable if needed. To make sure it is enabled, open your command prompt and type in: fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 0

4. Make sure your system restore is enabled.

   In the first SSD days, system restore was really a feature that you wanted to be disabled in order to prevent and extend the life span of your SSD drive, but we came a long way from there and today there is no reason to keep this feature turned off since it can be helping many ways with both your system and SSD.

5. Disable Indexing in Windows.

   A large portion of the speed of your SSD drive is used for indexing files in Windows. Of course, the indexing feature is great if you store everything on your SSD drive but if by any chance you have another drive for your backup, pictures, music, etc. it would be highly beneficial for you to turn it off on your SSD. To turn indexing off click on your start menu, click on the computer. Right-click on your SSD and then click on properties. De-select box that says: Allow files to have contents indexed in addition to file properties and click OK. Once you do this the operating system will apply this to all the files and folders on the drive. If you see a dialog telling you that it couldn’t remove a file from the index, click Ignore All.

6. Keep Windows defrag ON.

   This also was the option in early SSD days which was better to be OFF, but as said before since technology has been making progress and Windows has been improved and made aware of SSD drives, defrag has evolved as well, and now it is more of optimization tool then defragmenter which was once.

7. Disable Prefetch and Superfetch.

   Windows is placing information in both physical and virtual memory for applications that you are not currently using but they are used often in order to speed their response time. If you are running low on space or having struggles with virtual memory it would be best to turn them both off. Go to registry manager and find: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters, there you have 2 values: EnablePrefetcher and EnableSuperfetch, set both values to 0.

8. Disable Search and Superfetch services.

   Disabling Superfetch in the registry is not all work, Press WINDOWS + R to bring run dialog, type in it services.msc, Find both Search and Superfetch and disable them.

9. Configure Write Caching.

   Write caching can be enabled and disabled in the device manager by expanding disk drives, right-clicking on SSD, then click properties, select the policies tab. In the tab, there is the option to Enable write caching on the device. Now trick in this is that you will need to try and benchmark your SSD with both options turned ON and OFF since different manufacturers have different performances with this option being ON or OFF.

10. Disable CleanPageFileAtShutdown and LargeSystemCache.

    Page file and a large cache of page files are not something that we longer need, since SSD writes with great speed in its flash memory both of these options can be disabled and you will both speed up shut down the process of your system and save some SSD life since page files will not be written. Find both options in the registry under the key: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management set both to 0

11. Set high performance in Power options.

    This option in power management will prevent your SSD from constantly shutting down and bringing it up increasing speed without sacrificing its life span.

These are tips and tricks for having great and longer life as well as speed for your SSD drive. We hope that you have found them useful and that you will come again to check new articles published daily for easier IT life.

Recent Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger & Oculus fiasco and downtime reminded us that even big IT tech behemoth is vulnerable and can go offline. The situation has been resolve in not so fast manner but not long also, let’s say it was resolved in time that people have not left and switched to another platform. That being said, now when services are back we stopped and reflected on the platform itself and on its users. If Facebook is vulnerable so are its users, but sometimes users themselves are responsible for being a target. We step back and take a look at posts that manifest on Facebook and have come with some advice on what things you should never post on Facebook and on other social platforms.

Pictures of any kind of ID, bill, vaccine cards or similar document

This should be a no-brainer at all but we see people posting this kind of information. They go on a rant about how the bill is too high and place a picture of it, or they took their vaccine shot and posted a vaccine card as proof. Why this is a bad idea is that any of these documents contain certain things like birthdays, names, and even more like addresses and other information that can be used against users.

Information about where you live

This could be tied to the previous point but it is very crucial that a living address is not something that you wish to share publicly. A lot of burglars are stalking social media for exactly this kind of information so they can then analyze when and how to strike and this time you have done all work for them providing them with the information on where to find your flat.

Daily routines and vacation plans

The most burglary happens to believe it or not during the day, in hours when people are at work. So by providing the world with your daily routines and when you are not at home you are putting your home at risk of being broken into. Posting vacation plans are even worse or posting pictures and status when you are on vacation will send a clear message to anyone that your home is empty and unattended.

Pictures of your home interior

This can also sadly disclosure more information that you wish like maybe some interesting facts like address or birthday on certificates, diplomas, or other documents accidentally caught in the taken picture. Also, these kinds of pictures can show much about your home security, alarm positions if you have some, how is your front door secured, etc.

Content that can get you fired

We hear all the time, famous star or director has some tweets that have resurfaced and now it is fired. I know that many of us are not famous stars but we can also be fired. Sharing some offensive opinions, inappropriate content or just plain pure lies like took sick leave to play this new game can have not so great resolution for your working relationship with your employer. We do not support lies nor do any kind of inappropriate content but posting it online on social media will just make things worse for you personally.

Your login info or sites and services that you are using

It is fairly safe to say hey we are chilling with Netflix or watching the new season of Mandalorian on Disney plus but speaking of things like made a new account on freelancer service of got my new e-banking in this cool new bank, etc. is not very wise. Cyber crooks are always on the lookout for identity theft and will use available information to steal data and money. You are risking also losing provided accounts this way leaving you with tons of work to explain that you got mugged to service providers.

Conclusion

We know that this article seems paranoid and maybe assumes that among your friends there are some crocks and people trying to take advantage of you. As this certainly was not our attention nor goal, we had to point to extremes in order to protect you the most.

Error Code 0x8024402f What is it?

Error code 0x8024402f is a Windows Update error indicating some sort of connectivity issue. Windows may show you the Error 0x8024402f in Windows 10 whenever you try to download and install new updates. This error is caused by small interruptions in communications between the computer to be updated and the update to be downloaded. These issues usually resolve themselves. Windows Firewall settings may also be blamed for this problem. Common symptoms

• Error code 0x8024402f prevents you from installing the latest version of Windows 10
• This Error prevents you from downloading new and latest updates from Microsoft

Solution

Error Causes

• This error is caused by a problem with the Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile.
• This error can occur even if no changes are made to network settings.
• Your Firewall settings may cause this problem.
• A high number of update requests on the Windows Update server may cause this problem.

More Information and Manual Repair

Method 1:

1. Exit Windows Update. Wait for 10 to 15 minutes, and then restart Windows Update to check for updates. OR
2. Turn on Windows Automatic Update so that updates are installed automatically every 24 hours.

Method 2:

Uninstall the Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile:

1. Click Start>Control Panel>Programs and Features
2. Locate the Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile
3. Right-click and then select Uninstall/Change
4. Confirm that you want this component to be uninstalled. This may take a few minutes.
5. Reboot your computer
6. When the system has restarted, re-run Windows Update as you normally would.

Method 3:

Check your internet connection: As mentioned earlier the error code 0x8024402f is related to connection problems with Windows Update. It means that your computer isn’t able to connect with the Microsoft Update server; therefore you’re unable to receive any new updates. So, you either have a problem with the internet connection or the Microsoft Update server is corrupted. If the problem is caused by the Microsoft Update server, you just need to wait a while because Microsoft staff will most probably solve the problem quickly.

Method 4:

But, if the issue isn’t related to your internet connection, you should perform the following method:

1. Got to Search and enter Identify and Repair
2. Open Identify and repair network problems
3. Click on the Search Result.
4. It should automatically Start the identifying process
5. If your network has any issue then it will show you and ask you to fix it.

Now, establish your internet connection. The problem 0x8024402 should be solved by now and you’ll be able to update your Windows 10 Technical Preview to the latest 10049 builds.

Method 5:

Turn on Windows Firewall: If you have some anti-malware or antivirus on your Windows 10 PC, then it might turn off Windows Firewall on its own or create its own Firewall as default. If this is the case, you will need to turn on Windows Firewall.

• Search for "Firewall" OR
• Click on Windows Firewall from Control Panel.
• On the left pane, Click on Turn Windows Firewall ON or OFF.
• Click on Turn on Windows Firewall then Click Ok.
• That is it. Now, try again and see if you are still getting Windows Update Error 0x8024402f in your Windows 10.

Method 6:

This is an advanced method:

• If the above steps fail, then you might surely want to try this advanced method, which is Enabling ActiveX in your Router Firewall settings.
• If you had turned off ActiveX in your Router Firewall settings then this must be the culprit and so Error 0x8024402f is shown whenever you try to get Windows Update.
• All you need to do is Enable ActiveX by going to your Router Firewall settings and that should do it. The Error should be gone for good now and you will be easily able to install the Updates in your Windows 10.

If you do not possess the technical expertise required to accomplish this yourself or do not feel comfortable doing so, download and install a powerful automated tool to get the job done.

Easy Home Decorating is a Browser Extension for Google Chrome. It offers users tips and tricks on how to manage your home decoration, you can find ideas for certain rooms, combine and plan. This might seem useful at the start, however, all this extension does is add a toolbar that links you to the most popular Home Decor Websites that you can find on any Search engine within seconds.

When installed it changes your default search engine and new tab page to MyWay.com or Ask.com (depending on the extension version). It monitors user browsing activity in the background, allowing it to gather visited websites, clicked links, search queries, and other user information. This data is later sent/sold to better target ads.

While using this extension you will see additional ads and sponsored content displaying throughout your browsing sessions. Several anti-virus applications have marked this extension as a Browser Hijacker and a potential security flaw and are therefore not recommended to keep on your computer.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijackers (sometimes referred to as hijackware) are a type of malware that modifies web browser configurations without the user’s knowledge or approval. These hijacks happen to be increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, and it could be actually nefarious and sometimes harmful too. Browser hijacker malware is developed for many different reasons. These are generally used to force visitors to a particular website, manipulating web traffic to earn ad revenue. It might seem naive, but the majority of these websites are not legitimate and can present a serious risk to your online safety. Moreover, hijackers could make the whole infected system vulnerable – other destructive malware and viruses would use these opportunities to get into your computer effortlessly.

How one can know if your browser has been hijacked

Here are some signs and symptoms that suggest you’ve been hijacked: your web browser’s home page is suddenly different; if you enter a URL, you find yourself regularly directed to a different site than the one you meant; the default online search engine is modified; unsolicited new toolbars are added to your web browser; you see a lot of pop-up ads on your computer screen; your web browser gets slow, buggy, crashes frequently; you can’t visit specific websites like home pages of security software.

How does a computer get infected with a browser hijacker?

Browser hijackers infect computer systems in numerous ways, including through a drive-by download, a file-share, or an infected email. They can also come from any BHO, extension, add-on, toolbar, or plug-in with malicious purpose. Other times you might have inadvertently accepted a browser hijacker as part of a software bundle (generally freeware or shareware). Examples of well-known browser hijackers are Fireball, GoSave, Ask Toolbar, CoolWebSearch, Babylon Toolbar, and RocketTab. Browser hijackers could affect the user’s web browsing experience significantly, monitor the websites visited by users and steal private information, cause difficulty in connecting to the web, and finally create stability problems, causing programs and systems to freeze.

How you can fix a browser hijack

Certain kinds of browser hijackers can be effortlessly removed from your PC by deleting malicious software applications or any other recently installed shareware. But, many hijackers are very hard to identify or eliminate as they might get themselves associated with some important computer files which allow it to operate as a necessary operating system process. Rookie computer users should never try the manual form of removal methods since it requires comprehensive computer knowledge to carry out repairs on the computer registry and HOSTS file. Anti-malware application is really efficient with regards to picking up and removing browser hijackers that normal anti-virus application has overlooked. To eradicate any kind of browser hijacker from your PC, you can download this certified malware removal program – SafeBytes Anti-Malware. Employ a system optimizer (like Total System Care) together with your antivirus software to solve various registry issues, remove system vulnerabilities, and improve your computer's overall performance.

How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected PC

All malware is bad, but certain kinds of malware do much more damage to your PC than others. Some malware is designed to restrict or prevent things that you wish to do on your personal computer. It may well not permit you to download anything from the net or prevent you from accessing some or all of the websites, especially the anti-virus sites. If you’re reading this article, you probably have got infected by a virus that prevents you from downloading a computer security program such as Safebytes Antimalware on your PC. There are some steps you can take to get around this issue.

Install in Safe Mode

The Windows OS has got a special mode known as “Safe Mode” in which just the bare minimum required programs and services are loaded. If the malware is blocking access to the internet and affecting your PC, running it in Safe Mode allows you to download antivirus and run a scan while limiting possible damage. In order to get into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press the F8 key while the computer is starting up or run MSCONFIG and locate the “Safe Boot” options in the “Boot” tab. Once you are in Safe Mode, you can attempt to download and install your antivirus program without the hindrance of the malicious software. Now, you can run the antivirus scan to eliminate viruses and malware without any interference from another application.

Switch to an alternate internet browser

Web-based malware could be environment-specific, aiming for a particular web browser or attacking specific versions of the browser. In case you suspect that your Internet Explorer has been hijacked by a computer virus or otherwise compromised by cybercriminals, the most effective course of action is to switch to a different internet browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to download your favorite computer security software – Safebytes Anti-Malware.

Run anti-virus from a USB drive

Another solution is to save and operate an antivirus software program entirely from a Thumb drive. To run antivirus using a thumb drive, follow these simple steps: 1) On a clean PC, download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Put the USB drive into the uninfected PC. 3) Double-click the Setup icon of the anti-malware program to run the Installation Wizard. 4) When asked, choose the location of the USB drive as the place in which you would like to store the software files. Follow the instructions to finish the installation process. 5) Now, insert the pen drive into the infected PC. 6) Double-click the EXE file to open the Safebytes program right from the flash drive. 7) Click “Scan Now” to run a complete scan on the affected computer for viruses.

SafeBytes Anti-Malware Overview

To help protect your laptop or computer from various internet-based threats, it’s very important to install an anti-malware program on your PC. But with countless numbers of antimalware companies out there, these days it’s challenging to decide which one you should buy for your PC. Some of them are good, some are ok types, while some will harm your PC themselves! You must pick a company that builds industry-best anti-malware and has gained a reputation as reliable. Amongst few good programs, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is the highly recommended software program for the security-conscious user. SafeBytes is a powerful, real-time anti-spyware application that is designed to assist the everyday computer end user in safeguarding their computer from malicious internet threats. With its cutting-edge technology, this application will allow you to remove several types of malware including viruses, trojans, PUPs, worms, ransomware, adware, and browser hijackers.

There are plenty of great features you’ll get with this particular security product. Listed here are a few of the great ones:

Real-time Threat Response: SafeBytes offers real-time active checking and protection from all known viruses and malware. It’ll monitor your PC for suspicious activity continuously and its unparalleled firewall shields your PC from illegal access by the outside world. Antimalware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal tool can find and get rid of many obstinate malware threats such as browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other typical anti-virus software will miss. Website Filtering: SafeBytes checks and gives a unique safety rating to every website you visit and block access to webpages known to be phishing sites, thus protecting you against identity theft, or known to contain malicious software. Lowest CPU and RAM Usage: SafeBytes provides complete protection from internet threats at a fraction of the CPU load due to its advanced detection engine and algorithms. Premium Support: For any technical questions or product support, you could get 24/7 expert assistance through chat and email. Overall, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is a solid program as it has lots of features and could detect and remove any potential threats. You can be sure that your PC will be protected in real-time once you put this software program to use. You will get the very best all-around protection for the money you pay on SafeBytes Anti-Malware subscription, there’s no question about it.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you don’t wish to use an automated tool and prefer to get rid of Easy Home Decorating manually, you might accomplish this by going to the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and removing the offending software; in cases of web browser add-ons, you could remove it by visiting the browser’s Add-on/Extension manager. Additionally, it is suggested to factory reset your web browser settings to their default state. To make sure of complete removal, find the following Windows registry entries on your computer and delete it or reset the values appropriately. Please remember that this is for experienced users only and might be challenging, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. Also, certain malware is capable of replicating itself or preventing deletion. Completing this task in Safe Mode is suggested.

If you are trying to start a service using the Windows Services Manager but you got an error message stating, “The executable program that this service is configured to run in does not implement the service”, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will provide you instructions on how you can fix this error. Since almost all program requires service to run on your computer, if the service is not listed in the corresponding registry key, then you will most likely encounter this error on your Windows 10 computer. Here’s the entire content of the error message:

“Windows could not start the service on Local Computer. Error 1083: The executable program that this service is configured to run in does not implement the service.”

To fix this error, you have to add the service name in the respective host in the Registry Editor, and to do that, here are some steps you need to take on. Step 1: The first thing you have to do is to take note of the service name that’s given in the error message. For instance, you get the “Windows Management Service. Step 2: Next, you need to open the Services Manager by tapping the Win + R keys and typing “services.msc” in the Run dialog box, and then tapping Enter. Step 3: After opening the Services Manager, look for the Windows Management Service and once you see it, double click on it. This will open a new mini window. Step 4: From the newly opened window, copy the Service name and the Path to executable under the General tab. If the path to the executable is displayed as “C:/Windows/system32/svchost.exe -k netsvcs –p”, you need the “netsvcs” part only. Note that it can be different for different services and you need the part that comes after “-k”. Step 5: Now tap the Win + R keys again to open Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and click OK to open the Registry Editor. Step 6: After that, navigate to the following registry path:

ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionSvchost

Step 7: From the given registry path, look for a key named “REG_MULTI_SZ” located on your right-hand side. This key is named after the “Path to executable” part. For instance, you should see “netsvcs”. Step 8: Double click on the REG_MULTI_SZ key and enter the Service name that you’ve copied earlier and then write it down at the end of the preset list. Step 9: Now save the changes you’ve made and try to open the program or run the service again.

As you know, a Virtual Private Network or VPN is used to access a particular network from another network which is why it is also referred to as a mini-internet. Moreover, you can use it in two ways. One, you can use it to get you access to a closed server which means that you would not be getting access to the internet. Second, you can also use it to access a set of resources while at the same time get access to the internet. However, what if you want to access your resources at home even when you’re away? And what if you want to use the private server at home or at your office even when you’re away? This is where the callout for a VPN server for yourself comes in. And so in this post, you will be guided in how you can create a public VPN server on your Windows 10 computer. Follow each one of the given steps below to get started. Step 1: Find your IP address. This step is rather simple since all you have to do is open Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. From there, click on “Local Area Connection” and then click on Details where you’ll see your IP address next to “Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address”. Step 2: Next, set up port forwarding on your router. In this step, you will have to configure port forwarding in your router so that you would be able to connect to the VPN server through a public network like the internet.

• Log in to the Admin Panel of your router. You have to do this since your router will be the gateway for your access to the network.
• After you’re logged in, look for the “Port Forwarding” or “Applications and Gaming” or “NAT/QoS” menu tab and other similar names.
• Now you need to set the port number to 1723 for connections based on Point to Point Tunneling Protocol.
• Then save the configuration and reboot your router.

Step 3: Set up a VPN server on Windows 10.

• In the Cortana search box, type “ncpa.cpl” and click on the related entry from the search results.
• After that, tap the Alt + F keys to bring down the File Menu and then select New Incoming Connection which will open a mini window where you can allow the user accounts on the particular machine to access the VPN connection.
• On the other hand, you can also click the “Add someone” button so that you can add someone else to the whitelist that can access the connection.
• Now click on Next and you’ll see an option to select how people will connect to the network. Check the checkbox for the “Through the Internet” option.
• After that, you will see a page where you have to configure the network. Just select IPv4 and then click on Properties.
• From there, you will be asked to continue some additional settings like letting users access your Local Area Network or how IP addresses will be allocated to these users. Click on OK to save the changes you’ve made.
• Click on Allow Access after you configure the network. And if you want to, you have the option to print this information for future reference or for the client machine.
• Now click on Close to exit the configuration process.

Step 4: Allow the VPN Connections through the firewall In this step, you will have to allow the VPN connections through the firewall.

• In the Cortana search box, type “Allow an app through Windows Firewall” and click on the related search result to open the intended Windows Firewall settings.
• Next, click on Change Settings.
• Then scroll down to check if Routing and Remote Access is Enabled for both the Public and Private networks and click on OK.

Step 5: Set up a VPN connection on Windows 10 Now all that’s left for you to do is to set up a VPN connection on Windows 10.

• Go to Settings > Network and Internet.
• From the list of options given, click on VPN located on the left pane to see the related settings.
• After that, click on the “+” icon to add a VPN connection.
• Next, select Windows Default under VPN Provider and under the Connection Name, input your VPN’s name, and then enter the IP address you got from the VPN service provider under the Server name or address section.
• Now select PPTP under VPN type since it is the most commonly used protocol for VPNs.

Resource hogging is a term when one single application or few of them are taking all system resources for themself causing extreme slow down in the computer and nonresponsiveness. It can be a very frustrating and time-consuming experience and it can cost you money if you can not finish work on time due to this effect. I believe that everyone has experienced at least one slowdown in their IT carrier because of resource-hogging applications and most users do not know how to deal with this. We are here to help you with this issue. Just to be aware that this method shown here is not a method to miraculously speed up your PC or anything similar, this is to be able to detect and recover from extreme slowdowns. Hardware components are still very important and if you can upgrade your computer if it is outdated, please do it because new applications will require a more modern system, and not any kind of tips and tricks will save you from outdated hardware.

Identifying resource hogging app

Now when we got that out of the way let's talk about slowdowns, it is no secret that sometimes an application has bugs and memory leaks that can cause this kind of behavior, and sometimes the application simply takes up too much memory for any other application to work normally. The most simple and straightforward way is to bring up a Windows task manager and inspect running applications and services. You can bring task manager by the key combination of CTRL + SHIFT + ESC If the system is in deep memory deficit you will have to wait for the task manager to open and show itself on-screen. Once opened, click on more details if that view is not opened by default. Once the view expands you will see all running applications with how much RAM memory have they taken and how much CPU they are using.

What to do with app?

Now you are presented with a choice on what to do with the problematic application. If you press the end task button on the bottom right, Windows will kill the application and its processes but any unsaved work inside the application will be lost and unrecoverable in most cases. Or you can try to remove smaller applications running to free up more memory and CPU in order for the computer to catch up. Any choice you make is up to you, but be very careful not to kill Windows essential service by mistake, that will cause immediate system instability with high chances of a system crash.

If you like to schedule different tasks on your Windows 10 computer and automate them, then you would find the Windows Task Scheduler very useful. It is commonly used by a lot of users to schedule various tasks like scheduling periodic execution of scripts and some programs to make sure that the intended tasks are automatically carried out. Apart from being a preinstalled application, the Task Scheduler is already available on your computer. However, there are times when you might encounter some errors while using it. One of these errors is error 0xFFFD0000. You can encounter this error while executing some PowerShell scripts. It can occur to any tasks as well especially to the ones that have a file executed using a particular program. And just like the PowerShell script, files also use PowerShell to be executed. To fix Error 0xFFFD0000, you need to follow the instructions provided below carefully. Step 1: In the Start Search, type “task scheduler” and click on Task Scheduler from the results to open it. Step 2: After opening Task Scheduler, right-click on the task that’s giving you the error and then click on Properties. Step 3: After that, navigate to the Actions tab in the new mini window that appears. Step 4: From there, select the action for the task and click on the Edit button which will open another mini window. Step 5: Next, make sure that the path to the executing program is properly typed inside the field of Program/script. Note that it should be set to the executable file for that particular program. For instance, you have to set it to “C:WindowsSystem32WindowsPowerShellv1.0powershell.exe” for the Windows PowerShell program. Step 6: You can also utilize the Browse button and navigate through Windows Explorer to locate that particular executable file for the program. Step 7: Now make sure to use the file argument in the Add arguments field followed by the path of the file to be executed. It should look like this:

-file "C:/Users/Ayush/Desktop/Powershell Script Sample.ps1"

Step 8: Once done, click on OK to save the changes made and see if the task is still giving you an error or not. On the other hand, if you are still getting the same error, you can try to repair the Task Scheduler by deleting corrupted tasks. Note that a single corrupted file can cause big problems so this option is quite important. And for you to delete a corrupted task or any task from the Task Scheduler, you have to use the Registry Editor if you are not able to use the Task Scheduler interface. To do so, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the dialog box for Run.
• Next, type in regedit and click on OK or tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Then navigate to this path: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheTree

Note: In this path, you can see all the tasks that are currently set in the Task Scheduler. And since it would be hard to tell which one of them is corrupted, you have to delete the latest one in Task Scheduler last. But before you do so, make sure that you take a note of the ID of the tasks. And for you to get the ID, you have to select the task you wish to delete and double click on the ID string located on your right-hand side, and then copy it in the Notepad.

• Right-click on the task name and then delete it.
• After that, delete the very same GUID which you have copied earlier from these folders:
• ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheBoot
• ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheLogon
• ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheMaintenance
• ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCachePlain
• ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheTasks

Note: You might not see the same GUID from these folders but if you see it, delete it right away.

• Next, navigate to this location: C:WindowsSystem32Tasks
• Delete the very same tasks you just deleted from the Registry Editor.
• Restart your PC and check if the Task Scheduler is back to its normal state or not.

SearchApp by Blpsearch is a Browser Hijacker that is presently targeting Google Chrome browsers. It is offered as a tool gives user enhanced online search experience. Search App also has other amazing tools that let you quickly search the web from a new tab window.

This extension changed your home page and new tab search to blpsearch. While installing you will see additional ads and sponsored links displaying throughout your browsing sessions. It collects user browsing information and uses it to better serve sponsored content.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking means a malicious code has control over and altered the settings of your web browser, without your approval. There are numerous reasons why you might experience an internet browser hijack; however commercial, marketing, and advertising are the key reasons for their creation. Generally, hijackers will force hits to websites of their preference either to increase web traffic generating higher ad earnings, or to obtain a commission for every user visiting there. Nonetheless, it is not that naive. Your internet safety is jeopardized and it is also very annoying. In a much worst case, your browser could be hi-jacked to download malicious software that will do a lot of damage to your computer or laptop.

Find out how to identify a browser hijack

Symptoms that your internet browser is hijacked include: your web browser’s homepage is suddenly different; bookmark and the new tab are also modified; the default browser configurations have been changed and/or your default web engine is altered; unsolicited new toolbars are added to your web browser; you observe numerous ads appear on your web browsers or display screen; your browser has instability issues or displays frequent errors; Inability to navigate to certain sites, especially anti-malware and other computer security software sites.

How it infects your personal computer

Browser hijackers can enter a PC by some means or other, for example via file sharing, downloads, and email too. Many internet browser hijackings come from add-on applications, i.e., toolbars, browser helper objects (BHO), or extensions added to web browsers to provide them extra capabilities. Some browser hijackers spread in user’s computers by using a deceptive software distribution strategy known as “bundling” (generally through shareware and freeware). Examples of popular browser hijackers are Fireball, GoSave, Ask Toolbar, CoolWebSearch, RocketTab, and Babylon Toolbar. Browser hijackers may record user keystrokes to gather potentially important information leading to privacy issues, cause instability on systems, drastically disrupt the user experience, and ultimately slow down the system to a stage where it becomes unusable.

How to repair a browser hijack

The one thing you could try to remove a browser hijacker is to discover the malicious software within the “Add or Remove Programs” list of the Windows Control Panel. It might or might not be there. When it is, uninstall it. Yet, some hijackers will be more difficult to locate or remove since they might get themselves associated with certain important computer files that enable it to operate as a necessary operating-system process. You should think about carrying out manual fixes only if you’re a tech-savvy individual because there are negative consequences associated with messing around with the system registry and HOSTS file. Installing and running antivirus software on the affected computer could automatically erase browser hijackers and other malicious programs. Safebytes Anti-Malware features a cutting-edge anti-malware engine to help you prevent browser hijacker infection in the first place, and clean up any existing issues. Together with the anti-malware tool, a PC optimizer, can help you in getting rid of all linked files and modifications in the computer registry automatically.

What To Do If You Cannot Install Any Anti-Malware?

Malware can cause plenty of damage to your personal computer. Some malware goes to great lengths to stop you from downloading or installing anything on your computer, particularly anti-virus software programs. If you are reading this now, you’ve perhaps realized that a malware infection is a reason behind your blocked net traffic. So how to proceed if you need to download and install an antivirus application such as Safebytes? There are a few steps you can take to circumvent this problem.

Install anti-virus in Safe Mode with Networking

In Safe Mode, you can actually change Windows settings, uninstall or install some program, and eradicate hard-to-delete malware. In the event the malware is obstructing the internet connection and affecting your computer, running it in Safe Mode allows you to download antivirus and run a scan whilst limiting potential damage. To boot into Safe Mode, hit the “F8” key on the keyboard right before the Windows boot screen shows up; Or right after normal Windows boot up, run MSConfig, check Safe Boot under Boot tab, and click Apply. Once you’re in Safe Mode, you can attempt to install your antivirus software program without the hindrance of the malware. Following installation, run the malware scanner to eliminate most standard infections.

Use an alternate browser to download security software

Some malware only targets particular web browsers. If this is your situation, use another web browser as it could circumvent the virus. In the event you suspect that your Internet Explorer happens to be hijacked by a virus or otherwise compromised by cybercriminals, the most effective thing to do is to switch to an alternate web browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari to download your chosen security program – Safebytes Anti-Malware.

Install antivirus on a flash drive

Here’s yet another solution which is utilizing a portable USB anti-virus software that can scan your system for malware without needing installation. Do these simple steps to clear up your affected computer using a portable antivirus. 1) On a clean PC, download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Connect the flash drive to a USB port on the clean computer. 3) Run the setup program by double-clicking the executable file of the downloaded application, which has a .exe file extension. 4) Select thumb drive as the place when the wizard asks you where you want to install the application. Follow the directions to finish the installation process. 5) Transfer the USB drive from the clean computer to the infected computer. 6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the pen drive by double-clicking the icon. 7) Click “Scan Now” to run a scan on the affected computer for viruses.

Protect your Computer against Malware With SafeBytes Security Suite

If you’re looking to download the anti-malware program for your PC, there are various tools in the market to consider but you just cannot trust blindly anyone, irrespective of whether it is paid or free program. Some of them are excellent, some are ok types, and some will ruin your computer themselves! When searching for anti-malware software, pick one that offers reliable, efficient, and complete protection against all known computer viruses and malware. In terms of commercial tool options, most people go with well-known brands, like SafeBytes, and are quite happy with it. SafeBytes anti-malware is a powerful, highly effective protection tool created to help users of all levels of computer literacy in identifying and eliminating harmful threats out of their computer. Through its cutting-edge technology, this software protects your personal computer against infections brought on by different types of malware and other threats, including spyware, adware, computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, keyloggers, potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), and ransomware. SafeBytes anti-malware offers a myriad of enhanced features that sets it apart from all others. Listed below are some of the features you might like in SafeBytes. World-class AntiMalware Protection: Using its enhanced and sophisticated algorithm, this malware elimination tool can identify and eliminate the malware threats hiding in your PC effectively. Active Protection: SafeBytes gives round-the-clock protection for your computer restricting malware attacks in real-time. This software will always keep track of your PC for suspicious activity and updates itself regularly to keep abreast of the latest threats. Website Filtering: SafeBytes checks and gives a unique safety rating to every single website you visit and block access to web pages considered to be phishing sites, thus safeguarding you against identity theft, or known to contain malware. Light-weight: SafeBytes is a lightweight and user-friendly antivirus and anti-malware solution. As it utilizes minimal computer resources, this program leaves the computer’s power exactly where it belongs to: with you. Fantastic Tech Support: You can get high levels of support round the clock if you’re using their paid software. To sum it up all, SafeBytes Anti-Malware gives you outstanding protection combined with very low system resource usage with both great malware detection and prevention. Once you’ve installed SafeBytes Anti-Malware, you no longer need to worry about malware or any other security concerns. So when you need advanced forms of protection features and threat detections, purchasing SafeBytes Anti-Malware could be worth the dollars!

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you don’t wish to use an automated tool and prefer to remove SearchApp manually, you could possibly do so by going to the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and deleting the offending program; in cases of browser extensions, you can uninstall it by going to the browser’s Add-on/Extension manager. You’ll probably also want to totally reset your internet browser to its default configuration settings. In order to ensure the complete removal, manually examine your hard drive and registry for all the following and eliminate or reset the values as needed. But bear in mind, this is often a difficult task and only computer professionals can perform it safely. In addition, some malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. It is advisable that you carry out the removal procedure in Safe Mode.