How to Fix Error Code 0xc00007b in Windows 10

FindGoFind is a browser extension for Google Chrome.Developers present findgofind.com as an improved Internet search engine that supposedly enhances the Internet browsing experience by generating better search results. These claims often trick users into believing that findgofind.com is legitimate and useful. In fact, developers promote this site using deceptive software download/installation set-ups that hijack web browsers and modify various options without permission. Furthermore, findgofind.co continually records various data relating to users’ Internet browsing activity.

While this extension is installed, users will see additional unwanted ads throughout their browsing sessions. Furthermore, this extension changed the default search engine to FindGoFind to easier display Sponsored content.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijackers (also known as hijackware) are a type of malicious software that modifies web browser configuration settings without the computer owner’s knowledge or approval. These hijacks are raising at an astonishing rate across the world, and they can be truly nefarious and sometimes harmful too. Browser hijackers can do a variety of things on your computer. These are typically used to force hits to a specific site, manipulating web traffic to earn ad revenue. Many people believe that the browser hijacker is just a harmless website but that is incorrect. Almost every browser hijacker poses an actual threat to your online safety and it’s vital to categorize them under privacy risks. When the malware attacks your computer, it begins to mess things up a whole lot that slows your PC down to a crawl. In the worse case, you will be pushed to tackle serious malware threats too.

How one can know if your browser is hijacked

The typical signs that signify having this malicious software on your PC are: 1. the home page of the browser is changed all of a sudden 2. you see new unwanted favorites or bookmarks added, usually directed to advertisement-filled or porn websites 3. the default browser configurations are changed and/or your default web engine is altered 4. you’ll see multiple toolbars in your internet browser 5. you see lots of pop-ups on your screen 6. your internet browser has become unstable or starts running slowly 7. you can’t navigate to certain websites, like security software-related sites.

Exactly how they infect computer systems

Browser hijackers may use drive-by downloads or file-sharing websites or even an e-mail attachment to reach a targeted computer. They also come from add-on programs, also known as browser helper objects (BHO), web browser plug-ins, or toolbars. Also, certain freeware and shareware can put the hijacker in your PC through “bundling”. Some of the most well-known hijackers are FindGoFind, Babylon Toolbar, Conduit Search, Sweet Page, OneWebSearch, and CoolWebSearch.

How you can get rid of a browser hijacker

Some hijackers can be simply removed by uninstalling the free software they came with or by deleting any add-ons you have recently added to your system. In some cases, it can be a difficult job to find and delete the malicious program because the associated file might be running as part of the operating system process. Apart from that, manual removal expects you to perform several time-consuming and complicated actions that are tough to do for new computer users. Industry experts always recommend users to eliminate any malware including browser hijacker with an automatic malware removal tool, which is easier, safer and faster than the manual removal method. SafeBytes Anti-Malware can counter relentless hijackers and provide you with proactive PC protection against all kinds of malware.

What you can do if Virus Prevents You From Downloading Anti-virus?

Malware may cause several kinds of damage to computers, networks, and data. Some malware sits in between the computer and your net connection and blocks a few or all internet sites that you want to visit. It will also block you from adding anything to your system, particularly the anti-virus program. So what to do if malicious software keeps you from downloading or installing Anti-Malware? There are a few actions you can take to get around this issue.

Download the application in Safe Mode with Networking

If the malware is set to load at Windows startup, then booting in Safe Mode should prevent it. Just the minimum required programs and services are loaded when you start your computer in Safe Mode. To start your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers in Safe Mode with Networking, do as instructed below. 1) At power on/start-up, hit the F8 key in one-second intervals. This will conjure up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Select Safe Mode with Networking with arrow keys and press Enter. 3) When this mode loads, you will have the internet. Now, use your browser to download and install Safebytes Anti-malware. 4) Following installation, run a complete scan and let the software delete the threats it detects.

Use an alternate web browser to download an antivirus application

Some malware may target vulnerabilities of a particular browser that obstruct the downloading process. If you’re not able to download the anti-malware software program using Internet Explorer, it means the virus is targeting IE’s vulnerabilities. Here, you need to switch over to a different browser like Firefox or Chrome to download Safebytes Anti-malware software.

Make a bootable USB anti-virus drive

Another option would be to make a portable antivirus program onto your USB thumb drive. Adopt these measures to use a flash drive to fix your infected computer system. 1) Download the anti-malware program on a virus-free PC. 2) Connect the USB flash drive to a USB port on the uninfected computer. 3) Double click on the downloaded file to run the installation wizard. 4) Pick a USB flash drive as the place when the wizard asks you exactly where you intend to install the application. Follow the activation instructions. 5) Transfer the pen drive from the clean PC to the infected PC. 6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the pen drive by double-clicking the icon. 7) Hit the “Scan” button to run a full computer scan and remove viruses automatically.

Protect your PC against Malware With SafeBytes Security Suite

If you are looking to download an anti-malware application for your PC, there are several tools out there to consider nonetheless, you should not trust blindly anyone, no matter whether it is free or paid software. A few are good ones, some are decent, and some are merely fake anti-malware software that will harm your PC themselves! You need to be very careful not to select the wrong product, particularly if you buy a paid application. When considering commercial application options, the majority of people select well-known brands, like SafeBytes, and are very happy with them. SafeBytes anti-malware is trustworthy software that not only secures your PC permanently but is also very easy to use for people of all ability levels. Once you have installed this software, SafeByte's sophisticated protection system will ensure that no viruses or malicious software can seep through your personal computer.

SafeBytes has excellent features when compared to other anti-malware programs. Listed below are some of the features you may like in SafeBytes.

Robust Anti-malware Protection: With a critically acclaimed anti-malware engine, SafeBytes offers multilayered protection which is made to find and get rid of viruses and malware that are hidden deep in your computer’s operating system. Real-Time Protection: SafeBytes gives complete and real-time security for your PC. It’ll inspect your personal computer for suspicious activity at all times and its unparalleled firewall protects your PC from illegal access by the outside world. High-Speed Malware Scanning Engine: SafeBytes Anti-Malware has got a multi-thread scan algorithm that works up to 5 times faster than any other antivirus software. Safe Web Browsing: SafeBytes provides an instant safety rating on the web pages you are going to check out, automatically blocking unsafe sites and making sure that you’re certain of your online safety while browsing the web. Lightweight: The program is lightweight and can run silently in the background, and that does not impact your PC efficiency. Premium Support: For any technical queries or product guidance, you can obtain 24/7 professional assistance through chat and e-mail. To sum it up, SafeBytes has created a meaningful anti-malware solution that is aimed to protect your computer against all manner of malware. There is no doubt that your PC will be protected in real-time as soon as you put this software program to use. You’ll get the 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 wish to carry out the removal of FindGoFind manually instead of employing an automated tool, you may follow these simple steps: Navigate to the Windows Control Panel, click the “Add or Remove Programs” and there, select the offending program to remove. In case of suspicious versions of browser plug-ins, you can actually remove it via your browser’s extension manager. You’ll likely also want to reset your browser. If you opt to manually delete the system files and Windows registry entries, use the following list to make sure you know precisely what files to remove before performing any actions. Please remember that this is for experienced users only and might be challenging, with wrong file removal resulting in additional system errors. In addition, some malicious programs have the capability to defend against its deletion. Doing this malware-removal process in Safe Mode is recommended.

You probably heard about switches for LAN but not a lot of people heard about KVM switches. So what exactly is KVM switch?

If we look at the name, it is a shortcut for Keyboard, Video & Mouse and the original idea was to have multiple computers but one keyboard, mouse, and monitor. These peripherals would be connected to the KVM switch and other computers could all use one set of these on the fly when needed.

The technology behind the switch is a little interesting since it will actively fake signals to other computers that are not using peripherals. Once they are switched to them the transition is smooth and not noticeable. In old days these switches were more important than today since on every mouse or keyboard disconnection you had to reboot the computer, and although today that is not the case CPU will still detect disconnection and on the next connection it will run through the ID of the device and try to use the existing driver and if peripheral was connected in other USB port, it will install the same driver but connect it to the new USB port.

This type of reconnection can slow down work and place unnecessary load on the CPU so that is why KVM will fake connection in order to make switching externals on the computer smooth and in nick of a time.

Modern KVM switch

These days modern KVM switches will offer you more options than just being able to switch between keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Modern switches now offer Lan, audio, and many more various options.

There are also different kinds of switches offering you only one option, like for example just a Video switch that will let you use one monitor on three computers and many more other specialized options.

Software switches

So far we talked about Hardware switches, a real device being able to take peripherals into it and switch computers on the fly. On the other line, we have software switch solutions that will have specific software installed on all computers and have it run at all times, and switching between them will be through specific software.

There are two very good and main advantages of using software solutions instead of a hardware one. First, of course, is the price, since the most popular Synergy is an open-source solution, completely free of charge. The second big advantage is that software switch is not limited to how many computers can you use. Hardware switches tend to go to a large number like 16 but if you have a large cluster of computers over a LAN, let's say 30 then the box solution might be difficult.

On the other hand software solution will switch only keyboard and mouse since each other computer will have to have some screen on it in order to work. Both solutions have their strong advantages and disadvantages and it is up to you to choose one that best suits you.

Conclusion

If you are multitasking with a lot of computers or just need your peripherals from time to time to connect to another machine then the KVM switch is something that you might find the use of. Just be aware that if you go for some cheap switch you might experience some lag on your peripherals, but if that is not a concern you can get hardware one for as low as $50 USD.

I must admit that I am a big Western Digital fan, I have been using their hard drives really long time and I must admit that I am very happy with their products. Sometimes they could be a little more expensive than other drives on market but security and performance are on their side. If you ever wanted to purchase Western Digital or WD hard drives or you are considering getting one, no doubt that you have come across their color cryptic line of products. 1TB Hard drive can come in 6 different colors in your search products query and if you are not familiar with the WD color coding of hard drives you might be a little lost as to which one is right for you and what are the differences. This article is made to explain exactly that, what are WD colors representing so you can choose the right one for your needs. Western Digital has decided to use color codes in order to mark their series of disks which means that each color represents different hard drive series and it is made and aimed for different use, we are going to explore in detail each series below:

WD BLUE

Blue series is all around typical hard drive made and meant for daily use in desktop computers for all kinds of tasks. You can use it in casual gaming or for storage, its purpose is tailored for all-around casual daily users.

WD RED

WD Red HDD is designed for NAS and RAID systems. Its purpose is to be turned 24/7 who ever need access to it. Get this series if you need to have constant access to files or if you need a reliable RAID hard drive.

WD GREEN

Green series of the hard drive is manufactured for low power consumption and for storage, they are meant to be used for storage and not accessed regularly.

WD PURPLE

Purple line of hard drive products is designed solely for video surveillance systems. Instead of having a preference on reading data like WD RED, the PURPLE series is given preference on writing, constant writing to be more precise.

WD BLACK

The black series is made for an external storage medium with high performance. Due to the high performance, WD Black hard drives are much popular among photo editors and high-end gamers.

WD GOLD

WD Gold HDD provides a long-term cold storage medium. Therefore, this series of Western Digital hard drives are suitable for data centers. These hard drives can handle many sophisticated systems simultaneously and work well with different servers That's it, I hope that you have now a more clear understanding of the WD color-coding of its hard drive series. As always thank you for reading and I hope you will have a great day. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.

There are times when you encounter some issues while your Windows 10 computer. One of the errors you can encounter in the update process is the “Something went wrong, error code 0x8007042B”. This kind of error might be caused by several reasons and it could also pop up in lots of cases like upgrading to a new feature update or a new build using the Media Creation tool or Windows Update Assistant. There are times when the Windows Update error code 0x8007042B is followed by another error code like 0x2000d. Whatever the extra error code that follows, the core issue still remains the same. To resolve the problem, here are some options that could help. And while going over these troubleshooting tips, you have to keep clicking the Update button right after you carry out a troubleshooting option.

Option 1 – Try to restart the Background Intelligent Transfer Service

The Background Intelligent Transfer Service or BITS is a part of the Windows Update service and is the one that manages the background download of Windows Update, as well as scans for new updates and so on. And if Windows Update is experiencing some problems, you can try restarting BITS but make sure that you have admin privileges to do so.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open Windows Services.
• From the list of Services, look for the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and double-click on it to open Properties.
• After that, you need to set the Startup type to “Automatic (Delayed Start) and click on Apply.
• Now click the Stop button to stop BITS and then click the Start button to restart the service.
• Click OK to save the changes made and then restart your PC.

Option 2 – Try creating Windows 10 ISO media

In this option, you will have to create a Windows 10 bootable media and use it to install the latest Windows 10 version. The most user reported that this option works and the reason why it does have something to do with the Windows Update client since the Windows Updates downloaded from the regular Windows Update client seems to create issues such as the Windows Update error code 0x8007042B. However, issues like this one don’t occur when the very same Windows Updates are downloaded and installed via an ISO file. Take note that when using a Windows ISO file, you will be asked to choose what you want to do with the previous settings and apps. A lot of users opted for the “Not to keep the old Windows settings” option which has resolved the issue. So if you want to keep the previous settings then you must try to update Windows first while keeping the old settings. However, if it doesn’t work, you have to try installing the latest version of Windows without keeping the previous settings.

• Click this link and then click the Download Tool Now button.
• Next, click the “Use the tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file)…” option and follow the next given instructions on the screen.
• Now select the ISO file option in step 5.
• After that, you should now have an ISO file.
• Next, go to the location where you’ve downloaded the ISO file.
• Then right-click on the Windows 10 ISO file and select the Open with option and then select File Explorer.
• Now click on “setup.exe” and follow the next instructions that appear on the screen. When asked, you have to select either the Nothing (clean install) or the Keep personal files only option. Take note that you must not select the “Keep personal files, apps, and Windows settings since it doesn’t really work.

Option 3 – Run the DISM tool

You can run the DISM tool as well to help fix the error code 0x8007042B during Windows Update. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.

• Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
• Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Option 4 – Perform a System File Checker scan

The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the Windows Update Error 0x8007042B to appear. SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

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

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

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

Option 5 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

You might also want to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing Windows Update Error 0x8007042B. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 6 – Contact Microsoft Support for assistance

If you’re at your wits’ end in trying to update your Windows 10 computer, you should consider contacting Microsoft Support for help as they can offer you various options that would make fixing Windows Update Error 0x8007042B a lot easier and faster.

Fatal error C0000034 happens during the installation of the Windows update and if you are one of the unlucky users who sadly run into this, keep reading as we will provide solutions to this error and how to get around it. Start from point 1 to the bottom and hopefully you will have your PC back into working order in no time.

1. Run Windows Update troubleshooter

   Usually, a built-in Windows troubleshooter can solve issues painlessly and fast, my advice is to try this as the first option, it is a simple and clean solution worth trying and in 90% it solves the issue all by itself.

2. Do a clean boot

   Using task manager, remove all nonessential applications and services from starting up, reboot your computer, and once it is cleanly booted try re-running the update process again, if the issue was running the application this time everything will work since the problematic application is not running.

3. Reset Windows update components to the default

   This solution requires you to use the Reset Windows Update Agent Tool to reset Windows Update components to default or use this PowerShell script to reset Windows Update Client. You can also manually reset each Windows Update component to default and then re-run the update.

4. Disable firewall and antivirus

   Altho not likely it is still a possibility that some firewalls and antivirus can detect windows updates as malicious software and cut them off. If everything else failed, disable the firewall and your PC protection and when it is fully disabled try updating.

5. Do automatic startup repair

   This should be the last thing to do but if everything else failed, do it. Perform Windows 10 Startup Repair. Once the startup repair completes successfully, you can re-run the update. The update should install without errors.

One of the issues with external storage devices is that unplugging them right away without using the “Safely Remove Hardware” feature is not safe and doing so could lead to data corruption and data loss. However, in some cases, even when you use the “Safely Remove Hardware” feature, you could get an error that says:

“Windows can’t stop your ‘Generic volume’ device because a program is still using it. Close any programs that might be using the device, and then try again later.”

It is possible that the system is still using the external device – for instance, a copy operation might still be in progress, or Windows is still indexing the contents of the drive in the background or it could also be that the drive is not configured to be quickly removed. To fix this error, there are a couple of suggestions you can try. You can try to close all the open programs and file explorer windows, or you could also configure the Device Removal Policy or change its file system to FAT32. In addition, you can also try to change its drive letter or use the DISKPART utility to get the drive to be offline or simply manage the hogging process that prevents it from being safely removed. Follow each one of the given potential fixes below to resolve the error when using the Safely Remove Hardware feature.

Option 1 – Close all the open programs and File Explorer windows

The first thing you have to do to resolve the error is to close any open programs as well as File Explorer windows. This is because there are some programs and File Explorer instances that could be using the external device in the background which explains why you’re getting the error when you try to safely remove your device.

Option 2 – Try to configure the Device Removal Policy

The next thing you can do is to configure the Device Removal Policy. How? Refer to these steps:

• Open File Explorer and right-click on the drive where you encountered the error.
• Next, select Properties from the context menu.
• After that, navigate to the Hardware tab and select the disk drive where you got the error under the “All disk drives” section.
• Then select Properties under the Device Properties section. This will open a new mini window and from there, select Change Settings on the bottom portion of the window.
• Now navigate to the Policies tab and select the “Quick Removal (default)” option under the Removal Policy section.
• Click on the OK and Apply buttons to save the changes made and then see if the error is now fixed.

Option 3 – Try to manage the hogging process

You could also try managing the hogging process to get rid of the error.

• Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination to open the Task Manager.
• Then look for the running processes and programs that are hogging your USB storage device. If there is a program that’s using your device, it will hog on some Disk or CPU while transferring data and interacting with the device which is why you’re getting an error when you safely remove the device.
• Next, select the concerned processed and right-click on each one of them, and then select the End Task or End Process option. You can also restart the Explorer.exe process and see if that helps.

Option 4 – Try to change the drive letters

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and then type “diskmgmt.msc” in the field and click OK or tap Enter to open Disk Management.
• Next, look for your USB storage device using the drive letter that’s assigned to it. Right-click on your device and select the “Change Drive Letter and Paths…” option.
• This will open a mini window and from there select the drive letter you want to change and click on the Change button.
• After that, another smaller window will appear where you’ll have to select the new drive letter from the drop-down menu.
• Click OK and if you got a warning prompt, just click on Yes.
• Now restart your computer.

Option 5 – Try using DISKPART utility to get the drive to be offline

The next thing you can try to resolve the issue is to use DISKPART. Refer to the given steps below to do so.

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run and then type “cmd” in the field and tap Enter or click OK to open an elevated Command Prompt.
• Next, type and enter this command to execute it: diskpart
• The command you entered will initiate the DISKPART utility. After that, type and enter this second command: list disk
• Next, type and enter this third command: list volume
• The commands you just executed will help you in either listing all the Disk connects or all the partitions on those disks formed and from there, you need to select one command depending on the “list” command you entered. You can execute either of the two following commands:
  • select disk #
  • select volume #

• After that, it will select the Disk or Partition you want to select.
• Now type either one of the following commands:
  • offline disk #offline volume #
• The command you entered will mark the selected disk is Offline. Afterward, try to safely remove your USB Storage device. Just remember that when you plug it back in again, you have to carry out the same method except for the last given command as this time you will have to enter either of these commands in order to get your USB storage device back online:
  • online disk #
  • online volume #

Option 6 – Try to change the file system to FAT32

If you keep getting this error on a particular USB device, you might have to format the disk and change its file system to FAT32. Make sure that you copy its contents safely into another location before you format the disk. Keep in mind that formatting the disk will remove all the contents of your drive.

• Open File Explorer and right-click on the drive where you got the error and then select Format from the context menu.
• Next, in the newly opened mini window, select the FAT32 (Default) option from the drop-down menu under File System.
• Now check the Quick Format checkbox and then click on the Start button to start formatting your drive.

Lately on EA forums question has appeared on what to do when Origin client does not load library. It seems that the latest update for the Origin client has brought some issues as not properly showing one library which appears empty. Do not worry, we have a solution for you, several to be precise and it will fix the issue guaranteed. It is advisable to try solutions in order how they are presented since they go from the most simple and fastest and most common ones.

1. Delete the cache

   Close origin client completely Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to bring the run dialog In the run dialog type in %ProgramData%/Origin and press ENTER Go into the Origin folder Delete all files and folders except the LocalContent folder Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to bring the run dialog In the run dialog type in %AppData% and press ENTER Delete the Origin folder In the address bar click on AppData Go into the local folder Delete Origin folder Reboot your PC

2. Clear the temporary files

   Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to bring the run dialog In the run dialog type in %AppData% and press ENTER Go into the roaming folder Delete Origin folder Go to the AppData folder and delete the Origin folder from there also Reboot system

3. Try Windows built-in tools to check compatibility

   Locate where Origin is installed and right-click on the executable file Click on properties Go to the compatibility tab Click on Run the compatibility troubleshooter and follow on-screen instructions

4. Update Origin

   Rarely this is the case but check manually to see if you can update your Origin client. Sometimes due to network issues client does not update automatically and can cause this strange behavior.

5. Add origin as an exception to antivirus and firewall

   Not rarely game clients can be detected as some form of malicious software and antivirus along with firewall can automatically block it. Go to your security software settings and add it as the exception.

6. Reinstall Origin

   If everything else fails, reinstall the Origin client

Anxiety from all these digital threats lurking everywhere? An antivirus program can help put your mind at ease.

What can a virus do to your device?

A virus is malicious software that can affect pretty much any device and does so in a variety of ways. Be it your computer, your phone or your smart lightbulb - as long as there’s access to the internet, malware can get to it.

How exactly does this kind of attack manifest itself? Well, there’s a wide variety of effects ranging from mild to severe. Among other things, they depend on which type of malware attacks your device - a virus, spyware, ransomware, adware or something else.

These are some of the things you can expect to happen:

• Slow performance
• System crashes
• Theft of data and sensitive information
• Connectivity issues
• Constant browser redirects
• Strange messages sent to your contacts 
• Interference with files

It really can be the stuff of nightmares. So, if you want to sleep peacefully knowing that your devices are completely safe, you should definitely consider getting an antivirus.

P.S. don’t let its name fool you - an antivirus does indeed protect your devices against more than just viruses.

What is antivirus software exactly?

Antivirus software is designed to help you battle and ward off malware. Basically, it scans your device to detect any suspicious activity and offers tools to get rid of the culprit. 

At first, antiviruses were developed to fight against viruses only, but nowadays they cover a lot more ground. Here are some of the biggest benefits of getting yourself a powerful defender.

Advantages of antivirus software

1. It fights those pesky ads

Look, constant ads that pop up everywhere aren’t the absolute worst thing that can happen on your computer. If anything, they are annoying, like when you’re trying to sleep but that one fly in your room just won’t stop buzzing.

Now, there’s a free, well-established solution for that - installing an ad blocker. And we’re about a hundred and ten percent sure you’ve already done that on each and every browser you use.

However, “if I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist” isn’t the most ideal approach for your online safety. Ad blockers can’t block everything and they won’t protect you from potential adware. An antivirus on the other hand offers that layer of protection against malware snuck into pop-ups and spammy websites.

2. It protects you from hackers

Hackers don’t target government institutions only. They’ll target regular people too if they have something to gain.

There are different types of hacking, such as phishing e-mails, transmission of malicious programs, credential reuse, denial of service and more. In any case, they take control of your device and hijack your data.

The good thing is that, as threats evolve, antiviruses evolve too and there are tons of quality programs on the market that can keep you secure for an affordable price.

3. It keeps your files and data safe

When malware enters your device, it can target pretty much any file and get access to any and all data.

Installing an antivirus program will make sure that every single file, new or old, is monitored at all times, warning you against threats immediately. That way, you can make sure to react before your other files become infected and data is lost or stolen.

Another great thing for data protection is that the best antivirus software normally comes with a password manager, so no one can use malware to steal your passwords.

4. It blocks all kinds of malware

As we already stated, malicious attacks can be performed in many ways and malware comes in in different shapes an sizes, such as:

• Trojan horse
• Spyware
• Ransomware
• Adware
• Rootkit
• RAT (remote access Trojan)
• Keyloggers
• Worms
• Botnets

Nowadays, antivirus software is designed to fight against all of these types. That’s why more often than not we hear the term 'antivirus' used interchangeably with 'anti-malware,' like in this article.

5. It keeps your children protected

You can’t keep your eyes on your kid every second of the day and you can’t protect them from everything. But at least you can limit their exposure to the threats they can encounter at every corner of the digital world.

An antivirus program will block harmful or suspicious websites and ads, which is great both for you and your children. To take it a step further, though, many such programs come with special parental controls and offer monitoring as well. It’s a great solution for keeping your kids safe online without sounding like the irritating, overbearing, controlling parent who “just doesn’t get it!”

How to pick one

There are definitely lots of different antivirus programs out there, both free and paid. We recommend you look for a paid option, since free ones are unfortunately a lot more susceptible to being compromised through malicious attacks.

Now, there are a few factors to consider when choosing the right software. If you use your PC for basic things then a basic antivirus will suffice. However, the more complex your use and the more sensitive the data you deal with, the stronger it needs to be.

It’s also crucial that you take into account the features it includes. As we already mentioned, some programs have additional security options. For example, depending on the package you select, Bitdefender provides:

• Webcam and mic monitoring
• Parental control
• Firewall
• VPN
• Password management
• Identity theft protection

Some are included in plans and some are separate products, so make sure to check out all the offers.

And don’t worry if you have multiple PCs or you’re looking for protection for your smartphone or tablet as well; Bitdefender has suitable solutions for your needs. Of course, you can also just pick their classic antivirus software if you’re not in need of advanced protection.

Another important point is how regularly the software is updated and enhanced. The more frequent the updates the better, as bugs can make the program more vulnerable. Other things we advise you consider are user-friendliness, impact on performance, reputation (user reviews especially) and, of course, price.

The bottom line

Fact is: anyone can be a malware victim. Don’t let it be you.

You can’t put a price on peace and security, so don’t be reluctant to pay for yours - especially since a lot of options out there are extremely affordable. Is $159.00 a year really too much to pay for cross-platform protection for up to 10 devices? We don’t think so.

Explore your options and protect your files and data before it’s too late.

Windows Setup in Continuous Reboot Loop – What is it?

After upgrading to Windows 10 operating system from Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1, a lot of Windows users are complaining about the Windows setup in a continuous reboot loop. The computer would just keep on rebooting every time the machine is booted and this incites frustration for a lot of Windows users.

Solution

Error Causes

When Windows launched the third update for Windows 10, users trying to upgrade to Windows 10 encountered an endless reboot loop problem. The computer will crash repeatedly. The KB3081424, which is a roll-up of bug fixes of Windows 10, continuously fails once you start the update process and then triggers a message showing: “We couldn’t complete the updates, undoing the changes.” The undoing process will then cause a system reboot mandatorily.

Once you log back on your computer again, the Windows 10 update will try to reinstall KB3081424. You will not be able to stop the update which will cause your Windows setup in a continuous reboot loop.

The KB3081424 will not be successfully installed since if it fails for the first time, that initial failure can be detected to create a bad entry in your Windows 10 registry. This will then prevent your subsequent attempts to reinstall KB3081424 to make it work correctly.

Further Information and Manual Repair

In order to fix the problem of Windows 10 setup in a continuous reboot loop, there are a few methods you can try. Try following these simple steps and you’ll be able to get rid of the problem.

Note: If you’re not highly confident to solve this issue on your own, it is highly recommended to consult an authorized computer technician who would be knowledgeable enough to fix the issue for you. In addition, you can also use a system optimizer to resolve the issue.

Method One: Check For Windows Update

Microsoft Windows released an updated fix for the Windows setup in continuous reboot loop problem. You can try fixing the issue through Windows Update.

1. Open Settings
2. Go to Update & Security
3. Select Windows Update then choose Check for updates

At this point, an additional update will be installed and downloaded to your operating system to resolve the continuous reboot loop problem.

Method Two: Eliminate Bad Registry Entry

Before KB3081424 attempts to install again, you can try doing this solution:

1. Click on the Start menu then type regedit
2. Once the window opens, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList
3. Create a backup for your registry key (since this process is a bit risky). Select ProfileList then click on File and Export then choose your backup name.
4. From the ProfileList IDs, remove anything with ProfileImagePath in it.
5. Close Regedit then reboot. By this time, the KB3081424 should properly install.

Method Three: Perform A Startup Repair

Another thing you can try to solve the Windows setup in continuous reboot loop problem is to perform a startup repair from a working computer.

1. Ensure that all unnecessary devices are disconnected from your computer as your computer might detect them.
2. If you are connected to a network, you need to disconnect from this as well.
3. On a working computer, download the Windows 10 ISO then you can perform a startup repair.
4. Boot your computer from the Windows 10 DVD.

To change your BIOS option to boot from the Windows 10 DVD, follow these steps:

1. Boot your computer then press the F2 function key to enter setup.

NOTE: You must do this quickly since the BIOS loads rapidly.

2. Once you’re inside the BIOS, navigate to the Boot Configuration screen. On this screen, you’ll be able to change the first device to be loaded.
3. Go to Removable Devices then hit Enter. Removable devices could either be a thumb drive or DVD. Select DVD to put it at the top and be the first boot device.
4. Save your changes by pressing on the F10 function key. A setup confirmation box will appear with a message Save configuration changes and exit now. Select Yes.
5. Exit BIOS by pressing on the ESC key. You should be prompted to boot from the Windows 10 DVD at this point.

If you're not able to execute the aforementioned processes on your own, get help or download and install a powerful system optimizer to assist with the windows continuous reboot loop process and other Windows 10 error messages.

A lot of users complain about low storage space each time a Windows Feature update is released as well as to complain about not being able to download the updates, slow update experience, and many other complaints. The main issue is that many users do not have enough storage space available on their PCs. And now to make sure that none of the updates gets stuck because of low storage space, Microsoft presented the Reserved Storage feature which comes preinstalled with v1903 or those where v1903 was clean installed. This guide will be showing you how you can enable or disable the Reserved Storage in your Windows 10 computer. As you know, the Windows Update process should have enough space so that it can download, extract and apply the update on the computer. Usually, the size of the Reserved Storage is around 7GB which gives enough space for the update, temporary files, system caches, apps, and many more. And according to Microsoft, the size of the Reserved Storage space will vary from time to time and will depend on how you use your computer.

Explanation

The Reserved Storage space feature is enabled by default on devices that come preinstalled with the May 2019 update or after performing a clean installation of the Windows 10 OS. To check if your computer has this feature, you need to go to Settings > System > Storage and from there click on the “Show more categories” link and then click on the “System & reserved” option. However, if you can’t find the Reserved Storage from the list, then it’s probably because your computer has limited space on the hard disk or it is not a fresh or new install. On the other hand, if you have this feature but have no use for it and want to disable it instead, then read on as this post will also show you how it’s done.

Solution

Keep in mind that when you disable the Reserved Storage feature, chances are, you might be unable to enable it back so you need to make sure that it’s really what you want to do before you disable it permanently. So if you really want to disable Reserved Storage, you can do so using the Registry Editor. Before you proceed, you have to create a System Restore point first and then carry out the following steps.

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionReserveManager
• From there, double click on the DWORD named “ShippedWithReserves” and set its value to “1”.
• Once you’re done, restart your computer and see if the Reserved Storage feature is now gone.

On the other hand, if you want to reduce the Reserved Storage space, there are two ways you can do that. First, you can go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Manage optional features and from there, uninstall the optional features that you do not use. The second one is you have to go to Settings > Time & Language > Language and then uninstall the languages and their add-on which you don’t use. Note: The Reserved Storage feature is also used by system processes and apps to create temporary files and once the Reserved Storage space fills up, Windows 10 will delete them automatically. It is undeniable a useful feature so disabling it is not recommended but if you are running on low storage space and don’t have much choice, then you may disable it at your own risk.