How to Fix Windows 8 Error 0x80070490

When you try to open Outlook 20016 and other programs on your Windows 10 PC and end up getting an error instead saying, “Failed to register a VB Script DLL. Reinstall or run Regsvr32.exe Vbscript.dll to self-register”, read on as this post will help you resolve the problem and help you re-register the vbscript.dll file. Follow each one of the steps below carefully to fix the problem.

• Step 1: In the Start search, type “cmd” and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option from the context menu.
• Step 2: After opening Command Prompt as admin, type the regsvr32.exe vbscript.dll command and hit Enter to execute it.
• Step 3: After entering the command, it will re-register the concerned DLL file using the regsvr32.exe, a Windows OS tool. The Regsvr32 tool is a command-line utility that allows users to register or unregister OLE controls like the DLL and ActiveX (OCX) controls in the Windows operating system. After the command you entered has successfully run, you will see a message saying, “DllRegisterServer in vbscript.dll succeeded.”

On the other hand, if re-registering the DLL file didn’t work, you might have to log on to your computer using an administrator account and then try re-registering the DLL file once more. But before you do that, you need to create a system restore point first so that if anything goes wrong, you can always undo the changes you’ve made. After creating a system restore point, double-click on the downloaded .reg file to add its contents to the Registry. After that, try opening the program you were trying to open but weren’t able to because of the error. If it doesn’t work, you can always reinstall the affected programs that throw up the error and see if it resolves the problem. You could also seek the help of a one-click solution to fix the problem for you. This program is a useful tool that does not only repair corrupted registries and optimize your PC’s overall performance but also resolves any DLL issues like the Failed to register a VB Script DLL. Reinstall or run Regsvr32.exe Vbscript.dll to self-register” error. Aside from that, it also cleans out your computer for any junk or corrupted files that help you eliminate any unwanted files from your system. This is basically a solution that’s within your grasp with just a click. It’s easy to use as it is user-friendly. For a complete set of instructions for downloading and using it, refer to the steps below.

If you are in the process of booting up your computer but suddenly encountered an error saying, “The Boot Configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains errors” with an error code of 0xc0000454, read on as this post will help you resolve the problem. The error code 0xc0000454 occurs when you boot your computer and when the Windows Boot Manager encounters an issue with the Boot Configuration Data or BCD. The error code 0xc0000454 (STATUS_INSUFFICIENT_NVRAM_RESOURCES) signifies that there are no sufficient NVRAM or Non-Volatile Random Access Memory resources to complete the API. NVRAM is a component of the system based on the software that stores the Boot Configuration Data in an operating system. Usually, a simple restart can resolve the problem. However, if you’ve already done that and it’s of no use, then there are other potential fixes you can check out to troubleshoot the problem. To resolve the error code 0xc0000454, here are some potential fixes that should help:

Option 1 – Try to repair corrupted BCD

As mentioned, the error could also be due to corruption in BCD, and to fix it, you can use Bootrec.exe – a built-in command-line tool used to troubleshot issues related to boot up and Windows Startup. Before you run this tool, make sure that you have inserted a bootable USB or DVD into your computer. Once you have that covered, follow these steps:

• You need to go to the Advanced Startup Options.
• Then click on Troubleshoot.
• Next, select the Advanced Options and then Command Prompt.
• Once Command Prompt has been pulled up, enter each one of the following commands and in the sequence that they are given to rebuild BCD files and repair MBR files:
  • Bootrec /Fixmbr
  • Bootrec /FixBoot

• After you execute the commands given above, you should see a confirmation message that says, “The operation completed successfully”.
• Now type the “Bootrec /RebuildBCD” command to rebuild BCD.
• Finally, close Command Prompt and then restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

Option 2 – Try to run the Automatic Repair Utility

You might also want to use Automatic Repair in fixing the error. To do so, follow the steps below.

• You can start by creating and booting from a bootable Windows 10 USB Stick.
• After that, click on Repair your computer located on the bottom left corner when you are on the initial Windows Startup screen.
• Next, click on Troubleshoot, and then on the other screen, click the Startup Repair option.
• Now select the operating system you want to repair. Once you do that, it will start to repair your operating system. Wait until the process is completed and then check if the problem’s now fixed.

Option 3 – Disable the Secure Boot in the BIOS

Disabling the Secure Boot in the BIOS settings is definitely recommended to resolve the error. To disable Secure Boot, here’s what you have to do:

• First, boot your computer into Windows 10.
• Next, go to Settings > Windows Update. From there, check if there is anything that you have to download and install if you see any available updates. Usually, OEMs send and update the list of trusted hardware, drivers, and operating systems for your computer.
• After that, go to the BIOS of your computer.
• Then go to Settings > Update & Security > Advanced Startup options. If you click on Restart Now, it will restart your computer and give you all the advanced options.
• Next, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options. As you can see, this screen offers you further options including System restore, Startup repair, Go back to the previous version, Command Prompt, System Image Recovery, and UEFI Firmware Settings.
• Select the UEFI Firmware Settings which will take you to the BIOS.
• From there, go to the Security > Boot > Authentication tab where you should see Secure Boot. Note that every OEM has its own way of implementing the options so it varies.
• Next, set Secure Boot to Disabled and set Legacy Support to On or Enabled.
• Save the changes made and exit. Afterward, your computer will reboot.

Option 4 – Try to reset the BIOS

If updating the BIOS didn’t help in fixing the error, you can try to reset the BIOS instead.

• Start your computer and tap the F10 key during the booting process to enter the BIOS. If it does not work, you can try tapping the F1 or F2 key as well as the Del key.
• Once you’re already in the BIOS, tap the F9 key to get the prompt to RestoreLoad default configuration now for the BIOS.
• Next, click on Yes and then follow the next on-screen instructions that appear to set the BIOS back to its default settings.
• Once you’re done restoring the default settings of the BIOS, restart your computer and then check if it now boots properly.

Steam has cemented itself as the largest digital game shop in the World. First, release all the way back on September 12^th, 2003, it was meant to be a standalone software client aimed to deliver updates to Valve’s games. It was soon expanded to include titles from third parties. The greatest Steam expansion and its popularity started in 2004 with the release of Half-life 2. Steam allowed prepurchased editions to be downloaded before the official release of the game making it available for play the moment it was officially out. Very soon after Steam gained its popularity, Valve has opened doors to other developers and offered them to use Steam as means for a digital distribution platform. Today it hosts over 30000 different game titles, not including DLC or applications. And how soon Valve’s steam deck is coming out soon we would like to share some great tips and tricks about Steam itself for easy everyday gaming.

Steam guard account security

Security of any of your accounts should be something that you really take seriously. So as always use a strong password for Steam but if you want an extra layer of security for it, and you should, use the Steam built-in feature: Guard Account Security. In order to activate Security Guard go to Steam>Settings>Account>Manage Steam Guard Account Security. Once enabled you will be able to use the Steam mobile application for special code when opening Steam or your email address.

Use Steam beta feature

Once a Steam account is created by default you will download and install the client. In the client, you will have the latest features available but there are more Steam features than default ones, beta features that can offer some improved and new functionality, and do not worry, they are stable and bug-free. I have been in Steam beta for years and not even once have I had any issues with the client itself but I have always had the latest features that will come to regular users later. To enable beta participation to go to Steam>Settings>Account, open the drop-down Beta participation menu, and choose Steam Beta Update. Confirm on OK and restart the Steam client. You will now get all the latest features first.

Manage your library via Collections

The collection is a neat idea for organizing your large game library into different collections or sections easily expanded and contracted for easier navigation and organization. To add the game to a collection just right-click on it and select Add To>New Collection, make a name for a collection like action, RPG, or whatever rocks your boat, and you are done. Once the collection is created other games can be added to it simply just by dragging it into the desired collection.

Make shelves

Shelves are ways to see your collections in the larger areas of the Steam clients. By clicking Add Shelf>Choose a Shelf, you can now add your collection to a shelf on the larger part of the client as a horizontal scrolling container with your chosen games. There are also some predefined shelves like All Games, Recent friend activity, and more.

Hide Game from Library

By right-clicking on a game and selecting Manage>Hide This Game you will remove the game from the active view of your Steam library. Note that the game will still be owned and a part of your library, you will just not be able to see it. This is a great feature when for example you have some things that came as a part of the game pack you are not really interested in when you have 2 different versions of the same game as for example standard and deluxe edition or just by simply not wanting to have game visible in the library. You can find a hidden game by typing its name in the search box and from there you can unhide it.

Play game soundtracks inside Steam

Some games offer you to purchase their soundtracks if you like music from them and some even include OST with a regular purchase. Steam lets you play these soundtracks and even lets you import your own music library folder into it in order to play all of your music inside the client itself. It has even options to automatically stop music playing once the game is run and you can make playlists as well. Your purchased game soundtracks are automatically included, the rest you will need to add by pointing Steam to the folder where you keep music in.

Configure gamepad

Inside Steam, you can configure your gamepad’s general settings, big picture settings, desktop settings, etc. Steam embraced the idea that many OC users these days own and play with gamepads so it has implemented configuration options inside it. To configure your pad go to Steam>Settings>Controller.

Use big picture Steam mode

Big picture mode is Steam's idea of making Steam an entertainment center. Once it is activated it switches from the application into full-screen mode aimed at large TV screens or monitors. You can easily navigate through it via gamepad, mouse, keyboard, or other devices. You have access to the store, your game library, etc. Same as your typical steam app but a little different. You can easily activate it via View> Big Picture Mode and see for yourself is this something you prefer over a standard application layout.

Enable Steam Cloud

Steam Cloud is a great feature that uses cloud storage to save your game progress meaning that you can easily switch to another PC, install games there and continue where you have left off. Many games support this feature instead of keeping saves locally and it is a great feature worth turning it ON. To turn and use Steam Cloud service go to Steam>Settings>Cloud>Enable Steam Cloud Synchronization. Just remember to check does game you are playing supports this option.

Share your Games via Family sharing

Family sharing is a Steam feature allowing you to share your game library with up to 5 accounts on up to 10 different devices. This is a great way to let other members of your family or even close friends enjoy some games you have or vice versa. They will get as well their own save games so you can sleep safe knowing that your progress can not be changed or hindered. Family sharing can be turned ON by logging into PC Steam client where you would like to share your library and navigate to Steam>Settings>Family and then clicking on Authorize Library Sharing On This Computer.

Refund a game

Sometimes the game is not the same as advertised, sometimes it will not work on your PC, sometimes hardware specifications are too high making the game unplayable, etc. For whatever reason, you might have Steam offers you a full game price refund if you wish to do so, you only need to meet 2 criteria, the game must have been purchased within 2 weeks period, older purchases cannot be refunded, and your game playtime must not be over 2 hours of game time. If you fit into this category all you need to do in order to get the full money back is going to Help>Steam Support, pick a recent game from the eligible list, and ask for a refund.

Gift a game

As you can buy gifts for your friends or loved ones in real life, Valve made sure you can do it in digital as well. Gifting game via Steam is simple and straightforward. Choose a game you wish to gift, go to your shopping cart and instead of clicking Purchase for myself, click on Purchase As a Gift, from there you will be taken to your friend list to choose to whom you would like to gift a game along with the option to write a little note to the receiver like happy birthday, enjoy or whatever.

Stream games in Steam itself

Although Steam is not there yet in streaming as Twitch or Facebook gaming is, there is an option to stream your game sessions on it. Click on Steam>Settings>Broadcast to make all adjustments and start streaming. You can also watch streams from your friend list and Steam is now broadcasting popular streams directly to its client if you want to watch it.

Take a game screenshot

By pressing F12, you can take a screenshot from any game and save it inside your Steam cloud library. You can change of course this default screenshot key via Settings>In-Game and if you would like to see your screenshots you can always do it under View Screenshot Library on a game’s page. That’s it, our Steam tips and tricks for easy and good gaming life, I hope to see you soon on errortools.com for your daily articles, tips, and tricks.

Stop C00002lA Fatal System Error- What is it?

C00002lA Fatal System Error is a blue screen of death error that may occur when you start your Windows NT 4.0 based computer. This error causes the screen to turn blue and the system also shuts down. The stop C000021A error message is displayed in the following format:

Stop c000021a {Fatal System Error} The session manager initialization system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000017 (0x00000000, 0x0000000) The system has been shut down.

Error Causes

The stop C000021A error occurs when either Crsrss.exe or Winlogon.exe fails. When the Windows NT kernel identifies that either of these processes has failed, it stops and the error code stop C000021A appears on the computer screen. Here are some of the underlying causes for the stop C0000021A error:

• The incompatible third-party program
• Hard disk issues
• Service pack installation has failed
• Mismatched system files have been installed
• Bad and invalid registry keys

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve the stop C000021A Fatal System Error on your PC try the following solutions:

• Remove Incompatible Third Party Programs

If the error occurred after you recently installed a new program, then it is advisable to remove that program. The error occurs due to the incompatibility of the program. To remove the program go to the start menu and click on the control panel. Now click on Add/Remove Program tab and double click on the program name that you recently installed and remove it from the list. Once removed, not reboot your PC. Reinstall a compatible program and run it. It is most likely to resolve the issue. However, if the stop C000021A error still occurs, then it means the problem is critical. It is related to the registry.

• Repair and Restore the Registry

This procedure is slightly long and tricky. To try it, you need to be technically sound. Here’s what you have to do: first create a parallel installation of Windows NT. Start your PC to the parallel installation and then open the Registry Editor. On the Registry Editor’s Windows menu click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine and then click Load Hive. Now type the path %systemroot%system32configsystem into the System hive of the prior installation. Then click open. Here you will be prompted to enter the name of the key, type TEST. Note the setting for the current DWord value in the preceding registry key. This is 0x1 and is denoted by CURRENT:Reg_Dword: 0x1. This value indicated that the Current Control Set for your original Windows NT installation corresponds to ControlSet001 in this window. Now if the value is 2, it indicated that the Current Control Set corresponds to ControlSet002. Now locate the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETESTControlSetXXXControlSession Manager. XXX is the Current Control Set Value. And delete any pending file rename operation entries. Then click TEST hive and then click Unload Hive. After that again repeat the process, open the registry menu and click load hive, here type the path %systemroot%system32configSoftware to the Software hive of the prior installation and then click open. Now you type TEST 2 when you are prompted for the name of the key. Remove any pending file rename operations entries in the following registry keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETEST2MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETEST2MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnceEx Now click TEST2 hive and then click unload hive. Quit the Registry Editor and then restart your original installation. This will resolve the stop C000021A error.

For a while now, Microsoft has been working hard to add various built-in troubleshooters in Windows 10. In fact, there is a troubleshooter for almost every standard or common error in Windows 10. And now with the newly released Windows 10 v1903, Microsoft has added the Recommended Troubleshooting which allows Windows 10 to automatically fix a lot of critical issues on your computer, and in this post, you will be guided on how you can turn on or off the Recommended Troubleshooting in Windows 10. The Microsoft Diagnostic & Feedback data only provides two settings – Basic and Full. So if you want to turn off the Recommended Troubleshooting for some reason, the only way to do so is to stop it from collecting complete data from your PC. And to turn it on or off, you can choose to switch between them. To do that, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Diagnostics & feedback and from there, select Basic under the Diagnostic Data section. After that, go back to Settings and go to Update & security > Troubleshoot. Once you’re there, you should see a warning message saying, “Share Full Diagnostic data to get additional troubleshooting recommendations”. Based on the message, Microsoft will only offer the recommended troubleshooting based on the Full Diagnostic data which it collects from your computer. On the other hand, if you know how to navigate and use the Windows Registry, then you can enable or disable the Recommended Troubleshooting via Registry Editor but before you proceed, make sure that you create a System Restore point. Once that’s covered, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoft
• From there, look for the key named “WindowsMigration”. If you can’t find it, just right-click on the left pane and create a new key and then name it “WindowsMigration”.
• After that, create a DWORD “UserPreference” and double click on it to set its value to “0” if you want to turn it off or “1” if you want to turn it on.
• Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Note: The Recommended Troubleshooting functionality can look into the error logs sent back to the Microsoft team and use an algorithm to set up a solution for you and they’re nothing but Diagnostics and Feedback data that Windows collects and sends back to Microsoft. Moreover, the recommendations are only visible if you are connected to the internet, else it will show the same message.

If you encounter an error message that states, “Your computer has lost the lease to its IP Address <IP ADDRESS> on the Network Card with network address <NETWORK ADDRESS>”, then this post might be of help to you. This kind of error due to the timeout caused by the DHCPv6 address which is used to connect the client to the user network as an independent client or a part of a domain. There are a lot of potential fixes you can try to fix this error and we will be discussing each one of them below. You can try to reboot your router, flush the DNS cache, reset the Network adapter, toggle the DHCPv6 Lease time or disable IPv6 in the Network Center. For more details, refer to the following options.

Option 1 – Try rebooting your router

The first thing you can try to do to fix the error is to simply restart your router. All you need to do is reboot the router from its Admin panel or you can also turn it off manually and turn it back on after a couple of seconds so that it can completely reboot. Once you’re done, try accessing your server again and see if the error is now fixed.

Option 2 – Try to flush the DNS configuration

You could also try to flush the DNS configuration in your computer to fix the error. How? Refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + X key combination and click on the Command Prompt (Admin) option or you could also search “cmd” in the Cortana search box and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After opening Command Prompt with admin privileges, enter each one of the commands given below sequentially in order to flush the DNS cache.
  • ipconfig/release
  • ipconfig/renew
  • ipconfig/flushdns
• Now type the exit command to close Command Prompt and then restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed.

One the other hand, you could also try to reset Winsock as well as the TCP/IP. Once done, just exit the Command Prompt and check if that fixes your issue. You may want to reset Winsock & reset TCP/IP as well.

Option 3 – Try to toggle the DHCPv6 Lease time

• First, you need to log in to the Admin panel of your router.
• Next, navigate to the DHCPv6 settings inside it and look for a field for Lease Time.
• After you’ve found it, increase the Lease Time value to something greater than what is already entered depending on your preference.
• Now apply the configuration and reboot your router to apply the modified settings. Just remember that if things didn’t work out, you can just change back the Lease Time value to what it was before.

Option 4 – Try disabling the IPv6 in the Network Center

• Tap the Win + X key combination and click on Network Connections.
• This will open the Settings app on a specific page. Now on the right-side panel, click on the Network and Sharing Center link.
• After that, it will open the Control Panel and from there, click on the network that your computer is connected to and then click on Properties.
• Next, uncheck the entry that says, “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)” in the list that populates.
• Now click on OK and close all other windows and see if the error is fixed.

Option 5 – Run the Network Adapter troubleshooter

To run the Network Troubleshooter, refer to these steps:

• Open the Search bar on your computer and type in “troubleshoot” to open the Troubleshoot settings.
• Next, scroll down and select the “Network Adapter” option from the right pane.
• Then click on the Run Troubleshooter” button.
• After that, your computer will check for any possible errors and will pinpoint the root cause of the problem if possible.
• Restart your computer.

Option 6 – Try to perform Network Reset

You can also try to perform a Network Reset to resolve the problem. This will reset the entire network configuration including your IP address. To perform Network Reset, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open Settings.
• From there, go to the Network and Internet section.
• Next, scroll down and look for “Network Reset” under the status pane.
• After that, click on Network Reset and then on Reset now to start resetting the network configuration. Once done, check if it is able to fix the error or not.

If you are tried encrypting or decrypting a file using the default EFS engine but you receive an error message instead saying, “Error Applying Attributes, An error occurred applying attributes to the file: The specified file could not be decrypted”, read on as this post will help you sort out the problem. If you encounter this error you can use the error code in it. You will most likely get error code 0x80071771. This kind of error occurs when the File Explorer’s copy and paste feature was not able to read the source file being encrypted or decrypted. It could also occur if you try to access a file that has been on another computer previously.

To fix error code 0x80071771 when decrypting or encrypting a file, refer to the instructions provided below.

Step 1: You need to check first if you can decrypt the files encrypted by EFS. However, if you can’t, just proceed and then take full control of the file. Step 2: To take control of the file, open File Explorer and right-click on the partition, and then click on Properties. Step 3: After that, click on the Edit button under the Security tab. Step 4: Next, make sure that “Everyone” is selected under the Group or user names section. Step 5: Afterwards, the Permissions for Everyone section will be activated. Just make sure that all the checkboxes for Allow are checked and then click on the Apply button. Step 6: Once you’re done, click on the Advanced button. This will open a new window labeled Advanced Security Settings. From there, click on the Change link under the Owner section. Step 7: Now type your account name in the field and click on Check Names to verify the account name and click OK. Step 8: After that, select the “Replace owner on sub-containers and objects” option and then click OK. Step 9: Next, select Administrators in the Group or User names list and select Full Control in the Permissions for Administrators panel and click OK.

Among other things and innovations, Windows 11 brings to the table is the game mode. The game mode is a system designed to release some resources and optimize your system when Windows 11 detects that you are playing games. It also turns off automatic updates while the game is active. The game mode is active at all times and usually, everything works great but in some instances, it can sadly cause some performance issues. If you are one of these unlucky people where game mode is not working as supposed to do, don’t panic, we have a quick guide for you on how to turn it off.

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
2. Inside click on Gaming
3. Select Game mode
4. Click switch beside Game mode to turn it off
5. Close settings

Everything will be automatically saved and applied and you should not have any issues from now on. If for any reason you wish to turn game mode back ON, just follow the same steps and turn the switch to ON.

In case you don’t know, Groove Music is due to retire its OneDrive streaming service this month. Despite that being the case, there is actually a workaround you can try to still continue enjoying music streaming. The app also allows you to play your own local files and if required, you can also modify or tailor the experience with new features – for instance, Groove Music brings an Equalizer to the settings of the app. As the name suggests, the equalizer allows you to tweak frequency responses to your liking. On top of being able to tweak individual bands, the equalizer supports few pre-set settings to enable quick changes. This post will guide you on the process of accessing and using the equalizer in the Groove Music app. To get started, refer to the instructions provided below. Step 1: You need to make sure that you are running the latest version of the Groove Music app or version 10.18011.1211.0 or higher in order to use the equalizer in Groove Music. If needed, you can check the version number from Windows Store. Step 2: Open Windows Store and then click on the ellipses icon and select the Downloads and Updates option. Step 3: Next, search for Groove Music and check its version number. Step 4: Now that you’ve verified the version number of Groove Music, you need to open the equalizer setting. It is enabled by default and to access it, click on the gear icon for Settings and select equalizer under the Playback settings. Step 5: After that, the Equalizer window will pop up. It is where you can configure the equalizer settings using the drop-down menu. Here are the following presets you can choose from:

• Flat
• Treble Boost
• Bass Boost
• Headphones
• Laptop
• Portable speakers
• Home Stereo
• TV
• Car
• Custom

Step 6: Drag the dots upwards or downwards to set your own preferences, as needed. Note: The only downside to this setting is that there is no shortcut available for quick access as you have to navigate through the Settings section manually to access it and change the preset configurations. In addition, the Groove Music app also works on the mobile version of Windows 10.

Afraid of the growing threats online? As you should be. But we’re here to show you what kinds of malware are out there and what you can do to keep them at bay.

Malware definition

Malware comes from the term malicious software. It’s software designed to attack and exploit devices and networks to the advantage of the hacker who made it.

Malware can be transmitted in different ways. Most commonly this happens via infected USB drives, downloadable files or malicious websites. Depending on the type and ultimate goal, the consequences of a malware attack can range from negligible to catastrophic.

What kinds of malware are there?

1. Virus

A virus is typically spread via infected files, websites or links. It’s one of the oldest malware types and one of the most difficult to get rid of. That’s because, once activated, it replicates itself - hence the name. 

It can perform different kinds of attacks, depending on what the creator wants to achieve. The main characteristic of a virus is that it really doesn’t show itself until you activate the host. So that’s a scary thought for sure.

2. Adware

Sometimes an ad blocker isn’t enough to fight off unwanted ads. And some of them can, unfortunately, be malicious. They may redirect you to infected sites or prompt downloads of risky files. Even just opening a malicious site can lead to data theft.

So, definitely be careful when clicking around. Even if an ad seems completely legitimate, you can never be too sure.

3. Ransomware

Through ransomware, cybercriminals gain access to a user’s data and use it to extort them for money. Basically, the user is threatened with data deletion or even exposure if a ransom isn’t paid by a specific deadline.

This is a particularly nerve-wracking type of malware. If it targets an individual, it preys upon their sense of anxiety, fear, guilt and even shame. If it targets a business (which is a lot more common), it preys upon not only that business’s profit but also every single one of their customers and their data.

4. Trojans

This type of malware disguises itself very well as a legitimate-looking program. Once you download it, hackers can get full access and control of your device, data and network. They can even be hidden in games, apps and attachments. They cannot self-replicate, though, so we guess that’s… good news?

5. Worms

Worms can replicate, just like viruses, but you don’t need to actually activate the infected program for them to get going. They can be used for various purposes, ranging from data deletion to file encryption to support a ransomware attack.

6. Spyware

Spyware refers to malicious software that stays hidden on your computer and monitors your activity. The best-known type is keyloggers. This can be used to steal sensitive data like passwords and banking information.

7. Rootkits

Rootkits are among the most dangerous types of malware. They allow administrative access and full control of a device, which lets hackers continue hijacking all your data and monitoring your activity without your knowledge.

8. Botnets

Botnets are networks made up of bots - computers that cybercriminals have infected with malicious software. Bots and botnets give hackers remote access to users’ devices and allow them to spy on your camera, take screenshots, memorize passwords and launch Distributed Denial of Service attacks. This one truly makes your hair stand on end.

What can you do about it?

You know the old adage - better safe than sorry. And trust us, malware attacks are such a pain in the you-know-what that you really don’t want to be sorry.

Luckily, there are simple solutions that can shield you from most digital threats these days. What you want to be looking at is a solid antivirus program. Well, technically, you need an antimalware program, but since the latter evolved from the former, we still mostly refer to them as antivirus software.
The majority of antimalware programs these days don’t just shield you from potential risks online, but include additional features as well. For example, some Bitdefender antivirus packages also include parental control and a VPN. And Bitdefender is not just for PCs either - it offers protection for your beloved iPhone or Android as well. You can throw in a password manager in there too, for an additional layer of security.

If you aren’t too concerned about all these various threats or feel like you don’t need extra security, you can at least take a step to protect your information from being exposed to lurking cybercriminals as you’re browsing. This can be done through a good VPN like Surfshark, which hides your identity in the digital space and prevents your data from being tracked.

Choosing the right protective software is especially important if you have children with access to the Internet, since they’re unfortunately even more vulnerable to malicious attacks. If you aren’t sure what the right kind of antimalware program is right for you, you can reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help keep your entire household or office digitally secure.

The bottom line

The truth is that there’s no way to be 100% protected in the online world. Hackers are constantly coming up with new ways to infiltrate our devices. But malware-battling software evolves along with them and there’s still plenty you can do to keep risks away. Stay safe!