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My Maps Wizard is a browser extension for Google Chrome Developed by Mindspark Inc. This extension offers users access to different websites that offer route planning, map views, and other traveling tools.

While all this might sound interesting and useful, this extension has been marked as a Browser Hijacker by several popular anti-virus applications.

When installed this extension changes your default home page and new tab page to MyWay.com or Ask.com depending on the extension version. It also monitors and records user browsing activity that it later uses to display sponsored / unwanted ads throughout your browsing sessions. While browsing the internet with this extension active and installed you will see additional pop-up ads, sponsored links, and injected ads into search results.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is a form of unwanted software, often a browser add-on or extension, which causes modifications in the browser’s settings. There are lots of reasons why you may experience a browser hijack; however commercial, advertising, and marketing are the primary reasons for their creation. It redirects you to the sponsored websites and injects ads on your internet browser that assists its creator to generate earnings. Although it may seem naive, these tools were created by malicious people who always attempt to take full advantage of you, so that hackers can easily earn money from your naive and distraction. Browser hijackers could also allow other harmful programs without your knowledge to further damage your personal computer.

How you can know whether the web browser is hijacked?

There are numerous symptoms of web browser hijacking: 1. you notice unauthorized modifications to your web browser’s homepage 2. you find new unwanted favorites or bookmarks added, usually directed to ad-filled or pornography sites 3. the default search engine and the default web browser settings are altered 4. you find many toolbars on the internet browser 5. never-ending pop-up ads appear and/or your browser pop-up blocker is disabled 6. your browser has instability problems or exhibits frequent errors 7. you can’t visit specific websites such as homepages of anti-malware software.

So how does a PC get infected with a browser hijacker?

There are a number of ways your PC can get infected by a browser hijacker. They generally arrive by way of spam email, via file-sharing websites, or by a drive-by download. They may also originate from any BHO, browser extension, toolbar, add-on, or plug-in with malicious intent. A browser hijacker may also come bundled up with some freeware that you unwittingly download to your PC, compromising your internet security. An example of some infamous browser hijacker includes Conduit, Anyprotect, Babylon, SweetPage, DefaultTab, RocketTab, and Delta Search, however, the names are often changing. Browser hijacking can lead to severe privacy problems and even identity theft, affect your web browsing experience by taking control of outgoing traffic, drastically slows down your personal computer by consuming lots of system resources, and cause system instability as well.

Learn how to remove a browser hijacker

Certain browser hijacking can be quite easily stopped by finding and eliminating the corresponding malware software through your control panel. Having said that, the majority of hijackers are quite tenacious and need specialized tools to remove them. Furthermore, manual removals require in-depth system knowledge and therefore could be a very difficult task for novice computer users. Industry experts always suggest users eliminate any malicious software including browser hijacker by using an automatic removal tool, which is simpler, safer, and quicker than the manual removal solution. One of the best tools for correcting browser hijacker infections is SafeBytes Anti-Malware. It will help you remove any pre-existing malicious software on your system and provides you real-time monitoring and protection against new internet threats. Employ a system optimizer (such as Total System Care) along with your antivirus software to correct various registry issues, eliminate computer vulnerabilities, and boost your computer performance.

What To Do When You Cannot Install Safebytes Anti-Malware?

All malware is bad, but certain types of malware do much more damage to your computer or laptop than others. Certain malware variants modify web browser settings by adding a proxy server or change the PC’s DNS configuration settings. In these instances, you’ll be unable to visit certain or all of the sites, and thus not able to download or install the required security software to eliminate the computer virus. 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.

Install the anti-malware in Safe Mode

Safe Mode is actually a unique, basic version of Microsoft Windows in which just bare minimum services are loaded to stop viruses as well as other troublesome applications from loading. If the virus is set to load automatically when PC boots, shifting to this mode may prevent it from doing so. To get into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press F8 while the system is starting up or run MSConfig and find the “Safe Boot” options under the “Boot” tab. Once you are in safe mode, you can try to install your antivirus application without the hindrance of malicious software. Now, you are able to run the antivirus scan to remove computer viruses and malware without hindrance from another malicious application.

Download the security software in an alternate browser

Malicious code may exploit vulnerabilities in a particular internet browser and block access to all anti-malware software sites. The best solution to avoid this issue is to go with a browser that is well known for its security features. Firefox contains built-in Malware and Phishing Protection to keep you secure online.

Run antivirus from a pen drive

Another way is to download and transfer anti-malware software from a clean PC to run a virus scan on the affected computer. Try these simple measures to clean up your infected computer by using portable anti-malware. 1) Download Safebytes Anti-Malware or Windows Defender Offline onto a virus-free computer system. 2) Mount the USB drive onto the same computer. 3) Double-click on the downloaded file to open the installation wizard. 4) When asked, select the location of the pen drive as the place where you want to store the software files. Follow activation instructions. 5) Remove the pen drive. You can now utilize this portable antivirus on the infected computer. 6) Double click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the flash drive to run the application. 7) Press the “Scan Now” button to begin the malware scan.

Let's Talk About SafeBytes Anti-Malware!

If you’re looking to download an anti-malware application for your PC, there are lots of tools out there to consider however, you cannot trust blindly to anyone, regardless of whether it is paid or free software. A few are very good ones, some are decent, and some are merely fake anti-malware applications that will harm your PC themselves! You must pick one that is efficient, practical and has a good reputation for its malware protection. One of the recommended software programs is SafeBytes Anti-Malware. SafeBytes has a superb history of excellent service, and customers are very happy with it. Safebytes is among the well-established computer solutions firms, which provide this complete anti-malware software. Using its cutting-edge technology, this software will help you remove multiples types of malware like viruses, PUPs, trojans, worms, ransomware, adware, and browser hijackers.

SafeBytes anti-malware provides a plethora of advanced features which sets it aside from all others. The following are some of the features you may like in SafeBytes.

World-class AntiMalware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal application can identify and get rid of numerous obstinate malware threats such as browser hijackers, potentially unwanted programs, and ransomware that other typical anti-virus programs will miss. Live Protection: SafeBytes offers complete and real-time security for your PC. It’ll constantly monitor your pc for hacker activity and also provides users with superior firewall protection. Safe Browsing: Through its unique safety rating, SafeBytes informs you whether a site is safe or not to visit it. This will make sure that you’re always certain of your online safety when browsing the web. Light-weight Utility: SafeBytes is a lightweight and user-friendly anti-virus and anti-malware solution. As it uses minimum computer resources, this application leaves the computer power exactly where it belongs to: with you. Fantastic Tech Support Team: You can get high levels of support 24/7 if you’re using their paid version. SafeBytes can keep your personal computer safe from the latest malware threats automatically, thus keeping your internet experience secure and safe. You can be sure that your computer system will be protected in real-time once you put this tool to use. If you want advanced forms of protection features & threat detections, buying SafeBytes Anti-Malware could be worth the money!

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

To remove My Maps Wizard manually, go to the Add/Remove programs list in the Windows Control Panel and select the offending program you want to get rid of. For internet browser extensions, go to your browser’s Addon/Extension manager and select the add-on you would like to remove or disable. You will additionally also want to totally reset your web browser to its default configuration settings. To ensure complete removal, find the following Windows registry entries on your computer and remove them or reset the values appropriately. But bear in mind, this can be a tricky task and only computer professionals could carry it out safely. In addition, some malicious programs are capable to defend against its removal. You’re advised to do this process in Safe Mode.

If you find that your headphones are suddenly not working, read on as this post will help you sort out the problem. There could be several reasons why your headphone is malfunctioning, it could be due to an update you just installed, or it could also be due to incompatible operating system, drivers, and so on. Although updates are created to fix bugs on a computer, there are times when it also causes some issues in the computer. One of the issues it causes is the broken headphone. When this happens, the computer will stop playing any audio using the headphones. The problem, as pointed out, could be due to Windows Updates or incompatible or corrupted drivers in the system. To resolve this problem with the headphones, there are several fixes you can check out. Make sure that you follow each one of the given potential fixes below.

Option 1 – Try to set the headphone as the default device manually

There are times when you plug a headphone, it does not toggle the default audio device. Thus, to fix this issue, you have to set the default audio device to the headphones manually. To do that, follow these steps:

• First, right-click on the volume icon located on the system tray.
• Next, select the Open sound settings option to open the Sound section in the Windows 10 Settings app.
• After that, go to the Output section and select Headphones for the “Choose your output device” option. This should fix the problem for you.

Option 2 – Try to update, rollback or reinstall the Audio driver

If the glitch in your audio has something to do with software, chances are it might be related to the audio driver – it could be that the newest version of your Windows 10 does not work well with the old version of the driver. This is why you have to update your audio driver to the newest available version.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and then type in MSC and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• Expand the section for the outdated device drivers.
• And then select the outdated driver(s) and right-click on it/them.
• From the drop-down menu, select the Update Driver option and follow the on-screen instructions to install the latest version of the driver.
• Then also click on the option, “Search automatically for updated driver software.
• Restart your PC after the installation.

Note: If updating the Audio driver didn’t work, you can go to the website of your PC manufacturer and look for the support section where you can download the drivers for your computer. You just need to take note of your PC’s correct model and model number so you can find the appropriate driver.

Option 3 – Try checking the status of the audio-related Windows Services

The Windows Services manages audio for all Windows-based programs and if this service is stopped, audio devices, as well as effects, will also be affected and if this service is disabled, any services that depend on it explicitly will fail to start. So you need to check the status of this service. How? Follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type in “MSC” in the field and tap enter to open the Windows Service Manager.
• Next, navigate down to the Windows Audio Service and double-click on it to open Properties.
• After that, set the Startup Type to Automatic and then click on the Start button and if it has already started, stop it and then start it again.

Note: You should also make sure that the following Dependency Services are started and have Automatic Startup type:

1. Remote Procedure Call
2. Windows Audio Endpoint Builder

You should also start the Multimedia Class Scheduler and set it on Automatic if you have it in your system. The Multimedia Class Scheduler Service or MMCSS is a service in Windows that allows multimedia applications to get prioritized access to CPU for time-sensitive processing like the multimedia applications as well as prioritized disc access to make sure that the process does not lack data to process.

Option 4 – Try running the Playing Audio Troubleshooter

Since the Windows 10 operating system has the Playing Audio Troubleshooter, you can use this troubleshooter to try and fix the problem with the headphones. You can access this tool in the Control Panel or in the Taskbar Search and even on the Troubleshooters page of Windows 10. Run this troubleshooter and see if it can fix the issue or not.

Option 5– Try to rollback or install a newer Windows Update

As mentioned earlier, the issue with the headphones could be due to a Windows Update. Thus, to fix the problem, you can try to either roll back or install a newer Windows Update.

If you suddenly encounter Activation Error codes such as 0xC004E016, 0xC004F210, 0xC004F034, and 0xC004F00F on your Windows 10 computer, then they all point to the same issue – Invalid Product Key or Version mismatch. When you see any of the aforementioned error codes above, it indicates that you are either entering a wrong product key or you are using an incorrect ISO when installing it on your computer. In such cases, you may see either of the following error messages:

“You are running Windows 10 Pro, but you have a valid digital license for Windows 10 Home.” Or: “The specified product key is invalid or is unsupported by this version.”

If you got the error code 0xC004F00F then it means that you’ve entered a product key for the Enterprise edition of Windows to activate Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Home. It could be that you have a key from your work and you accidentally use it on your Home PC. If you got the error codes 0xC004E016, 0xC004F210, then it means that you have entered a product key that is meant for a different edition or version of Windows. On the other hand, if you got the error code 0xC004F034 instead, then it means that you have entered an invalid product key or a product key for a different Windows version. Whichever error codes you have, refer to the possible solutions given below to fix the Invalid Product Key or Version mismatch Activation Error in Windows 10.

Option 1 – Try running the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter

The first thing you can do to resolve this Activation error is to run the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter. To do so, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings and then select Activation.
• After that, click on the Windows Activation and then troubleshoot. This will help you address most of the commonly found activation issues in Windows devices.

Option 2 – Try purchasing a new license

There is an exception offered by Microsoft – if you are connected to a Microsoft account prior to the hardware change, then you can most certainly use the same license key to reactivate Windows 10 again. Microsoft calls this an “Exception path” which should be fixed easily by the Windows Activation Troubleshooter as pointed out earlier. However, if the Windows Activation Troubleshooter isn’t able to resolve the error you can try purchasing a new license. In such rate case, even if you do have a Microsoft account available on your Windows 10 computer, and if Windows was never activated, this solution will not work. And if you haven’t connected your Microsoft account with your Windows 10 computer prior to the major hardware change, then your only option left is to purchase a new license. For you to do that here are some steps you can follow.

• To purchase a new Windows license, the first thing you have to do is click on the Start button > Settings > Update & Security.
• From there, go to Activation and select the “Go to Microsoft Store” option.
• After receiving your new license, you need to go back to Update & Security then go to Activation and select the “Change product key” option.
• Now update your Windows 10 computer using the new key and it should automatically activate your computer.
• Next, you have to create a Microsoft account or connect to your existing local account to your online account.
• Once the system links the key and the account, you need not buy a new license in case something like this happens again.

Note: If you are an IT administrator, you need to keep in mind that there is a limit to the number of times you can reactivate Windows on your computer. Moreover, if you don’t see any option to reactivate the license, and it is a work computer, you need to contact your organization’s tech support.

Option 3 – Try activating Windows 10 via mobile phone

Activating Windows 10 can also be done using your phone. Just note that you have to call Microsoft to do so.

• In the Start Search box, type in “Slui 4” and tap Enter.
• Next, select your country and click on Next.
• Keep the window open and call the toll-free number of the country you’re from.
• Afterward, a confirmation ID should be given by the automated system which you must take a note of.
• Finally, in the box on the window, type in the confirmation ID and click on the Activate button. That should do it.

Error Code 0x8007007e – What is it?

Error code 0x8007007e occurs in Windows 8 or 8.1 when users attempt to, but fail to successfully use Windows Update. When this occurs, Windows 8 or 8.1 users will not be able to access updates or certain web pages. This error manifests itself via the following common symptoms:

• Inability to complete tasks via Windows Update
• Message box displaying error code 0x8007007e message

Solution

Error Causes

Error code 0x8007007e is usually caused by a malfunction within your system. This malfunction may be due to several issues such as malware on your device, or the accidental removal of a registry entry or system file.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To correct issues related to error code 0x8007007e in Windows 8.1, users may need to employ one or several manual repair methods. Users will not necessarily need technical skills to accomplish this task. However, if you are uncertain of your skills or you are unable to resolve the issue after completing the tasks below, consult a Windows repair technician or use an automated tool.

Method one: System File Checker

System File Checker (SFC) enables users to check their system for corrupt or missing system files. You will need to use Command Prompt. To access System File Checker on Windows 8 or 8.1, follow the instructions below.

• Step one: Tap or use the mouse to click Search
• Step two: Type Command Prompt in the Search box
• Step three: Select Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator
• Step four: Type password if prompted by Command Prompt to do so or simply click Allow

Whether you run Windows 8 or 8.1 operating system on your computer, System File Checker will begin to find and repair missing or corrupted system files. If, however, you are unable to successfully complete the task via Command Prompt, repeat the steps above. You may also consider help from a professional or simply move to the next manual repair method listed below.

Method two: Perform a Clean Boot

A Clean Boot will help users determine if error code 0x8007007e in Windows 8.1 is caused by a problem associated with startup programs. Problems may arise when there is conflict among programs that run in the background when users turn on their device. To run a clean boot, follow the steps below:

• Step one: Click the Start button and type msconfig in the search box
• Step two: Click Services tab
• Step three: Click Hide all Microsoft Services box then select Disable All
• Step four: Click Startup tab
• Step five: Select Disable All, then OK
• Step six: Restart the computer then check if you can now update the system

If the Clean Boot is successful, you will be able to successfully update your system without receiving error code 0x8007007e. However, if the error code reappears while you attempt to access updates or web pages, proceed to the next manual repair method below.

Method three: Scan for Malware

Since error code 0x8007007e in Windows 8 or 8.1 can be caused by issues related to malware, it’s important for users to check their system using a powerful antivirus or anti-malware software. If you do not have one on your system, you will need to download such software as soon as possible.

Once you have the software on your PC, run a scan to check if your computer has been infected. If malware is indeed on your device, remove it using the anti-malware tool.

Method four: Run System Restore Tool

Another effective manual repair method relates to System Restore. This tool enables Windows users to restore their computer to an earlier period of time in which the error code was not present. When done properly, it can effectively resolve error code 0x8007007e. Before running this tool, however, be sure you select a time in which all important files and programs are present so as not to lose them.

Method Five: Use an Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 8 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

One of the errors you can encounter while browsing the web using your Google Chrome browser is the ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED error. If you happen to encounter this error, then this post could help you resolve it. This kind of error in Chrome can occur due to incorrect website domain configuration, conflicting browser data, incorrect proxy settings, and DNS connection issues. To resolve the ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED error in Chrome, here are some suggestions you can check out.

Option 1 – Try disabling the proxy server for your LAN

If your PC was just attacked by some adware or malware as of late, it is possible that it has changed the network settings in the system and might display spam advertisements. Thus, you have to disable the proxy server for your LAN. To do that, refer to these steps:

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

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

Option 2 – Try to reset Winsock, TCP/IP & Flush DNS

Resetting Winsock, TCP/IP, and flushing DNS might help you resolve the ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED error. To do so, follow these steps:

• Right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator) so you can pull up an elevated Command Prompt.
• After that, execute each one of the commands listed below. And after you typed in one after the other, you have to hit Enter.

1. netsh winsock reset – type in this command to reset Winsock
2. netsh int ip reset resettcpip.txt – type in this command to reset TCP/IP
3. ipconfig /flushdns – type in this command to flush the DNS cache

• Next, restart your PC and check if the problem’s fixed.

Option 3 – Try using a VPN connection

There are instances when the network that your computer is logged on might have blocked your access to the website you are trying to open and so to fix it, you can try to use a VPN connection. Once you’ve connected using VPN, try to open the website again and see if you can now access it.

Option 4 – Try clearing browser data

There are times when some data in the browser is conflicting with the loading of the website and triggers errors like ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED. And so you can try to clear your browser’s data. This might be a very basic solution but oftentimes it works in fixing this kind of error in Google Chrome. Follow the steps below to clear the data in your browser.

• Open your Google Chrome browser.
• After that, tap the Ctrl + H keys. Doing so will open a new panel that allows you to delete the browsing history and other data in your browser.
• Now select every checkbox that you see and click on the Clear browsing data button.
• Then restart your Chrome browser and check if you can now open any website or not.

Option 5 – Get rid of any conflicting browser extensions

• Open Chrome and press Alt + F keys.
• Go to More tools and click Extensions to look for any suspicious browser extensions or toolbars.
• Click the Recycle bin and select Remove.
• Restart Chrome and press Alt + F keys again.
• Proceed to On Startup and mark Open a specific page or set of pages.
• To check if the browser hijacker is still active, click Set pages, if it is active, overwrite the URL.

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

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

As you know, Windows 10 comes with the option to create Mobile Hotspot for other devices. This allows you to share your Ethernet connection. However, there are times when one of your devices might fail to reconnect to the mobile hotspot again. For instance, you moved out of the Wi-Fi range because you have somewhere to be and whatnot and when you’re back you find that you are now unable to reconnect to the Windows 10 Hotspot or the shared network. Although you can always restart the mobile hotspot to resolve the problem, however, it might only be a temporary fix. So in this post, you will be given options for a much better solution to the problem. This kind of problem seems unusual and does not occur that often. To fix it, you can try to set up DNS on your Windows 10 device and then configure the settings on the mobile device. It seems that what’s happening here is that the mobile device is unable to lock on to the Mobile Hotspot when the IP address changes for some reason.

Option 1 – Try changing the DNS settings on your laptop

In this option, you need to make sure that IPv4 and IPv6 are selected on your Ethernet connection. You also have to change the Preferred DNS server as well as the Alternate DNS server to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, respectively. You also have to validate the settings before you exit just to ensure that you’ve entered everything correctly. After that, open Command Prompt and run the ipconfig command and then take note of the IP address, Gateway DNS 1 and DNS 2.

Option 2 – Try changing the Wi-Fi settings on your mobile device

This option should be mostly the same on all your mobile devices. And given that OEMs build their customization and skin, you might have to fiddle around a little to get the settings. Refer to the steps below to change the Wi-Fi settings:

• Go to the Settings of your mobile device and tap on Wi-Fi.
• Then click the Mobile Hotspot connection that you’ve created on your laptop.
• After that, input the password and tap the Advanced options.
• From there, tap on IP settings and select the Static option instead of DHCP.
• Now you have to enter the IP address, Gateway, DNS 1, and DNS 2 of the laptop you’ve taken note of earlier and that’s it.

Note: If you are already connected to the Mobile Hotspot, long press on the Wi-Fi network and select the Modify Network option and then follow the steps given above to change from DHCP to static. Once you’re done, your mobile device should now be able to connect to the Windows 10 Mobile Hotspot all the time.

If you’re suddenly unable to launch or open Google Chrome or unable to load web pages, then it’s most likely that the files in Chrome have been corrupted or some plugin is taking up a lot of resources which is why you encounter an error message saying, “Google Chrome has stopped working”. And when you try to check the Task Manager, you’ll see that Chrome is really taking up lots of resources, however, when you check the Taskbar, strangely, you will see nothing. If you are currently facing this issue in Chrome on your Windows 10 PC, follow the given options below.

Option 1 – Kill Google Chrome’s process in the Task Manager

If you aren’t able to open Chrome, then maybe its process is running in the background and you don’t see the browser windows. If that’s the case, you may have to force quit the browser and then try to open it again.

• First, right-click on the Taskbar then select the Task Manager. And if the Task Manager is not responding, you can just use the Alt + Ctrl + Del keys and then select the Task Manager.
• After opening the Task Manager, under Processes, look for Google Chrome’s process which would most likely be named “chrome.exe”.
• Right-click on Google Chrome’s process and then select the End task option.
• Now try to open Google Chrome again.

Option 2 – Try checking if your antivirus program is blocking Google Chrome

There are instances when due to false-positive, a security or antivirus program might block Chrome which is why it failed to open properly. Thus, you can just disable the security program temporarily and then check if you can now open Chrome or not.

Option 3 – Delete the User Profile in Chrome

You can also try deleting the User Profile folder in Chrome. To do so, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then copy and paste “%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalGoogleChromeUser Data” and hit Enter.
• From there, look for a folder named “Default folder” and then copy the folder to another drive as a backup.
• After creating a copy of the folder, delete the Default folder.
• Next, open Google Chrome again and go to Settings > Advanced > Reset.

Option 4 – Disable the Extensions in Chrome

There are instances when issues on a browser are triggered or caused by some problematic extension. To find out which one of your extensions is causing the problem, disable them all first and then enable them back one by one.

• Click on the three-dotted icon for the menu located at the top-right corner of your screen.
• Then click on the More tools option and go to Extensions.
• From there, you will see a list of all the installed extensions in Chrome.
• Disable all these extensions and restart the browser.
• Now enable them back one by one to figure out which one of them is the culprit. You could also remove extensions that you no longer use.

Option 5 – Run the Chrome Cleanup tool

You might also want to try running the Malware Scanner & Cleanup tool in Chrome. This is a built-in tool that can help you get rid of any unwanted pop-ups, banners, ads, unusual startup pages, toolbars, and malware. Thus, it can help you to resolve the issue in Chrome.

Option 6 – Try to reinstall Chrome

If running the Malware Scanner & Cleanup tool in Chrome didn’t work out for you, you can try reinstalling it. To do so, follow these steps:

• Open the Settings app and go to System > Apps & features.
• From there, look for Chrome and uninstall it from your PC.
• Then go to the official website of Google Chrome and download its latest version and install it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Option 2 – Enable Media Playback via Command Prompt

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

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

dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:MediaPlayback

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

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

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

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

As you know, one of the most popular browsers these days is the Google Chrome browser. Browsing the web every day using your Chrome browser, leaves a trail of browsing history. Google uses the browser history to streamline and make the browsing experience a lot better. But there are times when Chrome users experience trouble in deleting their web browsing history, data, cookies, and cache. In this post, you will be guided through specific settings that will help you in getting rid of the browsing history in Chrome. There are several options you can take in clearing the browsing history in Chrome. But before you try them, you can try the basic one first using the following steps:

• First, click on the three-dotted icon and click on History from the menu.
• Next, click on the Clear browsing data option and select “All time”.
• Then select the type of history you want to delete.
• After that, click on the Clear Data button.

If clearing the browsing history in Chrome the old way didn’t work, then you can try to check out the options provided below.

Option 1 – Clear the cache using the File Explorer

The first thing you can do is to clear the cache by using File Explorer. To get started, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
• Next, navigate to the following paths:
  • C:/Users/YOURUSERNAME/AppData/Local/GoogleChrome/User Data/DEFAULT/Cache
  • C:/Users/YOURUSERNAME/AppData/Local/GoogleChrome/User Data/PROFILENAMECache
• From the given locations above, replace “YOUR USERNAME” with the user profile name you use and then search for a file named “Cookies”.
• Now delete its contents.

Option 2 – Reset Chrome

Resetting Chrome can also help you fix the error. This means that you will be restoring its default settings, disabling all the extensions, add-ons, and themes. Aside from that, the content settings will be reset as well and the cookies, cache, and site data will also be deleted. To reset Chrome, here’s what you have to do:

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

Option 3 – Try to clean reinstall Chrome

There are instances when programs leave files behind after you’ve uninstalled them and the same thing can happen to Chrome so before you reinstall Chrome, you have to make sure that you have deleted the User Data folder. To do so, refer to the following steps:

• Hit the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser Data” in the field and hit Enter to open the User Data folder.
• From there, rename the default folder and name it something else, e.g. “Default.old”.
• After that, install Google Chrome again and check if the issue is now fixed.

What is error code 0x80070103?

When visiting the Windows Update Website or the Microsoft Update Website to download the latest update for hardware drives, you could possibly receive Error Code 0x80070103 when clicking on the update driver. This error code occurs when Windows tries to download a piece of identical hardware for a second time. It could also occur when Windows tries to update a currently installed driver to an unsuitable version of that driver.

Solution

Further Information and Manual Repair

There aren’t many ways to handle this issue. Below are two methods of fixing Error Code 0x80070103.

Method 1:

• Visit the Microsoft Update Website
• After the "scan for updates" is complete, click the Welcome or Custom page.
• Next, click Hardware, in the navigation panel, and then on the tab for "optional hardware Updates", the Update client will display the available updates.
• For the graphics card, scan the second update after which you'll click to select the option that says "do not show this update again".
• Hit the "Review and install updates" button.
• Confirm that the second update for the graphics card is not present, then move on the installing the updates.
• Click on the start button, go to All Programs, and then click on Windows Update.
• Hit the "Check for updates" tab.
• After the "scan for updates" is over, click the"Optional updates" link.
• In the "Select the updates you want to install" section, right-click the update that is not needed and hide them.
• Hit the OK button.
• To install any additional updates that are selected, click "Install Updates". Close Windows Update if no other updates are selected,
• For touch screens, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Search (or point to the upper-right corner of the screen if you're using a mouse, moving the pointer down, before clicking Search). Enter "Windows Updates" in the search box, click Settings, and then click "Check for updates".
• After the scan is complete, click the"Optional updates are available" link.
• Right-click or Tap and hold the update you want to hide, select"Hide update", and then select OK.
• If any other updates are available, save all work in "other programs", then restart the computer to the install updates; otherwise, opt out of the Windows Update window.

Open the search window and type “Windows Update” in the search box.

Method 2:

When trying to repair error code 0x80070103, if you find method one hard to follow, can contact Microsoft directly. Call up the help center number listed on their website, and a technician will be able to walk you through the process of ensuring the updater is not attempting to download multiple copies of hardware or trying to install unusable updates on your computer. Because the Windows Updater is set to a generic method of searching for updates, it may not be set to optimize the personal computer's settings. This is why you must select all of the optional update options and why this process is so long. It may be made easier by having a computer repairs technician walk you through it. However, if you want to automate the process of getting that problem solved, you can use a powerful tool to get the job done.