Fixing Windows 10 stuck at “Preparing Security Options”

What is Bandoo?

Bandoo application, specifically product version 5.0.2.4762, is a bundled program. What does this mean? Simply, Bandoo, upon installation, installs additional programs, extensions, and add-ons to a computer and computer’s browser, without the knowledge of the user. This version of Bandoo concentrates on providing features for entertainment and also functionality/tools for backing up your computer files. Once executed, the file installs the iLivid Download Manager Software. Additional tools installed within the bundle include a Movie Toolbar and the thriving search engine ‘Ask.com.’ Technical details about Bandoo include: 

Digital Signature/Publisher:  Bandoo Media, Inc. Product Version: 5.0.2.4762 Entry Point:  0x000038AF

Assessment of Bandoo Potentially Unwanted Program

Interestingly, before the installation of Bandoo product version 5.0.2.4762 was complete, Spyhunter detected that the software was a PUP. After the installation was complete, product version 5.0.2.4762 of Bandoo added add-ons and extensions to both Internet Explorer and Chrome Browsers (these were the only 2 browsers used within the assessment). These appeared in the form of a Movie toolbar, providing quick access to movie trailers, reviews, ratings, and other video functionality, and ‘Ask’ (Ask.com) search engine.

Areas of Infiltration by Bandoo

Bandoo product version 5.0.2.4762 infiltrated several areas of the computer system. After installation, folders were neatly placed as files within all programs. Within “All Programs” there were 3 newly added programs. These included:

• iLivid
• Movies Search App for Chrome
• Movies Search App for Internet Explorer

The iLiVid application seems to be the main offer while the others, namely Movies App for Internet Explorer by Ask was featured as promotions or advertisements. Additionally, just below the 'END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT AND PRIVACY POLICY' a request was made that the user set Ask.com as both their homepage, new tab, and default search engine. This is just another well-concocted plan to get Internet users onto the 'Ask.com' search engine. Along with the 3 programs installed as a bundle,  a new folder was found within the computer's local drive. This program was termed OLBPre.

What is OLBPre?

OLBPre.exe is reputed as dangerous adware that weakens the security settings of a computer system. It's also covertly used for dropping files on a targeted computer, often without the user's consent or knowledge.

Manual Steps for Removal of Movie Search Apps

I found this removal pretty simple. Depending on your Operating System, there will be slight discrepancies in the manual removal steps. Using the Windows 8 (8.1) OS on your computer:

• Step 1: from your desktop, right-click on the ‘Start Button’.  A menu box will then appear.
• Step 2: from the menu box, click ‘Search’.
• Step 3: enter “Programs and Features” within the Input Box.
• Step 4: locate the installed apps. You should be able to see “Movies Search App for Chrome” & “Movies Search App for Internet Explorer”.
• Step 5: right-click on the names of the Apps (the ones you want to remove) when you’ve located them.
• Note: you will have to remove the apps one after the other.
• Step 6: after right-clicking the app, click the uninstall option (probably the only option available anyway).
• Note: If a box appears asking If you wish to ‘block’ or ‘allow’, select the allow option. That’s just the Publisher’s way to annoy you out of uninstalling the app.
• Step 7: follow instructions until the app is fully removed.
• Step 8: Repeat steps for the other app.

Since Bandoo also changed your search engine, you’ll have to reset that manually for Internet Explorer and Chrome. Follow the steps below:

• Step 1: Open your Internet Explorer browser.
• Step 2: Click the tool option located in the top right-hand corner of the page.
• Step 3: Click the “Internet Options” option.
• Step 4: Under the “General” tab, you’ll be able to see approximately 3 buttons. Click the button labeled ‘Use Default”.
• Step 5: At the bottom right-hand corner of the pop-up menu, select the “Apply” button and “OK”. That should do the trick.

Removal for Chrome Extension

This removal is simple.

• Step 1: Open your Chrome browser.
• Step 2: A pop-up box will be visible.
• Step 3: Click the “Remove from Chrome” option.

After removing the extensions/add-ons, perform another scan with Spyhunter. You’ll pick up a few threats. The second scan should clear up everything. To completely remove Bandoo from your computer, click here to download and install Spyhunter.

Valve has released a big update to its online store and distribution platform Steam. Among typical bugs fixing and making the user experience a little more fluid, we have received some major updates as well. Please take note that you need to update Steam itself to the latest version in order to get new features.

Storage management Page update

The storage management page has received a complete redesign and UX overhaul and it is now much easier to manage your game libraries and create new ones. The page itself looks and feels a little console more like but thanks to that it offers a much easier and clearer look and feel. Another thing with the Steam store management page is the ability to move installation files from one location to another. Let’s say that you have two or more hard disk drivers in your machine and that you have SSD that you use for running stuff since it is fast and larger and slower one for storage. Now you can easily and quickly move one installation from one to another in order to take advantage of your faster SSD for quicker LOAD game times without making a new installation.

Steam Download page improvements

The download page has also received some love from Valve by enabling us to now see the installation progress. So far on the download page of Steam, you would only get download progress but it has been updated to show installation progress after download as well now making it more straightforward and giving you a general idea of how much more time there is to wait in order to start gaming. Also, you can now drag and drop items in the download bracket to reorder download orders or place them as active downloads to start downloading right away.

JavaScript Void 0 Error - What is it?

JavaScript is a computer programming language used to make a website work smoothly with the internet. It helps to display visual effects, animations, and other web page functions. You may come across the JavaScript Void (0) error message when there is a problem in loading JavaScript from a web page or the internet browser.

Error Causes

JavaScript Void (0) error is triggered by multiple reasons such as:

• It can be due to a simple random Windows application glitch.
• You are visiting an unsafe website that contains malware
• JavaScript’s web browser implementation  is broken due to poor program installation
• Active X controls, Java applets, and active scripting, the key components of JavaScript are disabled
• Registry issues like invalid or misconfigured registry keys

Further Information and Manual Repair

For JavaScript Void (0) error-free web surfing, it is advisable to repair the issue without any delays. Let’s take a look at different methods to resolve this error on your system.

Cause: Simple Random Glitch

Solution: If the cause for the JavaScript Void 0 error is a simple glitch, then it is advisable to restart your system and then run the program again.

Cause: JavaScript’s web browser implementation is broken

Solution: If you experience the JavaScript Void 0 error message after the installation of the new browser on your system, then poor installation of the program or program conflict is most likely to be the deep-rooted cause of this error code. To resolve it, uninstall the program and undo the recent changes.

Cause: Active X controls, Java applets, and active scripting, the key components of JavaScript are disabled

Solution: You should know that components including Active X controls, Java applets, and active scripting are all essential to JavaScript in order to make your browsers run properly. If these are disabled, you may come across the JavaScript Void (0). To fix it open your browser and select the Tools tab. Then click the options button and select content. Here check the ‘enable JavaScript’ check box and click Ok to enable these components.

Cause:  Registry Issues

Solution: If after performing all the solutions discussed above, you still come across JavaScript Void (0) error code, then you should know that the problem is bigger than what you expected. It triggers registry issues. Either the cause of the error is misconfigured or invalid registry keys. To reconfigure the registry keys setting may be a challenging task and complex if you are not a computer programmer.

Direct replacement for Apple M1 Chip is near. There were some M1 Chips versions like M1 MAX and M1 ULTRA that were upgrades of the existing M1 chip, but the new and upcoming M2 is something different and it is aiming to replace M1 completely.

Made in a 5-nanometer design, with 20 billion transistors and 100GB/s of unified memory bandwidth is meant to increase performance over M1. It has the same M1 8 core design with 4 high-efficiency cores and 4 high-performance ones.

All CPU and GPU cores are faster than their M1 equivalents and Apple states that when running M1 and M2 at the same power level M2 will perform 25% faster. The first version of the chip will place focus on power efficiency so if you are more on side of being a power user wait for the MAX or ULTRA version of M2.

Tech details of M2

M2 system on a chip like its predecessor M1 combines both CPU and GPU on a single chip with shared memory in order to increase performance compared to systems that have separate CPU and GPU. M2 so far has been only announced for MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro that suppose to hit the market somewhere around July this year. Of course, we expect that M2 is included in future iPad series or Mac Mini series as well.

• CPU Cores: 8
• GPU Cores: Up to 10
• Unified Memory: Up to 24 GB
• Neural Engine Cores: 16
• Number of Transistors: 20 billion
• Process: Second Generation 5nm

When we initiate the copy or move files command we get a dialog that shows us the progress of the current operation, under that bar we can click on the little arrow to expand the bar into so-called more details view where we get more information like which file is being copied, more detailed graph, etc. Windows will remember the last option we had and next time when we start the same process it will open the last view. But what if we want to only have one view always open as default, even if we change it? Let's say that we always want to have a detailed view opened always as our default even if we switch to a minimal one? Well with some tweaks in the registry of Windows we can. Note that this guide will require changing things in the registry of Windows itself, it is always smart and recommended to make a safe backup of your registry, just in case.

FOR ALWAYS SHOW MORE DETAILS FOLLOW THIS GUIDE:

open notepad and paste the following code inside: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\OperationStatusManager] "EnthusiastMode"=dword:00000001 Go to File > Save as... and once the file save dialog opens choose at the bottom all files under file type. Save the file with extension .REG naming it whatever you want. Right-click on file and choose Merge, confirm with YES and you are done, now each time when you start copy or move operation details view will be open.

FOR ALWAYS SHOW FEWER DETAILS FOLLOW THIS GUIDE:

open notepad and paste the following code inside: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\OperationStatusManager] "EnthusiastMode"=dword:00000000 Go to File > Save as... and once the file save dialog opens choose at the bottom all files under file type. Save the file with extension .REG naming it whatever you want. Right-click on file and choose Merge, confirm with YES and you are done, now each time when you start copy or move operation minimal details view will be open.

TPM 2.0 requirement for Windows 11 has produced a lot of discussions since it was announced. A lot of somewhat older hardware seems to be left behind with this decision from Microsoft. So naturally, when something like this is announced, especially when it is stated it is the must-have thing, people find a way to break it and to prove it is not the case. In that spirit, I am proud to present you with not one but three-way you can install Windows 11 on hardware that does not has TPM 2.0. Please note that by bypassing this you will not be able to use some Windows 11 features tied to modules like Device encryption, vTPM in Hyper-V, and all TPM-related services. I will cover methods from the most simple and straightforward ones to the more complicated using registry editor.

Bypass TPM with changing installation media

For this method to work you will need both Windows 10 ISO and Windows 11 ISO since it will require some file copying between them. You will also need Rufus or another tool to make a new installation media once files are copied All you have to do in this method is to go into your Windows 10 ISO and delete the install.esd, then just copy install.wim from Windows 11 installation media into the same place, and you are done. Make install ISO with Rufus and install Windows 11.

Change DLL on installation media method

For this method, you will need everything like in the previous one and the process is almost the same, but this time instead of migrating the whole installation file, we will just replace the appraiserres.dll file. Copy appraiserres.dll file from your Windows 10 installation media over the same file on Windows 11 installation and you are good to go.

Bypassing TPM via registry editor

If for some reason previous easy solutions have not worked for you do not lose hope just yet, there is one more way you can bypass TPM. In this given method you will not need Windows 10 installation media but the process is a little more complicated than previous ones.

1. Create Windows 11 media installation
2. Start the installation process
3. Click the Next button.
4. Select region, language, and time when asked. You can change these settings later.
5. Click the Install now button.
6. If your device was already activated, click the I don’t have a product key option to continue.
7. Click the Next button. Select the edition of Windows. When you’re installing the OS on an existing device, Windows won’t activate if you select the incorrect edition.
8. Click the Next button.
9. Select the I accept the license terms option and click next.
10. Select Custom: Install Windows only (Advanced)
11. During the Windows installation screen, now you will see a message stating that the PC can’t run Windows 11 if you do not have TPM 2.0
12. On this screen, press SHIFT + F10 to open Command Prompt window.
13. Launch the registry editor, type regedit.exe in Command Prompt, and press ENTER
14. Create a new key “LabConfig” by right-clicking on the Setup key and select New > Key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup.
15. Type LabConfig and press ENTER.
16. Right-click on the LabConfig key.
17. Select New > DWORD (32-bit) value.
18. Create two values: BypassTPMCheck and BypassSecureBootCheck.
19. Set their DWORD32 value to 1.
20. Press ENTER.
21. Close the Registry Editor.
22. Type exit in the Command Prompt and press ENTER or close its window.
23. Press the back button in the Windows installation setup if it still says “This PC can’t run Windows 11”.
24. Accept the terms & conditions.
25. Select Custom: Install Windows only (Advanced) option and configure the partition with the current installation.
26. Click the Next button.
27. Finish Windows 11 installation

As you probably know, Windows 10 does not offer lots of choices for its Regional settings depending on where you are and what locale you work with or belong to. The standard region settings for Windows 10 allow users to select one set of formats for the calendar and more. However, this has somewhat changed in the Windows 10 v1809. If you don’t want such a change, you can just override the default regional format settings in the Windows 10 Improved local experience. So in this post, you will be guided on how you can do such a thing. Follow the given instructions below to override the default Regional Format settings in Windows 10. Step 1: Go to Settings > Time and Language > Region. Step 2: From there, the default region is what Windows and apps might use to provide you with local content. However, this won’t be much of use if you work for a different locale and need to have different format settings like Calendar, Dates, Times, Currency, and First day of the week, all of which you can modify under the Regional format. Step 3: You need not reboot your Windows 10 computer after changing. On the other hand, some of the apps will have to close and launch again in order to apply the new format. Thus, if you need to use apps that are of different locales, you will only see the changes after you re-launch the app. Note: You can also select a different language that makes more sense to you. In other words, if you prefer more common words to standard words for your Windows 10 computer, then this is definitely the way to do it. This local format will be used for messages, menus, navigation, settings, and other topics. Step 4: Look for a link that says “Add a Windows display language with local experience packs” under Languages. In case you don’t know, Local Experience Packs are Microsoft Store apps that deliver Windows display language quality improvements. So once you click the link, it will download the packs from the Microsoft Store. In addition, Windows has already begun using AI or Artificial Intelligence as well as neural network-based Machine Learning for Windows localization. And as the number increase, the Machine language improvements and feedback from users will help in making the translations a lot better and make them available to even more languages. All in all, it’s pretty much an interesting and a good move for Microsoft as the demands for topics and machines to be available in local languages have been increasing for the past couple of years.

If you are trying to log into your user account on your Windows 10 computer but encountered an error message instead that says, “Your account has been disabled, Please see your system administrator”, read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix this problem. In this kind of scenario, you won’t be able to access your data unless you have access to the administrator account. This problem could be caused by several problems. It is possible that malware has infected your computer and has changed some settings in your computer, especially if your system has been under a malware attack not too long ago. The malware could’ve changed the “Account is disabled” option. The only thing you can do to resolve this kind of problem is to log into your computer using another administrator account and then change the setting. However, if you don’t have a second administrator account, you can just enable the built-in hidden administrator account on your computer. You shouldn’t have any problem enabling the hidden administrator account as it is quite easy when you can log into your account. And in this post, you will be guided on how you can enable the hidden administrator account using the Registry Editor to fix the “Your account has been disabled, Please see your system administrator” error.

To get started, follow the instructions given below.

1. First, you need to start your computer and ensure that you are on the error screen. From there, you will see the Power options located on the right-hand side.
2. Click on the Power options and tap and hold the Shift key and then select Restart.
3. After that, the Advanced Boot Options will appear and from there select Troubleshoot > Command Prompt.
4. Next, you have to select your user account and enter the user account’s password to open Command Prompt.
5. After opening Command Prompt, open your screen and type “Regedit” and then tap Enter on your keyboard.
6. Now select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the Registry Editor and go to File > Load Hive.
7. Afterward, you have to open the Windows installation drive and go to the location – WindowsSystem32Config
8. From there, you should find a file named “SAM” – select this file and click the Open button.
9. Next, you have to enter a key name. You can just input whatever you prefer.
10. Once done, navigate to this path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEkey_nameSAMDomainsAccountUsers
11. From this path, you will see a key named “000001F4” – select this key and double click on the “F” entry that you can find on the right-hand side of the screen.
12. After that, look for the value data line labeled “0038” which should show 11 in the first column. You have to replace it with 10.
13. Once done, click on the OK button and close the Registry Editor and the Command Prompt to restart your computer.
14. Now once your computer has restarted, sign in to the Administrator account and open the Computer Management window. You can just search for it using the search bar in the Taskbar.
15. After you open Computer Management, go to Local Users and Groups > Users – where you can find all the user accounts. Look for your deleted user account and right-click on it and select Properties and then unmark the checkbox that says “Account is disabled”. This should fix the problem.

What is Drwtsn32.exe Application Error?

Drwtsn32.exe (DrWatson Postmortem Debugger) is a process file from Microsoft Corporation that runs on Microsoft Windows Operating System. This file is digitally signed from Microsoft Windows Component Publisher- Microsoft Timestamping Service. This file is a type of executable file. It is useful to debug and creates log files when an error occurs during running or program execution. The information logged by DrWatson is used by technical support personnel to diagnose a program error for a computer running Windows. It creates log files in the following location C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataMicrosoftDr Watson. However, when using Internet Explorer, MS Outlook or any other application on Windows, you can experience drwtsn32.exe application error. This error occurs when the drwtsn32.exe file crashes. The error is displayed as:

“DrWatson Postmortem Debugger has encountered a problem and needs to close” "drwtsn32.exe - DLL Initialization Failed" when shutting down

Solution

Error Causes

The ultimate reason behind ‘drwtsn32.exe application error’ is malware and viral infection. Malicious software can enter your PC through downloaded files , browsing on unsafe websites and phishing emails. These viruses can disguise themselves as DrWatson utility. Plus theymay have the same name as this process. However, the best way to detect if it is a virus is to track its location. Malicious software will usually hide in some other location instead of its standard location. However, other reasons for this error also include incompatible software and damaged system files.

Further Information and Manual Repair

a) Scan PC with an Anti-Virus

It is advisable to repair this issue right away especially if the underlying cause is a viral infection typically because viruses can expose you to privacy errors and risks such as cybercrime, identity theft, and data security issues. To resolve it, download a powerful antivirus. Scan your PC with it and remove all the viruses immediately. However, when doing so, you may have to compromise PC performance and halt other PC activities. Anti-viruses are notorious for slowing down PC speed. In addition to this, sometimes you may have to stop other activities on your PC for the antivirus to scan for viruses.

b) Repair Registry Errors with Restoro

Nonetheless, if the drwtsn32.exe application error is related to system file corruption, then this indicates registry issues where all the system data is stored. Registry issues occur if you don’t maintain your PC properly and let invalid, wasted and obsolete files accumulate on your PC. This damages and corrupts the system files and generates such error messages. To repair it, download a registry cleaner. However, the best alternative to resolve drwtsn32.exe application error in seconds whether the error is linked to registry issues or viral infection is to download Restoro. This is a multi functional PC fixer embedded with multiple utilities including a powerful antivirus, a registry cleaner and a system optimizer. It wipes out all the unnecessary files stored in the registry, repairs the damaged and corrupt system files and restores the registry. With the help of the antivirus, all privacy errors and viruses are scanned on your PC and removed immediately. And to ensure your system’s speed is not compromised, it also functions as a system optimizer and increases your PC’s speed significantly. The software is safe and efficient. It has simple navigations and a user-friendly interface which makes it very easy for all levels of users to work around. It is compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve drwtsn32.exe application error today!

If your Windows 10 computer slows down, the first thing you can do is to check the status of the resource usage in the Task Manager. In such cases, it shoots up to even 1000% which causes the system to either hang or freeze since some programs are using a major chunk of system resources. And this is the case with msrtn32.exe. Msrtn32.exe is a malicious file that may try to steal your digital currency. It can get installed on your computer when you install a browser plugin or extension that can modify the default settings of browsers, the content of web pages, search results, as well as display tons of intrusive ads. So if you see msrtn32.exe under the Processes tab of the Task Manager If you see msrtn32.exe under the Processes tab of your Task Manager, refer to the suggestions given below to get rid of it and restore your computer’s normal function. Before you proceed, take note that this executable file is found in the following location:

C:/Program Files(x86)msrtn32

Option 1 – Delete the folder where msrtn32.exe is located

The first thing you can do is to go to C:/Program Files(x86)/msrtn32. From there, look for the malicious executable file and delete its folder. If you are not able to delete the folder, make sure that you’re logged in as administrator and then try again.

Option 2 – Try scanning your computer using Windows Defender

Since you are dealing with a malicious file, if you weren’t able to delete the folder where the file is located, you can scan your computer using the built-in Windows Defender program and then eliminate the malicious file. Follow the steps below to do so:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open Update & Security.
• Then click on the Windows Security option and open Windows Defender Security Center.
• Next, click on Virus & threat protection > Run a new advanced scan.
• Now make sure that Full Scan is selected from the menu and then click the Scan Now button to get started.