Having a youtube channel nowadays is quite an easy task, you just need to create a free google account and there you go, you can start uploading videos to your YouTube channel.
All you need in today's world is some applications for manipulating video material, creation of titles and graphics, some charisma and ideas for content and you could be a well-known YouTuber. For some guidance on software needed for this kind of creativity, we urge you to check our article about open source free software alternatives to paying ones here.
So now that we have technicality out of way there is one more prerequisite that is needed in order for you to have your unique custom URL for your channel.
The channel must be at least 30 days old.
The channel must have a profile picture and a banner image.
The channel must have at least 100 subscribers.
You need to fulfill all three prerequisites in order to change your typical URL to something nicer and personal like youtube.com/myGREATchannel
So if you have everything needed let's get that custom URL for your channel.
Sign in to your YouTube channel
On the top-right corner of the YouTube window, click on your profile picture.
From the drop-down menu, select YouTube Studio.
From the list on the right side of the YouTube Studio page, select Customization.
Under Channel customization, select Basic info.
Under Channel URL, click on Set a custom URL for your channel.
Your custom URL will appear in the box below. You can change it as you desire.
Click on the Publish button on the top-right corner of the window to set your custom URL.
WORD OF WARNING:
Once the custom URL is set, it can neither be changed nor transferred to someone else so make sure that channel name is really something that you want for the long run.
As you know, the internet has changed the world immensely. Nowadays, JavaScript is pushing the modern web ahead. One of the things that make these experiences with the internet seamless and with less clutter is redirection. It is often used on web pages and there are times when a user is prompted about them and most of the time, we barely notice them. However, there are also instances when things can go wrong with redirects as they could become a loop that could mess things up. And since the browser takes a lot of system resources, redirection can result in a poor user experience. That’s why in this post, you will be guided on how you can stop these automatic redirects on browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox, on your Windows 10 computer.
To get started, refer to each one of the options provided below to stop automatic redirects in Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.
Option 1 – Configure the browsers to stop pop-ups and deceptive contents
There are a lot of browsers with built-in settings that allow users to stop pop-ups and deceptive content. To configure these settings, refer to these steps:
Microsoft Edge:
Click on the three horizontal dots icon or the menu button.
Next, click on Settings and select Privacy & Security from the left side navigation.
After that, scroll down on the right-side panel and look for Block pop-ups and Windows Defender SmartScreen and then turn their toggle buttons to On.
Google Chrome:
Open Google Chrome and click on the three vertical dots icon for the menu located in the top right corner of the browser.
Next, click on Settings and scroll down until you see the Advanced option. Click on it to open the Advanced Settings.
Now scroll down until you reach the Privacy and Security section and look for the Safe browsing option and turn its toggle button to On.
Mozilla Firefox
Open Mozilla and click on the three horizontal lines icon for the menu button located in the top right corner of the browser and click on Options.
Next, go to the Settings section and click the Privacy & Security tab and scroll down and then click on Permissions.
From there, make sure that the Block pop-up windows checkbox is checked.
Finally, scroll down until you reach the Security section and make sure that the checkbox for the Block dangerous and deceptive content is checked.
Option 2 – Try to reset Winsock, TCP/IP & Flush DNS
To stop redirects, you can also reset Winsock and the TCP/IP as well as flush the DNS cache. 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.
netsh winsock reset – type in this command to reset Winsock
netsh int ip reset resettcpip.txt – type in this command to reset TCP/IP
ipconfig /flushdns – type in this command to flush the DNS cache
Next, restart your PC and check if the problem’s fixed.
Option 3 – Edit your Hosts File
Tap the Win + R keys to open then type in %WinDir% and then click OK.
Go to System32/drivers/etc.
Open the host file using Notepad.
Delete all the suspicious entries.
After that, save the changes you’ve made and close the file.
People are becoming more and more concerned with their privacy and Facebook's flagship messaging application is caught between it all. While still widely popular it has becoming to lose its ground due to many unanswered questions about privacy encryption.
Lucky for all of us there are alternatives for more secure messaging.
SIGNAL
Arguably the most secure of all well-regarded messaging apps, Signal is the favorite of the European Commission, as well as newsrooms around the world. While Signal doesn’t disclose how many daily or monthly users the app has, Google’s Play Store says it has been installed more than 50 million times. While using Signal, each voice or video call connected through the app includes full end-to-end encryption.
Signal takes an extra step by hiding message metadata so that the location of the original message is missing. While it asks for your mobile number, that number isn’t used with your profile. Instead, it acts as a numeric username. Once registered, you will find 1-1 chat, audio, and video calls, disappearing or “secret” chats, and a privacy lock so nobody can access the app even if they have your phone. Best of all, it’s completely free to use.
TELEGRAM
One of the biggest competitors to Facebook Messenger (and WhatsApp), Telegram is a very strong alternative. With more than 400 million users, it offers an interface that should feel right at home for anyone coming from Messenger. Telegram offers some huge benefits over Messenger, including features like groups that can hold up to 200,000 members for a chat. There is no limit on your media or chat size, and you can share all types of files between users and in groups.
From a privacy standpoint, Telegram has robust security, but it is worth noting that only “secret” messages are end-to-end encrypted and can self-destruct. Non-secret messages can be stored on Telegram’s servers so you can pick them up between your devices quickly. That’s a consideration worth knowing prior to making Telegram your default Messenger replacement. Telegram is free across all platforms.
THREEMA
Rising in popularity, Threema is another privacy-focused alternative that has quickly become a competitor to Facebook Messenger. This paid service ($2.99 on both App Store and Play Store) is a pay-once, use forever option. Once you pay the small fee, you gain all of Threema’s touted privacy options, like open-source end-to-end encryption for both messages and calls.
Like Signal, Threema won’t require you to link any phone numbers or emails to your account. All chats are handled anonymously, and the service generates a random user ID when you first open and register for the app. No data is collected from any of your chats and no ads are shown.
The Swiss-made app does have its own servers hosted in Switzerland, which do not store any chat messages. Another privacy benefit of Threema is the notion that all of your contact lists, groups, and user profiles are hosted on your device, not on the Swiss servers. Because of that, Threema can once again state that none of your personal info is stored anywhere they have access.
Copy & Paste is an essential part of Operating and working on a computer. We copy and paste a lot of different stuff through our workday, moving stuff from application to application. In an earlier article today we have explored troubleshooting and how to repair copy-paste stopped responses, this time we are going to focus on a little feature of Windows 10 called Clipboard history.
Clipboard history is a built-in feature in Windows 10 which lets you store multiple copies of different types and then selectively pasting them into another application. Let's say you have multiple copies of different text from different websites and you then paste everything or just some into a Word processor.
If this feature sounds interesting to you then let's turn it on.
Press the start button and then on settings.
In settings window click on Systemin system dialog click on the clipboard and on the right screen turn ON CLipboard history.
Updating your Windows 10 computer isn’t always as easy as it should be since there are times when you might encounter some errors along the way. One of these errors is the error code 0x80246017 that comes with the error message “WU_E_DM_UNAUTHORIZED_LOCAL_USER”.
According to Microsoft, the cause of this particular Windows Update error is that “The download failed because the local user was denied authorization to download the content”. So if you got this error when you tried updating your computer, read on as this post will provide you some suggestions on how you can fix it.
Before you troubleshoot the problem using the options given below, make sure that you are logged in as administrator. If you are already logged in as an administrator, follow each one of the options carefully.
Option 1 – Try to check the status of some Windows Update Services
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open Services.
From the list of Services, look for the following services and make sure that their Startup type is as follows:
Windows Update – Manual (Triggered)
Background Intelligent Transfer Service – Manual
After that, check if the Service status of the listed services above is set to Running. If they’re not, click on the Start button to start these services and then check if you can now enable the Windows Update service or not.
Option 2 – Try to grant Full Control of the System Volume Information directory
First, tap the Win + X key combination and then select Command Prompt (Admin) from the given menu.
After opening Command Prompt with admin privileges, type the following command and tap Enter to execute it:
Once the command is executed, it will run a batch of tasks and will show each one of their statuses on the command line window and once they’re done, exit Command Prompt.
Now restart your computer and see if it fixed the problem or not.
Option 3 – Try to disable your antivirus program or Firewall
Disabling the antivirus program or Firewall or any other security software installed in your computer is always a good idea you can try when the Windows Update process does not go smoothly. So before you try updating your computer again, make sure to disable the antivirus or security program and once the Windows Update is done, don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.
Option 4 – Try running the DISM tool
You can try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the Windows Update error. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.
Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
After that, wait until the process is finished and do not close the window as the process will probably take a couple of minutes.
Once it’s done, restart your computer.
Option 5– Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
If the DISM tool didn’t work in fixing the error, you could also try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing any issues related to Windows Update including the Windows Update error code 0x80246017. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.
Option 6 – Run Microsoft’s online troubleshooter
Running Microsoft’s online troubleshooter might also help you fix the Windows Update error code 0x80246017. This online troubleshooter is known to help in fixing Windows Update errors, it scans your computer for issues that might be causing the problem and then fixes them automatically.
One of the most useful utilities for advanced users in Windows is the Windows command line or Command Prompt. It is efficient in fixing system files, checking the disk for errors as well as other intensive tasks that are made convenient using this.
One of the tasks you can carry out using Command Prompt is repairing the Windows bootup process if it encounters any issues. However, if you tried running the “bootrec/fixboot” command and you receive an error message saying, “Element not found”, read on as this post will guide you in fixing this error. This kind of error in the command line could be due to a damaged BCD or MBE, inactive system partition, or it could also be that there is no drive letter being assigned to the EFI partition. Whichever the case is, here are some possible fixes that should help you resolve the problem.
Option 1 – Try to repair BCD
As mentioned the error could be caused by a damaged BCD and so to fix the problem, you need to repair BCD by following these steps:
First, make sure that you have a bootable Windows 10 USB drive with you and use it to boot your computer.
Once you’re on the Welcome Screen, click on Next.
After that, click on Repair your computer located at the bottom-left portion of the window.
Then select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
After you open the Command Prompt window, execute the following command:
bootrec /fixboot
Afterward, enter the next command below to rename the BCD file:
ren BCD BCD.bak
Next, type the following command and make sure to replace “b:” with the letter of your bootable drive attached to your computer.
bcdboot c:Windows /l en-us /s b: /f ALL
Now, wait until the process is completed and restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 2 – Try assigning the drive letter to the EFI partition
Tap the Win + X keys or right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (Admin) to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Then type the following command to start the Diskpart utility:
diskpart
After that, if you receive a UAC prompt, just click on Yes to proceed.
Next, type the following command to list all the volumes created on your PC including both types of partitions that are visible to a normal user in the File Explorer as well as the ones created by Windows 10 by default which helps it in storing the boot files and other important system files:
list volume
Now type the following command to select the desired volume:
select volume number
Then type the following command to assign a letter to the selected volume:
assign letter=<LETTER>
Note: Make sure to replace “<LETTER>” with the letter you want to allocate to that partition. Afterward, it will assign a letter to the selected volume.
Reboot your PC to apply the changes made.
Option 3 – Try setting the System Partition to Active
Like the first given option, you also have to make sure that you have a bootable Windows 10 USB drive before you proceed to set the System Partition to Active. Once you have it covered, refer to these steps:
Boot your computer using the bootable Windows 10 USB drive.
Next, click Next when you get to the Welcome Screen.
Then click on Repair your computer located at the bottom left part of the window and select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
After opening Command Prompt, type the following command and hit Enter to start the Diskpart utility. It is a command line-based utility just like Command Prompt but has a UAC prompt once you provoke it. So if you encounter a UAC prompt, just click on Yes to proceed.
diskpart
Now type the following command:
list disk
From there, select your primary disk by typing the following command:
select disk number
After that, list all the partitions on the selected disk by entering the following command:
list partition
The command you just entered will list all the partitions created on your PC including both types of partitions that are visible to a normal user in the File Explorer as well as the ones created by Windows 10 by default which helps it in storing the boot files and other important system files.
Now type the following command to select the partition that is usually around 100 MB in size:
select partition number
Finally, type the following command to mark the partition active:
active
Then type the “exit” command to exit the disk part utility.
Disk cleanup is part of Windows 10 tools and it is essential in keeping your computer up and running in optimal settings and to free so much needed space as well as remove temporary files that can accumulate over time.
Using disk cleanup from time to time is recommended and a very useful habit that will save you some headaches and optimize your computer running time, speed up boot sequence, etc. Think of it like cleaning up your desk, from time to time it can get too overwhelmed with junk and non-important things and if you are keeping it tidy all the time each time you need to find something it will be much faster and easier, same goes with computers, so if you do not have it, try to develop a habit that once per month you start disk clean up and remove trash from your hard drive.
In order to do so, press ⊞ WINDOWS + E to bring File Explorer up
Once File Explorer is up and running right-click on the hard drive you wish to run disk cleanup on and click on properties.Properties Windows will open on the general tab, on that tab you have disk cleanup on the lower right part of properties, click on it.
Wait for Windows to gather information about your hard drive and files on it. After it is finished you will be greeted with the next screen:
Here you can thick and mark which items you would like to get rid of and which ones you would like to keep. Note that you can freely tick all of them and remove them since removing these files will not break WIndows in any way. make your choices and click on ok. You can also click on Clean up system files to run system files cleaner and get rid of junk there, you will not be able to choose any options there, Windows will alone clean up what is not needed.
After disk cleanup is finished least thing you will have is more free disk space, but like mentioned, keeping your Windows and computer healthy goes a long way in its usability, speed, and performance.
InternetSpeedTracker is a browser extension developed by MindSpark Inc. This browser add-on offer uses tips on how to boost their “bad” internet connection speed. It displays false internet speed in order to get you to open the sponsored links listed in the toolbar.
This extension also hijacks your browser home page and replaces your default search engine with MyWay. While browsing the internet you will see additional unwanted sponsored ads and links throughout your search results, and sometimes even pop-up ads might appear. While active this extension gathers personal information, website visits, links, and clicks and uses this data to serve ads.
InternetSpeedTracker has been flagged as a Browser Hijacker by several anti-virus scanners, and due to its data mining behavior, it is not recommended to keep it on your computer, especially because it gives false data about your internet speed.
About Browser Hijackers
Browser hijack is a very common type of online fraud where your internet browser settings are modified to allow it to carry out things you don’t intend. They’re created to disrupt browser functions for several purposes. It redirects you to the sponsored sites and inserts ads on the web browser which helps its developer generate earnings. Nevertheless, it’s not that naive. Your web safety is jeopardized and it is also extremely irritating. They don’t just ruin your web browsers, but browser hijackers could also modify the computer registry, making your PC vulnerable to other attacks.
How one can know if your web browser is hijacked
Signs that an internet browser is a hi-jacked include: the browser’s home-page is modified; you find yourself regularly directed to a different site than the one you meant; the default search engine is changed; unwanted new toolbars are added to your web browser; never-ending pop-up ads show up and/or your browser pop-up blocker is disabled; your web browser starts running sluggishly or displays frequent glitches; You simply can’t access specific sites, particularly anti-virus sites.
How they infect PCs
A browser hijacker can be installed on your computer when you check out an infected website, click an e-mail attachment, or download something from a file-sharing website. They are usually included with toolbars, BHO, add-ons, plugins, or browser extensions. A browser hijacker could also be installed as a part of freeware, shareware, demoware, and fake programs. A good example of a notorious browser hijacker is the most recent Chinese malware known as “Fireball”, which has attacked 250 million computer systems worldwide. It acts as a hijacker but can be turned into a fully functioning malware downloader afterward.
Browser hijackers could affect the user’s browsing experience greatly, keep track of the websites visited by users and steal private information, cause difficulty in connecting to the internet, and ultimately create stability issues, making software programs and systems freeze.
How to repair a browser hijack
Some hijackers could be removed by uninstalling the freeware they came with or by eliminating any extension you have recently added to your system. But, many hijackers are hard to get rid of manually. No matter how much you attempt to eliminate it, it can keep coming back over and over again. And there’s no denying the fact that the manual fixes and removal methods can be quite a complicated job for a rookie PC user. Furthermore, there are several risks connected with fiddling around with the system registry files.
What you can do if Virus Stops You From Downloading Anything?
Malware could cause all kinds of damage after they invade your system, ranging from stealing your private information to deleting data files on your computer system. Certain malware variants modify web browser settings by adding a proxy server or modify the computer’s DNS configuration settings. In such cases, you’ll be unable to visit some or all of the websites, and thus not able to download or install the necessary security software to remove the infection. If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re stuck with a virus infection that is preventing you to download or install the Safebytes Anti-Malware program on your PC. There are some fixes you can try to get around with this issue.
Install antivirus in Safe Mode with Networking
If the malware is set to load at Windows startup, then booting in Safe Mode should prevent it. Since only the minimal programs and services start-up in safe mode, there are rarely any reasons for issues to take place. Listed below are the steps you should follow to start your computer into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers (visit Microsoft site for instructions on Windows 8 and 10 PCs).
1) At power on/start-up, tap the F8 key in one-second intervals. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu.2) Select Safe Mode with Networking with arrow keys and hit Enter.3) As soon as this mode loads, you will have an internet connection. Now, utilize your web browser normally and navigate to https://safebytes.com/products/anti-malware/ to download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware.4) Right after the software program is installed, let the diagnostic scan run to remove trojans and other malware automatically.
Switch to an alternate web browser
Web-based viruses can be environment-specific, aiming for a particular internet browser or attacking specific versions of the browser. The best solution to avoid this issue is to opt for a browser that is known for its security features. Firefox comprises built-in Phishing and Malware Protection to keep you safe online.
Run anti-virus from a pen drive
Another technique is to download and transfer an anti-malware application from a clean PC to run a scan on the affected computer. Follow these steps to use a flash drive to clean your infected system.
1) Download Safebytes Anti-Malware or Microsoft Windows Defender Offline onto a clean PC.2) Insert the pen drive on the same system.3) Double-click the Setup icon of the anti-malware software package to run the Installation Wizard.4) Pick a USB flash drive as the place when the wizard asks you exactly where you would like to install the application. Follow the instructions on the computer screen to complete the installation process.5) Now, transfer the pen drive to the infected computer.6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the thumb drive by double-clicking the icon.7) Click the “Scan” button to run a full system scan and remove malware automatically.
Let's Talk About SafeBytes Anti-Malware!
Want to install the best anti-malware application for your laptop or computer? There are many applications available in the market which comes in free and paid versions for Windows computers. Some of them are great and some are scamware applications that pretend as legitimate anti-malware programs waiting to wreak havoc on your PC. When looking for an antimalware program, pick one which gives reliable, efficient, and total protection against all known viruses and malware. One of the recommended tools by industry leaders is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, the most dependable program for Windows computers.
SafeBytes anti-malware is a reliable tool that not only secures your system permanently but is also quite user-friendly for people of all ability levels. This application could easily identify, remove, and protect your personal computer from the most advanced malware attacks such as spyware, adware, trojan horses, ransomware, worms, PUPs, and other possibly damaging software applications.
SafeBytes has excellent features when compared to other anti-malware programs. Below are a few of the great ones:
World-class AntiMalware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal application can identify and remove numerous obstinate malware threats such as browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other common antivirus applications will miss.
Live Protection: SafeBytes gives real-time active supervision and protection from all known viruses and malware. They’re very effective in screening and eliminating different threats because they are regularly improved with new updates and alerts.
Web Security: SafeBytes provides an instant safety rating on the web pages you are going to visit, automatically blocking risky sites and making sure that you are certain of your safety while browsing the internet.
Very Low CPU and Memory Usage: SafeBytes provides complete protection from online threats at a fraction of the CPU load due to its enhanced detection engine and algorithms.
Premium Support: SafeBytes provides 24/7 technical support, automatic maintenance, and updates for the best user experience.
Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)
If you wish to manually remove InternetSpeedTracker without the use of an automated tool, it may be possible to do so by removing the program from the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser extensions, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. You will likely also want to reset your browser.
To ensure the complete removal, manually check your hard drive and registry for all of the following and remove or reset the values accordingly. Please note that this is for advanced users only and may be difficult, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. In addition, some malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. Doing this in Safe Mode is advised.
The following files, folders, and registry entries are created or modified by InternetSpeedTracker
Sometimes you may experience QTCF.dll error on your computer either during installation or while upgrading applications like iTunes and QuickTime. This error indicates that the installation or the upgrading of the desired application was unsuccessful.
The QTCF.dll error is recognized by the Apple Support Community and they have provided a solution to fix this error easily.
Solution
Error Causes
QTCF.dll error occurs because the computer overloads with too much data which corrupts and damages registry files. And therefore the desired program fails to download and start on your PC.
When this happens you see a pop up on your screen and the QTCF.dll error message that is usually displayed as:
QTCF.dll not found
QTCF.dll file is missing
Such message display hinders your ability to use iTunes or QuickTime applications on your PC. Furthermore, it also slows the performance of your system and you may encounter startup and shutdown problems.
Therefore, it is advisable to repair the problem and fix the QTCF.dll error right away.
Further Information and Manual Repair
The good news is that you don’t need to go to a professional or be an IT expert in order to fix the QTCF.dll error. Since this error means that the installation or the attempt to upgrade the system was unsuccessful therefore you need to reinstall the fresh copy of the application.
Here’s how you can easily fix the problem by yourself and install a fresh copy of the application:
Step 1: First close all the applications running on your computer.
Step 2: Now uninstall the application that you were trying to install such as iTunes or QuickTime. To do this, go to the start menu, click on settings, control panel, and programs. Now click on the application you want to remove.
Step 3: Once the application is uninstalled and removed from your computer, then restart it again.
Step 4: Now download a fresh version of the application (iTunes or QuickTime) from Apple’s official website
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/.Step 5: Run the installer.
If reinstalling doesn’t work, then it is advisable to download the QTCF.dll repair tool. This repair tool will scan your PC for errors in seconds. Once the scanning is complete, click on the ‘fix all’ button to repair your computer.
Once the error is fixed, restart your computer and then try reinstalling the desired application one more time.
A Word of Advice
For regular PC users, it is advisable to install an anti-virus and malware scanner and run it every time you use your computer. This helps you keep informed about the viruses or errors that your computer might be exposed to.
And you can take timely actions before you experience file corruption and damage.
Anxiety from all these digital threats lurking everywhere? An antivirus program can help put your mind at ease.
What can a virus do to your device?
A virus is malicious software that can affect pretty much any device and does so in a variety of ways. Be it your computer, your phone or your smart lightbulb - as long as there’s access to the internet, malware can get to it.
How exactly does this kind of attack manifest itself? Well, there’s a wide variety of effects ranging from mild to severe. Among other things, they depend on which type of malware attacks your device - a virus, spyware, ransomware, adware or something else.
These are some of the things you can expect to happen:
Slow performance
System crashes
Theft of data and sensitive information
Connectivity issues
Constant browser redirects
Strange messages sent to your contacts
Interference with files
It really can be the stuff of nightmares. So, if you want to sleep peacefully knowing that your devices are completely safe, you should definitely consider getting an antivirus.
P.S. don’t let its name fool you - an antivirus does indeed protect your devices against more than just viruses.
What is antivirus software exactly?
Antivirus software is designed to help you battle and ward off malware. Basically, it scans your device to detect any suspicious activity and offers tools to get rid of the culprit.
At first, antiviruses were developed to fight against viruses only, but nowadays they cover a lot more ground. Here are some of the biggest benefits of getting yourself a powerful defender.
Advantages of antivirus software
1. It fights those pesky ads
Look, constant ads that pop up everywhere aren’t the absolute worst thing that can happen on your computer. If anything, they are annoying, like when you’re trying to sleep but that one fly in your room just won’t stop buzzing.
Now, there’s a free, well-established solution for that - installing an ad blocker. And we’re about a hundred and ten percent sure you’ve already done that on each and every browser you use.
However, “if I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist” isn’t the most ideal approach for your online safety. Ad blockers can’t block everything and they won’t protect you from potential adware. An antivirus on the other hand offers that layer of protection against malware snuck into pop-ups and spammy websites.
2. It protects you from hackers
Hackers don’t target government institutions only. They’ll target regular people too if they have something to gain.
Credit: Clint Patteron (Unsplash)
There are different types of hacking, such as phishing e-mails, transmission of malicious programs, credential reuse, denial of service and more. In any case, they take control of your device and hijack your data.
The good thing is that, as threats evolve, antiviruses evolve too and there are tons of quality programs on the market that can keep you secure for an affordable price.
3. It keeps your files and data safe
When malware enters your device, it can target pretty much any file and get access to any and all data.
Installing an antivirus program will make sure that every single file, new or old, is monitored at all times, warning you against threats immediately. That way, you can make sure to react before your other files become infected and data is lost or stolen.
Another great thing for data protection is that the best antivirus software normally comes with a password manager, so no one can use malware to steal your passwords.
4. It blocks all kinds of malware
As we already stated, malicious attacks can be performed in many ways and malware comes in in different shapes an sizes, such as:
Trojan horse
Spyware
Ransomware
Adware
Rootkit
RAT (remote access Trojan)
Keyloggers
Worms
Botnets
Credit: Growtika (Unsplash)
Nowadays, antivirus software is designed to fight against all of these types. That’s why more often than not we hear the term 'antivirus' used interchangeably with 'anti-malware,' like in this article.
5. It keeps your children protected
You can’t keep your eyes on your kid every second of the day and you can’t protect them from everything. But at least you can limit their exposure to the threats they can encounter at every corner of the digital world.
An antivirus program will block harmful or suspicious websites and ads, which is great both for you and your children. To take it a step further, though, many such programs come with special parental controls and offer monitoring as well. It’s a great solution for keeping your kids safe online without sounding like the irritating, overbearing, controlling parent who “just doesn’t get it!”
How to pick one
There are definitely lots of different antivirus programs out there, both free and paid. We recommend you look for a paid option, since free ones are unfortunately a lot more susceptible to being compromised through malicious attacks.
Now, there are a few factors to consider when choosing the right software. If you use your PC for basic things then a basic antivirus will suffice. However, the more complex your use and the more sensitive the data you deal with, the stronger it needs to be.
It’s also crucial that you take into account the features it includes. As we already mentioned, some programs have additional security options. For example, depending on the package you select, Bitdefender provides:
Some are included in plans and some are separate products, so make sure to check out all the offers.
And don’t worry if you have multiple PCs or you’re looking for protection for your smartphone or tablet as well; Bitdefender has suitable solutions for your needs. Of course, you can also just pick their classic antivirus software if you’re not in need of advanced protection.
Another important point is how regularly the software is updated and enhanced. The more frequent the updates the better, as bugs can make the program more vulnerable. Other things we advise you consider are user-friendliness, impact on performance, reputation (user reviews especially) and, of course, price.
The bottom line
Fact is: anyone can be a malware victim. Don’t let it be you.
You can’t put a price on peace and security, so don’t be reluctant to pay for yours - especially since a lot of options out there are extremely affordable. Is $159.00 a year really too much to pay for cross-platform protection for up to 10 devices? We don’t think so.
Explore your options and protect your files and data before it’s too late.
Error Code 44 is a device driver error that users encounter when using Windows 2000 operating system and later versions.
It is when the peripheral device that is connected to the computer, such as a printer or a fax machine, cannot be accessed as the programs required for operation interfere with other software on the computer. The error code will pop up with the following message:
“An application or service has shut down this hardware device. (Code 44)”
Solution
Error Causes
Error Code 44 is caused when the program that you are using shuts down the peripheral device installed on your system. It is triggered by the following:
Corrupted system registry entries
Device driver files are outdated
Device driver files are missing
It is critical to fix the Error Code 44 as it can pose serious risks to the wellbeing of your PC.
Further Information and Manual Repair
While bothersome, like other error codes, error code 44 to is relatively easy to fix. Here are ways to help resolve the error.
Method 1 – Restart your PC
The easiest method you can use to solve your PC error code is to simply run a restart of your Windows system. It may be that the error prompted upon connecting the device you have connected is merely a temporary problem, and upon restart, will resume functioning smoothly.
Method 2 – Run the Troubleshooting Wizard
If restarting your PC does not help, you will have to find the exact nature of the problem by running the troubleshooting wizard for the device and address the problem accordingly. To do this, proceed with the following steps:
Run Device Manager on your PC
Click on the program under the installed programs that are creating problems for you
Click on the ‘General’ Tab
Click ‘Troubleshoot’
Upon opening, the Troubleshooting Wizard will ask a series of questions regarding the error. Answer the questions and follow its directions for solving the error code.
After following the directions of the Troubleshooting wizard, make sure to restart your PC for the changes to take effect. Then check if your device is still causing problems.
Method 3 – Manually uninstall and reinstall the device driver
If troubleshooting does not work, you may have to resort to manually uninstalling and then reinstalling the device driver causing the problem.
This would be necessary since the remaining incomplete files due to a partial removal or installation of programs is what contributes to the error code. A fresh install, after uninstallation of the previous drivers, would lead to the completion of the files.
You can do this by firstly logging in as Administrator and opening Device Manager. Select the device that is causing the problem and double click it and make sure that the peripheral is connected properly to the PC.
Upon opening, click on the ‘Driver’ tab and then select ‘Update Driver’. Make sure to refer to the system documentation that you received with your PC or computer to check for the motherboard details and driver specifics.
Method 4 – Use software to automatically download the driver
Manually uninstalling and reinstalling the driver will do the trick, however, it may be time-consuming especially when you would have to resort to your hardware user manual.
Therefore, using a program such as DriverFIX can save you a lot of time and frustration in having your device work properly on your computer.
Driver Assist, with its user-friendly approach to help you fix your PC issues, comes with an integrated database that detects which drivers you need to reconfigure within just a few seconds and downloads it automatically.
It further ensures that your drivers are installed in their entirety leaving no room for any incomplete files to remain that create Error Code 38.
It also has the added advantage of being able to backup and restores your files should there be the slightest possibility of system file damage. DriverFIX is the answer to fixing your PC error codes accurately and quickly.
Click here to download DriverFIX to fix Error Code 44 quickly and effectively!
In settings window click on System
in system dialog click on the clipboard and on the right screen turn ON CLipboard history.
Once File Explorer is up and running right-click on the hard drive you wish to run disk cleanup on and click on properties.
Properties Windows will open on the general tab, on that tab you have disk cleanup on the lower right part of properties, click on it.
Wait for Windows to gather information about your hard drive and files on it. After it is finished you will be greeted with the next screen:
Here you can thick and mark which items you would like to get rid of and which ones you would like to keep. Note that you can freely tick all of them and remove them since removing these files will not break WIndows in any way. make your choices and click on ok. You can also click on Clean up system files to run system files cleaner and get rid of junk there, you will not be able to choose any options there, Windows will alone clean up what is not needed.
After disk cleanup is finished least thing you will have is more free disk space, but like mentioned, keeping your Windows and computer healthy goes a long way in its usability, speed, and performance. 
