Fix 0x00000016 Blue Screen Error

You might have experienced a situation where you’re trying to install or update your Java application on your Windows 10 computer but were not able to do so for some reason. One of the problems you can encounter while updating or installing Java is Error Code 1603. There are two ways you can install Java – you have the option to choose where to get Java either from the online download or offline download. There are times when before you can install Java, you might have to disable the firewall first as it may interrupt the Java online installation. And while doing so, if you are getting the “Java Update or Install did not complete – Error Code 1603” error message, read on as this post will show you what you can do to fix it. At the time of writing, the exact cause of this error is still unknown. On the other hand, you must still check if you have fulfilled all the system requirements needed to install Java. You have to make sure that your Windows 10 PC has sufficient disk space available for the Java installation or update. In addition, you also have to make sure that you meet all the hardware requirements and you are using a popular web browser for the installation, and that you have administrative privileges for download and installation. To fix the “Java Update or Install did not complete – Error Code 1603” error, here are some suggestions you can try.

Option 1 – Restart your computer before you install the new Java package

You might have to restart your computer if you got the error code 1603 while installing Java through an offline download.

• Restart your computer.
• Next, download and install the offline installer of the Java package from the official site of Java and not some third-party source.
• In the prompt box that appears while downloading the Java package, select the option Save in and save the package in your preferred folder.
• After that, navigate to the saved, downloaded package on your computer and then double click on the file to begin the installation process.

After that, if it didn’t fix the problem and you’re still getting the error code 1603, follow the next given option below.

Option 2 – Uninstall the old versions of Java before you install the new package

• Open the Control Panel.
• After that, click on Programs and features.
• Then select the old Java package and click on Uninstall.
• Restart your computer and then try installing the new Java package again from its official site.

Option 3 – Disable the Java content in the browser you’re using via Java Control Panel and reinstall Java

• Open the Control Panel again.
• And then click on the Java icon to open the Java Control Panel.
• Next, navigate to the Security tab and then uncheck the “Enable Java content in the browser” option.
• Then click on Apply and then Ok to save the changes made.
• Now install the new Java package again after you download it from its official website.
• Once the installation is completed, re-enable the “Enable Java content in the browser” option in the Java Control Panel as it is essential especially if you are running Java content in your browser.

Error Code 0x8024a000 – What is it?

The error code 0x8024a000 is related to Windows Update. You might see this error when you try to update Windows from the Microsoft site to use the latest and new features and technologies. A connection interruption between your computer and the Windows Update server may be the cause of this error. Operating system overload or corrupt registry may also cause this error. Check your modem, router, cable, etc. to be sure that these components are working well. Common symptoms

• You are trying to update Windows and its components such as system driver. The process suddenly stops and shows the error code 0x8024a000.
• Your PC frequently crashes with Error 0x8024A000 when running the same program.
• Windows runs sluggishly and responds slowly to mouse or keyboard input.
• You cannot connect to the Windows update server and the update will not start.
• You may also receive the error message saying that some files could not be updated.

Solution

Error Causes

There may be various causes for this error. Some of which are:

• No Internet connection
• Windows operating system is overloaded with invalid system references
• Corrupt download or incomplete installation of Windows Update software.
• Faulty cable, router or modem
• Windows update services are missing
• The system is infected with malicious programs
• Corrupted or deleted system registry files. PC registry errors occur over time because of constant writing, editing, moving, and deleting of information and files from your computer's registry time as programs are installed, modified, and removed.

Further Information and Manual Repair

We are going to discuss some easiest ways to fix up such issues and get your PC working so that you can install new updates.

Method 1:

1. Press the Windows button + W on your keyboard
2. In the search box type “troubleshooting”
3. In the troubleshooting box, select the View all tab
4. Run the troubleshooter for these services, and then try installing updates

Method 2:

Since most of the installation-related errors can be fixed by System File Checker System File Checker is a very efficient way to fix errors. Most of the installation-related errors can be fixed by a System File Checker. To use this tool follow instructions below: Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. If you are using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner, move the pointer down, and then click Search. OR On the keyboard, press the Windows + W key. A search box will appear. Type cmd in the search box.

1. On the command prompt, type sfc/scannow
2. This will scan the system files and fix any error
3. Reboot the computer and try to install updates

OR

In the command prompt type sfc/scannow.

This will scan the system files and fix any errors. Reboot the computer and try to install updates.

Method 3:

1. Press Windows + R
2. A run dialog box will appear
3. type services.msc and press OK
4. Then in Services window, look for Background Intelligent Transfer Service. Click on it.
5. If it is the Services issue, then it will stop the service. Click on Start in the window below, and then click Apply and OK.
6. Reboot your machine and retry installing updates.

Method 4:

1. Click Start or open search box
2. Type cmd
3. Right-click on cmd in start menu and select ‘Run as Administrator’
4. Type net stop wuauserv
5. Hit Enter
6. Type ren c:windowsSoftwareDistribution softwaredistribution.old
7. Hit Enter
8. Type Exit
9. Hit Enter

Method 5:

Your PC is always accumulating junk files from normal web surfing and computer usage. If these junk files aren’t occasionally cleaned, it can cause Windows Update to respond slowly and display an error message 0x8024A000, possibly due to conflict with files or an overloaded hard drive. Cleaning up these temporary files will not only solve this problem, but it will also speed up PC performance. Follow the steps below to clean up this junk:

1. Click Start
2. Type "command" in the search box and DO NOT hit ENTER yet!
3. While holding CTRL-Shift on your keyboard, hit ENTER.
4. You will be prompted with a permission dialog box.
5. Click Yes.
6. A black box will open with a blinking cursor.
7. Type "cleanmgr" and hit ENTER.
8. Disk Cleanup will begin calculating how much occupied space you can get back.
9. The Disk Cleanup dialog box will show a series of checkboxes to select. In most cases, the "Temporary Files" category will occupy the most disk space.
10. Check the boxes of the categories you want to clean and click OK.

If you do not possess the technical expertise required to accomplish this yourself or do not feel comfortable doing so, download and install a powerful automated tool to get the job done.

Windows 10 is has a lot of features that help a user in optimizing a computer. So when the operating system encounters a problem, it is able to provide users with proper resources to get the problem fixed. There are even times when a user is not notified and an issue is either being repaired or dodged in the background. This kind of feature is known as the Diagnosis of the Automatic Repair feature that starts when your computer is booting. In such times, you will either see the “Diagnosing your PC” or “Preparing Automatic Repair” message on your screen. Although this feature is useful and has proven to be effective, some users reported that the process gets stuck. If you experience the same problem, read on as this post will guide you on what to do to fix it but before you start troubleshooting the problem, you might want to perform a Hard Boot first. All you have to do is to power down your computer, remove the battery and the AC adapter and then reconnect them. After that, tap and hold the power button for about 20 seconds and see if your computer boots up properly. If it doesn’t, follow the given fixes below.

Option 1 – Try disabling the automatic Startup Repair

The Automatic Startup Repair window will automatically open during boot when you have some system driver-related problem. So if you think that this is where the problem lies, you can try to disable the automatic Startup Repair.

• Click on Troubleshoot and go to the Advanced options.
• After that, select Command Prompt and execute the following command:

bcdedit /set recoveryenabled NO

• Restart your computer after that and then check.

Option 2 – Run the System File Checker

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be the cause why you’re facing this problem. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Type “cmd” in the Start search and then right-click on the appropriate search result.
• Next, select “Run as administrator” to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

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

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

• Now restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 3 – Run CHKDSK to check your disk for errors

When it comes to some issues concerning the hard drive or removable devices, there is a utility in Windows that might help which is called “chkdsk”. This error check utility can help with several issues in the system.

• Tap the Win + S keys to open the Search box.
• Then type “command prompt” in the field and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
• After opening an elevated command prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter:

chkdsk /r /f

• Now if you are prompted to run CHKDSK after your reboot your computer, just tap Y and reboot your PC.
• If CHKDSK is not able to find any errors, tap the Win + E keys and navigate the access window. From there, right-click on the concerned drive and click on Properties.
• After opening Properties, click on the tab Tools and then click on the “Check” button under the Error-checking section.
• Wait until the process is completed and then restart your computer.
• Once your computer has restarted, try accessing the file and check if the error persists.

Option 4 – Run the DISM tool

The next thing you can do is run the DISM tool. This tool is known to repair potentially corrupted files in your system as having them could also system issues like your computer getting stuck in the “Diagnosing your PC” or “Preparing Automatic Repair” screen.

• Tap the Win + X keys and click on the “Command Prompt (Admin)” option.
• After that, input each one of the commands listed below sequentially to execute them:
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

• Once you’ve executed the commands given above, restart your computer and check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 5 – Try to use installation media to boot and repair your computer

Another thing you can try to resolve the issue is to use the Windows installation bootable media so you can boot and repair the operating system. To use it, follow these steps:

• You need to first create an installation media which has the dame version of the operating system installed in your computer.
• After that, once you reach the Install Windows screen, click on the “Repair your computer” link.
• Wait until the repair is completed and then shut down your computer
• Now once your computer has restarted, check if it can now boot properly.

Odyssey Neo G9 is a successor to Odyssey G9 curved gaming monitor and it is aimed again at the gaming community with its specifications but of course, it can be used for work as well. Gapping at a stunning $2500 USD price it is not really a cheap piece of hardware so it is normal to see what do you get for this kind of price and do features justify it, so let’s dive in.

Size and resolution

The first thing that you can notice about the screen is that it is big and curved, 49 inches big which is pretty big, and with it, I believe you can forget about using 2 or 3 screens because this single one will cover everything you need really. Going as far as 5120 X 1440 resolution is the strange definition, basically, this is 5K which is kind of nice but I do not see the advantage. Sure it is larger than 4K, but for the price of $2500 I expected an 8K monstrosity so if the resolution is not the main price justification then what is? Let’s move on and find out.

Odyssey tech specs

The monitor comes with HDR and 240Hz refresh rate which is very nice and coupled with 1ms pixel response time, adaptive sync, and Variable Refresh Rate you get pretty good other tech specs. All of this is very nice but the monitor's strongest selling point is Mini Led tech. Mini Led is a next-gen tech currently found only in high-end TVs. With this technology, monitors can produce truer blacks sort of speak thanks to a greater number of dimming zones. Odyssey Neo G9 is rated at 2000 nits in the brightness values and local dimming zones go to stunning 2048. It comes also with Quantum HDR that supports 10+, Freesync, and G-Sync capability. In connection, the department monitor comes with a single display 1.4 port and two HDMI 2.1 ports. It also includes a headphone jack along with two USB 3.0 ports.

Conclusion

While the resolution of the monitor is nothing impressive for the given price, its size and the rest of the tech specs surely are. Now I will not lie, the price is still a little too high but if you could afford it easily I think you should.

In case you don’t know, there is a built-in tool in Windows 10, known as Reliability Monitor that provides a day-to-day snapshot of the health of your system. It warns users of any looming issues or disasters before your computer breaks down finally. So obviously, Reliability Monitor is useful, however, there are times when it could behave incorrectly. For instance, it might fail to show you any updates even when they are installed. Thus, if you experience any malfunctions with the Reliability Monitor tool in Windows 10, read on as this post will guide you in updating or working in Windows 10. To fix the problem with the Reliability Monitor, there are several fixes you can check out. You can try to enable the data collection for Reliability Monitor or reset it, as well as put your computer in a Clean Boot State. For more information, refer to each one of the options given below.

Option 1 – Try to enable the Data Collection for Reliability Monitor

The Reliability Monitor tool uses data provided by the RAC Agent scheduled task and it will start to display a Stability Index rating and specific event information 24 hours after the system installation. The RACAgent scheduled task, by default, runs after the operating system is installed. And if it is disabled, it must be manually enabled from the Task Scheduler snap-in for MMC or Microsoft Management Console. Thus, you need to enable the Data Collection for Reliability Monitor to fix the problem.

Option 2 – Try to reset the Reliability Monitor

The next thing you can do to fix the issue with the Reliability Monitor might want to reset it to resolve the problem. If the Reliability Monitor is already open, you have to close it and open it again. After the reset is done, it may take up to 24 hours for the Reliability Monitor to display results again. This should fix the problem.

Option 3 – Troubleshot the problem in a Clean Boot State

There are some instances that some conflicting programs installed in your computer might be the one that’s causing the Black border issue. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Log onto your PC as an administrator.
• Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
• From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
• Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.

As you know, the functioning of the Windows Sandbox feature is supported by various components in the background of the Windows operating system. And the only way for you to enable the Windows Sandbox feature in your computer is through the Turn Windows features on or off utility. This feature will work directly on the basis of Virtualization which is also supported by Hyper-V. However, there are some reports claiming that some computers have the Windows 10 Sandbox item greyed out in the Turn Windows features on or off utility. Thus, in this post, you will be guided on what you can do to resolve such a problem in your Windows 10 computer. In this kind of problem, you should know that this has something to do with the Second Level Address Translation which is one of the important pillars of how the Windows 10 Sandbox feature functions. Thus, if the Second Level Address Translation or SLAT feature in Windows Sandbox is not supported by the CPU of your computer, there is no way for you to use Windows Sandbox on your computer. On the other hand, if SLAT is supported, then there is definitely something you can do to resolve the greyed-out Sandbox item in Windows 10.

To get started, follow the steps provided below.

Step 1: First, you have to boot into the BIOS of your PC. Step 2: After that, make sure that the following options are set to their respective configurations:

• Hyper-V – Enabled
• VM Monitor Mode – Yes
• Virtualization – Enabled
• Second Level Address Translation (VT-d or RVI) – Enabled
• Data Execution Prevention – Enabled

Step 3: Once you’re done, save the configuration and then restart your Windows 10 computer as usual. Step 4: Once your computer has restarted, you should see the same option in the Turn Windows features on or off utility and it should no longer be greyed out. Then you can now enable the feature and follow the onscreen instructions need to use the feature as best as you can.

What is Error Code 0x80070715?

Seeing obscure error codes like 0x80070715 on the screen again and again can be annoying simply because you have no idea why it keeps popping up? What does it mean? Well, for beginners you don’t have to decode it, we’ll make it simple for you. This error code indicates missing .dll files in the system or a corrupt registry. Due to this, you get locked from accessing and running applications on your system.

Solution

Error Causes

This error occurs largely because of two reasons:

1. Disk damage due to cluttered registry
2. The system gets infected by malware or a virus(es)

The error code 0x80070715 creates hurdles in the functioning of the applications. If this error is not repaired immediately it can result in serious damages like system crash and failure.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Many people pay hundreds of dollars to technicians to resolve this issue on their systems. Is it worth it? Not exactly!

How about we tell you a time and a money-saving way to fix the error code 0x80070715 on your PC?

The best way to resolve this issue on your system in seconds and also for free is to install Restoro. This is an advanced, powerful, and multi-functional system repair and a PC optimizer tool. It is smoothly integrated with numerous performance-driven utilities like registry cleaner, privacy error detector (anti-virus), Active X and Class error, and system stability detector. With this helper, you can resolve not only the error code 0x80070715 but also other types of PC-related errors. Whether the cause of the error code 0x80070715 on your PC is malware or cluttering cluttered disk, Restoro can be used to resolve them all. Its powerful and intuitive registry cleaner scans the registry and repairs it successfully. It removes junk files, internet history, temporary internet files, invalid entries, and also the files from the uninstalled programs still saved in the system’s registry. It wipes out all the clutter on your hard disk and cleans it in seconds freeing up plenty of space. It repairs the registry resolving the error 0x80070715 quickly. Nonetheless, if the error 0x80070715 is triggered due to viral infection or malware it removes them too. By downloading unknown files, accessing malicious websites, and opening phishing emails viruses can enter your PC. You may not be aware of these until error code 0x80070715 pops on your screen. It is wise to remove viruses right away because these give hackers access to your system which often results in data breaches and exposes users to system security threats. Restoro also works as a powerful antivirus. All malware, spyware, and viruses affecting your PC are scanned with the help of the advanced built-in privacy error detector utility. This utility embedded in the system detects viruses and malware in your system and removes them from your system successfully. Restoro is an easy-to-use repair tool. It has a simple layout and a user-friendly interface. It is easy to navigate through the repair tool, scan for errors and repair them without any hassle. Users of all levels, novice and experienced can use this tool with ease. You don’t need to be technically sound to work around this tool. Here's how to Install and run Restoro PC Fixer: In addition to this, you can run it on any Windows version. It is compatible with practically all versions. No matter what the cause for error code 0x80070715 maybe, you don’t need to get into the nitty-gritty of it and find a specific tool to resolve the issue. All you have to do is install this multi-functional Restoro on your system. Here are the 3 simple steps that you need to follow for successful repair:

1. Click here to install Restoro.
2. Scan your PC
3. Press the Repair Tab to fix the issue right away

To ensure your PC is error-free, registry clean and your system runs at its optimum speed, scan your PC with Restoro regularly.

The third time is charm saying goes but not when we are talking about Microsoft. Print spooler is again in focus, in a bad way. This is the third print spooler vulnerability to emerge in just five weeks. While a critical flaw was originally identified and patched in June, a similar flaw came to light shortly after and was subsequently patched (with mixed success). Microsoft is once again advising its customers to disable Windows print spooler after a new vulnerability that allows hackers to execute malicious code on machines has emerged. While a patch fixing the flaw will be released in due course, the most effective workaround currently on the table is to stop and disable the print spooler service entirely.

"An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Print Spooler service improperly performs privileged file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights."

Stop this service right away or you are risking a potential attack.

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden menu
2. Click on Power Shell (admin)
3. In Power Shell type in the following command to check if spool service is running: Get-Service -Name Spooler followed by ENTER
4. If spooler service is running type in the next command to stop it: Stop-Service -Name Spooler –Force and press ENTER
5. Then follow with this command to disable it at startup: Set-Service -Name Spooler -StartupType Disabled followed with ENTER

That’s it, we hope a patch will come soon for all the people that are using network printing and indeed need this service running in order to do work.

Social media is here to stay it seems, from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc each site has its users and its rules. Companies, bloggers, public figures, and people, in general, are using them on a daily basis and some are posting cool ads, nice graphics, videos, and many more in order to gain followers or just to share something that they think is worth.

Making your post look good is somewhat essential if you plan on reaching a larger audience and Adobe's Express aims to fill that gap. It is the latest Adobe product that is purposely made for graphic and video creation for social media.

Adobe is well known in the world of professional design in all spheres like print, web, and motion, with this application, they want to take over social media design with Express. The direct competitor to Spark and canva, Express is filled with high-quality adobe templates and some great stuff found in photoshop like automatic background removal which gives it an edge over other applications.

The good thing about Express is that there is a completely free version and premium, like its competitors but with some benefits that clearly show that Adobe is determined to place its application on top of the game. The free plan includes:

• Thousands of unique templates, design assets, and Adobe Fonts.
• A limited collection of royalty-free Adobe Stock-free collection photos.
• Basic editing and photo effects including remove background and animate.
• Create on both web and mobile.
• 2GB of storage.

For 10 USD per month of 100 USD prepaid annual fee, you get a premium plan that includes:

• All premium templates and design assets.
• The entire collection of over 160 million royalty-free Adobe Stock collection* photos.
• Over 20,000 licensed Adobe Fonts, curved type, grids, and font pairs.
• Premium features like refine cutout, resize, and graphic groups.
• Plan, schedule, and publish social media content across multiple channels.
• Add your branding, logo, colors, and fonts in one tap.
• Convert & export to and from PDFs and other file types.
• Create, manage, and share your templates and assets with Creative Cloud Libraries.
• Create on both web and mobile.
• 100GB of storage.

The application itself is incredibly easy to learn and to work with and literally, anyone can pick it up and start creating immediately. No matter are you just starting with social media or using Canva or Spark, give Express a go, make a free account and try it, I guarantee that you will find some features amazing, and its ease of use relaxing.

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

What can a virus do to your device?

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is antivirus software exactly?

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

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

Advantages of antivirus software

1. It fights those pesky ads

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

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

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

2. It protects you from hackers

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

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

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

3. It keeps your files and data safe

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

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

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

4. It blocks all kinds of malware

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

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

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

5. It keeps your children protected

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

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

How to pick one

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The bottom line

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

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

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