If you suddenly encounter a Blue Screen error that points out to either the mfewfpk.sys and epfwwfp.sys files, then this post might help. Both of these files are created by third-party software. The mfewfpk.sys file is created by the McAfee security software while the epfwwfp.sys is created by the ESET Antivirus. These files are residual files and sometimes it blocks upgrading Windows 10.
Aside from blocking Windows 10 upgrade/update, these files can also cause a Blue Screen error after an upgrade which leaves your Windows 10 computer useless. When you get a Blue Screen error caused by any of these files, you will see an accompanying error message that states, “DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL”. To fix this Blue Screen error, you can check out the suggestions laid out below but before you do that, you need to create a System Restore point first as it can help you undo any unwanted changes. In addition, make sure to also boot your computer into Safe Mode with Networking before you troubleshoot.
Option 1 – Try to remove the epfwwfp.sys file
You can try to remove the epfwwfp.sys file using Command Prompt. To do so, refer to the following steps:
Right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Next, type the following command and hit Enter to delete the epfwwfp.sys file:
DEL /F /S /Q /A “%systemroot%System32driversepfwwfp.sys”
After the scan is completed, restart your computer and see if it fixed the Blue Screen error.
Note: You can also use the ESET AV Remover tool to uninstall Eset security software to remove the epfwwfp.sys file.
Option 2 – Try to remove the mfewfpk.sys file
The same with the first option, you can remove the mfewfpk.sys file using CMD.
First, right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After, type the following command and hit Enter to delete the epfwwfp.sys file:
DEL /F /S /Q /A “%systemroot%System32driversmfewfpk.sys”
Once the scan is completed, restart your computer and see if it fixed the Stop error.
Note: You also have the option to remove the mfewfpk.sys file using McAfee Product Removal tool to uninstall the McAfee security software. All you have to do is download the McAfee Product Removal tool and run it and then follow the onscreen instructions to install it. Once it is installed, click on Next. After you select the radio button to agree to the terms of use, click on Next once again. Finally, restart your computer and check if it is able to resolve the problem or not.
Option 3 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter
Troubleshooting Blue Screen of Death errors wouldn’t be complete without the Blue Screen troubleshooter. As you know, it is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors. It can be found on the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.
Option 4 – Try running the DISM tool
You can try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the Blue Screen 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
Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.
The Windows Subsystem for Linus, also known as WSL, is a useful and excellent tool for developers. However, it isn’t without flaws as users can still encounter some errors when using it. One of these errors is the error code WslRegisterDistribution, 0x8007019e,0x8000000d. Although it seems like the error is have something to do with the installation of WSL, it could be a false positive since some users who’ve installed WSL still encountered the same problem. Here’s the context of the error:
“Installing, this may take a few minutes…WslRegisterDistribution failed with error: 0x8007019e/0x8000000dError: 0x8007019e/0x8000000d The parameter is incorrect.Press any key to continue.”
Error code 0x8007019e or 0x8000000d could be due to the absence of supporting Windows 10 features since the error does not even let one use the WSL-based command line. If you are one of the users facing this problem, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will provide you with a couple of suggestions to fix it.
There are two options you can check out to fix the problem, but before you do that, you need to make sure that the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature is enabled. The two options include enabling WSL using the “Turn Windows features on or off” option and using the Windows PowerShell.
Option 1 – Try to enable the WSL using the “Turn Windows features on or off” option
To get started, search for “Turn Windows Features on or off” in the Start Search and click on the appropriate result to open a dialog box.
After that, you will see a populated list in the dialog box and from there, look for the “Windows Subsystem for Linux” option.
Once you find it, select OK. This will search and install the system files needed and ask you to restart your computer.
Restart your computer. The Linux distro should now work without any trouble.
Option 2 – Try to use Windows PowerShell
The next thing you can do to fix the error code 0x8007019e or 0x8000000d is to use Windows PowerShell.
Tap the Win + X keys and click on the “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” option to open Windows PowerShell as admin.
After that, execute this command to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature: Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
The command you entered will start to search for the required system files and install them.
If prompted, type “Y” to restart your computer. This should fix the problem.
There are times when you see a message in Windows Defender saying, “The Threat Services has stopped, Restart it now” when you try to use it. This kind of error is usually fixed by simply clicking on the Restart now button. However, if the error still appears even after you restart your computer and you see another message that says, “Unexpected error, Sorry, we ran into a problem”, then continue reading as this post will guide you in resolving this issue in Windows Defender.
Before you proceed with the given fixes below, you have to create a System Restore point first. This way, you can always undo any changes you’ve made in case something goes wrong.
Option 1 – Make sure that the Windows Defender Services are started
The Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection service is the one that protects your computer from advanced threats by monitoring and reporting security events that happen on your computer. This is why you have to make sure that this, as well as other required services in Windows Defender, are set to their default values and are started. To do so, follow these steps:
In the Cortana search box, type “services” and click on the Services icon to open the Services Manager. Alternatively, you can also tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run prompt and then type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager
After opening the Services Manager, look for the following services and make sure that their Startup type is set to their default values:
Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection Service – Manual
Windows Defender Antivirus Network Inspection Service – Manual
Windows Defender Antivirus Service – Manual
Windows Defender Firewall Service – Automatic
You can right-click on each one of the listed services and then select Start to start them.
And if some of the services don’t have their default values, just double-click on the Services to change the Startup types and select the correct option from the drop-down menu of the Startup type under the Properties box.
Next, set up the Startup type of these services to Automatic and then click on the Start button if the services are not running yet.
Now click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made and then see if it fixed the problem or not.
Option 2 – Try modifying some entries in the Windows Registry
If the first option didn’t work in fixing the problem, you can try to alter some entries in the Windows Registry using the Registry Editor.
First, tap Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Next, navigate to this registry path: HKLMSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindows Defender
From there, look for the “DisabledAntivirus” and “DisableAntiSpyware” DWORDS from the right pane and change each one of their values to “0”. On the other hand, if you don’t see any of these DWORDS, you can create them instead and give each one of them a 0 value.
To create a DWORD, simply right-click on any empty space and select New > DWORD. Then name them both as “DisabledAntivirus” and “DisableAntiSpyware”.
Afterward, set the value of the newly-created DWORDS to 0.
Now exit the Registry Editor and reboot your PC to apply the changes made and then check if it has fixed the error in Windows Defender or not.
This error code occurs when users fail to activate their Windows operating system. It is one of the more popular Windows error codes since it affects many versions of Windows including Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. Error code 0x8007007b has common symptoms which include the following:
Inability to activate a Windows installation
Message box highlighting error code 0x8007007b
Solution
Error Causes
Error code 0x8007007b in Windows 8.1 usually results due to one or more main clauses. Windows 8.1 users may experience this error due to the use of volume-licensed media. The error code may also arise if the activation wizard is unable to connect to Key Management Service (KMS) host computer or if corrupted system files are present on your computer.
Further Information and Manual Repair
Windows error codes such as Error code 0x8007007b can be a complicated issue, requiring the use of technical knowledge and skills. For this reason, we have listed instructions in the simplest of forms to enable even average users to successfully complete manual repair methods that will resolve error code 0x8007007b.
Below are the two main methods for correcting this issue.
Method One: Use Multiple Activation Key (MAK) to Activate Windows
This method involves the use of a Multiple Activation Key (MAK) instead of the Key Management Service (KMS) to activate the Windows operating system you intend to use on your PC. This manual repair method requires the use of Command Prompt so ensure you follow the instructions provided carefully so as to avoid the risks of causing harm to your system.
Step one: Select Windows log key + X.
Step two: Click Command Prompt, then Admin
Step three: Type in admin password if Command Prompt requests it
Step four: Type slmgr -ipk followed by the MAK product key. Note that the product key should have 25 characters with dashes between them like this xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Attempt to activate your Windows installation once you’ve completed the exact instructions above. If you are unable to complete this process, consider getting help from a Windows repair technician or simply move to the next manual repair method listed below.
Method Two: Run System File Checker
System File Checker (SFC) enables Windows users to scan and repair errors or corruption on system files. Since such errors within your system files can cause error code 0x8007007b to occur, follow the steps below to fix this error code.
Step One: Go to Start and type Command Prompt or CMD.
Step Two: Run as Administrator
Step Three: Type sfc /scannow with a space between “sfc” and “/scannow”.
The System File Checker tool will begin scanning your machine for corrupted or missing files in need of repair. If these files are found on your system, the tool will repair and replace them. Once this is done, restart your computer then check to see if you can now activate your Windows operating system.
Method Three: Use an Automated Tool
If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 8 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.
There is various Blue Screen of Death errors that you can encounter as you use your Windows 10 computer and some of these Stop errors have something to do with the win32kbase.sys file. This post will guide you in fixing the BSOD errors related to the win32kbase.sys file.
A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer. The problem seems to be caused by the following file: Win32kbase.sys.
Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. If you would like to know more, you can search online later for this error: win32kbase.sys.
The win32kbase.sys file is a Windows operating system Base Win32 Kernel Driver file located in the System32 folder so if it ends up getting corrupted or if it went missing, your computer will throw up Blue Screen error. To fix BSOD errors that have something to do with the win32kbase.sys file, here are some possible fixes that could help. Worry not for these possible fixes are not complicated.
Option 1 – Run the Check Disk or CHDSK utility
One of the first things you can try to resolve the win32kbase.sys Blue Screen error is running the CHKDSK utility. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the CHKDSK utility comes in. The CHKDSK utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After opening Command Prompt, execute the following command and hit Enter:
chkdsk /f C:
Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.
Option 2 – Run SFC or System File Checker scan
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. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.
Tap Win + R to launch Run.
Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
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:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Restart your PC.
Option 3 – Try to run the DISM commands
You might want to repair potentially corrupted files in your system as having them could also trigger the win32kbase.sys Blue Screen error. To repair these corrupted system files, you can run the DISM commands:
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 dxgkrnl.sys Blue Screen error is now fixed.
Option 4 – Try to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter
As you know, the Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing Blue Screen errors related to the win32kbase.sys file. It can be found in the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.
To turn password login in Windows 10 you will need approximately one minute of your time.
So let's do it fast and efficient
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the secret menu
Click on command prompt (admin)
Type in command prompt following:
Hacker group recently came up with claims that they have stolen data from 100 million T-Mobile customers. T-Mobile has responded with confirmation it has been compromised and that over 40 million records were stolen, among them are not just present customers, but anyone who has applied for T-Mobile service as well as past accounts.
What has been stolen?
Report from T-Mobile states that stolen records included first and last name, date of birth, social security number, driver’s license & ID information. The company said that it has “no indication that the data contained in the stolen files included any customer financial information, credit card information, debit or other payment information.” Not really a reassuring statement meaning that they really do not know, but even if the statement is true, already stolen information is as much if even not more damaging and devastating as payment information.
What T-Mobile is planning to do now?
It is stated that the hole used for the hack has been addressed and closed so no more data can be stolen.
Considering people that had their personal information compromised, T-Mobile said it is planning to reach out to them and offer them two years of free identity protection through McAfee’s ID Theft Protection Service.
Additionally, T-Mobile recommends postpaid customers change their PIN by going online into their T-Mobile account or calling T-Mobile customer service by dialing 611 on their phone. The company also recommends a feature called Account Takeover Protection that prevents unauthorized individuals from stealing a phone number and porting it out of T-Mobile.
Finally, the company will publish a website “for one-stop information and solutions to help customers take steps to further protect themselves.”
HWiNFO (Hardware Information) is a professional hardware information and diagnostic tool supporting the latest components, industry technologies, and standards. It's targeted to recognize and extract the most possible amount of information about computer hardware which makes it suitable for users searching for driver updates, computer manufactures, system integrators, and technical experts too. Retrieved information is presented in a logical and easily understandable form and can be exported into various types of reports. System health monitoring and basic benchmarking available too.
If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.
In the last article, we have covered various advantages of Apple hardware over Windows PC, however, PC has their own strengths and advantages over MACs as well. Join us as we explore why would you choose Windows PC over MAC.
Hardware customization
If you like to customize and build your own hardware and customize your existing computer then MACs are out of the picture, on other hand, computers based on Windows operating system are much more flexible in terms of customization.
While Apple hardware is locked and only allows small changes to it, computers running on Windows are free and open to various upgrades and modifications so if you like to play with hardware Windows is your platform.
Gaming
There are games on MAC true but their numbers can not compare to games available for the Windows platform. On top of that, most latest and best gaming hardware is not even available on Apple platforms so if you plan to game in high resolutions and play the latest games there really is no option other than Windows.
Windows Platforms also has multiple emulators that you can use to play games from other older platforms and Microsoft since it owns Xbox has some great plans for both PC and Xbox gaming.
Software back compatibility
Since the introduction of the new MAC OS X, apple really lost a lot of application back compatibility, and a lot of old legacy software can not be run on modern Apple computers. Windows on the other hand have always tried and succeeded in keeping maximum compatibility with older and legacy software.
Also on the Windows platform, there is a lot of community support for old and legacy software so even if it is not officially supported it is backed up by the community.
Software variability
In terms of where can you find the most different software, you need to look no further than the Windows platform. How Windows itself has great backward compatibility and a lot of developers are using it to create new software thanks to Visual Studio and .NET Windows has cemented itself as a platform with the most available software.
The popularity of Windows as the home operating system and as a gaming platform has made it quite interesting in eyes of various developers and tons of small applications are made daily for it. Windows 11 has also brought native android support to it and that has just expanded its already impressive catalog of applications.
Freedom of choice
Overall Windows PC is most appealing for users that like to be able to choose everything, from hardware components to software they would like to use. No other platform will give you larger freedom of choice and better personalization options.
In case you don’t know, Windows contains a feedback mechanism that generates error reports from hardware and software problems. These reports are temporarily stored in the system and send them back to Microsoft so that it can find solutions to the reported problems and fix them in the upcoming updates. However, as time goes by, these reports actually take a lot of space in your computer which is why end-users like you are free to delete them with the help of the new Free Up Space feature in Windows 10.
As useful the Free Up Space feature may be, there are times when you won’t be able to use it for some reason which is why in this post, you will be guided on how to use alternative ways in deleting very large System queued Windows Error Reporting file, some of which may run in Gigabytes.
Every time the Windows Error Reporting or WER sends out an error file and looks for a solution, the WER server at Microsoft sends out a solution instantly. And if the solution is under investigation or is unknown, then you will be notified about it right away and will be asked for more details.
As mentioned, even though the Free Up Space feature in Settings will be able to clear the error reporting files, there are instances when it won’t be able to delete very large System queued Windows Error Reporting files. Alternatively, there is an option to delete these files using the Disk Cleanup Utility.
Feel free to select which option you’d like to use to get rid of Windows Error Reporting Files.
Option 1 – Delete Windows Error Reporting Files via Settings
Go to Settings.
From there, go to System > Storage > Free Up Space and then click on it to launch it.
Afterward, give it some time to populate all the files and folders. Once it’s done, select “System created Windows Error Reporting files” to mark its checkbox while leaving the other options unchecked.
Next, click on the Remove files button to delete all the Windows Error Reporting files from your computer.
Option 2 – Manually delete the Windows Error Reporting Files
Tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
Next, enable the Hidden Files view from the menu.
Then go to C:/ProgramData/MicrosoftWindowsWER.
From there, you will see various folders like LocalReportArchive, ReportArchive, ReportQueue, and Temp.
Open each one of the aforementioned folders and delete the archive files. Note that these files will have names similar to “00c58c1f-b836-4703-9bcf-c699ca24d285”.
Note: If you are not able to delete any of these files, you have to take ownership of the folder. To do so, refer to these steps:
Right-click on the folder and then select Properties.
Next, click on the Edit button in the Properties window and click OK to confirm if you got a User Account Control elevation request.
After that, select user/group from the permission windows or click on the Add button to add another user or group. It would be best if you add “Everyone” to give permission.
Then check “Full Control” under the “Allow” column to assign full access rights control permissions.
Now edit the permission to Full Control for “Everyone”.
Click OK to save the changes made and then exit.
On the other hand, if you do not want to go through all these troubles in deleting the Windows Error Reporting files, you can just disable it especially if it already becomes a daily annoyance as the files generate every day and their sizes are mostly gigabytes. And besides, there are times when these files do not make it to the Microsoft WER server and end up only occupying a lot of space for nothing.
USB Kill, a USB device is able to fry and damage your computer, mobile phone, router, etc. This device is quite dangerous and can kill electronics the moment it is inserted into an available port. By now people should know that they should not put unknown USB sticks into their devices because of potential virus and malware threats but this raises using unknown sticks to a whole new level.
Kill kits are not really new to the market, they have existed before but lately, technology really progressed and the latest USB sticks are really good, their success rate is around 95% which is pretty high and should not be taken lightly.
The second thing that you really should not play with strange USB sticks is that they dropped in price really hard, although top Kill kits will still go as high as around 300 USD, there are really cheap ones lurking in Ali Express that are just 6 USD!!! that makes them affordable devices for the mass market.
The device is made to take energy and current from the port it is plugged in, multiply it and release its charge back into the device, successfully frying some components immediately. Some more professional Kill sticks can even fry devices even when the device itself is not powered and can be even started remotely.
The point of this article is to make you aware that you should not in any kind of circumstances use and plug-in USB sticks into your devices that you do not know where they come from, especially from the mail!!