How to Fix Remote Desktop Black Screen issues

In case you don’t know, the Windows Script Host provides capabilities such as batch files but it also includes many other features like it can be used by a user manual as well as created by the operating system to automate the flow of operations in the system. However, there are a lot of errors that could take place in such a process. One of them is the following error:

“Script: <PATH of the VBS Script> Line: x Char: x Error: The description of the error. Code: xxxxxxxx Source: (Source of the error)”

At the time of writing, it isn’t clear yet what the root cause of the error really is but there are several potential fixes you can check out to fix it. You can try to run the System File Checker or set the default value for the .vbs key, or troubleshoot the problem in a Clean Boot State. You could also try to repair Install Windows 10 or scan your computer for malware. For more detailed instructions refer to the following options.

Option 1 – Try to run a System File Checker scan

• In the Windows Start Search, type “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results, and then select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After opening Command Prompt with admin privileges, type the “sfc /scannow” and tap Enter to execute it.
• Once the scan is finished, restart your computer and see if the Windows Script Host error.

Option 2 – Try setting the default value for the .vbs key

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: ComputerHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.vbs
• From there, double click on the default string and change its Value data to “VBSFile”.
• Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Option 3 – Try troubleshooting the problem in a Clean Boot State

Setting your computer in a Clean Boot State can help you diagnose and later troubleshoot the problems in your computer. During this state, the system will start with a minimal number of drivers and startup programs that help in isolating the problem with the interfering software. To put your computer in a Clean Boot State, follow the given steps below.

• Log onto your computer 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.

Option 4 – Try to repair install Windows 10

• First, you have to click this link and then click the Download Tool Now button.
• Next, click the “Use the tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file)…” option and follow the next given instructions on the screen.
• Now select the ISO file option in step 5.
• After that, you should now have an ISO file.
• Next, go to the location where you’ve downloaded the ISO file.
• Then right-click on the Windows 10 ISO file and select the Open with option and then select File Explorer.
• Now click on “setup.exe” and follow the next instructions that appear on the screen. When asked, you have to select either Nothing (clean install) or Keep personal files only option. Take note that you must not select the “Keep personal files, apps, and Windows settings”.

Option 5 – Try scanning your computer using Windows Defender

It is possible that your computer is infected with malware which could be why you’re getting the Windows Host Script error. Thus, you need to scan your computer using Windows Defender.

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

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.

If you are trying to install Office but got an error saying, “Something went wrong, Sorry we ran into a problem” with error codes 12002-4, 12007-4, or 12152-4 instead, this indicates that you have a problem with your internet connection. Aside from internet connection issues, the problem could also be due to some programs that block the installation files to be downloaded so when they time out, you get these error codes. There are several options you can try to fix the 12002-4, 12007-4, or 12152-4 error codes. You can try to install Office offline or turn off the proxy server or VPN (if you’re using one). You can also try to temporarily disable your antivirus program or Firewall. Refer to the given potential fixes below to troubleshoot and fix the problem.

Option 1 – Try to install Office offline

The first thing you can do if you encounter the error codes 12002-4, 12007-4, or 12152-4 when installing Office is to download an offline copy of Office especially when you’re certain that your internet connection is slow. Once you’ve downloaded it, install it again. The offline installer will download both the 32 and 64-bit versions of Office. Keep in mind that you must download the correct version.

Option 2 – Disable the Proxy server

The first thing you can do is to try disabling the Proxy server as it might be the reason why you’re getting error 0x80244022 for Windows Updates. To disable the proxy server, refer to the steps below.

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

Note: If you are using a third-party proxy service, you have to disable it. In addition, if you are also using a VPN, you can try to disable it as well.

Option 3 – Temporarily disable the Antivirus and Firewall

As mentioned earlier, the downloading of the installation files could be blocked by either the antivirus program or Firewall or it could be both especially when the link seems suspicious. To fix this problem, you have to disable both the antivirus like Windows Defender and the Firewall or any third-party software you might be used temporarily and then download the installation files again. Once the download is completed, make sure to turn on the antivirus program and the Firewall again. On the other hand, you can also try downloading in a different location which also means that you have to try a different network. It could be that the load on the current system is too high which is why it’s not able to offer enough bandwidth to download the installation files of Microsoft Office.

BubbleDock is a software developed by Nosibay. It installs a customizable dock at the top of your screen.

It adds registry entities to allow it to start automatically each time your system is rebooted, as well as installing an update checker that will automatically update the software when an update is available. The software also adds various scheduled tasks to start the application at different times, this ensures that once the application is closed, it is re-launched at a later time, making it very hard to keep the software closed permanently.

While the software is running, it will generate ad links in your browser, display sponsored ads, and collect personal information and deliver it back to it’s ad network. While using this software you may see additional ads, banners, links, pop-up ads, and various other sponsored content while browsing the internet.

About Potentially Unwanted Applications

Have you ever found out an unwanted program running on your computer system and wondered exactly how the heck it got there? A PUA / PUP (potentially unwanted application / potentially unwanted program) is actually a piece of software that comes bundled with freeware and you consent to install it on your computer. These are programs you certainly don’t want on your computer since it does not provide any beneficial service. From a technical standpoint, a PUP isn’t “true” malware. An interesting difference between PUP and malware is distribution. Malware is commonly dropped via vulnerability exploitation whereas PUP gets installed with the consent of the user, who purposefully or unwittingly authorizes the PUP installation on their PC. Although a PUP is not malware by definition, it can still be harmful software and put your computer at risk exactly the same way a computer virus does.

Exactly how do PUPs look like?

PUPs come in many forms; however, most of them are adware, which usually displays irritating adverts and advertising banners on internet pages that you’re surfing. PUPs which come as browser add-ons and toolbars are widely recognizable. These toolbars alter your homepage and your default search engine in the installed web browser, track your internet activities, modify your search results with re-directs and sponsored hyperlinks, and eventually slow down your internet browser and diminish your web browsing experience. Potentially Unwanted Programs occasionally act quite much like viruses or spyware. They will carry dialers, keyloggers, as well as other software built right into them that may monitor you or deliver your sensitive details to 3rd parties. Even if the PUPs are not basically malicious, these applications still do practically nothing good on your personal computer – they’ll take precious system resources, slow your PC, weaken your device’s security, and make your PC more susceptible to viruses.

Preventing PUPs

• Study the fine print to be sure the end-user license agreement (EULA) you are accepting is only for the program you actually intend to download. • Never accept standard, express, default, or other installation settings which are recommended. Always opt for custom installation. • Use a good anti-malware program. Try Safebytes Anti-Malware which will spot PUPs and handle them as malware by flagging them for deletion. • Avoid shareware or freeware wherever possible. Disable or get rid of toolbars and browser extensions you don’t actually need. • Don’t download software from popups, online advertising, file sharing sites, as well as other unreliable sources; look out for any pre-set, unwanted features when downloading the program. Avoid heading to blogs and websites that promote pirated programs.

How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected Computer

Practically all malware is inherently unsafe, but certain kinds of malicious software do a lot more damage to your computer than others. Certain malware goes to great lengths to prevent you from downloading or installing anything on your personal computer, particularly antivirus applications. So what should you do if malicious software keeps you from downloading or installing Anti-Malware? There are some solutions you could try to get around with this particular obstacle.

Install in Safe Mode with Networking

Safe Mode is a unique, simplified version of Microsoft Windows where only the bare minimum services are loaded to stop malware and other troublesome applications from loading. In the event, the malicious software is set to load immediately when the PC starts, switching to this mode can prevent it from doing so. In order to enter into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press the F8 key while the PC is starting up or run MSCONFIG and look for the “Safe Boot” options under the “Boot” tab. After you restart the PC into Safe Mode with Networking, you may download, install, as well as update the anti-malware program from there. Now, you can run the anti-virus scan to remove computer viruses and malware without interference from another application.

Switch to some other internet browser

Web-based malware could be environment-specific, aiming for a particular internet browser or attacking specific versions of the web browser. If you’re not able to download the security software program using Internet Explorer, this means the virus may be targeting IE’s vulnerabilities. Here, you must switch over to a different browser like Firefox or Chrome to download Safebytes Anti-malware software.

Create a portable USB antivirus for removing viruses

Here’s yet another solution which is creating a portable USB antivirus software that can scan your computer for malware without needing installation. Abide by these steps to run the anti-virus on the affected computer. 1) Use another virus-free computer to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Plug the Flash drive into the clean computer. 3) Double-click the Setup icon of the antivirus software to run the Installation Wizard. 4) When asked, select the location of the USB drive as the place where you would like to put the software files. Follow the activation instructions. 5) Now, transfer the USB drive to the infected PC. 6) Double-click the antivirus program EXE file on the flash drive. 7) Hit the “Scan Now” button to start the virus scan.

Benefits and Features of SafeBytes Security Suite

To protect your computer from many different internet-based threats, it’s very important to install an anti-malware application on your laptop. However, with so many antimalware companies in the marketplace, these days it’s tough to decide which one you should obtain for your PC. A few of them are excellent, some are ok types, and some will destroy your computer themselves! You should pick one that is efficient, practical, and has a strong reputation for its malware source protection. While considering the highly regarded software programs, Safebytes Anti-Malware is undoubtedly the highly recommended one. SafeBytes anti-malware is a powerful, highly effective protection application intended to help end-users of all levels of computer literacy in identifying and eliminating harmful threats out of their personal computer. After you have installed this software program, SafeBytes' superior protection system will ensure that no viruses or malicious software can seep through your personal computer. There are numerous great features you’ll get with this security product. Let’s check out a few of them below: Live Protection: Malware programs attempting to get into the computer are identified and stopped as and when detected by the SafeBytes real-time protection shields. They’re very efficient in screening and getting rid of different threats since they’re constantly improved with the latest updates and safety measures. Robust Anti-malware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal tool is able to identify and get rid of many stubborn malware threats like browser hijackers, potentially unwanted programs, and ransomware that other common antivirus applications will miss. Internet Security: SafeBytes gives an instant safety rating about the web pages you’re about to visit, automatically blocking dangerous sites and ensuring that you are certain of your safety while browsing the net. “Fast Scan” Abilities: Safebytes AntiMalware, with its enhanced scanning engine, provides ultra-fast scanning that will promptly target any active online threat. Lightweight: This program is not “heavy” on the computer’s resources, so you will not find any performance problems when SafeBytes is operating in the background. 24/7 Guidance: Expert technicians are at your disposal 24/7! They will quickly fix any technical issues you may be experiencing with your security software.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you wish to manually remove BubbleDock 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 BubbleDock

Yes, you read that right, KFC is making a console partnered with Cooler Master. Bizzare at it sounds, it is even more bizarre that the console is designed to keep your food warm!!! You can pull out the drawer from the console out on its top and place some food there in order to keep it warm. The console itself is coming in cylindrical shape powered by Intel CPU and ASUS GPU of the unknown chipset. It has Seagate Baraccuda 1TB SSD and it is VR-ready. The console will have raytracing and will be 4K ready.

My thoughts

Well, my thoughts are somewhat strange, on one side I am not really sold on food heating gimmicks and without specific hardware specifications, it is difficult to say how much power the console will have. Price is also not leaked so that is also a stumbling stone for making an informed opinion. I am a little puzzled and concerned about this whole heating food thing because personally, I can see 2 issues: Console overheating and fat dripping on inside hardware, I am sure they have somehow eliminated this but I would be very interested to see how.

One of the biggest annoyances in Windows 10 is that it’s upgrading from one version to another. Although these upgrades are necessary to fix some bugs or improve user experience, some of them actually bring bugs into the computers instead. And in one of the recent Windows 10 updates, a lot of issues were found especially for users who use Remote Desktop on a daily basis. The error stacks up as Windows 10 Remote Desktop Protocol client is not working or won’t connect and can’t find the computer HOSTNAME generally. Based on the reports by users who experienced this issue, there are two cases around it:

1. Users who try to reach a specific website or folder on the network

Some users encounter this error when they try to run the Network Troubleshooter. Even when they add the server name inside it, it still won’t identify the problem, and unpredictably, the driver seems to appear and disappear every now and then. And even after connecting, the network commands don’t work at all. This is really troublesome for users who have lots of PCs and all the other systems do not appear on the network.

2. Remote Desktop isn’t able to find the computer HOSTNAME

Some other users reported that the error appeared when they use the classic remote desktop software. It keeps on failing and throwing the error message, “Remote Desktop can’t find the computer “HOSTNAME”. If this is the same scenario you are having, it means that “HOSTNAME” does not belong to the specified network. So you need to verify the computer name and domain where you are trying to connect to. There are times when it used to work after some users tried connecting to the domain a couple of times. However, when users try to use the UWP version of Remote Desktop, it seems to connect most of the time. This kind of problem is definitely a DNS issue. It could be that there are two different records on the DNS server which is why it connects and other times it doesn’t. When it is able to resolve the correct address, the drives connect to the PC however, after a couple of minutes, they will suddenly go missing. Using “nslookup” for the hostname, multiple times, you can check this and see if you’ll get identical results all the time.

nslookup [–SubCommand …] [{ComputerToFind| [–Server]}]

If you’ve determined that the drives disappear each time, you may have to change the DNS server or ask your admin to resolve the problem for you. Alternatively, you can also check out another option that has worked for a lot of users. This second option is disabling the IPv6 on the network adapter. In case you don’t know, Windows 10 prefers IPv6 over IPv4 so if you now have issues using IPv6 to connect to the servers, you can change your computer’s settings so that it’ll only use IPv4 instead of IPv6. To do so, follow these instructions:

• Open Settings > Network and Internet > Ethernet > Change Adapter options.
• From there, right-click on the adapter for where you want to disable it and then select Properties.
• Next, look for the checkbox labeled, “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)” then uncheck it.
• Now click on OK and restart your PC to save the changes made.

March 2021 – 21 million records breached full list of incidents:

Cyber attacks March 2021

• Hackers obtain sensitive data on UK aid projects overseas
• University of the Highlands and Islands working to recover from cyber attack
• Pupils’ data destroyed after attack on Redborne Upper School and Community College
• Chinese hackers target Indian vaccine makers SII, Bharat Biotech
• City of Kingman, AZ, hit by cyber attack
• Italian manufacturer Caffitaly impacted by attack on a supplier
• Malaysia Airlines tells its frequent flyer members that their data may have been compromised
• Social network platform Gab hacked after rookie coding error
• Cyber attack affecting Hanover Area School District
• Security breach prompts lockdown of some Manitoba student databases
• PA-based Millersville University confirms external cyber attack
• Elite cyber crime forum “Maza” breached
• Texas-based ProPath notifies patients of employee email breach
• Elara Caring notifies patients after corporate email accounts hacked
• St. Agnes Medical Center patient data compromised in email breach at St. Alphonsus
• American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association hacked
• Website of the attorney representing one of NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s accusers hacked
• Czech officials in Prague ‘hit by massive cyber attack’
• Brazil’s CPTrans website and the Educa em Casa platform hacked
• Houston-area school district investigates troubling messages sent during breach
• Hackers breach security cameras from start-up Verkada
• Two charged for copying and deleting data from an unnamed New York company
• PEI-Genesis says employee email account was compromised
• New Jersey employment portal hit by cyber criminals
• Treasure Valley residents receiving letters from Saint Alphonsus saying they are dead
• Unauthorised access occurred in Japanese retailer Urban Research
• Walmart discloses unauthorised access
• Norway’s parliament hit by new hack attack
• Fastway Couriers notifies Irish Data Protection Commission of a hack
• Overseas Service Corporation caught out by phishing scam
• The city administration of Ebeleben hit by cyber criminals
• Florida law firm Sachs Sax Caplan notifies individuals of email hack
• The Canada Revenue Agency locks accounts amid suspected phishing attack
• South African insurance firm PPS hit by cyber attack
• EDAG Engineering Group AG affected by cyber attack
• Michigan’s Troy School District website down after hacking from outside US
• The Coleman Group of Companies caught cyber criminals in the act
• Hackers broke into the system of three Prague polyclinics
• Nikkei’s Hong Kong affiliate hit by unauthorized access
• Eastern Health cyber ‘incident’ cancels some surgeries across Melbourne
• New Zealand’s Lumino dental firm suffers email hack
• Police are investigating a cyber attack on paint manufacturer Remmers
• Washington state’s Douglas County targeted in cyber attack
• Brazil’s Celg Geração e Transmissão suffers cyber attack
• Mendelson Kornblum Orthopedic and Spine Specialists notifies patients of breach
• Eyemart Express notifies patients of breach
• Maricopa County Community College District cancels classes after attack
• Kentucky Wesleyan College notice of data security incident
• Missouri’s Park Hill schools closed Monday due to malware attack
• MangaDex website taken offline following cyber attack
• DeCotiis, FitzPatrick, Cole & Giblin says employee email was hacked
• Texas’s Sewell Family of Companies discloses breach
• Czech Republic’s railway administration attacked by hackers
• Threat actors leak files with protected health information from U. Miami
• Heart of Texas Community Health Center notifies some patients of email-related breach
• Solairus Aviation notice regarding Avianis data security incident
• Polk County School District reveals third-party breach from 2019
• Haven Behavioral Hospital provides notice of data incident
• Mott Community College, Michigan, reports cyber attack
• Cyber security insurance firm CAN systems offline amid ongoing attack
• Dutch car company RDC.nl hit by cyber criminals
• Artificial snow manufacturer MND suffers malware attack
• Guns.com hacked, spilling gun owner info over the dark web
• Jefit data incident public announcement
• Lexington Medical Center discloses vendor’s patient records data breach
• Online food delivery chain Yemeksepeti hit by cyber attack
• Channel Nine cyber attack disrupts live broadcasts in Australia
• Singaporean retailer Vhive alerts consumers to cyber attack

Ransomware March 2021

• Fifteen schools in Nottinghamshire crippled by cyber attack
• South and City College Birmingham closed for a week after ransomware attack
• South Gloucestershire schools hit by ransomware attack
• MBA Group held to ransom by cyber attackers
• Dutch e-Ticketing platform Ticketcounter has suffered a security incident
• Lot-et-Garonne firefighters victims of a cyber attack
• Israeli car financing company KLS Capital hacked
• Tri County Sheriff Dispatch hit with ransomware attack
• Hackers hit Indians with ransomware supporting farmers
• Crypto firm Tether says it won’t pay $24 million ransom
• The Accellion breach also impacted Qualys; threat actors start dumping files
• Southern Illinois University School of Medicine impacted by Accellion breach
• Payroll giant PrismHR outage likely caused by ransomware attack
• Atlanta Allergy & Asthma hit by Nefilim threat actors
• Navajo Nation hospital targeted by large-scale ransomware hack
• AllyAlign notifies members and providers of ransomware attack
• Woodcreek Provider Services notifies patients of ransomware incident
• Spirit Airlines hit by Nefilim ransomware
• Arizona Complete Health notifies plan members of Accellion breach
• Sandhills Medical Foundation notifies patients of vendor breach
• Texas Medicaid subcontractor dumped after data breach in ransomware attack
• Japanese consulting firm hit with ransomware
• Arillium Community Health Plan in Oregon affected by Acceliion breach
• Nova Scotia health-care workers may have been compromised by Accellion breach
• French hospital Centre Hospitalier Général d’Oloron falls victim to ransomware
• Spain’s public employment system was attacked by ransomware
• Transport NSW documents posted on dark web after Accellion hack
• Flagstar Bank loses customers’ social security numbers after Accellion attack
• Outage at Molson Coors suggests ransomware attack
• City of Covington, Louisiana hit by ransomware
• Preferred Home Care of New York notifies those affected by ransomware attack
• Buffalo Public Schools hit by ransomware
• Total Life Healthcare data breached in ransomware attack
• Newberry County Memorial Hospital experienced ransomware attack
• The Metropolitan Area of ​​Barcelona hit by ransomware
• Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Smart City suffers ransomware attack
• Tech manufacturer Acer hit by ransomware
• Stratus Technologies hit suffers ransomware attack
• Canada’s Sierra Wireless announces ransomware attack
• City of Frankfort, Kentucky, held to ransom
• Military supplier PDI Group hit by ransomware
• Alton, IL, hit by suspected ransomware attack
• Personal Touch Holding Corp. hit by ransomware attack at MSP
• Broward County Public Schools suffers ransomware attack
• Hackers demand ransom from Town of Didsbury in cyber attack
• Hackers hit Harris Foundation in latest ‘highly sophisticated’ cyber attack
• Gene therapy firm YposKesi targeted by ransomware
• Ransomware gang is threatening to release data stolen from shipping firm ECU Worldwide

Data breaches March 2021

• Solicitor caught dumping client files in the street
• Ministry of Defence secrets exposed by people sending files to personal email accounts
• Details of ‘vulnerable kids’ uploaded to Birmingham City Council website in ‘serious’ data breach
• Intelligence company Polecat left 30TB server exposed
• Health and Welfare Department of West Bengal leaks COVID-19 data
• Singapore Airlines customers leaked in SITA security breach
• Right-wing militants furious after data leak exposes their involvement in paramilitary group
• Data leak at Dutch foreign credential assessment service
• A bug in a popular iPhone app exposed thousands of call recordings
• Personal information Premier Diagnostics customers exposed on unsecured server
• Victoria privacy breach of vulnerable youth data
• SEO-Küche left employee and customer data exposed online
• Emails of Walworth Co. COVID vaccination registrants accidentally shared
• West Coast health board in privacy blunder involving medical information
• Line app allowed Chinese firm to access personal user data
• New Zealand IRD sent details of baby to complete stranger and paid her $240
• Apperta Foundation employee censured after disclosing vulnerability
• New Zealand’s Canterbury District Health Board apologizes for software privacy breach

Financial information

• Midlands News Association exposed journalists’ personal data
• Fatface says customers’ card details were hacked, asked them to keep it secret
• Hollywood’s elite private schools hacked
• Delco School District says hackers stole millions of dollars
• Security Industry Specialists notifies those affected by malware attack
• WeLeakInfo leaked customer payment info
• Florida’s Leon County Schools website hacked during spring break

Malicious insiders and miscellaneous incidents

• IT technician jailed after installing software onto work computers to spy on colleagues
• Petersburg Medical Center reports malicious insider use
• Snooping employee showed interest in pregnant women’s medical records
• UPMC St. Margaret patients’ info shared with unauthorized organisation
• Spectrum Health post sensitive info in background of social media posts
• Atascadero State Hospital discloses insider misuse

If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.

RadioRage is a potentially unwanted application developed by Mindspark Inc. This browser add-on is compatible with Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome and claims to enhance the Internet browsing experience by allowing users to listen to their favorite music via the installed toolbar.

RadioRage Toolbar is categorized as adware since it infiltrates computers and after successful installation, this browser extension redirects browsers to home.tb.ask.com. And changes your default search engine to myway.com.

While active on your computer RadioRage collects user information such as browsing data, website clicks, and sometimes even sensitive user information, that it later sells / forwards to its ad distributors.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is regarded as the internet’s constant risk that targets web browsers. It’s a type of malicious software that modifies your internet browser’s settings so that you are redirected to websites or pages that you had no intention of checking out. They are made to interfere with browser programs for many different reasons. These are typically used to force visitors to a specific website, manipulating web traffic to generate ad revenue. Most people assume that the browser hijacker is just a harmless website but that is not the case. Nearly all browser hijackers pose an actual threat to your online safety and it is necessary to classify them under privacy dangers. In a much worst case, your browser can be hijacked to download malicious software that will do a great deal of damage to your PC.

Key signs that your web browser has been hijacked

The typical signs that signify having this malicious software on your computer are: 1. your web browser’s home page is suddenly different 2. you get re-directed to internet sites you never intended to visit 3. The default search page of the browser is modified 4. you see multiple toolbars on the web browser 5. you might notice many pop-up ads on your screen 6. web pages load slowly and sometimes incomplete 7. you cannot go to specific sites such as home pages of security software.

So how does a browser hijacker infect a PC

There are many ways your computer could become infected with a browser hijacker. They typically arrive by way of spam email, via file-sharing websites, or by a drive-by download. They may also be deployed through the installation of a web browser toolbar, add-on, or extension. Some internet browser hijackers spread in user’s computers by using a deceptive software distribution method known as “bundling” (often through freeware and shareware). Well-known examples of browser hijackers include Conduit, CoolWebSearch, Coupon Server, OneWebSearch, RocketTab, Searchult.com, Snap.do, and Delta Search. Browser hijackers might record user keystrokes to collect potentially valuable information leading to privacy concerns, cause instability on systems, drastically disrupt the user experience, and finally slow down the computer to a point where it becomes unusable.

Browser hijacker removal methods

One thing you can try to eliminate a browser hijacker is to locate the malware within the “Add or Remove Programs” list of the Windows Control Panel. It might or might not be there. When it is, try to uninstall it. But, the majority of hijackers are really tenacious and require specialized tools to get rid of them. Inexperienced PC users should never attempt the manual form of removal, as it demands detailed system knowledge to carry out repairs on the computer registry and HOSTS file.

What To Do If You Cannot Install Any Anti-virus?

Every malware is detrimental and the effects of the damage will vary based on the specific kind of malware. Some malware is meant to restrict or prevent things that you wish to do on your computer system. It may well not permit you to download anything from the internet or it will prevent you from accessing a few or all websites, especially the anti-virus sites. So what should you do if malware keeps you from downloading or installing Anti-Malware? Refer to the instructions below to eliminate malware through alternate methods.

Use Safe Mode to resolve the issue

If the malware is set to run at Windows start-up, then booting in Safe Mode should avoid it. Only the bare minimum required applications and services are loaded when you boot your computer or laptop into Safe Mode. Listed below are the steps you need to follow to eliminate viruses in Safemode. 1) At power on, hit the F8 key before the Windows splash screen begins to load. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Select Safe Mode with Networking with arrow keys and press ENTER. 3) As soon as this mode loads, you will have an internet connection. Now, get the malware removal software you want by utilizing the browser. To install the application, follow the guidelines in the installation wizard. 4) As soon as the software is installed, allow the scan run to eliminate viruses and other threats automatically.

Switch over to some other web browser

Certain viruses might target vulnerabilities of a particular browser that block the downloading process. When you suspect that your Internet Explorer happens to be hijacked by malware or otherwise compromised by online hackers, the ideal plan of action is to switch over to a different web browser such as Firefox, Chrome, or Safari to download your favorite computer security application – Safebytes Anti-Malware.

Run anti-malware from a pen drive

Another approach is to download and transfer an antivirus program from a clean PC to run a virus scan on the infected system. Follow these steps to employ a flash drive to fix your infected system. 1) Make use of another virus-free computer system to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Insert the pen drive onto the same computer. 3) Run the setup program by double-clicking the executable file of the downloaded software, with a .exe file format. 4) Select the USB flash drive as the destination for saving the file. Follow activation instructions. 5) Now, transfer the flash drive to the infected computer. 6) Double click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the pen drive to run the software. 7) Hit the “Scan” button to run a full computer scan and remove viruses automatically.

Let's Talk About SafeBytes Security Suite!

These days, anti-malware software can protect your laptop or computer from various forms of online threats. But wait, how to select the right one amongst several malware protection software that’s available in the market? Perhaps you might be aware, there are many anti-malware companies and tools for you to consider. Some are really worth your money, but many aren’t. When looking for anti-malware software, purchase one which gives solid, efficient, and complete protection against all known computer viruses and malware. One of the recommended software programs is SafeBytes AntiMalware. SafeBytes carries a really good reputation for top-quality service, and clients seem to be very happy with it. SafeBytes anti-malware is a highly effective and user-friendly protection tool that is designed for end-users of all levels of computer literacy. This application could easily detect, remove, and protect your personal computer from the most advanced malware attacks including spyware, adware, trojan horses, ransomware, PUPs, worms, parasites as well as other possibly damaging software programs. There are numerous amazing features you’ll get with this particular security product. Listed below are a few of the great ones: Real-time Protection: SafeBytes gives you round-the-clock protection for your computer limiting malware intrusions in real-time. It’ll continuously monitor your laptop or computer for hacker activity and also gives end-users sophisticated firewall protection. Antimalware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed antivirus engine, this malware removal application is able to find and remove several obstinate malware threats such as browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other common anti-virus applications will miss. Web protection: SafeBytes checks and gives a unique safety ranking to every site you visit and block access to webpages considered to be phishing sites, thus protecting you from identity theft, or known to contain malicious software. Light-weight: This application is not “heavy” on the computer’s resources, so you’ll not find any performance problems when SafeBytes is working in the background. 24/7 On-line Tech Support: Support service is accessible 24 x 7 x 365 days via email and chats to answer your questions.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you wish to manually remove RadioRage 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 RadioRage

As in previous Windows 10, inside Windows 11 also when you press the ALT + TAB key combination you will get a preview of all running applications along with all Browser tabs so you can go through them and pick the one you want to switch to. Alto, I personally am a big fan of alt-tabbing, I must admit that I am not a big fan of having multiple browsers tabs on screen when I do press key combo. Luckily there is a very easy way to turn this feature off. Turning browsers tabs thumbnails off

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
2. Click on System in the sidebar
3. Scroll down and select Multitasking
4. Find Alt + Tab section and click on the drop-down menu
5. Pick Open Windows Only
6. Close settings

Now when you press the ALT + TAB key combination you will still see your browser but only an active tab in it instead of all tabs as different preview thumbnails.

You might have experienced a situation when you restarted your Windows 10 PC after an upgrade and you tried logging into your account but only a screen with a message saying, “Preparing Windows”. If the screen only stays that way, this indicates that Windows 10 is trying to complete the upgrade or waiting for some files to load up so that you can use your account. Some users also reported that when they tried logging into their accounts, they also get the same message on their screens. To resolve this issue, read on as this post will show you what you can do if your Windows 10 PC is stuck on the “Preparing Windows” screen. A lot of users have tried logging back into their account once more but to no avail as the same screen still greets them. And even when they tried the Ctrl + Alt + Del combo, it still didn’t work. This only goes to show that your account might somehow be corrupted.

Option 1 – Try booting your PC into Safe Mode

The first thing you can do to resolve the issue is to try booting your computer into Safe Mode and then log in using an Admin account. If it seems like your admin account has caused the problem, you need to create an admin account first and then log in after you reboot into the account and then log off. After that, restart your PC normally and check if the problem’s resolved or not. If not, refer to the next given option below.

Option 2 – Try to repair your corrupted profile via Registry

In this second option, you can try to repair the corrupted profile using the Registry but before you proceed, make sure to create a System Restore Point and then follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “regedit” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, go to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList
• Once you’ve opened the registry key, you should see a list of all the user profiles on your computer. Now click on each S-1-5 folder and look for the “ProfileImagePath” entry and double-click on it to check which user account it is related to. You will see a path like “CUsersACK” where “ACK” is the username.
• You should know which among the user account is corrupted. Just look for a key named “RefCount” and change its Value data to “0” and click OK. And if it isn’t available, simply right-click on the right pane and create it.
• After that, double click on the key named “State” and make sure that the Value data is “0” and click OK.
• Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 3 – Try running 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 with good system files that might be the cause why your screen is stuck at “Preparing Windows”. 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:

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.

Option 4 – Try to repair hard disk errors using the Chkdsk utility

You can also run the Chkdsk utility to resolve the problem. 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 commands listed below, and don’t forget to hit Enter right after you type in each one of them.
• chkntfs /t
• chkntfs /t:10