Fix Remote Desktop: Your credentials ...

Instaling and removing applications from your Windows can sometimes leave some traces that are unpleasant and can cause annoyances. One of these annoyances is the program in the startup section of the task manager.

If you ever opened task manager and went into the startup section trying to disable some of the startup items on your Windows boot there might be a chance that you have experienced and seen a program without any icon or information about it just sitting there.

This is due to some applications being removed from the system but for some reason, it still shows itself in startup and it is quite annoying. So here we will show you how to get rid of this annoyance so your startup is clean again without junk in it.

Removing a program from startup

Locating the source of the issue

The first thing of course is to open the task manager itself and navigate to the startup tab. Inside the startup tab right-click on the column header and tick or enable Startup type and command line. Now you will see the location of the supposed file (that is missing or you could just go there by right-clicking on the item, but here it is greyed).

99% of the time startup type will be registry since the file is missing, if it was a file fix would be just to simply delete the file in the folder but since it was installed and not properly removed registry key is still present but the file cannot be found. After confirmation that the file is indeed missing and that the startup type is registry open the registry editor by typing Regedit in search and pressing enter.

Removing the key from registry

Inside Registry editor navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. Inside on right part, you will see all auto-start entries added by installed applications.

Locate one that is causing issues by comparing its path with the path inside the task manager command line and delete the key. Once the key is deleted right-click on RUN on the left part and choose HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to quickly jump on that key location and repeat the process of key deletion if needed. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE will delete startup entry for all users and sometimes entry will not be present here since the application is not installed for all users or there are no other users on the machine.

After the procedure is finished, reboot your systems in order to apply changes.

Blinking or Flashing Desktop After login - What does it mean?

Upon updating to Windows 10, some users might encounter a blinking or flashing desktop after logging in. This will result in a repetitive restarting of explorer or you won’t be able to make the start menu and shortcut keys work. In addition, the network icon might not appear in your taskbar as well. Other Windows 10 error messages include error code 0xc000021a.

Solution

Error Causes

Your blinking or flashing desktop after logging in might be the result of problems with the bushell.dll shell extension, which is a part of the Norton Security Suite. Another possible cause for this annoying problem is an issue with your display driver since not all systems will use the same display driver and will depend on what graphics card you use.

Further Information and Manual Repair

In fixing the bothersome blinking or flashing desktop after logging in problem, you can do a manual repair method to address the root problem. You need to be familiar with the Windows command line to successfully go through the process. However, if you are not knowledgeable or confident enough to do this on your own, it would be best to seek help from a professional. Or, you might want to consider using an automated tool to solve the issue.

You need to identify first what’s causing the blinking or flashing of your desktop after login to properly address the issue. The following methods can be done if your issue is caused by bushell.dll shell extension issue:

Method One: Forcefully Terminate Process

1. Press on Ctrl+Alt+Del then select Task manager
2. Start a Command Prompt as an administrator by choosing the File menu then Run New Task.
3. Type exe. Make sure to tick the checkbox “Create this task with administrative privileges.”

NOTE: Text input is most probably affected by the explorer restarts so you might need to repeatedly type some letters or to carefully input texts.

4. In the Command Prompt, type taskkill /f /im explorer.exe. This will stop the blinking or flashing.
5. Type cd “Program Files” afterward, type dir /s bushell.dll to locate where the dll is. (For example, purposes, use c:\program files\Norton Security Suite\Engine6422.5.2.15 as the location)
6. If the dll file is not found, you can try repeating step 5 but this time, use “Program Files (x86)” However, you can proceed with the next step if you already located where the bushell.dll is.
7. Type cd ”c:\program files\Norton Security Suite\Engine 6422.5.2.15” to change the name of the directory you found the dll in.
8. Type ren bushell.dll bushell-crash.dll
9. Restart now the system by typing shutdown /r /f /t o in the command line.

Method Two: Uninstall Programs

1. Log out then go to the sign in screen
2. Press the Shift key as you simultaneously click on the Power button on the screen.
3. Continue pressing on the Shift key as you click
4. Continue pressing on the Shift key as you wait for the Advanced Recovery Options menu to appear.
5. Once the Advance Recovery Options menu appears, click on Troubleshoot then select Advanced options.
6. Click on the Startup Settings then select
7. Boot on Safe Mode by pressing 4 on your keyboard.
8. Log in then press Windows key + X.
9. Select the Device Manager then expand Display Adapter.
10. On your Display Adapter, right-click then select
11. Exit Device Manager
12. If in case you also have an older Antivirus utility, you should uninstall it as well.
13. Restart

NOTE: You might need to download the latest Video Driver on a working computer. Save it in a thumb drive then copy and install it on your computer. If in case there is no native Windows 10 driver, you can also download the latest Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 video driver. Afterward, install it in compatibility mode.

Method Three: Use Microsoft System Configuration Utility

1. Log out then go to the sign in screen
2. Press the Shift key as you simultaneously click on the Power button on the screen.
3. Continue pressing on the Shift key as you click
4. Continue pressing on the Shift key as you wait for the Advanced Recovery Options menu to appear.
5. Once the Advance Recovery Options menu appears, click on Troubleshoot then select Advanced options.
6. Click on the Startup Settings then select
7. Boot on Safe Mode but this time, choose 5 to start in Safe Mode with networking.
8. Check if your problem is present or not in Safe Mode. If not, then you are on the right track.
9. Press on the Windows key + R then type msconfig to start up your exe file.
10. Click on the Services tab then choose Disable All. Afterward, click on
11. Once you’re prompted to reboot your computer, go ahead and reboot in Normal Mode. Check if the issue is still present.
12. If the blinking or flashing desktop after login is gone, then you can just do a process of elimination.
13. Start-up on your exe again then begin bringing up services a few at a time.
14. You can turn on all other services except for the following which causes the blinking or flashing desktop after login problem: Problem Reports and Solutions Control Panel Support •Windows Error Reporting Service.

RealOnlineRadio is a Browser Extension for Google Chrome. This extension offers users the ability to listen to radio stations across the web. From the Author: Real Online Radio is different, as it is a simple radio aggregator. This means Real Online Radio puts together thousands of independent radio stations from all parts of the world in a browser extension that is free and easy to use. It is made for people, who want to have control over their radio streaming. With our simple radio widget, you can get an overview of thousands of radio stations both from your hometown and from the rest of the world. With Real Online Radio, you can listen to your favorite radio station or get an impression of all styles and sorts of music – without being guided in a specific direction by anybody – or anything (such as those radio bots). Real Online Radio returns the control to you, to discover exactly the kind of music that you love.

While this may look useful, this extension changed your default search engine and hijacks your home page. While this extension is active, all your searches are redirected through fileupsticks.com, where a database of your search queries is kept to better server ads that are later delivered through the Yahoo search engine.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijackers (also known as hijackware) are a type of malware that changes internet browser configurations without the user’s knowledge or approval. These kinds of hijacks happen to be rising at an astonishing rate across the world, and they can be truly nefarious and sometimes harmful too. Nearly all browser hijackers are created for marketing or advertising purposes. These are generally used to force visitors to a specific website, manipulating web traffic to generate ad revenue. Even though it might appear naive, these tools are designed by vicious individuals who always attempt to take full advantage of you, so that they could make money from your naive and distraction. Browser hijackers can also allow other vicious programs without your knowledge to further damage your PC.

Signs of browser hijacker malware

Below are some signs and symptoms that indicate your internet browser has been hijacked: your browser’s home page has been reset to some mysterious site; you find redirected to websites you never intended to visit; the default web browser settings are changed and/or your default search engine is altered; you find multiple toolbars on the browser; you’ll find random pop-ups start showing regularly; your internet browser starts running sluggishly or displays frequent glitches; you can’t visit certain sites such as homepages of antivirus software.

How it infects the computer

Browser hijackers can get into a computer by some means or other, including via file sharing, downloads, and e-mail as well. They may also be deployed via the installation of an internet browser toolbar, add-on, or extension. A browser hijacker could also be installed as a part of freeware, shareware, demoware, and fake programs. An example of some infamous browser hijackers includes Babylon, Anyprotect, Conduit, SweetPage, DefaultTab, Delta Search, and RocketTab, however, the names are continually changing. The presence of any browser hijacker malware on your system can substantially diminish the web browsing experience, record your online activities that lead to serious privacy concerns, develop system stability issues and finally cause your PC to slow down or to a nearly unusable condition.

Browser Hijacker Malware – Removal

The one thing you could try to eliminate a browser hijacker is to locate the malicious software in the “Add or Remove Programs” list in the Microsoft Windows Control Panel. It might or might not be there. If it is, try and uninstall it. However, the majority of hijacking codes are certainly not very easy to get rid of manually, as they go deeper into the operating system. Also, browser hijackers can modify the Computer registry so it could be very tough to restore all the values manually, particularly if you are not a tech-savvy person. You can go for automatic browser hijacker removal by just installing and running a reliable anti-malware application. SafeBytes Anti-Malware will counter persistent browser hijackers and provide you real-time PC protection against all types of malware.

Can't Install Safebytes Anti-malware due to the presence of Malware? Try This!

Practically all malware is detrimental and the level of the damage will differ greatly in accordance with the type of infection. Certain malware goes to great lengths to stop you from installing anything on your computer, especially anti-virus software programs. If you’re reading this, odds are you’re stuck with a malware infection that is preventing you to download and/or install the Safebytes Anti-Malware program on your computer system. There are some actions you can take to get around this problem.

Install anti-malware in Safe Mode with Networking

If the virus is set to load automatically when Microsoft Windows starts, stepping into safe mode could very well block the attempt. Only the bare minimum required applications and services are loaded when you start your personal computer into Safe Mode. You need to do the following to get rid of malware in Safe mode. 1) After switching on the computer, hit the F8 key before the Windows splash screen begins to load. This will conjure up the “Advanced Boot Options” menu. 2) Choose Safe Mode with Networking with arrow keys and press Enter. 3) As soon as this mode loads, you will have the internet. Now, obtain the malware removal software you need by utilizing the web browser. To install the application, follow the directions in the installation wizard. 4) Immediately after installation, run a complete scan and allow the software to delete the threats it detects.

Download the security program using an alternate web browser

Certain viruses may target vulnerabilities of a specific browser that block the downloading process. If you’re not able to download the security application using Internet Explorer, this means the virus is targeting IE’s vulnerabilities. Here, you should switch to an alternate web browser like Chrome or Firefox to download Safebytes Anti-malware software.

Install and run anti-malware from the Thumb drive

To successfully get rid of the malware, you have to approach the issue of installing an anti-virus software program on the infected computer system from a different perspective. Adopt these measures to run the antivirus on the affected computer system. 1) Download the anti-malware software on a virus-free computer. 2) Put the USB drive into the clean computer. 3) Double-click the executable file to open 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 on-screen instructions to complete the installation. 5) Transfer the flash drive from the clean PC to the infected computer. 6) Double click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the USB drive to run the software. 7) Hit the “Scan Now” button to start the virus scan.

Overview of SafeBytes Anti-Malware

These days, anti-malware software can protect your laptop or computer from various kinds of internet threats. But exactly how to choose the right one amongst countless malware protection application that’s available out there? As you may be aware, there are several anti-malware companies and products for you to consider. Some are really worth your money, but most aren’t. When searching for an anti-malware program, choose one that gives dependable, efficient, and total protection against all known computer viruses and malware. One of the recommended software programs is SafeBytes AntiMalware. SafeBytes carries a good track record of excellent service, and customers seem to be happy with it. SafeBytes anti-malware is a trustworthy tool that not only protects your computer completely but is also extremely user-friendly for people of all ability levels. With its outstanding protection system, this tool will instantly detect and remove the majority of the security threats, which include browser hijackers, viruses, adware, PUPs, trojans, worms, and ransomware. There are many great features you’ll get with this security product. Listed here are some of the great ones: Real-time Active Protection: Malware programs trying to enter the system are discovered and stopped as and when detected by the SafeBytes real-time protection shields. This tool will always keep track of your computer for any suspicious activity and updates itself regularly to keep abreast of the constantly changing threat situation. Best AntiMalware Protection: Using a critically acclaimed malware engine, SafeBytes offers multilayered protection that is made to find and remove threats that are concealed deep in your computer’s operating system. Safe Web Browsing: Safebytes assigns all websites a unique safety rating that helps you to have an idea of whether the webpage you are about to visit is safe to view or known to be a phishing site. Low CPU/Memory Usage: This software is lightweight and will work quietly in the background, and will not have an effect on your computer efficiency. Fantastic Tech Support: You will get 24/7 technical assistance to quickly resolve any concern with your security application. SafeBytes has put together a wonderful anti-malware solution that can help you conquer the latest malware threats and virus attacks. Malware issues will become a thing of the past when you put this tool to use. If you want sophisticated forms of protection features and threat detections, purchasing SafeBytes Anti-Malware could be worth the dollars!

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you would like to carry out the removal of RealOnlineRadio manually instead of utilizing an automated software tool, you may follow these steps: Navigate to the Windows Control Panel, click the “Add or Remove Programs” and there, select the offending program to remove. In cases of suspicious versions of browser plugins, you can actually get rid of it via your browser’s extension manager. You will probably also want to reset your internet browser. Finally, check your hard drive for all of the following and clean your registry manually to remove leftover application entries following uninstalls. However, this is often a tricky task and only computer professionals could perform it safely. In addition, some malicious programs have the capability to defend against its removal. Doing this in Safe Mode is recommended.

If a program tried and failed to use the Graphics rendering capabilities of a computer, Windows 10 will most likely throw a Blue Screen error that says, “ THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER ”. 0x000000EA is the Stop code for this particular Blue Screen error and could be caused by a bad display driver or bad video card. Whatever the cause is, here are some suggestions you need to check out to resolve this Blue Screen error.

Option 1 – Try to rollback, update, or disable the Graphics card drivers

Since the THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER Blue Screen error has something to do with Graphics card drivers, you can either roll back, update or disable them depending on your preference in order to resolve the error.

• First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
• After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. From there, look for the Display Adapters and click on them.
• After that, right-click on each entry under the Display Adapters and select the “Uninstall Device” option from the menu.
• Now restart your computer.
• After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.

Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturers like NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it.

Option 2 – Try removing hardware or drivers that you’ve installed recently

If you have recently installed some hardware or drivers, you might want to disable or remove them since external devices are proven to be one of the factors that trigger Blue Screen errors like THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER. All you have to do is physically disconnect any external devices that are connected to your computer and then check if it fixes the BSOD error or not.

Option 3 – Run System File Checker at boot time

• Once you get to the Welcome Screen part, click on Next.
• Afterward, click on the Repair your computer option located on the bottom-left part of the window.
• Then click on Troubleshoot.
• Next, select the Advanced Options and then Command Prompt.
• After opening Command Prompt, type the “sfc /scannow” command and hit Enter to run the System File Checker scan.
• Wait until the process is completed and type “exit” to close Command Prompt and then restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

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 BSOD errors like the THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER error. 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.
• After that, 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 5 – Try to manually check the Graphics Card hardware

You might also want to check the physical status of your Graphics card and you can do this by disconnecting the Graphics card or any other external device connected to your computer. Once you’ve removed the external device, check it for any damages. If there’s none, connect it back to your computer and check if the THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER Blue Screen error is fixed or not.

Option 6 – Uninstall any faulty drivers

You can also uninstall any faulty drivers via Device Manager. How? Refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run dialog box.
• Then type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and tap Enter to open the Device Manager.
• From there, look for any faulty drivers. You can identify them easily as they will be marked with a yellow exclamation point. And then check which entries would not affect the normal functioning of your PC.
• Now click on the entries of every faulty driver and click on the Uninstall option.
• Once you’ve uninstalled them, restart your computer to allow your computer to reinstall the faulty drivers you’ve just removed.

Update and Shutdown/Restart is not working. As you have probably noticed, every time a new update is released and is downloaded on your Windows 10 computer, the operating system replaces the Restart and Shut down button with “Update and Restart” as well as “Update and Shut down”. This is most likely done so that you won’t miss the update. However, some users noticed that there are times when these buttons still continue to display the same message even if they’ve already performed the required operations such as shutting down or restarting their PCs. Cases like this happen when an update wasn’t installed properly or has failed which is why your computer keeps on prompting you to Update and Shutdown every time. To fix this dilemma, follow the options laid out below.

Option 1 – Try restarting the File Explorer

Restarting the File Explorer can definitely help you fix lots of issues especially when there is some issue with the user interface including this one.

• On the right side of the Taskbar, right-click on any open spot.
• Then click on Task Manager.
• Next, scroll down until you see Windows Explorer.
• After that, right-click on it and select Restart.
• If you are able to kill its process, you have to tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “explorer.exe” in the field, and hit Enter to launch the Windows Explorer.

Option 2 – Try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter

As you know, Windows 10 has various auto-repair built-in tools to help users fix small issues which used to get fixed manually. And in this case, you will need the Windows Update Troubleshooter to fix the issue.

• Go to Settings and click on Update and Security.
• From there, click Troubleshoot and click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” option.
• After that, it will try to detect and automatically fix common issues in the Windows Updates which can be resolved by Windows itself. Note that the process may take several minutes before it completes so you need to wait until it’s done. Once it’s done, in case you have some pending update that wasn’t realized by the system early on, it will apply the fix right away and restart the Windows Update service.

Option 3 – Try setting the Power button to Shut down

In case the first two options didn’t work out, you can try changing what the power button does. To do that, refer to these steps:

• Go to Control Panel > Power Options.
• From there, select the “Choose what the power buttons do” option from the left side.
• Then set the Power button setting the “When I press the power button” option to “Shut down”. After that, it will shut your computer down without installing the updates but obviously, this is only a temporary fix.

Option 4 – Turn off your PC instantly without updating it

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Type in “shutdown -s -f -t 0” in the field and hit Enter if you really want to turn off your computer without any delay.
• You could also tap the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys and select Shut down from the bottom right menu.

Just like the third option, this is also only a temporary fix.

Option 5 – Try running the Windows Module Installer

The Windows Module Installer is a built-in service in Windows 10 that allows you to fix the stuck Windows Updates in your computer. To use it, follow these steps:

• In the Cortana search box, type in “cmd” and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option from the context menu.
• Once you’ve opened Command Prompt as admin, type the SC config trustedinstaller start=auto command and tap Enter.
• After the command is executed, you will see the “[SC] ChangeServiceConfig SUCCESS” message displayed on the Command Prompt console.
• Now exit Command Prompt and then check if the buttons are now back to normal.

Option 6 – Put your PC in a Clean Boot State

• 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” checkbox 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.)

After putting your PC in a Clean Boot State, try creating a system restore point and see if the problem still occurs. Clean Boot troubleshooting is designed to help you isolate the problem. For you to execute a clean boot troubleshooting, you must do a couple of actions (the steps are given above) and then restart your PC after every action. You might have to disable one third-party app after the other to really isolate the issue. And once you’ve narrowed down the problem, you can either disable the third-party app that’s causing the problem or remove it. Note that you must switch your PC back into the Normal Startup mode after you’re done troubleshooting the problem. Here’s how you can do it:

• From the “Start” menu, go to System Configuration.
• After that, switch to the General tab and click the option for “Normal Startup”.
• Next, go to the Services tab and clear the checkbox for “Hide all Microsoft services”.
• Then find and click “Enable all” and if prompted, you have to confirm.
• Afterward, go to the Task Manager and enable all the Startup programs and confirm the action.
• Restart your PC when prompted.

If you are using a Windows Update Standalone Installer to install Windows Updates in your Windows 10 computer but you suddenly encounter an error saying, “Installer encountered an error: 0x80096002, The certificate for the signer of the message is invalid or not found”, read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix it. This kind of error could be due to the vendor’s certificate that might have become invalid, compromised, or pulled. Aside from that, it is also possible that the update is not targeted at your OS version. You could get this error when you try to install an incompatible update or software on your computer. This error can also appear due to misconfigured system files or when you try to install BitLocker To Go Drive Encryption or BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool. To fix this error, you can try to run the standalone installer in Compatibility mode or enable the Windows Identity Foundation or run the Windows Update troubleshooter. Make sure to check if the error was resolved after every suggestion. It will help you learn what fixed the problem.

Option 1 – Try to run the installer in Compatibility mode

• Look for the setup file.
• Once you find it, right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu.
• After that, go to the Compatibility tab and mark the checkbox for “Run this program in compatibility mode for:” and from the drop-down list, select the Windows OS version you want the installer to run on.
• You also have to check the “Run as administrator” option.
• Now click the Apply button and then click OK to save the changes made and check if it has resolved the issue or not.

Option 2 – Try to troubleshoot compatibility

This option is almost the same as the first one except it is an alternative way of fixing the error 0x80096002 in case the first one didn’t work. In this option, you will troubleshoot the compatibility issue.

• Look for the setup file.
• Then right-click on it and select the “Troubleshoot compatibility” from the context menu.
• After that, click on the “Try recommended setting” option. Once the process is done, the error message should be gone.

Option 3 – Try to enable the Windows Identity Foundation

You might also want to enable the Windows Identity Foundation as some users reported that it helped in resolving the error for them. To do so, follow these steps:

• In the Windows Start Search, type “Turn Windows features on or off” and click on the matching result.
• This will open a list of Windows Features and from there, look for the Windows Identity Foundation.
• Once you found it, click on its checkbox and click OK to enable it and save the changes made.
• Now see if it has fixed the error or not. If not, you have to disable the feature.

Option 4 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter is one of the things you can first check out as it is known to automatically resolve any Windows Update errors like error 0x80096002. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

What is PyLocky ransomware? And how does it execute its attack?

PyLocky ransomware is a file-locking malware created in order to lock important files and demand ransom from victims in exchange for data recovery. This new ransomware uses the .lockymap extension in marking the files it encrypts. It starts to execute its attack by dropping the following malicious payload in the system:

Name: facture_4739149_08.26.2018.exe SHA256:8655f8599b0892d55efc13fea404b520858d01812251b1d25dcf0afb4684dce9 Size: 5.3 MB

After dropping its malicious payload, this crypto-malware connects the infected computer to a remote server where it downloads more malicious files and places them on system folders. It then applies a data gathering module used to gather data about the user and the computer. The malicious files that were downloaded earlier along with the data obtained are used for another module called stealth protection. This allows PyLocky ransomware to execute its attack without detection from any security or antivirus programs installed in the system. It also modifies some registry keys and entries in the Windows Registry such as:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop
• HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTControl PanelDesktop
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun
• HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce
• HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce

Once all the modifications are carried out, PyLocky ransomware will begin encrypting its targeted files using a sophisticated encryption cipher. Following the encryption, it adds the .lockymap extension to each one of the encrypted files and releases a ransom note named “LOCKY-README.txt” which contains the following content:

“Please be advised: All your files, pictures document and data has been encrypted with Military Grade Encryption RSA ABS-256. Your information is not lost. But Encrypted. In order for you to restore your files, you have to purchase a Decrypter. Follow these steps to restore your files. 1* Download the Tor Browser. ( Just type in google “Download Tor“ 2‘ Browse to URL: http://4wcgqlckaazungm.onion/index.php 3* Purchase the Decryptor to restore your files. It is very simple. If you don’t believe that we can restore your files, then you can restore 1 file of image format for free. Be aware the time is ticking. Price will be doubled every 96 hours so use it wisely. Your unique ID : CAUTION: Please do not try to modify or delete any encrypted file as it will be hard to restore it. SUPPORT: You can contact support to help decrypt your files for you. Click on support at http://4wcgqlckaazungm.onion/index.php”

How does PyLocky ransomware spread over the web?

PyLocky ransomware spreads using malicious spam email campaigns. Creators of this threat embed an infected attachment to spam emails and send them using a spambot. Crooks may even use deceptive tactics to trick you into opening the malware-laden immediately which is something you must not do. Thus, before opening any emails, make sure that you’ve thoroughly checked them. To successfully obliterate PyLocky ransomware from your computer, refer to the removal guide laid out below.

• Step 1: Launch the Task Manager by simply tapping Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard.
• Step 2: Under the Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for the process named facture_4739149_08.26.2018.exe and any suspicious-looking process which takes up most of your CPU’s resources and is most likely related to PyLocky ransomware.
• Step 3: After that, close the Task Manager.
• Step 4: Tap Win + R, type in appwiz.cpl and click OK or tap Enter to open Control Panel’s list of installed programs.
• Step 5: Under the list of installed programs, look for PyLocky ransomware or anything similar, and then uninstall it.
• Step 6: Next, close the Control Panel and tap Win + E keys to launch File Explorer.
• Step 7: Navigate to the following locations below and look for PyLocky ransomware’s malicious components such as facture_4739149_08.26.2018.exe and LOCKY-README.txt as well as other suspicious files, then delete all of them.

%TEMP% %WINDIR%System32Tasks %APPDATA%MicrosoftWindowsTemplates %USERPROFILE%Downloads %USERPROFILE%Desktop

• Step 8: Close the File Explorer.
• Step 9: Tap Win + R to open Run and then type in Regedit in the field and tap enter to pull up Windows Registry.
• Step 10: Navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTControl PanelDesktop HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce

• Step 11: Delete the registry keys and sub-keys created by PyLocky ransomware.
• Step 12: Close the Registry Editor and empty the Recycle Bin.

Try to recover your encrypted files using the Shadow Volume copies Restoring your encrypted files using Windows Previous Versions feature will only be effective if PyLocky ransomware hasn’t deleted the shadow copies of your files. But still, this is one of the best and free methods there is, so it’s definitely worth a shot. To restore the encrypted file, right-click on it and select Properties, a new window will pop up, then proceed to Previous Versions. It will load the file’s previous version before it was modified. After it loads, select any of the previous versions displayed on the list like the one in the illustration below. And then click the Restore button.

In case you don’t know, Windows now comes with an all-new Light Mode theme which gives a light accent color to the Taskbar, Start, and Notification Area. Aside from that, it also brings new improvements and features. This new theme is somewhere between dark and completely white and in this post, you will be guided on how you can enable this new feature in your Windows 10 computer. Although the Light Mode sure looks stunning and a lot of users love it, it actually switches all the apps plus the Taskbar and Start Menu to the light mode which was not the case before. In addition, the icons in the system tray area, as well as the notification center, are also inverted. To resolve that, there are several ways you can customize the light mode theme as well as activate it in the Windows 10 v1903. How? Refer to each one of the options given below.

Option 1 – Via Theme settings

Windows 10 brought a new theme called “Windows (Light)” which will enable the light mode automatically and will set the accent colors to automatic. This will also apply the new Windows 10 wallpaper on your desktop. To enable Windows (Light), all you have to do is right-click on the desktop and select Themes from the left menu. After that, select the Windows (Light) option under the Change Themes section. This will apply to the Windows (Light) mode.

Option 2 – Via Color settings

The second and more customizable way to activate the light mode is via Settings. Aside from the Light and Dark, Windows also introduced a Custom color option which allows you to decide the default Windows and App mode independently. To enable Light mode via Settings, refer to the steps below.

• First, open Settings and go to Personalization.
• After that, select “Colours” from the left menu.
• Next, select Light under the “Choose your color” section to activate the light mode in Windows 10. This will activate light mode all over your computer.

Note: If after activating light mode, you find that you don’t like it and you want to keep things as they were before (Light App Mode and Dark Windows Mode), you can achieve that using the Custom option. All you have to do is select Custom from the drop-down menu to decide the default Windows and app mode independently. After that, select light under the default app mode and dark under the default Windows mode so that you can keep things as they were before the update. On the other hand, you can also try the opposite version of the light Windows mode and Dark app mode since Windows increased the level of customizability which allows users to use an option of a completely light mode.

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.

Can graphic cards wear out over a longer period of time? Recent studies and experience from crypto miners say no but they can die due to different reasons like improper use, low cleaning habits, factory mistakes, etc. Many gamers and people who use GPU intense applications tend to think that some glitches and hiccups in the software are a sign that graphic card is dying out and that it is time to be replaced. Altho this could be true in many cases these kinds of behavior are mostly due to old drivers and software issues. Older cards can produce these kinds of results due to their old age and new software is often more demanding than these cards can handle. So in order to diagnose and be sure that your GPU is indeed dying out lookout for these signs.

The Main Signs of a Dying GPU:

The Computer Crashes and Won’t Reboot

If your computer shutdown while working in the graphic application or while playing the game and the monitor loses signal there is a high chance the graphic card is soon going to be gone. Some motherboards have hardware detection failure and can signal immediate fail. If when turning your computer ON you are greeted with a blue screen with the message that the signal can not be found or you do not have picture at all it is most likely that GPU has failed.

Graphic Glitches While Playing Games

If you are playing the game and all of sudden you get off-color pixels, screen flickering, strange graphic behaviors, random artifacts, or similar and that keeps repeating in multiple games it is likely that GPU days are coming to an end.

Abnormal Fan Noise or Performance

Fans are an essential part of cooling the GPU and over time if they are intensively used they could wear out and need replacing. If however you have not noticed and have not replaced the fans card can sustain overheating damage. Many cards have cooling fans that are designed to spin at a higher RPM only when the GPU is under load. It prevents bearings in the fans from dying prematurely, so don’t worry if one of your fans is inactive while you are browsing the web. However, when you play games that utilize software that your card isn’t built to support, the bearings in the fans wear out faster. Once the fans stop working under load, the graphics card can quickly die.

How to Diagnose a Dying Graphics Card

Presented next are essential steps in order to recognize a dying graphic card.

Check Motherboard Error Codes

Many motherboards today completely shut down a component that is no longer working. If your graphics card has died completely, this may be one of the easiest ways to tell. If your motherboard doesn’t have display codes, you can try testing the card in a new system.

• Open the computer case: Use your screwdriver to remove screws on the side panel and gently slide it back.
• Locate the error code display on your motherboard: If you have a motherboard with error codes, they should appear near an outer corner.
• Try to reboot your computer: Record each error number you see after you boot your computer.
• Consult the motherboard manufacturer manual for error codes: Open the manual and locate the list for your error codes. If the code matches a graphics processing unit error, your video card could have died.

Check Hardware for Damage or Debris

A graphics card that has damage or debris on the physical parts might quickly overheat and kill the card.

• Remove the screws holding the GPU in place: There are typically one or two screws holding the card to a bracket on the case.
• Unhook the power cords from the GPU and pull the release tab: Remove the power cords from your GPU by pushing in their tabs and gently rocking them out. Once you remove each cord, gently push or pull up on the release tab near the motherboard.
• Inspect the GPU for damage/debris: Check the card for any dirt or debris buildup and clean it out with a Q-tip. You can replace broken fan pieces from the manufacturer.

Test Your GPU Under Load

Download GPU stress-testing and heat-monitoring software.

• With the card installed, run a stress test.
• As you are running the stress test, run heat-monitoring software: With the stress test running, check your heat-monitoring software for GPU overheating. Any reading over 80 degrees Celsius is too hot.
• Check device manager for outdated drivers: If your GPU is clean, but still running too hot, your software drivers are not installed correctly. To check, type in “device manager” at the bottom of your desktop and click on Device Manager. Find your display adapter and right-click on it to see if it’s working. If your drivers are not working correctly, it is indicated here usually. However, the driver may appear to be functioning even if it says otherwise in the properties.

Keep your graphic card drivers updated

When you don’t have the right driver installed, graphics cards can quickly burn up, and their cooling components may fail faster. That’s why you should always keep drivers updated for each new game you install or play. Older games may also release new software patches, so your GPU drivers should be updated accordingly.