Fix Unsupported video type/invalid file path

The MP4 MIME-type is a video type that is mainly configured in IIS or Internet Information console. It is the one that instructs a web browser to use the default video application when running MP4 files from websites. MIME which stands for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions which offers a way to identify files on the Internet-based on their format and nature. For example, when a content-type header value like MP4 is defined in an HTTP response, the browser can be configured to open the file with the proper plugin. However, there are some servers that don’t have an associated MIME type to support MP4 files and so they fail to play these files. In such cases, you will encounter the “Unsupported video type or invalid file path” error, especially when you use the Internet Explorer browser in Windows 10. To fix this problem, you may have to configure the MP4 MIME type in IIS but you might find that IIS is not enabled in Windows 10 which is why you need to turn it on or enable it first. For more details, refer to the following instructions below.

Step 1 – Enable IIS:

  • Open Control Panel and go to Programs > Programs and Features.
  • From there, select “Turn Windows features on or off” to mark its checkbox.
  • After that, select “Web Management Tools” and expand its menu and look for “IIS Management Console”.
  • Click the OK button and then wait for a couple of seconds to allow Windows to successfully apply the changes made.

Step 2 – Configure the MP4 MIME type in IIS:

  • Go to Control Panel and from there, access Administrative Tools.
  • Next, click “Internet Information Services Manager” from the list of given options.
  • Once confirmed, it will open the IIS console where you have to click the name of your IIS Server located on the left panel. This will enable several options in the central details section.
  • Now double click on the icon with the label “MIME Types”.
  • After that, you should see an “Add” link option on the right panel. Click on the link to open a configuration dialog box.
  • Then type “.mp4” in the File Name Extension field and enter “video/mp4” in the textbox of the MIME Type.
  • Click the OK button to save the changes made. This should fix the “Unsupported video type or invalid file path” error on your Windows 10 computer.

Step 3 – Reset your browsers:

Mozilla Firefox

  • Open Firefox and click the icon that looks like three stacked lines located at the top-right section of the browser.
  • Next, select the question mark icon from the drop-down menu.
  • Then select “Troubleshooting information” from the slide-out menu.
  • After that, click on the “Reset Firefox” button located at the top-right section of the newly opened web page.
  • Now select “Reset Firefox” in the confirmation pop-up window that appears.

Google Chrome

  • Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
  • After that, click on Settings.
  • Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
  • After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
  • Now restart Google Chrome.

Internet Explorer

  • Launch Internet Explorer.
  • Next, click the wrench icon for Settings.
  • Then click Internet Options.
  • After that, go to the Advanced tab.
  • From there, click the Reset button. This will reset Internet Explorer’s settings to their default condition.
  • Now click OK to save the changes made.

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New Windows vulnerability discovered
The latest security vulnerability was discovered inside both Windows 10 and Windows 11 letting any user access admin privileges inside the operating system. This can, of course, be used by a potential attacker to get full control of the system. The problem lies in Microsoft's security rules assigned to the Windows Registry and the Security Account Manager. Both for some reason have reduced restrictions allowing any local user to fully access the files without administrator privileges. The problem is even more amplified if we think about Security Account Manager which includes all account data including the passwords of all users using the same PC. This can provide a potential attacker with all information and let them log on into the administrator account for full control. Microsoft is aware of the matter and is tracking it with code CVE-2021-36934, and includes a complete workaround for the issue, which includes restricting access to  %windir%\system32\config and deleting any restore points or Shadow volumes that were created before that point until the hole is plugged with an official security patch.
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A Quick Guide to Resolving Photoviewer.dll Error

Photoviewer.dll Error - What is it?

Photoviewer.dll is a shared library for SampleRes.dll and x3daudio1_1.dll in computers installed with Microsoft Windows 7, 8, Vista, and XP including 32 bit and 64 bit operating systems. Photoviewer.dll is associated with 1728000 system files. The Photoviewer.dll error occurs when you upgrade your Windows operating system to a new version like Windows 7 or 8 on which this shared library is used. Once you upgrade the Windows and you right-click on JPG images, the Photoviewer.dll error pops up. This error message is displayed as the following:
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  2. Photovewer.dll entry point not found/application can’t initiate

Solution

Restoro box imageError Causes

Photoviewer.dll error can pop up due to several reasons. These include:
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  • Infection of Trojan virus
  • Photoviewer.dll missing /broken
  • Photo Gallery was earlier your default image editor before you upgraded your system
It is advisable to repair this issue timely to avoid inconvenience and serious PC threats especially if the cause of this issue is viral infection or registry damage.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some of the best ways to help you resolve Photoviewer.dll error on your system:

1. Rebuild the Windows Photo Gallery

If you were previously using Vista and then you upgraded your system to Windows 7, then try this:
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  • Then select the view tab option. Here you’ll find the Advanced setting window, select the show hidden files and folders tab.
  • Now click Ok to continue. Navigate to the following folder( %user% is the name of the account with the problem) C:\Usersusername\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Photo Gallery.
  • Then copy files to another location as a backup and delete them from the Windows Photo directory. Once the files have been deleted, try to start Windows Photo Gallery again. If this seems difficult, install Windows Photo Gallery application from the internet on your system.

2. Repair Broken Photoviewer.dll files and Remove Malware

Another way to fix the photoviewer.dll error is to download Restoro. This is an advanced, user-friendly, and multi-functional PC fixer smoothly integrated with a registry cleaner. By running it on your system you can resolve all Photoviewer.dll error causes in seconds. Restoro has an easy-to-use interface and a neat layout. It is safe, efficient, and bug-free. In addition to this, it is compatible with all Windows versions. The registry cleaning utility is deployed with an automated algorithm that scans your entire PC and detects Photoviewer.dll file errors in seconds. It fixes damaged, misconfigured, and broken Photoviewer.dll files, clears up disk space from unnecessary and obsolete files like the files from the uninstalled Windows programs which could be generating Photoviewer.dll error on your system. It repairs the registry and modifies the registry keys to their correct configuration thus repairing the Photoviewer.dll error on your PC. The powerful privacy error detector is integrated with all the properties and characteristics of an anti-virus. It scans for malware and viruses like Trojans and removes them from your system right away. Besides these utilities, other features integrated into this repair tool include a system stability scanner and Active X and class error detector. It resolves Photoviewer.dll error while optimizing your computer’s speed and performance. Click here to download Total System Care on your system to resolve the Photoviewer.dll file error today!
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Common Outlook Errors

Most Common Microsoft Outlook errors

When you have a program, you know before you even start to use it or even know how that you are going to have problems with it. There are always going to be error messages and things that don’t work on any program you buy or download; guaranteed. Even some of the most famous program developers in the world make mistakes from time to time and it is a small price to pay for the programs you get and that is a fact. Microsoft Outlook is like any other program; it has its errors. Here are some of the most common errors for Microsoft Outlook on your computer.

1. Problem receiving emails

Sometimes you can be waiting on really important emails. It is really infuriating when you know that they have been sent, however every time you check your email box, there is nothing there! Your inbox is empty and your patience is wearing thin, so could it possibly be an error with Microsoft Outlook? There is a high probability that this is the problem. The program can be a bit slow on receiving emails sometimes, often even by days. This can be caused by any number of things, from having too many emails coming through or having too many emails in your inbox. If you click ‘send and receive’ at the top, it should speed up your emails coming through, however, so give that a try if you’re waiting on anything to come through. If this doesn’t work, however, your inbox may be full. Try permanently deleting some useless messages and then click ‘send and receive’ again. All your emails should come through then!

2. General slow performance

Outlook, while it has its advantages, can often be very slow. It is probably slower than some other email programs that require a browser but it is quicker to access, which may make up for this fact. However, sometimes sluggish performance can be really irritating, so it may be wise to try and fix it if you can. One of the reasons it may be acting slow is if you have too many other Windows applications open. Applications that may interfere with your Outlook’s speed could be anything from Microsoft Word to Windows Live Messenger. If any of these are open, try closing them and see if that helps with the speed problem.

3. Corrupt files

.dbx files are not accessible by Microsoft Outlook. Therefore, they can cause problems with your emails if you have them within them. To solve this problem, you may have to delete all of your attached email accounts and then reattach them before you can open your emails again. These corrupt files can also cause you to be unable to delete emails. You will need to transfer these deleted corrupt files into a separate deletion folder as this is usually caused by the folder being corrupt. Of all the other most frequent problems with Microsoft Outlook, however, this is probably the least likely to happen, which shows how few problems there actually are with this application after all that!

Conclusion

So there are the most common problems with Microsoft Outlook! Not much wrong at all, is there?
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Option 1 – Change the Log on account of the Windows Update Service

It appears that one of the major upgrades in Windows 10 has made sure that Windows 10 enables back the Windows Update Service all on its own even if the service has been set to disable by the administrator. And that’s the important thing here, Windows 10 uses admin credentials in order to ensure that it can re-enable the Windows Update Service each time it is in a disabled state. So in this fix, you can prevent the Windows Update Service from changing the account credentials used to run it.
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  • From there, click the Stop button to stop the service.
  • Next, go to the Log On tab and select the “Log on as ‘Guest” option which is the Guest account.
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Note: After you made the changes, every time the Windows 10 Update Service attempts to run, you might get an error message that states, “Windows could not start the Service” or “The account specified for this service is different from the account specified for other services running in the same process”. This is what makes this fix a lot better compared to other software or batch file to keep turning off the Windows Update Service. You did not exactly disable the service but you just changed the account used to run the Windows Update service and since there is a password, the service never really works. On the other hand, Windows Defender can’t be stopped using this trick as it will keep getting an update.

Option 2 – Try to disable the Windows Update Medic Service using the Windows Update Blocker

Aside from changing the Log on account of the Windows Update Service, there is also another way you can prevent the service from enabling itself after you disable it. This alternative you can use is the Windows Update Blocker. This is a new Windows Service that was introduced in the recent Windows 10 versions. You can use this service to disable the service.
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    The first thing would in any troubleshooting be to check are your speakers turned on or are your headphones connected and the volume or switch on them is set properly. Nothing more embarrassing than spending an hour or so troubleshooting only to find out that issue was in a malfunction of speakers or them not being turned on.
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Renaming items in the Win+X menu
As you know, the Win + X menu, which is the shortcut context menu, is a useful way to launch several utilizes in Windows such as Power Options, Windows PowerShell, Event Viewer, Device Manager, and so on. However, there are times when you might experience difficulty in identifying the required utility. This is actually a part of the Windows 10 shell that goes out of scope in the customization of Windows 10. However, there is an easy trick you can use to do that. So in this post, you will be guided on how you can rename the options in the Win + X menu in Windows 10. In case you don’t know, the context menu is divided into three groups. Microsoft has categorized the bottom-most part as Group 1, while the middle part is categorized as Group 2 and the first part as Group 3. To rename these options, you need to use File Explorer and follow the instructions laid out below. Step 1: First, tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer. Step 2: Next, navigate to this path: %LocalAppdata%MicrosoftWindowsWinX Step 3: From there, you should see three folders as Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3. Open the appropriate folder of your choice. Step 4: After that, right-click on the shortcut option you want to rename and then select Properties. Step 5: Next, navigate to the Shortcut tab under the Properties window. Step 6: Now in the text field of Comment, enter the new name of the option you selected. Step 7: Click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made. Note: You can now either Sign back in or sign out of your Windows 10 User Account to see the result of the changes you’ve made. You could also restart the process of File Explorer via Task Manager. This will close the File Explorer as well as the shell components and then only launch the shell components again. In addition, you can check the Win + X menu to see the customized name that you’ve just set for a particular option. As you can see, even though it does not add anything extra, it is still a lot better in knowing how you can customize it.
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How to Fix Screen Flickering in Windows 10 Error

Screen flickering in Windows 10 - What Is It?

Screen flickering when you’re using Windows 10 is quite a common problem. It is often caused by apps that are not compatible with the operating system, or faulty display drivers.

There are a lot of possibilities for why this issue occurs. If you are one of the many users that encounter this kind of problem, you might want to check on your task manager to see if everything is working fine. One common sign that something wrong has happened is if the task manager flickers, as well. To fix this, you will need to update an app, uninstall an app, or update your display driver.

Solution

Restoro box imageError Causes

Common causes of the screen flickering when running on Windows 10 are software issues. This is most likely caused by the following:

  • Faulty display driver
  • You have an application installed that is not compatible with your operating system

Further Information and Manual Repair

In order to fix the issue of your screen flickering when you have Windows 10 as your operating system, follow these simple steps.

Note: It is very important to consult with an authorized computer technician if you are not highly confident in solving this issue by yourself. Furthermore, you can also use software to fix this problem.

  • The first method is by checking if your task manager is flickering. To open the task manager, all you have to do is right-click or press and hold the start button, then select task manager.

If you have confirmed that the task manager is the one causing the screen flickers, the display driver can possibly be your problem. To fix it, all you have to do is update your display driver.

How to update the display driver

  1. You have to reset your computer and boot it on Safe Mode.

      -In order to do this, you have to hold the Shift key while selecting Power>Restart. When your computer boots up, you will be greeted by a Choose an option screen. From there, you have to select Troubleshoot, then Advanced Options, then Startup Settings, and then Restart. When your computer restarts, select 4 or hit the F4 key to enter into Safe Mode.

  1. When your computer finally boots up in Safe Mode, right-click or press and hold the Start button. From there, click Device Manager.
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            - When you have two, or more, drivers installed on your computer, all you have to do is disable the other drivers. You can do this by right-clicking on the driver in the Device Manager and click the Yes box next to disable. Shut down your PC after this, disconnect the installation, and boot your computer back on.

  1. When your PC boots up after the restart, click on the Start button then click on Settings.
  1. You need to go to Update & Security, then Windows Update, and then check for updates.

            - If you are using multiple drivers and this technique doesn’t work, repeat the process in Step 3 and try to disable a different driver.

Remove an incompatible app

There are two ways to remove an incompatible app to fix the issue of a screen flicker on Windows 10. Apps like Norton AV, iCloud, and IDT Audio are usually the ones causing the problem. Uninstalling these apps could solve the problem. Uninstall the apps by using the methods below:

First Solution: Uninstall an app in Settings

  1. Click Start, and then click Settings.
  2. Click on System, and then click on Apps & Features.
  3. A window will pop up and from there you will need to select the application you wish to uninstall. Click the app, and then click uninstall. Follow the screen prompt to fully uninstall the program.

Second Solution: Uninstall an app in the Start Menu

  1. Click Start, and then click All Apps.
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Fixing errors, manually vs automatic

Encountering errors is never a pleasant experience and fixing errors can sometimes take a large amount of time. Also depending on your expertise and knowledge about computers and the operating systems themselves could be determining factor would you try to wrestle with error.

error fixing on computer

We will explore and analyze the advantages of both methods so you can choose and know when to apply one and when to reach for the other.

Advantages of manual method

Full control is the main advantage of manually solving errors, when you go deep dive into manually fixing problematic issues you are one that has control. Complete freedom is also another, sometimes fixing things can be done in several different ways and when you are the man behind the wheel, you are the one that can choose how to approach and what solution to apply in order to solve the issue.

Disadvantages of using manual method

The main disadvantage that some users might encounter is that they will need to know ins and outs of computer and operating systems' workings. Of course, the more complicated errors, the more knowledge it will require in order to apply the proper fix. There is also a risk to break something else if the person that is doing the fixing is not fully competent so this is also something to think about.

Another thing that goes against manual fixing is the time it will require in order to actually fix it, some more complex stuff will probably depend on searching for some external resources like searching for compatible drivers for example, or navigating complex registry keys inside Windows.

Advantages of automatic solutions

If you are a user that has no knowledge about how the operating system works, if you do not know what is a registry or how to properly navigate through the Windows folder then the automated solution is for you. The main advantage of automated systems is that you can easily fix errors without any kind of technical knowledge and usually with just one click of a button.

Saving time is also one of the advantages of fully automated solutions because they will work much faster than manually locating the problem and then fixing it. Also, most of these systems will have in place active monitoring that will check always if your system is in top form and alert you when something is not right.

Disadvantages of one-click solutions

Automated solutions are great, they can solve various issues and errors without any knowledge from the user, but they are not perfect. Like security suites sometimes an automated system can misinterpret something as an error when in fact it is not and fixing it could mean some apps not working anymore, luckily you can choose would you like to apply the suggested solution. So if you are using one do not just click fix without looking at what it is trying to fix and maintain.

Another problem with this is the price it is carrying, manually solving your computer error will cost you your time and knowledge but good automated software will come with a price tag. Some people might not be too happy to pay for this kind of application but at the end of the day, it will still be cheaper than a professional technician. The last thing that you should be aware of is that in order for the app to do its work properly it will need to be active all the time, now for modern computers, this is not the issue but for some older ones with a small amount of memory might lead to some slowing them down. This is a price to be paid in order to have your system always errors free.

Should you use an automated solution at all?

This depends on your knowledge and time available, professional IT technicians will not need this type of solution nor will power users but for most common people this will offer computers free of errors for an affordable price.

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Managing the Local Users and Groups
As you know, Windows PowerShell is a useful command-line utility in Windows 10 that can be used to manage the Local Users and Groups which affirms the multiuser operating system principle of Windows 10. Although there are other GUI-based utilities used to manage the Local Users and Groups, there are some system administrators that would still like to use the command-line utility to manage these Local Users and Groups. So in this post, you will be guided on how exactly you can manage the Local Users and Groups using PowerShell on your Windows 10 computer. To get started, refer to the options provided below to manage both the Local Users and Groups using Windows PowerShell.

Option 1 – Manage the Local Users via Windows PowerShell

  • You need to first open Windows PowerShell as an admin. To do that, just tap the Win + X keys and select the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option.
  • After opening PowerShell, you need to execute the “Get-LocalUser” cmdlet so that you can find all the details about all the local user accounts in your computer which would include the Account Name, Enabled status, as well as description.
Note: On the other hand, you can also get the customized data about several objects that are related to your account. For instance, if you want to check when was the last time the Local account’s password was set, then you need to execute the “Get-LocalUser -Name root | Select-Object PasswordLastSet” cmdlet. Thus, the structure for this cmdlet is “Get-LocalUser -Name root | Select-Object *”. Here are the objects you can use to get different sorts of data:
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  • Description
  • Enabled : True
  • FullName
  • PasswordChangeableDate
  • PasswordExpires
  • UserMayChangePassword
  • PasswordRequired
  • PasswordLastSet
  • LastLogon
  • Name
  • SID
  • PrincipalSource
  • ObjectClass

Option 2 – Manage the Local User Groups using Windows PowerShell

  • Like what you did earlier, open Windows PowerShell as admin and then execute the “Get-LocalGroup” cmdlet so you can get all the information about all the groups of all the local user accounts.
  • Now if you want to create a new Local User Group, just execute the “New-LocalGroup -Name <NAME OF THE GROUP> -Description '<ENTER THE DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUP HERE>'” cmdlet.
  • And if you want to add Local User Accounts to a specific group, just execute the “Add-LocalGroupMember -Group '<NAME OF THE GROUP' -Member ('NAME 1','NAME 2','<ROLE>') -Verbose” cmdlet. You could also use the “Get-Localuser -Name john | Add-LocalGroupMember -Group '<NAME OF THE GROUP>'” cmdlet for the same purpose.
  • If you want to display all the User Accounts of a specific group, just use the “Get-LocalGroupMember –Group ‘ ’” cmdlet.
  • Now if you want to remove a local user account from a group, all you have to do is use the “Remove-LocalGroupMember -Group '<NAME OF THE GROUP>' –Member <NAME OF THE LOCAL USER ACCOUNT>” cmdlet.
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Protect Your PC With These 6 Reliable Security Products

What software are you using to keep your information and all your files and memories safe? 

None? Yikes. Let’s hope no damage has been done to your data yet then. Because with how the digital world has evolved, your data might be getting leaked and you have no idea.

Why do you need to invest in security software?

There’s really no good excuse not to purchase a quality platform for PC protection. Especially since top security solutions are available at such affordable prices nowadays, your wallet would barely even notice it.

At this point, only people who barely use their PCs and have zero sensitive information on them can get away with simply using the built-in Windows 10/11 security software. But we guarantee that those people are extremely hard to find and that you’re not one of them, and here’s why.

Even if you don’t use your computer for things that are very obviously sensitive, such as internet banking, you still have some personal data at risk of being stolen. How so? Well, think about the data you enter into your social media profiles, for example. How devastating would it be if somebody got a hold of any of it? Yep, that’s what we thought.

A chain with a padlock on a laptop
Credit: FLY:D on Unsplash

In the hands of a skilled cybercriminal, your phone number alone could put you at risk of scams, ransomware, identity theft and more. Also think about the stuff you share in texts and social media chats. Think about the websites you visit and how many times you may have accidentally clicked on an ad, which could very well contain malicious software. Those all seem harmless until someone’s actually used them against you. 

Now imagine the dangers involved when you actually store truly confidential data on your PC and browsers. Sends shivers down your spine, doesn’t it?

In the case of a successful cyberattack of whatever type (virus, phishing, worms, etc.), there’s so much that is at stake. Businesses/legal persons will suffer from financial loss and damaged reputation, at the very least. Natural persons may be threatened or exploited, get their banking or medical information and even their identity stolen, etc. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

These are our biggest reasons for investing in Windows PC protection software:

  • Cyberthreats are constantly evolving to the point where built-in or free software won’t cut it anymore.
  • Those working remotely can have peace of mind knowing both personal and business data is completely secure.
  • Businesses using top security solutions ensure their customers trust them. 
  • Data breaches are a pain in the you-know-what to handle. Fighting a cyberattack and going back to normal is a demanding process, and not to mention the stress it’ll cause. We’d rather prevent all that by using trustworthy security products!
  • It helps parents worry a little less about their children’s safety in the online world. 
  • Added bonus: with most products, you get an ad-free browsing experience!

Obviously, there are a lot more reasons to get your PC secured. But we think you get it. So let’s cut to the chase and take a look at our 6 favorite protection solutions and the wonders they can do for you.

*Note that in this article we’re looking at products primarily suited for households and home offices, some for small businesses. No enterprise solutions will make the list today, but stay tuned for a future article on those.

Top 6 best PC protection solutions

1. Bitdefender Total & Internet Security\

One of the biggest security product vendors out there, Bitdefender offers several awesome solutions. We want to introduce two of our favorites, Bitdefender Total Security and Bitdefender Internet Security.

Bitdefender Total Security is great for both households and smaller offices. You can choose to protect 5 or 10 devices, and not necessarily just Windows devices. It also works for macOS, Android and iOS. It offers a range of powerful features, such as:

  • Real-time data protection
  • Webcam and microphone protection
  • Device optimization options
  • Anti-phishing/-fraud/-spam technology
  • Ransomware protection
  • Anti-loss and anti-theft tools
  • VPN and privacy firewall 
  • Anti-tracking technology
  • Parental controls
  • 24/7 support

Bitdefender Internet Security shares almost all of these features, but there are a few important differences to note. Unlike Total Security, Internet Security has more options in terms of the number of protected devices: 1, 3, 5 or 10. However it’s only compatible with the Windows platform and it doesn’t offer device optimization tools or anti-theft options. Whether or not this is a deal-breaker depends on your needs alone - we still find it a great security tool.

A phone and a laptop
Credit: Firmbee.com on Unsplash

2. ESET Internet Security

An award-winning Windows security product, ESET Internet Security is essential on this list. It has an outstanding protection rate of 99.9% and a range of amazing options you’ll definitely want to make use of. It can be installed on up to 10 devices, making it an awesome tool for your household, home office or a small business. It’s also compatible with macOS and Android.

These are ESET Internet Security’s best features:

  • Protection against ransomware and spyware
  • Protection against malware specifically designed to avoid detection
  • In-depth scans when the computer is not in use
  • Firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your PC
  • Anti-spam tool
  • Anti-phishing and botnet protection technologies
  • Tool to scan your router and smart devices for vulnerabilities
  • Special browser for secure internet banking 
  • Parental controls
  • Prevention of unauthorized webcam access 

If you ask us, ESET has it all!

A credit card and a laptop
Credit: rupixen.com on Unsplash

3. Kaspersky Total & Internet Security

Having a deja vu? Didn’t you just read Total Security and Internet Security somewhere? Oh, that’s right - the first entry on our list! But here we’re talking about Kaspersky, a vendor you’ve also definitely heard about before.

Just like Bitdefender, Kaspersky is another one of those renowned names in the cybersecurity world that always make it to every ‘best of’ list. And for good reason - its products really fulfill their purpose. So let’s take a closer look at the two we chose.

These are the features both Kaspersky Total Security and Kaspersky Internet Security have in common:

  • Real-time virus and spyware blocking
  • Webcam protection
  • Wi-Fi security notifications
  • Advanced identity theft protection
  • Free technical support on several channels
  • Remote security management
  • Multiple devices (up to 10)

The main difference between Kaspersky Total Security and Internet Security is that the former offers more capabilities. These are the features KTS offers that KIS does not:

  • System cleanup
  • File shredding
  • Password management
  • Data backup and encryption

Both are excellent security tools, though we do prefer KTS a little more because of these additional options.

4. Norton 360 Deluxe

Of course one of the industry-leading solutions makes the list. Norton 360 Deluxe can protect up to 5 devices, be it Windows, iOS, macOS or Android. It’s worth noting that its features are best developed for Windows. Here’s what you get with Norton 360 Deluxe:

  • Protection against viruses, hackers, malware
  • 100% virus protection promise
  • VPN included for all devices
  • Unlimited VPN on Windows
  • Password manager
  • Parental controls

So is there anything aside from these standard protection features that makes it such a favorite among us techies? Let us tell you! Norton added a little bit of spice here with two really powerful capabilities. The Deluxe product offers 50GB of cloud backup and dark web monitoring. The latter means the software notifies you if any of your personal information is found on the dark web, which helps protect you against identity theft.

A person using two computers
Credit: Luke Peters on Unsplash

5. McAfee Antivirus

Don’t be misled by the name of this product. Antivirus software may have started as protection against viruses only, but it’s developed quite a lot. The name simply stuck. All that to say that McAfee Antivirus - another award-winning security solution - protects you against several different threats.

The basic and essential plan allow 1 and 5 devices respectively, while McAfee+ Premium and Advanced work on an unlimited number of devices. The latter two also offer more capabilities, as you can imagine. Here’s what you can expect from all of them:

  • Secure unlimited VPN
  • File shredder to delete sensitive files completely
  • Ultimate safety while browsing
  • Protection against hackers
  • 100% virus protection promise
  • Advanced firewall to block dangerous traffic
  • Online support from specialists
  • Protection score (shows how safe you are and detects vulnerabilities)
  • Identity monitoring (notifies you if any of your information is on the dark web)
  • Password management

Unlike the previous products, McAfee Antivirus does not offer parental controls. Otherwise it’s a pretty strong and comprehensive protection tool and might just be the right choice for you!

6. Trend Micro Maximum Security

Last but definitely not least, we’ve got Maximum Security by Trend Micro. And yes, you guessed it, Trend Micro is also an award winner in terms of cybersecurity. Its products have been recognized as industry-leading security solutions by AV-Test since 2003. Among all its fantastic solutions, our favorite for households or small offices is Maximum Security.

You can use Trend Micro Maximum Security to protect 3-5 devices for a year or two years before needing to renew your license. Aside from Windows, it’s compatible with iOS, Android, Mac and Chromebook devices. Here’s what you can expect from this protection software:

  • Powerful malware protection
  • Phishing detection and prevention (email)
  • Password management and protection
  • Maximum security for online banking and shopping
  • System optimization
  • Social media privacy protection
  • Parental controls 
  • 24/7 technical support
  • No notifications during gaming

It’s truly one of the most effective platforms out there dedicated to protecting your digital life. Using this product, ransomware, identity thieves and malicious websites don’t stand a chance.

The bottom line

If you’ve made it all the way here, congratulations, you’ve made the right choice: to invest in securing your valuable data! Now the question is: which one of these 6 awesome antivirus/antimalware products to select?

The paradox of choice is a very real thing - we feel you. As mentioned, it comes down to what your specific needs are. So before you go ahead and purchase your security software, make sure to explore all options.

And if you really can’t handle the decision-making anxiety, feel free to reach out. We’ll happily assist you in finding the right product to keep your digital life secure!

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