How to fix windows 10 error code 0x80073712

Video Download Converter is a potentially unwanted toolbar distributed by Mindspark Interactive network. This toolbar offers users the ability to download and convert youtube and other online videos.

While this may seem useful at the start, this toolbar monitors user browsing activity and records visited websites, clicked links, and even personal data, that it later uses to display injected ads through your browsing session. When the toolbar is installed, it will automatically hijack your home page and search engine setting them to MyWay.com. This search engine uses google to display your search results, however, it injects ads into the search results to generate ad revenue. Several anti-virus scanners have detected VideoDownloadManager as a Browser Hijacker, and are therefore not recommended to keep on your computer.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is actually a form of unwanted software, commonly a browser add-on or extension, which then causes modifications in the browser’s settings. There are lots of reasons why you might experience a browser hijack; however commercial, marketing, and advertising are definitely the key purposes for their creation. Usually, it will force users to predetermined sites which are looking to increase their advertising campaign earnings. It may seem naive, but the majority of these sites are not legitimate and can pose a major threat to your online safety. Browser hijackers can also allow other harmful programs without your knowledge to further damage the computer. How to determine if your browser has been hijacked There are many symptoms that indicate the internet browser has been hijacked: the home page of your browser is changed suddenly; you find yourself constantly directed to a different web page than the one you intended; the main web browser settings are modified and unwanted or insecure resources are added to the trusted websites listing; unsolicited new toolbars are added to your web browser; you may find numerous pop-up adverts on your computer screen; your browser has instability issues or exhibits frequent errors; you can’t navigate to certain websites, such as computer security software related websites.

So how does a PC get infected with a browser hijacker?

Browser hijackers can enter a PC by some means or other, for example via file sharing, downloads, and e-mail too. Many web browser hijackings originate from add-on applications, i.e., toolbars, browser helper objects (BHO), or extensions added to browsers to provide them additional features. Some browser hijackers spread in user’s computers using a deceptive software distribution method called “bundling” (commonly through freeware and shareware). Some of the popular hijackers are VideoDownload Converter, Babylon Toolbar, Conduit Search, OneWebSearch, Sweet Page, and CoolWebSearch. Browser hijackers might record user keystrokes to gather potentially invaluable information leading to privacy concerns, cause instability on computers, drastically disrupt user’s browsing experience, and eventually slow down the PC to a point where it becomes unusable.

The best ways to remove browser hijackers

Certain kinds of browser hijackers can be easily removed from your PC by uninstalling malicious software programs or any other recently added shareware. However, many hijacking codes are not very easy to get rid of manually, since they go deeper into the operating system. Moreover, manual removal demands you to do many time-consuming and complex procedures which are very difficult to carry out for beginner computer users. You can go for automatic browser hijacker removal by simply installing and running reliable anti-malware software. Safebytes Anti-Malware has a cutting-edge anti-malware engine to help you prevent browser hijacker infection in the first place, and clean up any pre-existing issues. Together with anti-malware, a PC optimizer tool, similar to Total System Care, could help you resolve registry errors, remove unwanted toolbars, secure online privacy, and improve overall system performance.

What to Do if Malware Stops You From Downloading Or Installing Anything?

Every malware is detrimental and the magnitude of the damage will vary greatly depending on the type of malware. Some malware sits in between your PC and the internet connection and blocks a few or all internet sites which you want to visit. It would also block you from adding anything to your system, particularly anti-malware software. If you are reading this article, chances are you’re stuck with a malware infection that is preventing you to download and install the Safebytes Anti-Malware program on your computer. There are a few steps you can take to circumvent this problem.

Eliminate viruses in Safe Mode

In the event the malware is set to load at Windows startup, then booting in safe mode should prevent it. Just bare minimum required programs and services are loaded when you boot your computer into Safe Mode. Here are the steps you need to follow to take out viruses in Safemode. 1) After switching on the computer, press the F8 key before the Windows splash screen begins to load. This would invoke the “Advanced Boot Options” menu. 2) Make use of the arrow keys to select Safe Mode with Networking and hit ENTER. 3) When you are into this mode, you should have an internet connection once again. Now, utilize your web browser to download and install Safebytes Anti-malware. 4) Right after installation, run a complete scan and let the software remove the threats it detects.

Obtain the security program using a different browser

Some malware mainly targets particular browsers. If this sounds like your situation, employ another web browser as it could circumvent the virus. If you appear to have a trojan attached to Internet Explorer, then switch over to a different browser with built-in security features, such as Firefox or Chrome, to download your favorite anti-malware program – Safebytes.

Install security software on a USB drive

Here’s yet another solution which is utilizing portable USB anti-malware software that can scan your computer for viruses without the need for installation. Adopt these measures to use a USB drive to fix your corrupted computer system. 1) Download Safebytes Anti-Malware or Windows Defender Offline onto a clean PC. 2) Mount the pen drive on the same PC. 3) Double click on the downloaded file to run the installation wizard. 4) Choose a thumb drive as the location when the wizard asks you where you wish to install the application. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. 5) Transfer the pen drive from the uninfected computer to the infected computer. 6) Double-click the EXE file to run the Safebytes program from the thumb drive. 7) Click on the “Scan” button to run a full system scan and remove viruses automatically.

Detect And Remove Viruses With SafeBytes Anti-Malware

If you’re looking to purchase anti-malware for your computer system, there are lots of brands and applications for you to consider. Some of them are good and some are scamware applications that pretend as legit anti-malware programs waiting around to wreak havoc on your personal computer. Make sure you choose a company that builds industry-best anti-malware and it has attained a reputation as reliable. One of the recommended software by industry analysts is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, the most dependable program for Windows computers. SafeBytes anti-malware is really a powerful, highly effective protection tool made to help users of all levels of IT literacy in detecting and removing harmful threats from their PC. Using its cutting-edge technology, this application will assist you to remove several types of malware including computer viruses, trojans, PUPs, worms, ransomware, adware, and browser hijackers. SafeBytes has got a plethora of amazing features which can help you protect your computer from malware attack and damage. Here are some of the features you will like in SafeBytes. Active Protection: SafeBytes offers a completely hands-free real-time protection that is set to monitor, block and kill all computer threats at its very first encounter. It will continuously monitor your computer for hacker activity and also provides end-users with sophisticated firewall protection. World-class AntiMalware Protection: This deep-cleaning anti-malware application goes much deeper than most antivirus tools to clean out your computer system. Its critically acclaimed virus engine locates and disables hard-to-remove malware that conceals deep inside your personal computer. Fast Scan: SafeBytes Anti-Malware possesses a multi-thread scan algorithm that works up to 5 times faster than any other antivirus software. Web Protection: Through its unique safety ranking, SafeBytes tells you whether a website is safe or not to visit it. This will make sure that you’re always certain of your safety when browsing the web. Light-weight: This software is not “heavy” on the computer’s resources, so you’ll not find any performance troubles when SafeBytes is working in the background. 24/7 Support: You could get high levels of support around the clock if you are using their paid software. To sum it up, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is pretty great for securing your computer against all sorts of malware threats. There is no doubt that your PC will be protected in real-time once you put this software program to use. So if you’re looking for the best anti-malware subscription for your Windows-based PC, we suggest the SafeBytes Anti-Malware software program.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you do not want to use malware removal software and like to remove VideoDownload Converter manually, you may do so by going to the Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and deleting the offending software; in cases of web browser extensions, you could uninstall it by going to the browsers Add-on/Extension manager. You may even want to reset your internet browser settings, and also delete temporary files, browsing history, and cookies. Finally, examine your hard disk for all of the following and clean your registry manually to remove leftover application entries following an uninstallation. Please keep in mind that this is for advanced users only and could be difficult, with wrong file removal causing additional PC errors. Furthermore, certain malware is capable of replicating or preventing removal. Doing this malware-removal process in Safe Mode is recommended.

If you encountered an error message that says, “Unhandled exception has occurred in your application”, when you start your Windows 10 computer, read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix it. This kind of error usually appears in a Microsoft .NET Framework window and it mostly pops up as soon as you turn on your computer. Here’s the complete context of the error message:

“Unhandled exception has occurred in your application. If you click Continue, the application will ignore this error and attempt to continue. If you click Quit, the application will close immediately.”

When this error occurs, your computer may freeze or display other suspicious behavior at times. Either way, there are several options you can check out in this post to resolve this issue, so read on. This kind of error could be caused by several factors. It could be due to your antivirus program or other third-party programs installed on your computer. It is also possible that the installation of the Microsoft .NET framework id corrupted or some of its installation files are corrupted. Thus, to fix the error, there are a few suggestions you need to follow such as:

Option 1 – Try to temporarily disable your anti-virus program

As mentioned, the error could be due to the antivirus program or the Windows Defender Firewall installed on your computer. Thus, disabling them or any security software installed in your computer is always a good idea you can try when you’re not able to access the shared drive in your computer. There are times when you encounter problems like the “Unhandled exception has occurred in your application” error due to interference of antivirus or security programs. Thus, you have to disable both your antivirus program in the meantime and check if it fixes the error or not.

Option 2 – Put your computer in a Clean Boot State

As pointed out, it is possible that some third-party program or service is the one that’s behind the problem. To isolate this possibility and to identify the culprit, you have to put your computer into a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Log onto your PC as an administrator.
• Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
• From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
• Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• Once your computer has restarted, check if the error is now gone. If it is, then the culprit is some third-party program. Thus, you have to enable the third-party programs one by one to find out which one of them is causing the the “Unhandled exception has occurred in your application” error.

Option 3 – Try to run a System File Checker scan

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files that might be the cause why you’re getting the “Unhandled exception has occurred in your application” error. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

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

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

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

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

Option 4 – Install and update Dependencies

There are times when programs and applications need to have drivers and supporting software installed for them to properly work. Although the installation usually takes care of it, it’s time for you to do some manual check especially if you are getting this issue of abnormal program termination.

• Install some qualified drivers – A number of high-end games and applications need to have correct and valid drivers for them to work. They just don’t work with general drivers though. Microsoft has this Windows Hardware Quality Labs testing also known as WHQL testing which makes sure that drivers meet the correct experience and pass through the proper testing before certification. Thus, when installing drivers, you need to ensure that they are qualified drivers for your Windows 10 PC.
• Download and install or Update DirectX – As you know, Microsoft DirectX is a suite of technologies developed by Microsoft to provide hardware acceleration for heavy multimedia applications like HD videos and 3D games. Since you are using Windows 10, you have the DirectX 12 version while the earlier Windows versions use the DirectX 11 version.
• Install the Microsoft DirectX End-user runtime – The Microsoft DirectX end-user runtime gives updates to version 9.0c as well as previous versions of DirectX. To install it, click on this link and download it.
• Update or install the .NET framework – The .NET framework is used by games and applications during development which means that without the runtime files that are installed in your computer, it definitely won’t work. Thus, you need to install or update this framework. You can also use the .NET setup verification tool to verify it.

Web Shield is a free application that allows you to view insightful analyses about the websites that you visit and specifically how they’re tracking you online. Web Shield cannot determine exactly who is tracking your computer usage. Instead, Web Shield allows a user to see which websites have placed tracking code onto their computer.

This software is ad-supported and displays advertisements in the form of injected banner ads, popups, and context hyperlinks in the user’s web browser. It adds Windows Background services, displays unwanted advertisements, and can modify the browser’s home page.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijackers (also called hijackware) are a type of malicious software that modifies web browser settings without the user’s knowledge or permission. These hijacks appear to be increasing at a worrying rate across the world, and it could be really nefarious and sometimes dangerous too. There are lots of reasons why you may experience a browser hijack; but commercial, marketing, and advertising are the main reasons for their creation. The idea is to force users to visit specific sites that are looking to increase their site visitor traffic and generate higher ad income. Nevertheless, it is not that harmless. Your web safety is jeopardized and it is also very irritating. Furthermore, hijackers will make the entire infected system fragile – other destructive malware and viruses would seize these opportunities to intrude into your system very easily.

Browser hijacking signs

Here are some symptoms that indicate you have been hijacked: home-page is modified; you see new unwanted favorites or bookmarks added, typically directed to ad-filled or pornography sites; the default search engine has been changed and the web browser security settings have been cut down without your knowledge; you notice many toolbars on the internet browser; you see lots of pop-up ads on your computer screen; your internet browser has become unstable or starts running slowly; you can’t visit certain websites like home pages of anti-malware software.

How does a PC get infected with a browser hijacker?

Browser hijackers might use drive-by downloads or file-sharing networks or even an email attachment to reach a targeted computer system. They may also originate from any BHO, browser extension, add-on, toolbar, or plug-in with the malicious objectives. Some browser hijackers spread in user’s PC by using a deceptive software distribution strategy called “bundling” (usually through shareware and freeware). A good example of a popular browser hijacker is the most recent Chinese malware named “Fireball”, which has attacked 250 million computers across the world. It acts as a hijacker but could be changed into a fully functioning malware downloader later on. Browser hijackers will affect the user’s web surfing experience severely, record the websites frequented by users and steal personal information, cause problems in connecting to the net, and eventually create stability issues, causing applications and systems to crash.

Browser hijacker removal

Some browser hijacking could be quite easily reversed by finding and removing the corresponding malware software from your control panel. But, most browser hijackers are difficult to get rid of manually. No matter how much you try to remove it, it can come back over and over. Moreover, manual removal requires you to carry out several time-consuming and intricate actions that are hard to do for novice computer users.

Malware Blocking Access To Safebytes Website And Anti-Malware Downloads - What To Do?

Every malware is bad and the effects of the damage can vary based on the specific type of malicious software. Some malware types alter browser settings by including a proxy server or change the computer’s DNS settings. In these cases, you’ll be unable to visit some or all internet sites, and therefore unable to download or install the required security software to get rid of the malware. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re stuck with a malware infection that is preventing you to download and/or install Safebytes Anti-Malware software on your PC. Even though this type of problem can be tougher to circumvent, there are some steps you can take.

Start your system in Safe Mode

If the malware is set to load at Windows start-up, then booting in Safe Mode should avoid it. Since just the bare minimum programs and services start-up in Safe Mode, there are rarely any reasons for issues to occur. The following are the steps you need to follow to start your computer into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers (go to Microsoft website for directions on Windows 8 and 10 computers). 1) Tap the F8 key continuously as soon as your computer boots, but before the large Windows logo or black screen with white texts appears. This would conjure up the “Advanced Boot Options” menu. 2) Make use of the arrow keys to choose Safe Mode with Networking and press ENTER. 3) Once this mode loads, you should have internet access. Now, get the malware removal program you need by using the browser. To install the program, follow the guidelines within the setup wizard. 4) Right after installation, run a complete scan and allow the program to delete the threats it detects.

Switch over to an alternate browser

Some malware only targets particular browsers. If this is your situation, make use of another internet browser as it might circumvent the malware. If you appear to have a trojan attached to Internet Explorer, then switch to a different web browser with built-in safety features, such as Firefox or Chrome, to download your favorite antivirus program – Safebytes.

Install and run anti-virus from your Thumb drive

Here’s yet another solution which is utilizing a portable USB antivirus software that can scan your system for malware without the need for installation. Follow these steps to use a thumb drive to clean your infected computer system. 1) Make use of another virus-free PC to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Plug in the USB flash drive to a USB port on the uninfected computer. 3) Run the setup program by double-clicking the executable file of the downloaded software, which has a .exe file extension. 4) When asked, choose the location of the pen drive as the place where you want to put the software files. Follow the directions to complete the installation process. 5) Now, transfer the pen drive to the infected PC. 6) Double-click the anti-malware software EXE file on the USB flash drive. 7) Click on “Scan Now” to run a scan on the affected computer for malware.

Review of SafeBytes Anti-Malware

Do you want to download the very best anti-malware software program for your desktop? You can find many applications available that come in free and paid versions for Windows systems. A few of them are great, some are ok types, and some will harm your computer themselves! You need to pick one that is reliable, practical, and has a good reputation for its malware protection. When considering the reliable software programs, Safebytes Anti-Malware is undoubtedly the highly recommended one. SafeBytes anti-malware is a trusted software that not only secures your PC completely but is also quite user-friendly for people of all ability levels. Through its cutting-edge technology, this software protects your computer against infections caused by different types of malware and other threats, including spyware, adware, trojans horses, worms, computer viruses, keyloggers, ransomware, and potentially unwanted program (PUPs). SafeBytes anti-malware comes with a plethora of enhanced features that sets it apart from all others. Here are a few popular features present in this program: World-class AntiMalware Protection: This deep-cleaning anti-malware software program goes much deeper than most antivirus tools to clean out your personal computer. Its critically acclaimed virus engine locates and disables hard to remove malware that hides deep within your PC. Real-time Active Protection: SafeBytes offers complete and real-time security for your computer system. It’ll regularly monitor your laptop or computer for hacker activity and also provides users with advanced firewall protection. Web protection: SafeBytes checks and provides a unique safety rating to every website you visit and block access to web pages considered to be phishing sites, thus protecting you from identity theft, or known to contain malware. Low CPU Usage: SafeBytes is a lightweight and simple-to-use anti-virus and anti-malware solution. Since it uses very little computer resources, this software leaves the computer power exactly where it belongs to: with you actually. 24/7 Guidance: You could get high levels of support 24/7 if you’re using their paid version.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you’d like to manually get rid of WebShield without the use of an automated tool, it may be actually possible to do so by deleting the program from the Microsoft Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of web browser extensions, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. You’ll probably also want to totally reset your browser to its default settings. If you choose to manually delete the system files and registry entries, make use of the following list to make sure you know precisely what files to remove before undertaking any actions. Please keep in mind that this is for advanced users only and might be challenging, with incorrect file removal leading to additional system errors. In addition to that, certain malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. It is recommended that you do the removal procedure in Safe Mode.

Cyclic Redundancy Check Error - What is it?

To begin with, Cyclic Redundancy Check is basically an error checking technique. This technique is used for data verification. It detects accidental changes in the data. It is used by computers to specifically check the data stored in the hard drive or optical disks (DVD’s and CD’s). The Cyclic Redundancy Check error occurs when the data being verified on the hard drive or optical disks is corrupt. Symptoms for this error code include program lock-ups, slow PC performance, inability to run and execute the desired program, system freeze and shutdown and startup issues.

Error Causes

The Cyclic Redundancy Check error code occurs due to the following reasons:

• Cluttered hard disk
• Registry corruption
• Misconfigured files
• Unsuccessful program installation

All these causes points towards registry issues and poor PC maintenance. The registry is the main database of the computer. This part of the PC saves practically every activity you perform on it including activities like application installation and deletion and web browsing to name a few. With time and frequent PC usage, the files generated from every activity you execute on your system begin to load the registry. These include even the unnecessary files like junk files, internet files and files of applications that you’ve uninstalled. All these files overload the registry and acquire a lot of hard disk space. And when you don’t remove these files on your system, eventually it leads to file misconfiguration, cluttered disk, and registry corruption. New program versions that you want to install and run on your system also don’t function because the files of the old program version still saved in the registry.

Further Information and Manual Repair

As the Cyclic Redundancy Check Error causes data corruption on the hard disk, it is advisable to fix this error right away. The reason is that it can have serious consequences. It can lead to data loss, fatal crashes, and system failures. When it comes to resolving Cyclic Redundancy Check Error, there are two ways to fix it:

Run the CHKDSK application.

This is a built-in feature in your Windows system. It checks for hard disk damage and attempts to resolve it.

If you’re having some problem browsing multiple websites on the Firefox browser on your Windows 10 computer, then this post might be of help. One of the most common problems you could encounter in Firefox is mostly related to HTTPS and one of them is the MOZILLA PKIX ERROR MITM DETECTED or ERROR SELF SIGNED CERT or SEC ERROR UNKNOWN ISSUER error which means that Firefox was unable to trust certificates issued on secured websites. If you encounter the MOZILLA_PKIX_ERROR_MITM_DETECTED error in Firefox, this indicates that something in your network or system is interrupting your connection and injecting certificates and when that happens, Firefox won’t trust it. In such cases, one of the culprits is malware. Malware will try to replace a legitimate certificate with its certificate. Another cause is security software where it keeps a tab on a secure connection and creates a false positive, for instance:

“In Microsoft Windows accounts protected by Family Safety settings, secure connections on popular websites like Google, Facebook and YouTube might be intercepted and their certificates replaced by a certificate issued by Microsoft in order to filter and record search activity.”

And if you are connected to a corporate network, there might be a monitoring/filtering product that could be replacing certificates. Moreover, there are also users who reported getting this issue when they use the Nightly version of Firefox. And if that’s the case, you have to try accessing secure websites using only the stable build especially when it comes to payments. However, if you are not doing that, then here are some options you need to check out.

Option 1 – Try turning off HTTPS Scanning on your security and antivirus programs

Each security-based software has a security option that allows you to turn off the HTTPS scanning functionality. They may be available under different names such as HTTPS Scanning, Scan SSL, Show safe result, Do not scan encrypted connections, etc. Find what is applicable for your security or antivirus software and then try turning it off temporarily and see if it helps in fixing the MOZILLA_PKIX_ERROR_MITM_DETECTED error in Firefox.

Option 2 – Try to disable security.enterprise_roots.enabled

The next thing you can do if the first option didn’t work is to disable security.enterprise_roots.enabled which is an HTTPS certificate check on Firefox. Note that this is not recommended but you have to at least try in order to fix the error.

• Open Firefox and then type “about: config” in the Firefox address bar and hit Enter.
• After that, if an info message appears, confirm it.
• Next, search for the security.enterprise_roots.enabled preference and once you found it, double click on it.
• Then change its value to true and restart the Firefox browser once. This will import all the custom certificates from the other security software into Firefox. As a result, it will make sure to mark those sources as trusted and you won’t get the MOZILLA_PKIX_ERROR_MITM_DETECTED error.

Could not connect to the System Event explanation: Although logging into a Windows 10 computer may seem like a simple process, it’s actually not since the Windows operating system has built a mechanism in a way that any third party or malware intervention would not compromise access to the system. This mechanism is supported by numerous services, functions, and DLL files. And Microsoft has been taking this security to a whole new level with the introduction of Windows Hello. Recently, a number of users reported getting the “Windows could not connect to the System Event Notification Service service. Please consult your system administrator” error when logging into their computers. While some users also reported that although they can log in, they encounter the same error message from the Notification area. There are several options you can check out to resolve the error. You have to check the status of several Windows Services and make sure that they are running. You also have to reset Winsock as well as run the System File Checker scan.

Option 1 – Check for certain Windows Services

• First, you need to tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “services.msc” in the field and click OK or tap Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• After that, you will see a list of services and from there, look for the following Windows Services:
  • DHCP Client
  • System Event Notification Service
  • Windows Font Cache Service
• Now make sure that the Startup Type of each service is started and running.

Option 2 – Try resetting the Winsock drivers

• In the 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, execute this command: netsh winsock reset

Note: If you are using IPv4, execute the “netsh int ipv4 reset” instead. On the other hand, if you are using IPv6, execute the “netsh int ipv6 reset”

• Now exit Command Prompt and see if the error is now fixed.

Option 3 – Try running System File Checker or SFC scan

You could also run System File Checker or SFC scan to fix the BSOD error. It 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. 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.

• Reboot your PC.

Hive ransomware has been targeting Microsoft exchange servers lately vulnerable to ProxyShell security issues in order to deploy various backdoors. Once the backdoor has been placed various attacks can be performed including but not limited to network reconnaissance, stealing admin accounts, taking valuable data, and even installing and deploying file-encrypting algorithms.

ProxyShell wide abuse

ProxyShell is a set of three vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Exchange Server that allows remote code execution without authentication on vulnerable deployments. The flaw has been used in past by various ransomware like Conti, BlackByte, Babuk, Cuba, and LockFile.

Security vulnerabilities have been reported to be fully patched on May 2021 but how Hive was able to still be successful in exploiting PowerShell and infiltrating into the system there seems to be still some unpatched and open issues.

Hive

Hive has gone a long way since it was first observed in the wild back in June 2021, having a successful start that prompted the FBI to release a dedicated report on its tactics and indicators of compromise.

In October 2021, the Hive gang added Linux and FreeBSD variants, and in December it became one of the most active ransomware operations in attack frequency.

Last month, researchers at Sentinel Labs reported on a new payload-hiding obfuscation method employed by Hive, which indicates active development.

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

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

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

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

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

A lot of Windows 10 users have reported recently that their computers are frequently crashing with a Blue Screen error with an error code “VIDEO_DXGKRNL_FATAL_ERROR”. This kind of Stop error appears not so often and its bug check value of 0x00000113 is an indication that there is some violation in the Microsoft DirectX graphics kernel subsystem. This error also occurs when there is a corrupted driver that interferes with the GPU’s normal functionality. According to some security experts, this kind of error is reported to only occur in Windows 10 PCs. Users started getting this error right after a large Windows Update. The cause of this error might have something to do with a violation in the DirectX graphics kernel subsystem where there could be a bad DirectX install or some corrupted Dynamic Link Library or DLL. Aside from that, the error might also be caused by the Nvidia driver which might have crashed or it could also be that there is an intermittent power supply. Moreover, an outdated BIOS as well as a third-party security program might be the ones behind this Blue Screen error. Whichever the case may be, you need to fix the VIDEO_DXGKRNL_FATAL_ERROR BSOD error by following the instructions given below carefully.

Option 1 – Try checking if the NVIDIA graphics card is enabled and update it as well

Although the problem is quite massive, the fix could be as simple as enabling the NVIDIA graphics card if it turns out to be disabled. There might be some strange reason why your graphics card disables itself. Thus, the best and first option you can try is to check if the NVIDIA graphics card is enabled or not. To do so, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.
• After opening the Device Manager, look for the Nvidia graphics card option among the list of device drivers. Once you found it, check if it is enabled or not. If it’s not enabled, you should see a gray arrow pointing downwards. Right-click on the card and select Enabled.
• Next, right-click on the graphics card once more and click on the Update Driver Software option and then click on the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.

Option 2 – Update or uninstall third-party security program

As mentioned, the VIDEO_DXGKRNL_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen error might be caused by a third-party security program that’s installed on your computer. So you have to either update it or uninstall it to resolve the issue.

Option 3 – Check the power supply for any inconsistency

The Blue Screen error might also be caused by an intermittent power supply. If there is any intermittent changes between the main supply and the battery power, it might lead to bad contact on your supply to the charger and thus, causes the VIDEO_DXGKRNL_FATAL_ERROR Stop error to appear. So to check if this scenario is applicable to you, you have to monitor your computer for any frequent changes between the power supply and the battery power. If you see that the supply is displaying power On and Off, see if the same goes when the power supply is disconnected. However, if it does not occur, you might have to purchase a new power adapter cable and replace the one that you have right now.

Option 4 – Reinstall the Graphics card drivers

• Tap Win + R to open Run then type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.
• From there, look for the Display adapters and uninstall each one of the graphics card drivers by right-clicking on them and selecting the Uninstall device option.
• After uninstalling the graphics card drivers, close the Device Manager and tap Win + R to open Run once again.
• After that, type “appwiz.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to open Programs & Features in the Control Panel.
• Next, look for any program that’s related to your GPU manufacturers like Nvidia, AMD, or Intel. Right-click on any GPU-related entry and click on Uninstall to uninstall them and then follow the next on-screen instructions that appear afterward.
• Now restart your computer.
• Once your computer has restarted, go to the GPU manufacturer’s website and download the latest driver version for your graphics card model and then install it.
• Restart your computer once again. That should fix the problem.

Option 5 – Try checking if there are any BIOS updates available for your PC

Updating the BIOS may help you resolve the BSOD error. You can just go to the OEM’s website as they offer utility software that can download BIOS firmware and update it without any problem. BIOS updates usually offer enhancements and fixes to some issues like this one.

Option 6 – Perform a System Restore

Performing a System Restore on your computer can also help you fix the VIDEO_DXGKRNL_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen of Death error. You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

Still sitting on the fence about upgrading to Windows 11 because you don’t know what to expect? Interestingly, the new edition somehow manages to be both a total revamp and still very similar to its predecessor in many ways. It’s really something to experience for yourself.

We do want to give you a sneak peek, though. So here’s an overview of the biggest changes Windows 11 brings to the table.

What’s different in Windows 11?

1. Visual changes

The first thing anyone will notice after switching to Windows 11 is the striking visual difference. The entire interface is smoother, cleaner and more minimalistic than on Windows 10, even resembling the macOS in some instances.
Perhaps the most obvious change in appearance is the Start menu and Taskbar location, which is now at the bottom center. It’s actually very neat, but if you’re someone who loves familiarity, don’t worry, you can move it back to the left.

Moreover, you’ll notice that the Taskbar includes a Microsoft Teams icon by default (which you can, of course, remove) and that Live Tiles are gone. The News and Interests section has also been removed - or, shall we say, replaced. As opposed to Windows 10, news, weather forecasts and other information are now displayed as widgets.

To add to the cleanliness of the UI, Microsoft also enhanced the ‘Snap Layouts’ feature to help you better organize your windows and maximize screen real estate. It’s similar to app grouping on your smartphone. In Windows 10 this feature is slightly restricted, as it requires some manual resizing and dragging. In Windows 11, you can just hover over the minimize/maximize option on a window, select a layout and throw the windows in there. 

2. New accessibility features

Microsoft has certainly paid attention to accessibility with Windows 10, but Windows 11 takes this to a whole new level.

One of the ways Windows 11 has taken things up a notch is by adding the long-awaited ‘Live Captions’ feature and advanced Narrator options.

Live Captions apply both to media played on your PC as well as your own speech when you’re using the microphone. Keep in mind that, as with almost all kinds of subtitles, you have to be prepared for a potential delay. However, it’s barely noticeable and doesn’t take away from the usefulness of this awesome new feature whatsoever.

As for the Narrator, there are three new voice packs to choose from. Microsoft has tried to put emphasis on a more natural voice than we are used to. So, now you can choose between Aria, Jenny and Guy, who will read pretty much anything off your screen out loud. Aside from this, Microsoft has also expanded the list of braille displays supported by the Narrator feature. 
For users with anxiety or trouble concentrating, a welcomed addition is the Focus app, which is no longer part of the Clock app. It’s now separate and called ‘Focus Sessions’, automatically triggering the Do Not Disturb mode when activated. It blocks all pop-ups and flashes and lets you work in peace until you’re ready to switch it off.

3. Android apps

Android users may rejoice! Windows 11 supports the use of your favorite applications now. 

Microsoft has done this by integrating the Amazon Appstore to the Windows 11 Microsoft Store. From there, you can download your favorite Android apps and use them on your PC in a smartphone-like window.

Unfortunately not too many apps are supported at this time, but Microsoft is working on making the emulation possible for many more. Also, the option is only available in specific regions at this moment - check out if you’re one of the lucky ones.

4. Improved gaming performance

Avid gamers will be happy to hear that Microsoft has put some effort into streamlining Windows 11 for their gaming needs.

To give gamers a supreme visual experience, Windows 11 offers the ‘Auto HDR’ feature. As long as your monitor is HDR-compatible, this feature will automatically adjust the colors, brightness and contrast of games without any input from you. 

Another update is DirectStorage, which we were introduced to in Windows 10 already. In Windows 11, it’s been improved to tweak loading times and overall gaming performance efficiency even better. The predisposition for it to work optimally is that your device has an NVMe SSD. 

The Xbox Game Bar also helps gamers towards a smoother experience. It allows in-game screenshots, viewing processes that are running (similar to the Task Manager), monitoring the CPU and GPU performance and frame rate, integrating the Xbox App and more. There’s also a number of widgets you can now use with the Game Bar, for example the Spotify widget.

Another cool addition is the Xbox Game Pass, which unlocks hundreds of games to play on your Xbox App, with new additions coming in every month.

5. Smart App Control

Aside from a sleek new look and better accessibility for all users, Windows 11 also comes with a security power-up. Bear in mind that this feature is only available on clean Windows 11 installs. 

Smart App Control (SAC) is an AI-powered new feature designed to protect your PC from potential threats. It blocks untrustworthy apps and adware and helps detect potentially unwanted apps, maintaining your PC’s performance and keeping your system safe.

It comes with an ‘Evaluation’ mode, which you should definitely select when running SAC for the first time. That way, the app monitors your usage and assesses whether you’re a candidate for SAC. Some users need it to be on all the time, for others it might be too distracting. Evaluation mode will turn SAC on or off based on your usage.

Don’t disable SAC again unless you’re absolutely sure you don’t need it, since reenabling it will require a fresh install. We recommend you don’t turn it off, as it is a neat feature protecting your data and files from malware at all times.

Summary

Have we piqued your interest in trying Microsoft’s latest OS? It’s a pretty exciting new iteration, but we’ll let you find out for yourself. We hope you like it!