Windows Defender error code 0x80073afc

If you receive an error code of “0x80073afc” in Windows Defender after you boot your Windows 10 computer or when you try to manually run Windows Defender, then it could be that the Windows Defender files are corrupted. In such cases, this error could also occur if there is third-party security software that interferes with the smooth functioning of this Microsoft Security Client.

If you are one of the users who are currently facing this issue, then here are some suggestions you can check out to resolve the Windows Defender error code 0x80073afc.

Option 1 – Try to check the status of all the Windows Defender-related services

  • In the Cortana search box, type “services” and click on the Services icon to open the Services Manager. Alternatively, you can also tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run prompt and then type “msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager
  • After opening the Services Manager, look for the following services and make sure that their Startup type is set to their default values:
    • Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection Service – Manual
    • Windows Defender Antivirus Network Inspection Service – Manual
    • Windows Defender Antivirus Service – Manual
    • Windows Defender Firewall Service – Automatic
  • You can right-click on each one of the listed services and then select Start to start them.
  • And if some of the services don’t have their default values, just double-click on the Services to change the Startup types and select the correct option from the drop-down menu of the Startup type under the Properties box.
  • Next, set up the Startup type of these services to Automatic and then click on the Start button if the services are not running yet.
  • Now click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made and then see if it fixed the problem or not.

Option 2 – Try to re-register the concerned DLL files

You could also try to re-register some Dynamic Link Library or DLL files on your computer as this could also help in fixing the Windows Defender error.

  • In the Start search, type “cmd” and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option from the context menu.
  • After opening Command Prompt as admin, type the following commands one after the other:
    • regsvr32 dll
    • regsvr32 dll
    • regsvr32 dll
    • regsvr32 dll
  • Once you’ve entered the commands given above, it will re-register the concerned DLL files in your system.
  • Now restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Option 3 – Try to use the Registry Editor

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box,
  • Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  • Afterward, navigate to this registry path: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionImage File Execution Options
  • Next, look for the DWORDs named “MSASCui.exe”, “MpCmdRun.exe”, “MpUXSrv.exe” and “msconfig.exe”.
  • If you can’t find these DWORDs, refer to the next given option below.
  • Restart your computer.

Option 4 – Check the Environmental Values

  • Type “View advanced system settings” in the Windows search box and select the appropriate result.
  • This will open a new mini window. From there, go to the Advanced tab and click on the “Environment Variables…” button located at the bottom part of the window.
  • Next, look for the “%ProgramData%” variable name and make sure that its value is set to C:/ProgramData.
  • Then click OK to save the changes made.

Option 5 – Run the System File Checker Scan

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

  • Tap Win + R to launch Run.
  • Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
  • After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

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

  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.
  • Restart your computer.

Option 6 – Perform a System Restore

Performing a System Restore on your computer can also help you fix the Windows Defender 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.

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How to get rid of EverydayLookup Toolbar

EverydayLookup is a browser extension for Google Chrome developed by Mindspark Inc. This extension allows users to find what mobile network a certain number belongs to, to find out an area code of a country/town, or locate a town by zip code. While these features look promising and interesting, this extension comes with a downside.

When installed, this extension will change your default search engine, the home page, and new tab to search from MyWay.com, it will monitor user browsing activity, log searches, visited links, opened websites, and other information. This information is forwarded to Mindspark ad servers, then later sold/used to better target ads.

While browsing the internet with this extension you will see additional injected ads and sponsored content throughout your browsing sessions (even if the ads do not match your search queries). It can inject banners to websites, and sometimes even put an ad above website content making it extremely annoying to deal with.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking means that a malicious code has taken power over and modified the settings of your web browser, without your permission. Browser hijackers are capable of doing many different things on your computer. Typically, browser hijacking is used for earning ad revenue that comes from forced advert mouse clicks and site visits. Even though it might seem naive, all browser hijackers are damaging and thus always classified as security threats. Browser hijackers can also permit other destructive programs without your knowledge to further damage the computer. How one can determine if your browser is hijacked Signs that a browser is a hi-jacked include: 1. your home page is reset to some unknown webpage 2. new bookmarks pointing to pornographic websites have been added to your favorite pages 3. the essential web browser settings are modified and unwanted or unsafe resources are added to the trusted sites list 4. find new toolbars that you simply did not add 5. you find lots of pop-ups on your screen 6. your web browser starts running slowly or presents frequent errors 7. Inability to navigate to certain websites, particularly antivirus and other security software webpages.

Exactly how browser hijacker finds its way to your computer

Browser hijackers can get into a computer in some way or other, for instance via file sharing, downloads, and e-mail too. Many web browser hijackings come from add-on programs, i.e., browser helper objects (BHO), toolbars, or extensions added to browsers to give them additional features. Sometimes you may have mistakenly accepted a browser hijacker as part of a software bundle (generally freeware or shareware). A good example of some well-known browser hijackers includes Conduit, Anyprotect, Babylon, DefaultTab, SweetPage, Delta Search, and RocketTab, but the names are continually changing. Browser hijackers can record user keystrokes to gather potentially invaluable information leading to privacy concerns, cause instability on computers, severely disrupt user’s browsing experience, and eventually slow down the computer to a stage where it becomes unusable.

How to get rid of a browser hijacker

Certain browser hijacking could be simply stopped by discovering and removing the corresponding malware application through your control panel. Many times, it could be a tough job to find and delete the malicious program because the associated file will be running as part of the operating system process. Moreover, manual removal requires you to perform many time-consuming and tricky procedures that are very hard to conduct for new computer users. Industry experts always suggest users eliminate any malware including browser hijacker by using an automatic removal tool, which is easier, safer, and faster than the manual removal solution. If you’d like to eliminate persistent hijackers effectively, install the award-winning anti-malware software Safebytes Anti-Malware. And employ a system optimizer, such as Total System Care, to erase all related files from the registry and fix browser issues.

Can't Install Safebytes Anti-malware because of a Virus? Try This!

Practically all malware is inherently harmful, but certain types of malware do a lot more damage to your computer than others. Some malware types modify browser settings by adding a proxy server or modify the computer’s DNS configuration settings. In such cases, you will be unable to visit some or all sites, and thus unable to download or install the required security software to remove the infection. So what to do if malicious software prevents you from downloading or installing Anti-Malware? There are some fixes you could try to get around with this problem.

Install in Safe Mode with Networking

In the event the malware is set to load at Windows startup, then booting in safe mode should avoid it. Since only the bare minimum applications and services launch in “Safe Mode”, there are rarely any reasons for issues to take place. To start your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers in Safe Mode with Networking, do as instructed below. 1) At power on, press the F8 key while the Windows splash screen starts to load. This will conjure up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Choose Safe Mode with Networking with arrow keys and hit Enter. 3) Once you get into this mode, you should have an internet connection once again. Now, utilize your browser to download and install Safebytes Anti-malware. 4) After installation, run a full scan and let the program delete the threats it discovers.

Obtain the security software using an alternate browser

Malicious program code may exploit vulnerabilities on a specific browser and block access to all anti-malware software sites. In the event you suspect that your Internet Explorer has been hijacked by a computer virus or otherwise compromised by online hackers, the ideal approach would be to switch to a different internet browser like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Apple Safari to download your chosen security software – Safebytes Anti-Malware.

Install and run anti-virus from your Thumb drive

Another way is to download and transfer anti-malware software from a clean PC to run a scan on the affected computer. Abide by these steps to run the anti-malware on the infected computer. 1) On a clean computer, install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Insert the USB drive into the uninfected computer. 3) Double-click the executable file to open the installation wizard. 4) Pick the USB drive as the location when the wizard asks you exactly where you want to install the application. Follow the directions to complete the installation process. 5) Now, transfer the pen drive to the infected PC. 6) Double-click the EXE file to open the Safebytes software right from the pen drive. 7) Hit the “Scan Now” button to start the virus scan.

A Look at the Best AntiMalware Program

Today an anti-malware tool can protect your computer or laptop from different types of internet threats. But how to choose the right one amongst various malware protection application that’s available on the market? Perhaps you might be aware, there are numerous anti-malware companies and tools for you to consider. A few are well worth your money, but most aren’t. You need to be careful not to select the wrong application, particularly if you purchase a premium program. One of the highly recommended tools by industry leaders is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, the most dependable program for Windows computers. SafeBytes anti-malware is a trustworthy tool that not only secures your computer permanently but is also quite easy to use for people of all ability levels. This program can easily identify, remove, and protect your personal computer from the latest malware attacks such as spyware, adware, trojan horses, ransomware, PUPs, worms, parasites along other potentially harmful software programs.

SafeBytes has excellent features when compared to various other anti-malware programs. Listed here are some of the great ones:

Anti-Malware Protection: Using its advanced and sophisticated algorithm, this malware elimination tool can detect and eliminate the malware threats hiding in your computer system effectively. Active Protection: SafeBytes provides round-the-clock protection for your computer limiting malware attacks instantly. This software will constantly keep track of your computer for suspicious activity and updates itself continuously to keep current with the latest threats. Web Protection: Through its unique safety rating, SafeBytes alerts you whether a website is safe or not to access it. This will assure that you’re always certain of your online safety when browsing the internet. High-Speed Malware Scanning Engine: SafeBytes’s high-speed malware scanning engine lessens scan times and extends battery life. At the same time, it’ll effectively find and eradicate infected computer files or any internet threat. Low Memory/CPU Usage: SafeBytes is renowned for its minimal influence on computer resources and great detection rate of diverse threats. It runs quietly and efficiently in the background so you’re free to use your computer or laptop at full power all of the time. Premium Support: For any technical inquiries or product guidance, you can obtain 24/7 professional assistance via chat and e-mail. To conclude, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is really great for securing your computer against all sorts of malware threats. Malware trouble will become a thing of the past once you put this software program to use. If you’re looking for the very best malware removal application out there, and when you don’t mind shelling out some dollars for it, go for SafeBytes Anti-Malware.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you’d like to manually get rid of EverydayLookup without using an automated tool, it might be possible to do so by removing the application from the Microsoft Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser plug-ins, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and uninstalling it. You will likely also want to reset your internet browser. To be certain of complete removal, find the following registry entries on your computer and delete them or reset the values appropriately. However, this is a complicated task and only computer experts can perform it safely. Furthermore, certain malware is capable of replicating or preventing removal. It is recommended that you carry out the removal procedure in Windows Safe Mode.
Files: %LOCALAPPDATA%\EverydayLookup_d9 %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\EverydayLookup_d9 %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\fpeepicldbpmefboahpolegllmiglnai %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\fpeepicldbpmefboahpolegllmiglnai %PROGRAMFILES%\EverydayLookup_d9 %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\EverydayLookup_d9 %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\EverydayLookupTooltab Registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\EverydayLookup_d9Service HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, value: EverydayLookup EPM Support HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, value: EverydayLookup EPM Support HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar, value: 0a7d3c2c-131d-4b0a-9c1b-2045f6bae42a HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar, value: 0a7d3c2c-131d-4b0a-9c1b-2045f6bae42a HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\3eb9a50f-f2ab-4d63-8e33-96d71f659640 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\3eb9a50f-f2ab-4d63-8e33-96d71f659640 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions, value: 0A7D3C2C-131D-4B0A-9C1B-2045F6BAE42A HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\EverydayLookup_d9 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\EverydayLookup_d9 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\Software\EverydayLookup_d9 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\EverydayLookup
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What to do if Remote Desktop is not working or won’t connect in Windows 10
One of the biggest annoyances in Windows 10 is that it’s upgrading from one version to another. Although these upgrades are necessary to fix some bugs or improve user experience, some of them actually bring bugs into the computers instead. And in one of the recent Windows 10 updates, a lot of issues were found especially for users who use Remote Desktop on a daily basis. The error stacks up as Windows 10 Remote Desktop Protocol client is not working or won’t connect and can’t find the computer HOSTNAME generally. Based on the reports by users who experienced this issue, there are two cases around it:
  1. Users who try to reach a specific website or folder on the network
Some users encounter this error when they try to run the Network Troubleshooter. Even when they add the server name inside it, it still won’t identify the problem, and unpredictably, the driver seems to appear and disappear every now and then. And even after connecting, the network commands don’t work at all. This is really troublesome for users who have lots of PCs and all the other systems do not appear on the network.
  1. Remote Desktop isn’t able to find the computer HOSTNAME
Some other users reported that the error appeared when they use the classic remote desktop software. It keeps on failing and throwing the error message, “Remote Desktop can’t find the computer “HOSTNAME”. If this is the same scenario you are having, it means that “HOSTNAME” does not belong to the specified network. So you need to verify the computer name and domain where you are trying to connect to. There are times when it used to work after some users tried connecting to the domain a couple of times. However, when users try to use the UWP version of Remote Desktop, it seems to connect most of the time. This kind of problem is definitely a DNS issue. It could be that there are two different records on the DNS server which is why it connects and other times it doesn’t. When it is able to resolve the correct address, the drives connect to the PC however, after a couple of minutes, they will suddenly go missing. Using “nslookup” for the hostname, multiple times, you can check this and see if you’ll get identical results all the time.
nslookup [–SubCommand …] [{ComputerToFind| [–Server]}]
If you’ve determined that the drives disappear each time, you may have to change the DNS server or ask your admin to resolve the problem for you. Alternatively, you can also check out another option that has worked for a lot of users. This second option is disabling the IPv6 on the network adapter. In case you don’t know, Windows 10 prefers IPv6 over IPv4 so if you now have issues using IPv6 to connect to the servers, you can change your computer’s settings so that it’ll only use IPv4 instead of IPv6. To do so, follow these instructions:
  • Open Settings > Network and Internet > Ethernet > Change Adapter options.
  • From there, right-click on the adapter for where you want to disable it and then select Properties.
  • Next, look for the checkbox labeled, “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)” then uncheck it.
  • Now click on OK and restart your PC to save the changes made.
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Fixing the Port in use, please wait
Recently, a number of Windows 10 users reported an issue wherein they try to print from their PCs but were unable to and got an error message instead that states, “Port in use, please wait”. However, no matter how long they waited, nothing changed and they were still unable to print from their computers. On the other hand, when some of the users attempted to print wirelessly from their mobile devices, the printing continues which indicates that there is some issue between the computer and the printer. So if you are one of the users who are currently facing this problem, then this post should help. To fix this issue with your Printer, here are some possible fixes you can try that might work.

Option 1 – Run the Printer Troubleshooter

The first thing you can do to fix the “Port in use, please wait” error is to run the Printer Troubleshooter. This built-in troubleshooter in Windows 10 can help you fix most print issues. It checks if you have the latest printer drivers and then tries to fix and update them automatically. Aside from that, it also checks if you have connectivity issues or if the Print Spooler and the required Services are running fine. To run it, follow the steps below.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Next, type “msdt.exe /id PrinterDiagnostic” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the Printer Troubleshooter.
  • Then click the Next button and follow the next on-screen instructions to fix the issue with the printer.

Option 2 – Try updating the Printer drivers

You might also want to try updating your printer drivers. All you have to do is locate the USB Composite Device. For complete details, follow the steps below.
  • First, click the Start button and type “device manager”.
  • Then click on the “Device Manager” from the search results to open it.
  • From there, look for the USB Composite Device option and right-click on it, and select the Update Driver from the options.
  • Restart your PC and then click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.
Note: You also have the option to download the latest version of your Printer from the manufacturer’s website.

Option 3 – Try selecting the correct port for your Printer

If the first two options given above didn’t work, then maybe it’s time to select a correct port for your printer since the wrong port has been selected which is why you’re getting the “Port in use, please wait” error.
  • Open “Devices and Printers” from the Start search.
  • Next, look for your printer from the list of devices and right-click on it, and then select Printer Properties.
  • Now go to the Ports tab under the newly opened Properties window and make sure that the port type matches the connection on the list of ports currently in use.
Note: If your printer is using a USB connection then the port should have a USB or DOT 4 in its description but if your printer is using a network connection then it should have the following description:
  • WSD
  • Network
  • IP
And if you notice that there are several listings for the same type of port, you have to change the selection to a different one and then click the OK button to save the changes made.
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Gigabit internet showing as 100MB in Windows
In today's world setting up a LAN network or internet connection is no longer a daunting task that will require having a bachelor's degree in computer science nor a specialized technician. But even in the present-day environment issues and problems can occur. One of these problems is detecting or running a network at a slower 100MB speed instead of 1GB. Troubleshooting of this nature is somewhat more complex than your typical troubleshooting issue because several things including hardware could be involved in this particular problem but do not worry, we are here to back you up and guide you Setting up a home or small office network no longer requires a specialist technician to constantly monitor and optimize the LAN routers and connected PCs. As Windows networking has improved and new features have become available on the hardware, configuring a 1GB network should be as simple as connecting the LAN to a router that came with this capability. If however the network’s rated speed only gives 100MB, troubleshooting the issue is more complex. To find the problem, you’ll need to check the hardware devices, cable connections, and the software you are using to connect and manage the network.

Hardware checks

If you are using the switch in your LAN configuration check its hardware details as well to see if it can handle 1GB speeds.
The next step is network cables, some cables are not designed and their copper can not transfer 1GB of flow, check to see if your cable is classified for the desired speed. To visually check cables do the following
  1. Check both connection jacks to see if it has any loose or frayed wires. If any of the wires are loose, it can be the cause of the performance issue. You should replace the cable if you discover damage to the connectors.
  2. Inspect the entire length of the cable and check if the harness shows any clear signs of damage. A bent or damaged cable can reduce the amount of information it’s capable of transferring between the PC and LAN router. If you find any damage to the cable, replace it to restore your network speed.
  3. Is the cable capable of transferring 1GB speeds? Different network cables support different network speeds. A Cat-5 cable will only provide 100MB transfers, while a Cat-5e or Cat-6 can support up to 10GB transfers. Check the cable’s labels to make sure you are using a Cat-5e or higher-rated data cable.

Now when the hardware issue is out of the way we can focus a little more on the software part.

Let's try the first easy solution, run Windows built-in troubleshooter

  1. Click the Windows button and type Control Panel. Then select the top result.
  2. If your Control Panel shows the Category View, change it to display Small Icons instead.
  3. From the list of available applications, select Network and Sharing Center.
  4. In your Network and Sharing Center, you can see the active network, set up a new network connection, troubleshoot problems, or change your adapter settings. Before making changes to your device properties, you can let Windows run a troubleshooter on your adapters to see if it can automatically fix your connection issues.
  5. Click on Troubleshoot Problems from the Change Your Network Settings section.
  6. In the Troubleshooter Application, scroll down and find the Network Adapter option.
  7. Click on Run Troubleshooter to let Windows check your network adapter’s configuration for any issues.
  8. Select the Ethernet Adapter you’re currently using from the list and click Next to proceed.
  9. Wait for the process to complete and check the results. If Windows detects any issues, it will recommend a fix. However, if the configuration of your network adapters does not have any problems, you’ll see a message that Windows couldn’t detect any problems.
  10. If there are any issues with the cable, the troubleshooter will detect the connection issue and request you replace the cable and connect it to your PC.
  11. It can occur that even after inspecting the cable and you didn’t find any visible damage on the housing or connectors, it could still be faulty. Replace the cable with a new one and rerun the troubleshooter to see if the cable is working as required.

If the troubleshooter finished and you received a Windows Couldn’t Detect Any Issues result, you’ll need to verify your adapter’s speed settings.

  1. In your Network and Sharing Center, select the Change Adapter Settings option from the left menu.
  2. On the list of adapters, choose the one you’re using and click the Right Mouse Button to open the context menu.
  3. Select Properties from the Context Menu to access your adapter’s settings.
  4. On the Ethernet Properties window, you can enable or disable different features and install additional protocols. To change the device settings, click on Configure to continue.
  5. This will open the Device Controller Properties window where you can check the status, make changes to the settings, find out information about the driver, or check historical events on the device. Select the Advanced tab to access the device settings.
  6. On the Advanced tab, locate the Speed and Duplex setting.
  7. The Auto-Negotiation option may cause network performance issues on certain Ethernet adapters and routers. The setting allows your adapter to change the speed settings according to the LAN configuration you connect to your PC. If you connect to different LAN networks regularly with different speeds, it can occur that the setting doesn’t update from 100MB to 1GB while switching.
  8. Change the Value to match the network speed of the LAN you’re connecting to your PC and use the manual speed setting.
  9. Click OK to apply the setting and test your network performance. If your adapter doesn’t have the 1GB setting available but you know the rating should go up to that speed, it could indicate that you aren’t using the right driver for the device.

If you don’t have the setting available or the device still only provides 100MB speeds after changing the Speed setting to a manual value, you may have to update the driver for the device.

  1. On the Ethernet Properties Window, once again click on Configure to access the Device Properties Window. Then select the Driver Tab to access your driver details.
  2. Select Update Driver from the available options.
  3. On the Update Driver window, select the option to let Windows Search Automatically for Updated Driver Software.
  4. Windows will connect to the internet and search for the latest drivers online. If a newer driver exists, Windows will download and install the driver for you. If you’re using the latest driver, Windows will inform you that no updated drivers are available.
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Delete files and folders using Command Prompt
There are times when you might find it difficult to delete folders or files in File Explorer and it could be due to many reasons. One of these reasons can be attributed to the failure that can lock down the folders or files which prevents you from deleting them. In this kind of situation, you can utilize the Command Prompt to delete the folders, sub-folders, and files on your computer, and in this post, you will be guided on how exactly you can do that. Before you proceed, keep in mind that when you use the Command Prompt incorrectly, it might affect your computer and render it inoperable, thus, you must be extra careful when executing the steps given below and it would also be better if you create a System Restore Point. After that, refer to the following instructions. Step 1: First, in the Start Search, type “command prompt” in the field and from the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and then select the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges. Step 2: After opening Command Prompt as admin, navigate to the folder where the file you want to delete is located. Note that you have to execute the “cd” or the change directory command. Step 3: Next, execute the following command in Command Prompt:
DEL /F /A <file path with extension>
Note: In the given command, “/F” is the force delete command, while “/A” is the command that selects the files with the ready for archiving attribute. Step 4: After that, go to the location where you can find the folder you want to delete by using the “cd” command again. And then execute the following command right after:
RD /S <folder path>
Note: In the given command, “RD” is the command that removes the folder from the directory, while “/S” removes all of its sub-folders and files. On the other hand, if you also use the “/Q” parameter, you won’t see the “Y/N” confirmation but if you didn’t use it, then simply tap the Y button to proceed.
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Best gifts for Gamers and PC enthusiasts
The holiday season is almost upon us and buying gifts for loved ones can sometimes present some headaches, especially if that loved one is a Gamer or PC enthusiast. We have all been there and how almost every household today has a console or PC struggles are infecting more and more people. But do not despair, we have made a nice list of potential gifts for you. giftsThe list contains some nice essential and good things but we gave our best not to break the bank so you will not find any large screens or 300$ keyboards here. Of course, you can always get expensive gifts and if you have money for it do it, it is just we want to have affordable stuff here.

A Steam gift card

For gamers, a good game is a great gift but most of the time when we are buying a game we can miss what the person wants. That is why a Steam gift card is a great gift for gamers. He can use it and buy whatever he or she wants for its value.

Xbox Game pass

This is another for those Gamers type. Xbox game pass is a great gift even if you do not own Xbox since all games will work on PC as well. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes the PC version, which will unlock somewhere between 300 and 350 games automatically. It’s a subscription service, so your PC gamer will have to keep up with it. The monthly price is worth it, though.

Pack of cable ties

Almost every PC user has tons of cables lying around, and most of the time they are not really tidy. Cable ties come to the rescue!!! Let us be honest, no one likes cables that are scattered all over the place, even the computer users so if they do not have this essential piece of equipment, we are sure they will like it.

Compressed air duster

Dust is enemy no.1 for computer users, it gets into the keyboard, into small spaces, etc. It is very difficult to get it out so an air duster for compressed air is a great cleaning gift for any kind of computer enthusiast. You can get it with a can of compressed air as well so everything is ready for cleaning.

New Headset

A headset is always a great gift. Over time earbuds can deteriorate and get damaged simply just by using them and when enough time passes even cables can start losing contact and overall sound quality may drop. Usually, computer users change headsets like keyboards so if your loved one has some old headsets showing their age, a new one is a perfect present.

New SSD drive

More hard disk space is always a welcome sight for any PC user and new SSD drives fueled with new technology are faster than ones of the same size in past years making them a perfect gift.

Large mouse pad

A good mouse pad can mean a lot to a gamer. Over time mouse pad deteriorates simply with its use so a new and fancy large pad is a great gift for any user. If you want a great gift, make it with RGB light.
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Power Calibration Error or Medium Speed Error when burning CD/DVD
If you are one of the few users who is still burning CDs and DVDs, you might have come across an error that says, “Medium Speed Error” or “Power Calibration Error”. There are several factors that could cause this error but it’s most likely that the CD/DVD burner wasn’t able to determine the Optimum Power Calibration rate properly. So what is Optimum Power Calibration rate? It is a test that runs before the burning process to regulate the optimal laser power needed to complete the job. And if this process malfunctions, obviously, you won’t be able to burn the content on your CD or DVD. There are also cases when the Power Calibration error pops up for some small issues that have nothing to do with the regulation of laser power. Here are some quick fixes you can try to resolve the Power Calibration error when burning a CD or DVD.

Option 1 – Make sure you’re using good quality CD or DVD

A lot of burning issues stem down to the purchase of low CDs or DVDs to make sure that what you are using has good quality for it is not always a good idea to purchase cheap products as cheap products could also mean cheap quality.

Option 2 – Try burning at lower speeds

If you’re certain the problem is not with the CD or DVD you are using then you can try burning again, this time at lower speeds. There are instances when doing things quickly can end in a disaster such as the “Medium Speed Error” or “Power Calibration Error” you’re getting.  To fix the problem, you have to burn at a slower speed and just take the time to wait until the burning process is done.

Option 3 – Try updating your burning software

It’s always a good idea to check if the burning software you’re using requires an update especially if it’s throwing up “Medium Speed Error” or “Power Calibration Error”. Thus, you need to update your burning software right away and then try to burn your CD or DVD once the update has been completed.

Option 4 – Try cleaning the disk drive

You might want to consider cleaning the disk drive using several tools in the market that is designed to clean the disk drive. These tools work on removing dust particles from the lens which helps a lot in the burning quality. Aside from that, it also helps in reducing errors like “Medium Speed Error” or “Power Calibration Error”. So give this option a try as it might time for a disk drive cleanup.

Option 5 – Try to disable the IMAPI

If none of the options given above worked, you might want to disable the IMAPI or Image Mastering Applications Programming Interface. How? Refer to the steps below.
  • Open Control Panel by simply clicking the Start button and then typing “control panel” in the field.
  • Control Panel should pop up in the search results. Once you found it, click it to open it.
  • Next, select System Security > Administrative Tools and then click Services.
  • After that, you’ll have to search for the “IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service” option.
  • Then right-click on it and select Properties.
  • From there, switch the Startup Type from “Enabled” to “Disabled”.
  • Now click on Apply and then restart your PC.
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Windows can’t stop your Generic volume device
One of the issues with external storage devices is that unplugging them right away without using the “Safely Remove Hardware” feature is not safe and doing so could lead to data corruption and data loss. However, in some cases, even when you use the “Safely Remove Hardware” feature, you could get an error that says:
“Windows can’t stop your ‘Generic volume’ device because a program is still using it. Close any programs that might be using the device, and then try again later.”
It is possible that the system is still using the external device – for instance, a copy operation might still be in progress, or Windows is still indexing the contents of the drive in the background or it could also be that the drive is not configured to be quickly removed. To fix this error, there are a couple of suggestions you can try. You can try to close all the open programs and file explorer windows, or you could also configure the Device Removal Policy or change its file system to FAT32. In addition, you can also try to change its drive letter or use the DISKPART utility to get the drive to be offline or simply manage the hogging process that prevents it from being safely removed. Follow each one of the given potential fixes below to resolve the error when using the Safely Remove Hardware feature.

Option 1 – Close all the open programs and File Explorer windows

The first thing you have to do to resolve the error is to close any open programs as well as File Explorer windows. This is because there are some programs and File Explorer instances that could be using the external device in the background which explains why you’re getting the error when you try to safely remove your device.

Option 2 – Try to configure the Device Removal Policy

The next thing you can do is to configure the Device Removal Policy. How? Refer to these steps:
  • Open File Explorer and right-click on the drive where you encountered the error.
  • Next, select Properties from the context menu.
  • After that, navigate to the Hardware tab and select the disk drive where you got the error under the “All disk drives” section.
  • Then select Properties under the Device Properties section. This will open a new mini window and from there, select Change Settings on the bottom portion of the window.
  • Now navigate to the Policies tab and select the “Quick Removal (default)” option under the Removal Policy section.
  • Click on the OK and Apply buttons to save the changes made and then see if the error is now fixed.

Option 3 – Try to manage the hogging process

You could also try managing the hogging process to get rid of the error.
  • Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination to open the Task Manager.
  • Then look for the running processes and programs that are hogging your USB storage device. If there is a program that’s using your device, it will hog on some Disk or CPU while transferring data and interacting with the device which is why you’re getting an error when you safely remove the device.
  • Next, select the concerned processed and right-click on each one of them, and then select the End Task or End Process option. You can also restart the Explorer.exe process and see if that helps.

Option 4 – Try to change the drive letters

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and then type “diskmgmt.msc” in the field and click OK or tap Enter to open Disk Management.
  • Next, look for your USB storage device using the drive letter that’s assigned to it. Right-click on your device and select the “Change Drive Letter and Paths…” option.
  • This will open a mini window and from there select the drive letter you want to change and click on the Change button.
  • After that, another smaller window will appear where you’ll have to select the new drive letter from the drop-down menu.
  • Click OK and if you got a warning prompt, just click on Yes.
  • Now restart your computer.

Option 5 – Try using DISKPART utility to get the drive to be offline

The next thing you can try to resolve the issue is to use DISKPART. Refer to the given steps below to do so.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run and then type “cmd” in the field and tap Enter or click OK to open an elevated Command Prompt.
  • Next, type and enter this command to execute it: diskpart
  • The command you entered will initiate the DISKPART utility. After that, type and enter this second command: list disk
  • Next, type and enter this third command: list volume
  • The commands you just executed will help you in either listing all the Disk connects or all the partitions on those disks formed and from there, you need to select one command depending on the “list” command you entered. You can execute either of the two following commands:
    • select disk #
    • select volume #
  • After that, it will select the Disk or Partition you want to select.
  • Now type either one of the following commands:
    • offline disk #offline volume #
  • The command you entered will mark the selected disk is Offline. Afterward, try to safely remove your USB Storage device. Just remember that when you plug it back in again, you have to carry out the same method except for the last given command as this time you will have to enter either of these commands in order to get your USB storage device back online:
    • online disk #
    • online volume #

Option 6 – Try to change the file system to FAT32

If you keep getting this error on a particular USB device, you might have to format the disk and change its file system to FAT32. Make sure that you copy its contents safely into another location before you format the disk. Keep in mind that formatting the disk will remove all the contents of your drive.
  • Open File Explorer and right-click on the drive where you got the error and then select Format from the context menu.
  • Next, in the newly opened mini window, select the FAT32 (Default) option from the drop-down menu under File System.
  • Now check the Quick Format checkbox and then click on the Start button to start formatting your drive.
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NVIDIA Control Panel keeps crashing
The NVIDIA Control Panel is a useful tool for users who have NVIDIA graphics on their PCs as this tool allows users to how the graphics card is used on the computer using several controls that come with the graphics card from NVIDIA. Thus, it can be quite inconvenient when it suddenly crashes all of a sudden for some reason. This kind of problem could be due to the toggling of Output Dynamic Range is limited, or there could be some issue with the integrity of the Power Supply for the graphics card, and many more. So if you are using NVIDIA on your computer and its Control Panel keeps on crashing on your Windows 10 computer, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you in sorting the problem out. For more details, refer to the guidelines laid out below.

Option 1 – Try to toggle the Output Dynamic Range

The first thing you can do to fix the problem is to toggle the Output Dynamic Range by following these steps:
  • Navigate to this path: Display > Change resolution.
  • Next, scroll a bit on the right-side panel until you see the Output Dynamic Range drop-down.
  • After that, select “Full” from the drop-down menu.
  • Apply the changes you’ve made and see if it is able to fix the problem with the NVIDIA Control Panel.

Option 2 – Try changing the Power Management and Vertical Sync settings

The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to change the Power Management, as well as the Vertical Sync settings.
  • Open the NVIDIA Control Panel and go to this path: 3D Settings > Manage 3D Settings.
  • Next, set the Power Management to be “Prefer Maximum Performance” for your processor located on the right-side panel.
  • After that, set the Vertical sync setting off and then click on the Apply button located at the bottom-right portion of the window and check if it is able to fix the problem or not.

Option 3 – Try updating the drivers from the official site of NVIDIA

If both the first and second given options didn’t work, you can also try updating the drivers from the official NVIDIA website. And in case you don’t know the type of Nvidia graphics card that your computer is on, follow the steps below:
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Next type in “dxdiag” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
  • From there, you can see what type of Nvidia graphics card that your system is on.
  • Take note of your graphics card information and then look for the best drivers for your operating system. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the file, restart your PC.

Option 4 – Try to roll back the driver to the previous version

If updating the NVIDIA display drivers didn’t work for you, then it’s time to roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “MSC” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
  • Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the NVIDIA Drivers and expand it.
  • Next, select the driver entries that are labeled appropriately.
  • Then select each one of them and double click to open a new mini window.
  • After that, make sure that you’re on the Driver tab and if you are not, just navigate to it then click the Roll Back Driver button to switch back to the previous version of the NVIDIA Drivers.
  • Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
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Steam Deck, a modern PC handheld console
steam deckValve has announced the first gaming PC handheld console: Steam Deck. At its core, Stead Deck is just a portable, small PC in little casing. It uses AMD Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU architecture, has 16GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It is a portable device with both a touchpad and joystick packing a seven-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x800 (16:10 aspect ratio). The screen has an ambient light sensor for automatic light adjustments same as your modern mobile device. Stating to Valve battery will hold up from two to eight hours depending on the activity of the user and what exactly he is doing. The handheld comes also with a carrying case.

Steam Deck operating system and software

Out of the box, Steam Dock comes with the latest Valve’s version of SteamOS 3. Just for comparing, the steam box was coming SteamOS 2, so this new Linux-based OS is aimed to provide better performance and better compatibility. Naturally, all Linux games in your Steam library will work right out of the box but Valve has something called PROTON inside OS, it is emulation software based on Wine that will supposedly let you play all of your Library games on a given OS. One big thing to mention here is that this is PC after all meaning that if you do not like having SteamOS on it you can install Windows instead and so far as we know it will support Windows 11. Now with Windows 11, you will be able to play all of your Steam games and run any kind of Windows software on it including EPIC store, battle.net, and others.

Cost and release date

The initial release date is set for December 2021 and today on July 16th Valve is opening you can reserve your copy if you want to pre-purchase. Follow this link if you want to reserve your copy. Reserve your Steam Deck device The price of the device will depend on the memory capacity which you would like to have. Please note that each of the 3 offered devices will have the same hardware, the only difference will be in memory available, and the most expensive version will also have anti-glare screen, everything else is identical. 64GB model will be $399, 256GB model will have the price of $529 and largest one with whooping 512GB will be $649

Conclusion

Valve ventures into the digital hardware domain again but it is unsure will they make it this time. Both Steam machine and their controller were in long run failed and later unsupported products so perhaps some customer caution is advised. Although having a handheld PC is tempting I would advise seeing how the overall market will accept this contraption before throwing money into it.
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