What is Active History? A new feature has been introduced in Windows 10 that allows users to stay connected to their tasks across their devices. This new feature is called “Windows Timeline” and using this feature, users could continue their tasks all over their Windows 10 computers as well as on devices that run Android and iOS as well.
This new feature was included in Microsoft Launcher and Microsoft Edge on Android devices as well as in Microsoft Edge for iOS devices. In order for the feature to work, you have to send either Basic or Full data and diagnostics of your computer to Microsoft which would sync it all over your devices with the help of the cloud. And now since all your data is stored on your Windows 10 computer and with Microsoft under your account, it is easier for you to access the back and start where you left off. This kind of option is called Active History. In this post, you will be guided on how you can permanently disable Active History using either the Windows Registry or Group Policy.
Before you go on further, it is recommended that you create a System Restore Point first in case anything goes wrong. This is a precautionary measure you must take so that you can easily undo the changes you’ve made. After creating a System Restore Point, proceed to the given instructions below.
Option 1 – Disable Active History via Registry Editor
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type in “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Next, navigate to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSystem
From there, check if you can find a DWORD named “PublishUserActivities”. If you can’t find this DWORD, just create one with the same name and make sure that the base is selected to Hexadecimal.
After that, double-click on the DWORD and change its value from 1 to 0 to disable Active History.
Restart your computer to apply the changes you’ve made successfully.
Option 2 – Disable Active History via Group Policy Editor
Note that this second option won’t work if you are using the Home edition of Windows 10. This is because the Group Policy Editor does not come with Windows 10 Home. So if you are not using Windows 10 Home, follow the given steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run box.
Then type in “gpedit.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
Next, navigate to this path: Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystemOS Policies
After that, double click on the configuration listing named “Allow publishing of User Activities” to open the configuration page which has the following description:
“This policy setting determines whether User Activities can be published. If you enable this policy setting, activities of type User Activity are allowed to be published. If you disable this policy setting, activities of type User Activity are not allowed to be published. Policy change takes effect immediately.”
Now you have to select Disabled or Not Configured if you want to disable Publishing of User Activities or Enabled to Enable Publishing of User Activities depending on your preferences.
Next, click OK and exit the Group Policy Editor and then restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Pinned Windows 10 Taskbar Items. One of the most used interfaces in the Windows environment is the Taskbar. It is where users like to pin their most-used programs as well as shortcuts with extra privileges and automated tasks. In fact, it’s a lot better than the Start Menu. So if any Windows Update messes up with your computer, or if you’ve just switched to a different computer, setting up the Taskbar with the very same set of programs you used to have is definitely not an easy task. But worry not as this post will guide you on how you can backup and restore the items on your Taskbar either manually or automatically.
Manual Backup:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run prompt.
Then type “%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar” in the field and hit Enter to open the folder where you can see all the shortcuts or pinned items in the Taskbar.
After that, copy all the files in the folder and paste them somewhere else as a backup. For instance, E:\Pinned Items Backuppinnedshortcuts.
Next, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run prompt once more, and then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor. When the User Account Control dialog box appears, click Yes.
After opening the Registry Editor, navigate to this key – HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerTaskband
Then right-click on the Taskbar folder and select Export.
Now save the file with the .reg extension to another location like the E:\Pinned Items Backup folder and then name it.
Close the Registry Editor.
Manual Restore:
Make sure to copy all the files to one of the drives if you are using another computer and then refer to the following steps.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run prompt.
Then type “%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar” in the field and hit Enter to open the same folder where you just copied all the shortcuts. Make sure to keep it open.
Then open the backup folder where you saved all the pinned items and copy all the files there.
Next, go to the Taskbar folder (%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar) and then paste your files in there. If you encounter a problem while doing so, just replace it with your own set of files.
After that, go to E:\Pinned Items Backuppinnedshortcuts and then double click on tb-pinned-items.reg. If a User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes. This will add the registry file into the main registry hub. You will also get a dialog box that will confirm that data has been added to the registry successfully. Click OK.
You should now see the items on the Taskbar. You have to restart Windows Explorer. To do so, end its process in the Task Manager.
Automatic Backup:
Backing up and restoring the pinned Taskbar items in your Windows 10 computer can be done automatically as well. But before you get started on the process, you need to understand what’s going on behind the hood first. First, you need to create two bat files and name them “Backup Pinned Taskbar Items” and “Restore Pinned Taskbar Items”. After you have that covered, refer to the following steps:
Open the Notepad app and paste the following details and save it as “Backup Pinned Taskbar Items.bat.
After that, run the bat file with admin privileges.
Note: Just so you know, there is a drawback to this process as we’ve noticed that any pinned apps that were downloaded from the Windows Store don’t appear in these places and any items downloaded and installed separately from the internet and then pinned.
SD memory cards have surfaced as standard cards for digital cameras and microSD as phone standard memory cards. Most people have and use at least one daily, so naturally copying files and even formatting SD cards is a natural thing to do, but what if you cannot copy files or format SD cards?
Fear not because we had this issue and tried several things in order to overcome the problem and after some time here is a list of what can you do if you are facing this exact issue. The list is written from most simple solutions to more complex ones and it is advisable to follow it as presented. That being said, let's dive into solving the problem.
1. Remove Write Protection on SD card
First and in my experience the most usual thing preventing deleting, copying files, and formating SD card is due to write protection. Take an SD card out of the laptop, camera, or card reader and visually inspect it. On side of almost every SD card, there is a hardware lock switch and mark where it needs to be positioned in order to be locked. Even if the switch is positioned on unlocked state, switch it to locked and then back to unlocked. Sometimes this easy moving of switch can resolve some contact issues and the card will start working normally.
Another type of lock that could be turned ON is a software one. If for any kind of reason data protection has been turned ON, you will need to turn it off in order to be able to format an SD card. In order to do this follow this guide:
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the Run dialog
In run dialog type in diskpart and press ENTER
Once diskpart is opened in command prompt type in: list disk and press ENTER
Locate your SD card and type in select disk x, where x is disk number followed by ENTER
After the SD card is selected type in: attributes disk clear read-only and press ENTER
This process will clear the software lock on the SD card, after following this method try to format the card again, if the problem still exists go to the next solution.
2. Format SD card using Command prompt
Command prompt is a great tool and can perform some commands that are not been able to be completed using file explorer or another tool inside Windows.
In the taskbar search box, search for cmd and select the Command prompt
On the right part select run as administrator
If needed click on YES on UAC prompt
Inside command prompt type in diskpart and press ENTER
type in list disk followed by ENTER
Select your SD card by locating its number in the list and typing select disk X, where is X SD cards number in list and press ENTER
Once SD card is selected type in format fs=ntfs quick and press ENTER
This should format SD card but if for reason even this step is provided as unproductive, go to the next solution.
3. Format your card with the Disk Management tool
Go into the taskbar and search for Disk Management and open it
Select SD card partition that you wish to format
Right-click on the partition and select format
After the format is done, enter the volume label, file system, and allocation unit size. Confirm with OK
Press OK again to confirm the formatting process.
If you have not managed to format your SD card even with this method go to the next solution.
4. Repartition card with Disk part
If all previous solutions have failed there is a chance that the SD card has bad sectors on it. If this is the case that we will need to partition cards in order to isolate bad sectors and use healthy ones.
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the Run dialog
In run dialog type in diskpart and press ENTER
Once diskpart is opened in command prompt type in: list disk and press ENTER
Locate your SD card and type in select disk x, where x is disk number followed by ENTER
Type in Clean and press ENTER
Type in Create partition primary and press ENTER
To select a new partition type select partition 1 followed by ENTER
Make partition active by typing active and pressing ENTER
Format the drive by typing format fs=ntfs label=SDCard quick followed with ENTER
Assign a letter to drive by typing assign letter=h followed with ENTER
Type exit to close Command prompt followed again by ENTER and open File Explorer to check if the drive is active
5. Try a dedicated SD card formating fool
If anything failed so far, one last thing you could do is to download and try a dedicated SD card formatting tool. One that I would recommend is SD Memory Card Formatter, which is free software make specifically for formatting SD memory cards.
Anxiety from all these digital threats lurking everywhere? An antivirus program can help put your mind at ease.
What can a virus do to your device?
A virus is malicious software that can affect pretty much any device and does so in a variety of ways. Be it your computer, your phone or your smart lightbulb - as long as there’s access to the internet, malware can get to it.
How exactly does this kind of attack manifest itself? Well, there’s a wide variety of effects ranging from mild to severe. Among other things, they depend on which type of malware attacks your device - a virus, spyware, ransomware, adware or something else.
These are some of the things you can expect to happen:
Slow performance
System crashes
Theft of data and sensitive information
Connectivity issues
Constant browser redirects
Strange messages sent to your contacts
Interference with files
It really can be the stuff of nightmares. So, if you want to sleep peacefully knowing that your devices are completely safe, you should definitely consider getting an antivirus.
P.S. don’t let its name fool you - an antivirus does indeed protect your devices against more than just viruses.
What is antivirus software exactly?
Antivirus software is designed to help you battle and ward off malware. Basically, it scans your device to detect any suspicious activity and offers tools to get rid of the culprit.
At first, antiviruses were developed to fight against viruses only, but nowadays they cover a lot more ground. Here are some of the biggest benefits of getting yourself a powerful defender.
Advantages of antivirus software
1. It fights those pesky ads
Look, constant ads that pop up everywhere aren’t the absolute worst thing that can happen on your computer. If anything, they are annoying, like when you’re trying to sleep but that one fly in your room just won’t stop buzzing.
Now, there’s a free, well-established solution for that - installing an ad blocker. And we’re about a hundred and ten percent sure you’ve already done that on each and every browser you use.
However, “if I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist” isn’t the most ideal approach for your online safety. Ad blockers can’t block everything and they won’t protect you from potential adware. An antivirus on the other hand offers that layer of protection against malware snuck into pop-ups and spammy websites.
2. It protects you from hackers
Hackers don’t target government institutions only. They’ll target regular people too if they have something to gain.
Credit: Clint Patteron (Unsplash)
There are different types of hacking, such as phishing e-mails, transmission of malicious programs, credential reuse, denial of service and more. In any case, they take control of your device and hijack your data.
The good thing is that, as threats evolve, antiviruses evolve too and there are tons of quality programs on the market that can keep you secure for an affordable price.
3. It keeps your files and data safe
When malware enters your device, it can target pretty much any file and get access to any and all data.
Installing an antivirus program will make sure that every single file, new or old, is monitored at all times, warning you against threats immediately. That way, you can make sure to react before your other files become infected and data is lost or stolen.
Another great thing for data protection is that the best antivirus software normally comes with a password manager, so no one can use malware to steal your passwords.
4. It blocks all kinds of malware
As we already stated, malicious attacks can be performed in many ways and malware comes in in different shapes an sizes, such as:
Trojan horse
Spyware
Ransomware
Adware
Rootkit
RAT (remote access Trojan)
Keyloggers
Worms
Botnets
Credit: Growtika (Unsplash)
Nowadays, antivirus software is designed to fight against all of these types. That’s why more often than not we hear the term 'antivirus' used interchangeably with 'anti-malware,' like in this article.
5. It keeps your children protected
You can’t keep your eyes on your kid every second of the day and you can’t protect them from everything. But at least you can limit their exposure to the threats they can encounter at every corner of the digital world.
An antivirus program will block harmful or suspicious websites and ads, which is great both for you and your children. To take it a step further, though, many such programs come with special parental controls and offer monitoring as well. It’s a great solution for keeping your kids safe online without sounding like the irritating, overbearing, controlling parent who “just doesn’t get it!”
How to pick one
There are definitely lots of different antivirus programs out there, both free and paid. We recommend you look for a paid option, since free ones are unfortunately a lot more susceptible to being compromised through malicious attacks.
Now, there are a few factors to consider when choosing the right software. If you use your PC for basic things then a basic antivirus will suffice. However, the more complex your use and the more sensitive the data you deal with, the stronger it needs to be.
It’s also crucial that you take into account the features it includes. As we already mentioned, some programs have additional security options. For example, depending on the package you select, Bitdefender provides:
Some are included in plans and some are separate products, so make sure to check out all the offers.
And don’t worry if you have multiple PCs or you’re looking for protection for your smartphone or tablet as well; Bitdefender has suitable solutions for your needs. Of course, you can also just pick their classic antivirus software if you’re not in need of advanced protection.
Another important point is how regularly the software is updated and enhanced. The more frequent the updates the better, as bugs can make the program more vulnerable. Other things we advise you consider are user-friendliness, impact on performance, reputation (user reviews especially) and, of course, price.
The bottom line
Fact is: anyone can be a malware victim. Don’t let it be you.
You can’t put a price on peace and security, so don’t be reluctant to pay for yours - especially since a lot of options out there are extremely affordable. Is $159.00 a year really too much to pay for cross-platform protection for up to 10 devices? We don’t think so.
Explore your options and protect your files and data before it’s too late.
Nvidia announced the third generation of GeForce RTX GPUs called Ada Lovelace. New technology is bringing 76 billion transistors with 18,000 CUDA cores along with new gen ray tracing cores and improved Tensor cores as well. The new lineup also comes with DLSS 3 which is vastly improved from its previous version pushing a 4 times increase in frame rates over native rendering.
RTX 4090, a better model of GPU will come with 16,384 CUDA cores and a boost clock speed of 2.52 GHz. Also, it is packed with stunning 24 GB of GDDR6V VRAM. In Nvidia's words, its performance is twice faster than the 3090 Ti in games like Flight simulator, three times faster on Portal RTX, and four times faster on RacerX.
RTX 4080 comes in two modes, one with 12GB VRAM and a stronger one with 16GB VRAM but differences do not end here. The lower model is packing 7,680 CUDA cores while the stronger one is going to 9,728 CUDA cores. We will wait to see how will these cores count impact real-world performance in games.
As for prices, the flagship model RTX 4090 will be $1,600 USD and it will hit the market on October 12th. RTX 4080 12GB model will be $900 USD and the model with 16GB VRAM will go up to $1,200 USD. This, of course, is the price for Founders Edition cards, OEM cards from third parties like ASUS, MSI, Gigatech, etc will cost more.
TranslationBuddy is a browser extension developed by MindSpark Inc. for Google Chrome. This extension allegedly offers users the ability to translate any text to any language.
From the Author: Now enjoy immediate access to the FREE web, email, and text translations, Multilanguage Virtual Keyboards, words of the day, and more!
This extension configures your New Tab page to TranslationBuddy™ to provide these features.
Get FREE translations instantly. An easy way to translate web pages, texts, and emails.
Unfortunately, this extension hijacks your browser's new tab page, and default search engine, changing it to MyWay. While installed, it monitors browser activity such as visited websites, clicked links, downloaded information, and sometimes even personal information that it later uses to display additional unwanted ads in your browser.
About Browser Hijackers
Browser hijacking is a type of unwanted program, usually a web browser add-on or extension, which then causes modifications in the web browser’s settings. Browser hijackers are capable of doing a number of things on your PC. Generally, browser hijacking is used for earning advertising revenue from forced advert clicks and site visits. Though it might appear harmless, these tools are made by vicious people who always try to take advantage of you, so that hackers can earn money from your naivety and distraction. Some browser hijackers are designed to make particular modifications beyond the browsers, like altering entries in the system registry and letting other malware further damage your machine.
Indications of browser hijack
There are several symptoms that point to a browser hijacking: you see unauthorized modifications to your Internet browser’s home page; bookmark and the new tab are likewise modified; The default search page of browser is modified; unwanted new toolbars are added to your web browser; unstoppable flurries of popup advertisements appear on your computer screen; your web browser gets sluggish, buggy, crashes very often; you’re blocked to access the websites of computer security solution providers.
Exactly how they invade computer systems
Browser hijackers can enter a PC by some means or other, for example via file sharing, downloads, and email also. They may also come from any BHO, browser extension, toolbar, add-on or plug-in with malicious intent. Some internet browser hijackers spread in user’s computers using a deceptive software distribution strategy called “bundling” (commonly through shareware and freeware).
Browser hijacking may lead to severe privacy problems and even identity theft, affect your web browsing experience by taking control over outbound traffic, substantially slows down your computer or laptop by deleting lots of resources, and cause system instability at the same time.
Removing browser hijackers
Some hijackers could be removed by deleting the free software they came with or by deleting any add-ons you’ve recently added to your computer system. Having said that, many hijackers are extremely tenacious and require specialized applications to remove them. Inexperienced PC users shouldn’t ever attempt the manual form of removal, as it demands thorough system knowledge to perform fixes on the system registry and HOSTS file.
You might opt for automatic browser hijacker removal methods by simply installing and running an efficient anti-malware program. One of the recommended tools for fixing browser hijacker infections is SafeBytes Anti-Malware. It will help you remove any pre-existing malicious software in your system and provides you real-time monitoring and protection from the latest internet threats. Together with the anti-malware tool, a system optimizer could help you in deleting all associated files and modifications in the registry automatically.
How To Get Remove Virus That Is Preventing Anti-Malware Downloads?
Malware can cause all kinds of damage when they invade your system, from stealing sensitive details to deleting data files on your PC. Certain malware variants modify browser settings by adding a proxy server or modify the computer’s DNS configurations. In these cases, you’ll be unable to visit certain or all websites, and thus unable to download or install the required security software to eliminate the malware. If you are reading this article now, you might have perhaps realized that virus infection is the reason behind your blocked net connectivity. So how to proceed if you want to download and install an antivirus program such as Safebytes? Refer to the instructions below to remove malware through alternative ways.
Install the antivirus in Safe Mode
In Safe Mode, you are able to modify Windows settings, uninstall or install some programs, and eliminate hard-to-delete viruses. In the event, the malicious software is set to load automatically when the PC starts, switching to this mode may prevent it from doing so. In order to get into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press F8 while the system is booting up or run MSConfig and look for the “Safe Boot” options under the “Boot” tab. Once you’re in safe mode, you can try to install your anti-malware software application without the hindrance of the malware. After installation, run the malware scanner to eliminate most standard infections.
Switch to an alternate internet browser
Malicious code may exploit vulnerabilities on a particular internet browser and block access to all antivirus software sites. If you seem to have a virus attached to Internet Explorer, then switch over to an alternate browser with built-in safety features, such as Firefox or Chrome, to download your preferred anti-malware program – Safebytes.
Make a bootable USB anti-virus drive
Another approach is to download and transfer an anti-malware application from a clean PC to run a scan on the infected computer. Adopt these measures to run the antivirus on the affected computer system.
1) On a virus-free PC, download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware.2) Plug the Flash drive into the clean computer.3) Double-click the Setup icon of the antivirus software to run the Installation Wizard.4) Select the USB flash drive as the location for saving the file. Follow the directions to complete the installation process.5) Disconnect the pen drive. Now you can use this portable anti-malware on the infected computer system.6) Double-click the EXE file to run the Safebytes tool from the pen drive.7) Hit the “Scan” button to run a full system scan and remove malware automatically.
Let's Talk About SafeBytes Security Suite!
Today an anti-malware program can protect your computer from various kinds of internet threats. But wait, how to choose the right one amongst the many malware protection software that’s available out there? As you might be aware, there are numerous anti-malware companies and tools for you to consider. A few of them do a good job in getting rid of malware threats while some will damage your PC themselves. You need to be careful not to choose the wrong product, especially if you purchase a premium program. Among few good programs, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is the highly recommended software program for the security-conscious individual.
SafeBytes anti-malware is really a powerful, very effective protection application made to assist users of all levels of computer literacy in finding and removing malicious threats out of their PC. Using its cutting-edge technology, this application can assist you to eliminate several types of malware which include viruses, worms, PUPs, trojans, adware, ransomware, and browser hijackers.
SafeBytes anti-malware takes computer protection to a totally new level with its enhanced features. Below are some typical features found in this software:
Real-time Threat Response: SafeBytes provides complete and real-time security for your laptop or computer. This utility will constantly monitor your computer for any suspicious activity and updates itself continuously to keep abreast of the newest threats.
Anti-Malware Protection: This deep-cleaning anti-malware program goes much deeper than most antivirus tools to clean out your personal computer. Its critically acclaimed virus engine finds and disables hard to remove malware that hides deep inside your computer.
“Fast Scan” Features: SafeBytes Anti-Malware has a multi-thread scan algorithm that works up to 5 times faster than any other protection software.
Web Protection:Safebytes allots all websites a unique safety ranking that helps you to have an idea of whether the website you are about to visit is safe to browse or known to be a phishing site.
Light-weight: SafeBytes provides total protection from online threats at a fraction of the CPU load because of its enhanced detection engine and algorithms.
24/7 Online Support: You could get high levels of support around the clock if you’re using their paid software.
To sum it up, SafeBytes Anti-Malware offers great protection combined with very low system resource usage with both great malware prevention and detection. Now you may know that this tool does more than just scan and remove threats from your PC. So if you are looking for the best anti-malware subscription for your Windows-based PC, we suggest SafeBytes Anti-Malware software.
Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)
If you wish to carry out the removal of TranslationBuddy manually rather than using an automated software tool, you may follow these steps: Proceed to the Windows Control Panel, click on the “Add/Remove Programs” and there, select the offending application to uninstall. In case of suspicious versions of web browser plugins, you can easily get rid of them via your web browser’s extension manager. Additionally, it is recommended to factory reset your browser to its default condition to fix corrupt settings.
To ensure the complete removal, manually examine your hard drive and registry for all of the following and eliminate or reset the values accordingly. But bear in mind, this is often a challenging task and only computer professionals could carry it out safely. Furthermore, certain malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. It is recommended that you carry out the removal process in Windows Safe Mode.
As you know, the internet has changed the world immensely. Nowadays, JavaScript is pushing the modern web ahead. One of the things that make these experiences with the internet seamless and with less clutter is redirection. It is often used on web pages and there are times when a user is prompted about them and most of the time, we barely notice them. However, there are also instances when things can go wrong with redirects as they could become a loop that could mess things up. And since the browser takes a lot of system resources, redirection can result in a poor user experience. That’s why in this post, you will be guided on how you can stop these automatic redirects on browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox, on your Windows 10 computer.
To get started, refer to each one of the options provided below to stop automatic redirects in Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.
Option 1 – Configure the browsers to stop pop-ups and deceptive contents
There are a lot of browsers with built-in settings that allow users to stop pop-ups and deceptive content. To configure these settings, refer to these steps:
Microsoft Edge:
Click on the three horizontal dots icon or the menu button.
Next, click on Settings and select Privacy & Security from the left side navigation.
After that, scroll down on the right-side panel and look for Block pop-ups and Windows Defender SmartScreen and then turn their toggle buttons to On.
Google Chrome:
Open Google Chrome and click on the three vertical dots icon for the menu located in the top right corner of the browser.
Next, click on Settings and scroll down until you see the Advanced option. Click on it to open the Advanced Settings.
Now scroll down until you reach the Privacy and Security section and look for the Safe browsing option and turn its toggle button to On.
Mozilla Firefox
Open Mozilla and click on the three horizontal lines icon for the menu button located in the top right corner of the browser and click on Options.
Next, go to the Settings section and click the Privacy & Security tab and scroll down and then click on Permissions.
From there, make sure that the Block pop-up windows checkbox is checked.
Finally, scroll down until you reach the Security section and make sure that the checkbox for the Block dangerous and deceptive content is checked.
Option 2 – Try to reset Winsock, TCP/IP & Flush DNS
To stop redirects, you can also reset Winsock and the TCP/IP as well as flush the DNS cache. To do so, follow these steps:
Right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator) so you can pull up an elevated Command Prompt.
After that, execute each one of the commands listed below. And after you typed in one after the other, you have to hit Enter.
netsh winsock reset – type in this command to reset Winsock
netsh int ip reset resettcpip.txt – type in this command to reset TCP/IP
ipconfig /flushdns – type in this command to flush the DNS cache
Next, restart your PC and check if the problem’s fixed.
Option 3 – Edit your Hosts File
Tap the Win + R keys to open then type in %WinDir% and then click OK.
Go to System32/drivers/etc.
Open the host file using Notepad.
Delete all the suspicious entries.
After that, save the changes you’ve made and close the file.
BigTech platforms Google and Facebook were hit with a series of antitrust lawsuits by the US federal government and states on charges they are operating monopolies and abusing their power.
Below is the status of the cases, as well as government probes of Apple and Amazon in their current states
Two lawsuits against Facebook
In a defeat, Judge James Boasberg said the Federal Trade Commission, which had sued Facebook in December asking that Facebook be forced to sell WhatsApp and Instagram, failed to show that Facebook had monopoly power in the social-networking market, among other problems. However, the FTC could file a new complaint by July 29.
He threw out a related state lawsuit entirely, saying that the attorney's general had waited too long. They are looking at their options.
Four lawsuits against Google
The US Justice Department sued Google in October, accusing the $1 trillion company of illegally using its market muscle to hobble rivals. A trial date was set for September 12, 2023.
A lawsuit by 38 US states and territories accuses Google of abusing its market power to try to make its search engine as dominant inside cars, TVs, and speakers as it is in phones. This was consolidated with the federal lawsuit for purposes of discovery.
Texas, backed by other states, filed a separate lawsuit against Google, accusing it of breaking antitrust law in how it runs its online advertising business.
Dozens of state attorneys general sued Google on July 7, alleging that it bought off competitors and used restrictive contracts to unlawfully maintain a monopoly for its app store on Android phones.
Justice Department investigates Apple
This probe, revealed in June 2019, appears to focus on Apple's app store. Some app developers have accused Apple of introducing new products very similar to existing apps created by other developers and sold in the Apple Store, and then trying to banish the older apps from the store because they compete with Apple's new product. Apple says it seeks to have only the highest-quality apps in the app store.
Justice Department probing Facebook and Amazon
In July 2019, the Justice Department said it was expanding its Big Tech probes to include "search, social media, and some retail services online", an apparent reference to Facebook and Amazon.
Federal Trade Commission on Amazon
In its investigation of Amazon, the FTC is likely looking at the inherent conflict of interest of Amazon competing with small sellers on its marketplace platform, including allegations that it used information from sellers on its platform to decide what products it would introduce.
As you know, games with good graphics and fast play are definitely resource-intensive and can consume a lot of storage space on your computer. Because of that, they have to be compressed before it gets downloaded to your computer and then unpacked to the hard drive before it gets installed. However, if an error occurs in your computer’s RAM during the installation process or if your hard disk does not have enough memory to handle the process, then you might encounter the isDone.dll error which states:
“An error occurred when unpacking, Unarc.dll returned error code -1, ERROR: archive data corrupted (decompression fails).”
If you encounter the isDone.dll error message on your Windows 10 computer, then read on as this post will show you how you can fix it. This error has something to do with the incomplete installation of PC games or files of larger size.
The ISDone.dll error appears due to faulty
Unarc.dll file residing in the System32 folder on 32-bit operating systems and the SysWOW64 folder on 64-bit systems. So, if you see this error message, then, it means your computer was not able to read installation archive files.
What is Unarc.dll file?
Unarc.dll is a dynamic link library for Windows. Some applications or games require this file to function properly. So, if it goes missing or, an error occurs when you start a game or an application, you may get various kinds of errors.
ISDone.dll error while playing games on PC
Option 1 – Try to reinstall the game
The isDone.dll error could also be caused by the installation of an unknown application. Or it could also be caused by an outdated or corrupted application. In other words, if the game you are trying to install is broken or corrupted, then it’s no wonder why you’re getting the isDone.dll error. To fix this, make sure that you download the latest updated version of the game and then try to install it again and see if the problem is resolved or not.
Option 2 – Try to re-register the .dll file using the Regsvr32 tool
The first thing you have to do is to locate the DLL file named dll on your computer and rename it to Unarc-bak.dll.
Next, copy the Unarc.dll file from another well-functioning computer and save it on your desktop.
After that, move the DLL file you just copied to the System32 folder if you are using a 32-bit operating system, or the SysWOW64 folder if you are using a 64-bit operating system.
Now you have to register the new DLL file and you can do that using Windows PowerShell.
Open Windows PowerShell and then execute this command if you have placed the DLL file in the System32 folder: regsvr32 %systemroot%System32unarc.dll
On the other hand, if you have placed the DLL file in the SysWOW64 folder, then execute this command: regsvr32 %systemroot%SysWOW64unarc.dll
Once you’re done, a message will be displayed saying that the DLL file was registered.
Restart your computer and check if the problem is now fixed.
Option 3 – Troubleshoot the isDone.dll error in a Clean Boot State
You can also troubleshoot the isDone.dll error in a Clean Boot state. It could be that there are some third-party applications in your computer that're preventing the application from getting installed and to isolate this possibility, you need to boot your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try installing the program again. Putting your computer in this state can help you identify which program is the culprit and thus isolates the problem. In a Clean Boot state, your computer will start using only the pre-selected minimal set of drivers and startup programs. Note that you have to disable and enable one process at a time.
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.)
After you’ve set your computer into a Clean Boot State, make sure that you’re signed in as administrator and then try to install the application again.
Option 4 – Try updating or reinstalling your Graphics drivers
Updating or reinstalling the Graphics drivers in your computer can also help in resolving compatibility issues between the operating system and the driver that might have caused the isDone.dll error.
First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. From there, look for the Display Adapters and click on them.
After that, right-click on each entry under the Display Adapters and select the “Uninstall Device” option from the menu.
Now restart your computer.
After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.
Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturers like NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it.
Option 5 – Try scanning your computer using Windows Defender
The isDone.dll error might also be infected with malware or virus and to eliminate it, you have to scan your computer using security programs like Windows Defender.
Tap the Win + I keys to open Update & Security.
Then click on the Windows Security option and open Windows Defender Security Center.
Next, click on Virus & threat protection > Run a new advanced scan.
Now make sure that Full Scan is selected from the menu and then click the Scan Now button to get started.
If your Windows 10 laptop suddenly turns off when you unplug its power cord, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can fix this issue.
One of the most common causes for this kind of issue is that there is some problem with your laptop’s battery. It is possible that it might have gone bad or has been damaged. However, this couldn’t be the case especially if the laptop is new. The problem could have something to do with the system settings, connections, laptop hardware, and so on. To fix it, there are various suggestions you can check out such as follows:
Option 1 – Perform a hard reset on your laptop
This option works in most cases when the laptop with a removable battery is charging slowly as it is plugged in constantly. Refer to the steps below to do a hard reset on your laptop.
Switch off the power of your laptop.
Disconnect your laptop’s charger and then remove the battery.
Tap and hold the power button for at least 30 seconds – doing so will discharge the capacitors of the motherboard and reset the memory chips that were active constantly.
Plug the battery back and then charge the laptop again.
Check if the problem is fixed, if not, proceed to the next option below.
Option 2 – Try to change the Power Options
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility.
Then type “powercfg.cpl” and tap Enter to open the Power Options window.
Next, go to your selected power plan and click the “Change plan settings” option to open a new page.
From there, click on the “Change advanced power settings” option. This will open a new window where you can see various power consumption options.
Now on the next window that appears, click on “Change advanced power settings”. This will open another window where you have to expand the Processor power management > Maximum processor state.
Then change the value for On battery mode to 25% and enable Adaptive brightness.
Now shut down your computer and try to boot it with the power cord unplugged.
Option 3 – Try to run the Power troubleshooter
The next thing you can do is to run the Power troubleshooter. To do so, follow these steps:
Go to Settings and navigate to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
After that, look for the “Power” option from the given list of built-in troubleshooters and click on it.
Next, click on the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Power troubleshooter.
Once the troubleshooter is done identifying the problems, follow the next on-screen instructions to resolve the problem.
Option 4 – Try to run the Power Efficiency Diagnostics Report
You could also try to run the Power Efficiency Diagnostics Report to fix the problem. This tool is helpful and will help you analyze the status of the battery but note that this can be quite overwhelming especially if you’re not well-versed in this matter.
Option 5 – Try to uninstall or reinstall the Battery driver
You might also want to uninstall or reinstall the battery driver as it can also resolve the problem. But before you start, you have to shut down your computer and remove the power chord as well as the battery. Once you’re done, follow these steps:
Plug the power cord and restart your computer.
Once your computer has restarted, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and tap Enter to open the Device Manager.
After that, look for the “Batteries” driver from the list of drivers and expand it.
Then right-click on the “Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System” driver and click on the “Uninstall device” option.
Once it’s done, restart shut down your computer and remove the power cord and then attach the battery.
Now attach the power chord again and restart your computer to automatically install the driver.
Option 6 – Try to update the BIOS
Updating the BIOS can help you fix the problem but as you know, BIOS is a sensitive part of a computer. Even though it is a software component, the functioning of the hardware depends on it largely. Thus, you must be careful when modifying something in the BIOS. So if you don’t know much about it, it’s best if you skip on this option and try the other ones instead. However, if you are well-versed in navigating the BIOS, then follow the steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “msinfo32” in the field and press Enter to open System Information.
From there, you should find a search field on the bottom where you have to search for the BIOS version and then press Enter.
After that, you should see the developer and version of the BIOS installed on your PC.
Go to your manufacturer’s website and then download the latest version of BIOS on your computer.
If you are using a laptop, make sure that you keep it plugged in until you have updated the BIOS.
Now double click on the downloaded file and install the new BIOS version on your computer.
Now restart your computer to apply the changes made.
Note: If updating the BIOS didn’t help, you might want to consider resetting it instead.
Windows 10 is has a lot of features that help a user in optimizing a computer. So when the operating system encounters a problem, it is able to provide users with proper resources to get the problem fixed. There are even times when a user is not notified and an issue is either being repaired or dodged in the background. This kind of feature is known as the Diagnosis of the Automatic Repair feature that starts when your computer is booting. In such times, you will either see the “Diagnosing your PC” or “Preparing Automatic Repair” message on your screen.
Although this feature is useful and has proven to be effective, some users reported that the process gets stuck. If you experience the same problem, read on as this post will guide you on what to do to fix it but before you start troubleshooting the problem, you might want to perform a Hard Boot first. All you have to do is to power down your computer, remove the battery and the AC adapter and then reconnect them. After that, tap and hold the power button for about 20 seconds and see if your computer boots up properly. If it doesn’t, follow the given fixes below.
Option 1 – Try disabling the automatic Startup Repair
The Automatic Startup Repair window will automatically open during boot when you have some system driver-related problem. So if you think that this is where the problem lies, you can try to disable the automatic Startup Repair.
Click on Troubleshoot and go to the Advanced options.
After that, select Command Prompt and execute the following command:
bcdedit /set recoveryenabled NO
Restart your computer after that and then check.
Option 2 – Run the System File Checker
System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be the cause why you’re facing this problem. 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:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
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 3 – Run CHKDSK to check your disk for errors
When it comes to some issues concerning the hard drive or removable devices, there is a utility in Windows that might help which is called “chkdsk”. This error check utility can help with several issues in the system.
Tap the Win + S keys to open the Search box.
Then type “command prompt” in the field and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
After opening an elevated command prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter:
chkdsk /r /f
Now if you are prompted to run CHKDSK after your reboot your computer, just tap Y and reboot your PC.
If CHKDSK is not able to find any errors, tap the Win + E keys and navigate the access window. From there, right-click on the concerned drive and click on Properties.
After opening Properties, click on the tab Tools and then click on the “Check” button under the Error-checking section.
Wait until the process is completed and then restart your computer.
Once your computer has restarted, try accessing the file and check if the error persists.
Option 4 – Run the DISM tool
The next thing you can do is run the DISM tool. This tool is known to repair potentially corrupted files in your system as having them could also system issues like your computer getting stuck in the “Diagnosing your PC” or “Preparing Automatic Repair” screen.
Tap the Win + X keys and click on the “Command Prompt (Admin)” option.
After that, input each one of the commands listed below sequentially to execute them:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Once you’ve executed the commands given above, restart your computer and check if the problem is now fixed.
Option 5 – Try to use installation media to boot and repair your computer
Another thing you can try to resolve the issue is to use the Windows installation bootable media so you can boot and repair the operating system. To use it, follow these steps:
You need to first create an installation media which has the dame version of the operating system installed in your computer.
After that, once you reach the Install Windows screen, click on the “Repair your computer” link.
Wait until the repair is completed and then shut down your computer
Now once your computer has restarted, check if it can now boot properly.