Protect Your PC With These 6 Reliable Security Products
What software are you using to keep your information and all your files and memories safe?
None? Yikes. Let’s hope no damage has been done to your data yet then. Because with how the digital world has evolved, your data might be getting leaked and you have no idea.
Why do you need to invest in security software?
There’s really no good excuse not to purchase a quality platform for PC protection. Especially since top security solutions are available at such affordable prices nowadays, your wallet would barely even notice it.
At this point, only people who barely use their PCs and have zero sensitive information on them can get away with simply using the built-in Windows 10/11 security software. But we guarantee that those people are extremely hard to find and that you’re not one of them, and here’s why.
Even if you don’t use your computer for things that are very obviously sensitive, such as internet banking, you still have some personal data at risk of being stolen. How so? Well, think about the data you enter into your social media profiles, for example. How devastating would it be if somebody got a hold of any of it? Yep, that’s what we thought.
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In the hands of a skilled cybercriminal, your phone number alone could put you at risk of scams, ransomware, identity theft and more. Also think about the stuff you share in texts and social media chats. Think about the websites you visit and how many times you may have accidentally clicked on an ad, which could very well contain malicious software. Those all seem harmless until someone’s actually used them against you.
Now imagine the dangers involved when you actually store truly confidential data on your PC and browsers. Sends shivers down your spine, doesn’t it?
In the case of a successful cyberattack of whatever type (virus, phishing, worms, etc.), there’s so much that is at stake. Businesses/legal persons will suffer from financial loss and damaged reputation, at the very least. Natural persons may be threatened or exploited, get their banking or medical information and even their identity stolen, etc. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
These are our biggest reasons for investing in Windows PC protection software:
Cyberthreats are constantly evolving to the point where built-in or free software won’t cut it anymore.
Those working remotely can have peace of mind knowing both personal and business data is completely secure.
Businesses using top security solutions ensure their customers trust them.
Data breaches are a pain in the you-know-what to handle. Fighting a cyberattack and going back to normal is a demanding process, and not to mention the stress it’ll cause. We’d rather prevent all that by using trustworthy security products!
It helps parents worry a little less about their children’s safety in the online world.
Added bonus: with most products, you get an ad-free browsing experience!
Obviously, there are a lot more reasons to get your PC secured. But we think you get it. So let’s cut to the chase and take a look at our 6 favorite protection solutions and the wonders they can do for you.
*Note that in this article we’re looking at products primarily suited for households and home offices, some for small businesses. No enterprise solutions will make the list today, but stay tuned for a future article on those.
Top 6 best PC protection solutions
1. Bitdefender Total & Internet Security\
One of the biggest security product vendors out there, Bitdefender offers several awesome solutions. We want to introduce two of our favorites, Bitdefender Total Security and Bitdefender Internet Security.
Bitdefender Total Security is great for both households and smaller offices. You can choose to protect 5 or 10 devices, and not necessarily just Windows devices. It also works for macOS, Android and iOS. It offers a range of powerful features, such as:
Real-time data protection
Webcam and microphone protection
Device optimization options
Anti-phishing/-fraud/-spam technology
Ransomware protection
Anti-loss and anti-theft tools
VPN and privacy firewall
Anti-tracking technology
Parental controls
24/7 support
Bitdefender Internet Security shares almost all of these features, but there are a few important differences to note. Unlike Total Security, Internet Security has more options in terms of the number of protected devices: 1, 3, 5 or 10. However it’s only compatible with the Windows platform and it doesn’t offer device optimization tools or anti-theft options. Whether or not this is a deal-breaker depends on your needs alone - we still find it a great security tool.
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2. ESET Internet Security
An award-winning Windows security product, ESET Internet Security is essential on this list. It has an outstanding protection rate of 99.9% and a range of amazing options you’ll definitely want to make use of. It can be installed on up to 10 devices, making it an awesome tool for your household, home office or a small business. It’s also compatible with macOS and Android.
These are ESET Internet Security’s best features:
Protection against ransomware and spyware
Protection against malware specifically designed to avoid detection
In-depth scans when the computer is not in use
Firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your PC
Anti-spam tool
Anti-phishing and botnet protection technologies
Tool to scan your router and smart devices for vulnerabilities
Special browser for secure internet banking
Parental controls
Prevention of unauthorized webcam access
If you ask us, ESET has it all!
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3. Kaspersky Total & Internet Security
Having a deja vu? Didn’t you just read Total Security and Internet Security somewhere? Oh, that’s right - the first entry on our list! But here we’re talking about Kaspersky, a vendor you’ve also definitely heard about before.
Just like Bitdefender, Kaspersky is another one of those renowned names in the cybersecurity world that always make it to every ‘best of’ list. And for good reason - its products really fulfill their purpose. So let’s take a closer look at the two we chose.
These are the features both Kaspersky Total Security and Kaspersky Internet Security have in common:
Real-time virus and spyware blocking
Webcam protection
Wi-Fi security notifications
Advanced identity theft protection
Free technical support on several channels
Remote security management
Multiple devices (up to 10)
The main difference between Kaspersky Total Security and Internet Security is that the former offers more capabilities. These are the features KTS offers that KIS does not:
System cleanup
File shredding
Password management
Data backup and encryption
Both are excellent security tools, though we do prefer KTS a little more because of these additional options.
4. Norton 360 Deluxe
Of course one of the industry-leading solutions makes the list. Norton 360 Deluxe can protect up to 5 devices, be it Windows, iOS, macOS or Android. It’s worth noting that its features are best developed for Windows. Here’s what you get with Norton 360 Deluxe:
Protection against viruses, hackers, malware
100% virus protection promise
VPN included for all devices
Unlimited VPN on Windows
Password manager
Parental controls
So is there anything aside from these standard protection features that makes it such a favorite among us techies? Let us tell you! Norton added a little bit of spice here with two really powerful capabilities. The Deluxe product offers 50GB of cloud backup and dark web monitoring. The latter means the software notifies you if any of your personal information is found on the dark web, which helps protect you against identity theft.
Credit Luke Peters on Unsplash
5. McAfee Antivirus
Don’t be misled by the name of this product. Antivirus software may have started as protection against viruses only, but it’s developed quite a lot. The name simply stuck. All that to say that McAfee Antivirus - another award-winning security solution - protects you against several different threats.
The basic and essential plan allow 1 and 5 devices respectively, while McAfee+ Premium and Advanced work on an unlimited number of devices. The latter two also offer more capabilities, as you can imagine. Here’s what you can expect from all of them:
Secure unlimited VPN
File shredder to delete sensitive files completely
Ultimate safety while browsing
Protection against hackers
100% virus protection promise
Advanced firewall to block dangerous traffic
Online support from specialists
Protection score (shows how safe you are and detects vulnerabilities)
Identity monitoring (notifies you if any of your information is on the dark web)
Password management
Unlike the previous products, McAfee Antivirus does not offer parental controls. Otherwise it’s a pretty strong and comprehensive protection tool and might just be the right choice for you!
6. Trend Micro Maximum Security
Last but definitely not least, we’ve got Maximum Security by Trend Micro. And yes, you guessed it, Trend Micro is also an award winner in terms of cybersecurity. Its products have been recognized as industry-leading security solutions by AV-Test since 2003. Among all its fantastic solutions, our favorite for households or small offices is Maximum Security.
You can use Trend Micro Maximum Security to protect 3-5 devices for a year or two years before needing to renew your license. Aside from Windows, it’s compatible with iOS, Android, Mac and Chromebook devices. Here’s what you can expect from this protection software:
Powerful malware protection
Phishing detection and prevention (email)
Password management and protection
Maximum security for online banking and shopping
System optimization
Social media privacy protection
Parental controls
24/7 technical support
No notifications during gaming
It’s truly one of the most effective platforms out there dedicated to protecting your digital life. Using this product, ransomware, identity thieves and malicious websites don’t stand a chance.
The bottom line
If you’ve made it all the way here, congratulations, you’ve made the right choice: to invest in securing your valuable data! Now the question is: which one of these 6 awesome antivirus/antimalware products to select?
The paradox of choice is a very real thing - we feel you. As mentioned, it comes down to what your specific needs are. So before you go ahead and purchase your security software, make sure to explore all options.
And if you really can’t handle the decision-making anxiety, feel free to reach out. We’ll happily assist you in finding the right product to keep your digital life secure!
Hello and welcome to our Increasing Virtual Memory tutorial. Before trying to raise the quantity of virtual memory in your pc system, it's important to get a comprehension of its goal and use.
This leads to the constant use of high-performing tasks in addition to keeping multitasking capability.
The downside to this process is the fact that relatively, the HDD accesses information slower than a RAM module.
Taking into consideration its use in a computer program and how virtual memory works, there isn't any amount of virtual memory allocation.
The quantity of virtual memory to be defined for a unique computer program would be determined by the kinds of programs that are started and the quantity of multitasking done. The Microsoft Windows operating system yet does supply a recommended baseline memory based on the number of RAM installed and storage space of the HDD.
Virtual memory allocation really indicates the upsurge in how big the paging file is. This file provides the pc program with all the essential instructions on the best way to act once all the installed RAM has been allotted to the running applications. In both Microsoft Windows XP (all variants) and Windows Vista environments, the method to control the paging file size is basically the same. To increase the quantity of virtual memory:
Click on the Start menu and choose the "Control Panel" alternative. When the Control Panel window is started, choose the "Operation and Maintenance" class.
Click on the "System" choice to create the Device Properties Window.
Click the "Advanced" tab and choose the "Settings" button under Operation. In the Operation alternative window, select the "Change" button under the Virtual Memory class.
Choose the hard disk where the Windows operating system is now installed. That can be the same place where in fact the paging file will be saved.
Test on the checkbox for the "Custom Size" to enable you to determine the number of virtual memory you need to use for your device.
Click the "OK" button thrice to shut all of the windows. Click the Start button and restart your machine to enable the upsurge in the number of virtual memory to be finished.
In establishing the number of virtual memory, you'll have to place a maximum value along with an initial. It is suggested that both values be equivalent in order to achieve the finest performance on your pc system.
For a while now, Microsoft has been working hard to add various built-in troubleshooters in Windows 10. In fact, there is a troubleshooter for almost every standard or common error in Windows 10. And now with the newly released Windows 10 v1903, Microsoft has added the Recommended Troubleshooting which allows Windows 10 to automatically fix a lot of critical issues on your computer, and in this post, you will be guided on how you can turn on or off the Recommended Troubleshooting in Windows 10.
The Microsoft Diagnostic & Feedback data only provides two settings – Basic and Full. So if you want to turn off the Recommended Troubleshooting for some reason, the only way to do so is to stop it from collecting complete data from your PC. And to turn it on or off, you can choose to switch between them. To do that, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Diagnostics & feedback and from there, select Basic under the Diagnostic Data section. After that, go back to Settings and go to Update & security > Troubleshoot. Once you’re there, you should see a warning message saying, “Share Full Diagnostic data to get additional troubleshooting recommendations”. Based on the message, Microsoft will only offer the recommended troubleshooting based on the Full Diagnostic data which it collects from your computer.
On the other hand, if you know how to navigate and use the Windows Registry, then you can enable or disable the Recommended Troubleshooting via Registry Editor but before you proceed, make sure that you create a System Restore point. Once that’s covered, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoft
From there, look for the key named “WindowsMigration”. If you can’t find it, just right-click on the left pane and create a new key and then name it “WindowsMigration”.
After that, create a DWORD “UserPreference” and double click on it to set its value to “0” if you want to turn it off or “1” if you want to turn it on.
Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made.
Note: The Recommended Troubleshooting functionality can look into the error logs sent back to the Microsoft team and use an algorithm to set up a solution for you and they’re nothing but Diagnostics and Feedback data that Windows collects and sends back to Microsoft. Moreover, the recommendations are only visible if you are connected to the internet, else it will show the same message.
Error C00D11B1 is a type of Windows Media Player error code.
The error C00D11B1 hampers your ability to play videos, MP3 files and songs on Windows Media Player. The error is displayed in the following format:
Error C00D11B1:’Windows Media Player can’t play the file.’
Solution
Error Causes
The cause of error C00D11B1 message pop up on your computer can be narrowed down to one particular reason virtually because this error may be triggered due to several reasons, these include:
Corrupt DRM license
Enabled codec of the video in Windows Media Player codecs section
Registry Corruption
The good news is that this error is not fatal and does not pose serious PC threats like runtime and BSoD error codes.
However, it is still advisable to resolve to ensure you are able to watch movies and listen to songs on Windows Media Player without any difficulty.
Further Information and Manual Repair
Here are some of the best and effective do it yourself methods to resolve the error C00D11B1 on your PC right away:
Method 1- Disable the codec of the video option in the Codecs Section
If you are unable to play downloaded movie files on your PC on Windows Media Player, then try this method to resolve the issue. Simply open Windows Media Player, Go to Tools, Options, DVD and then click Advanced Tab.
Here find the codecs section, scroll down to the codec of the video you are trying to play and see if it says enabled. If it does, then disable it and then select a decorder for the codec. Now try running the video again on your Windows Media Player. This will hopefully resolve the issue.
Nonetheless if the error still persists, try method 2.
Method 2- Delete DRM Licenses & cache and Download it Again
Sometimes the error C00D11B1 can also be trigged by corrupt DRM licenses & cache.
To resolve the issue, simply delete all files. First open Windows Explorer (Windows key + E) and then go to C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsDRM. Now delete all files in this folder. Once deleted, Let Windows Media Player download your license again.
After downloading the DRM license again, run the Windows Media Player to see if it works.
Method 3- Disable Firewall Temporarily
Firewall can also be responsible for blocking the Windows Media Player streaming. Firewalls often block important ports that are required in order to run some programs. If this is the cause, then simply disable Firewall temporarily to resolve the issue.
Method 4- Repair the Registry
Registry is that part of your computer that saves all the activities performed on the PC and all the files too including both important and unimportant files like cookies, junk files and bad registry entries.
If these unimportant and obsolete files are not removed frequently, the registry gets corrupt and damaged. And due to this reason you may experience error code C00D11B1 on your system.
To resolve this issue, simply repair the damaged registry by downloading Restoro. This is a powerful PC Fixer integrated with a registry cleaner. The registry cleaner removes all unnecessary files, cleans and repairs the registry in seconds.
Click here to download Restoro and fix error C00D11B1 on your PC right now!
One of the errors you can encounter while browsing the web using your Google Chrome browser is the ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED error. If you happen to encounter this error, then this post could help you resolve it. This kind of error in Chrome can occur due to incorrect website domain configuration, conflicting browser data, incorrect proxy settings, and DNS connection issues.
To resolve the ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED error in Chrome, here are some suggestions you can check out.
Option 1 – Try disabling the proxy server for your LAN
If your PC was just attacked by some adware or malware as of late, it is possible that it has changed the network settings in the system and might display spam advertisements. Thus, you have to disable the proxy server for your LAN. To do that, refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “inetcpl.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to pull up the Internet Properties.
After that, go to the Connections tab and select the LAN settings.
From there. Uncheck the “Use a Proxy Server” option for your LAN and then make sure that the “Automatically detect settings” option is checked.
Now click the OK and the Apply buttons.
Restart your PC.
Note: If you are using a third-party proxy service, you have to disable it.
Option 2 – Try to reset Winsock, TCP/IP & Flush DNS
Resetting Winsock, TCP/IP, and flushing DNS might help you resolve the ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED error. 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 – Try using a VPN connection
There are instances when the network that your computer is logged on might have blocked your access to the website you are trying to open and so to fix it, you can try to use a VPN connection. Once you’ve connected using VPN, try to open the website again and see if you can now access it.
Option 4 – Try clearing browser data
There are times when some data in the browser is conflicting with the loading of the website and triggers errors like ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED. And so you can try to clear your browser’s data. This might be a very basic solution but oftentimes it works in fixing this kind of error in Google Chrome. Follow the steps below to clear the data in your browser.
Open your Google Chrome browser.
After that, tap the Ctrl + H keys. Doing so will open a new panel that allows you to delete the browsing history and other data in your browser.
Now select every checkbox that you see and click on the Clear browsing data button.
Then restart your Chrome browser and check if you can now open any website or not.
Option 5 – Get rid of any conflicting browser extensions
Open Chrome and press Alt + F keys.
Go to More tools and click Extensions to look for any suspicious browser extensions or toolbars.
Click the Recycle bin and select Remove.
Restart Chrome and press Alt + F keys again.
Proceed to On Startup and mark Open a specific page or set of pages.
To check if the browser hijacker is still active, click Set pages, if it is active, overwrite the URL.
Note: If removing the browser extensions or toolbars didn’t work, you can also try to reset your Google Chrome browser.
Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
After that, click on Settings.
Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
One of the worst problems users can encounter on their computers is Blue Screen of Death errors as some of them are quite hard to fix. One of them is the “The driver detected a controller error” Blue Screen error. It could be followed by “DeviceIdeIdeport0 OR”, “on deviceharddisk0dr0”, or “DR3” or the name of the drive or port that’s causing the problem. If you are one of the users who encountered this error, then the suggestions provided in this post would definitely help you in fixing the problem.
Option 1 – Try to disconnect and reconnect all hardware and cables
A lot of users reported that they were able to fix the problem by disconnecting and reconnecting cables and hardware like scanners, printers, cameras can help in fixing the problem. In addition, you can also boot your computer in a Clean Boot State so that you can find the problematic hardware by hit and trial method. Refer to the steps below to do so:
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.)
Option 2 – Update the device drivers
Updating the outdated device drivers in your computer can also help in fixing the problem. To do so, refer to these steps:
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 any outdated device drivers and click on each one of them.
After that, right-click on each entry of the device drivers 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.
Option 3 – Try to update the BIOS
Updating the BIOS can help you fix the ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORY BSOD error 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.
Option 4 – Try running the Blue Screen Troubleshooter
You might also want to run the Blue Screen troubleshooter. It is one of the built-in tools in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing system issues including Blue Screen errors. It can be found in the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.
Option 5 – Try running the Memory Diagnostic Tool
The Memory Diagnostic tool in windows can help resolve the “The driver detected a controller error” Blue Screen error by checking and automatically fixing any memory-based issues. To run it, refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type mdsched.exe and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
After that, it will give two options such as:
Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)
Check for problems the next time I start my computer
Once your computer has restarted, perform a basic scan or you could also go for the “Advanced” options such as “Test mix” or “Pass count”. Simply tap the F10 key to start the test.
Note: After you select your preferred option, your computer will restart and check for memory-based issues. If it finds any issues, it will automatically fix them and if there’s no issue found, then it’s most likely not a memory-based issue so you should try the other options given below.
Option 6 – Replace your motherboard
If your computer is still under warranty, you should consider replacing your computer’s motherboard in case the options given above failed to work in fixing the Blue Screen error.
One of the most useful built-in tools in Windows 10 is the Check Disk or CHKDSK utility. It is the one that maintains the integrity of the disk that’s connected to a computer which can be launched using the GUI or graphical user interface and using the command line.
There are a lot of things that warrant the running of this built-in utility and one of these things is the readability of the disk. Recently, a number of users reported that they encountered an error when they tried to run the CHKDSK utility – the error states, “Cannot open volume for direct access”. This kind of error in CHKDSK appears each time the command line is launched according to the affected users.
As per the users who encountered this issue, they receive the following error messages when they tried running a ChkDsk command:
“C:WINDOWSsystem32>chkdsk /f g:
Cannot open volume for direct access.C:WINDOWSsystem32>chkdsk /f f:
The type of the file system is NTFS. Volume label is 0529357401.”
To fix the “Cannot open volume for direct user access” error, here are some suggestions that might help. Follow them carefully.
Option 1 – Try running the CHKDSK utility on Boot
On the other hand, you can also try to run the CHKDSK utility on Boot so you can fix the error and recover any damaged segments of the drive.
Open an elevated Command Prompt and enter this command: chkdsk /x /f /r
After that, you will a message that says, “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)”
Type Y and tap Enter to schedule a CHKDSK scan once your computer reboots next time.
Option 2 – Try to run the Primary Hard Disk Self Test
The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to run the Primary Hard Disk Self Test by following the steps below.
You need to boot your computer into the BIOS first.
After that, go to the Diagnostics tab and select the “Primary Hard Disk Self Test” option. Note that it may be different depending on the motherboard with different manufacturers but they should imply the same thing.
Now, wait until the test is completed, and then boot your computer normally.
Option 3 – Try to check the hard drive’s health
The next thing you can do to resolve the issue is to check the health of your hard drive using the WMIC utility in the Windows Command Prompt. This utility will check if your hard drive has any problems which resulted in the “Cannot open volume for direct user access” error.
Option 4 – Try to disable various restrictions on your hard drive
You might also want to disable the various restrictions on your hard drive since it is possible that it is encrypted or restricted which explains why you are unable to perform any operations in it and throws the “Cannot open volume for direct user access” error instead. For instance, if you have BitLocker, you can try to disable it and see if it fixes the error or not.
Option 5 – Try to uninstall or disable the Drive Locking feature on your hard drive
You could also look for any Drive Locking feature on your hard drive that tricks disk changes as it might be the root cause of the problem. Thus, if you find one, you need to either uninstall or disable it and then execute a check disk command to resolve the problem.
Option 6 – Try to disable the application service
Disabling the application service can also help you fix the problem. How? Refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “services.msc” in the field and then hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
Next, scroll down among the list of services and look for the service related to the security software or disk checker software.
Once you find it, right-click on that service and select Properties.
After that, change its Startup type to Disabled and click on the OK and Apply buttons to save the changes made.
Now restart your computer and don’t forget to enable the service back once the disk check is completed.
Option 7 – Try to use Repair Volume via Windows PowerShell
You could also try to use the Repair Volume using Windows PowerShell. All you have to do is open PowerShell as admin and type the “repair-volume -drive letter <DRIVE LETTER>” command and then tap Enter to run Repair Volume. This should resolve the error.
OEM Partition, also known as System Reserved Partition, is placed by the OEM to help users recover their computers or bring back the original state of the computer when it was bought. If you’ve observed that a part of your hard drive says “Healthy (OEM partition)” in the Disk Management and it occupies space in GBs, then this means that it’s normal and there’s nothing to worry about except that part of the storage space is not available and even when you right-click on it, the only thing it displays is the Help menu. Thus, in this guide, you will be guided on how you can merge as well as delete an OEM partition in your Windows 10 computer.
Since the Disk Management tool in Windows won’t let you merge or delete the OEM partition, you can just use the built-in command-line tool known as Diskpart. Note that you have to be extra careful when you run the commands as it could mess your computer up and before you proceed with the instructions provided below, make sure that you create a System Restore point first. Once you have that covered, follow the instructions below.
Step 1: Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “cmd” in the field and tap Enter to open the Command Prompt.
Step 2: Next, execute this command to launch the Diskpart tool: diskpartStep 3: Execute this second command to view the list of the disks in your computer: list diskStep 4: Now select the disk you want to manage by executing this command: select disk xNote: In the command above, replace “x” with the letter of your disk.
Step 5: After that, execute this command to display all the volumes or partitions: list partitionStep 6: Now execute this command to select the partition you want to delete: select partition xNote: You have to replace “x” with the partition you want to delete.
Step 7: Once done, execute this command to delete the selected partition: delete partition overrideStep 8: Afterwards, execute this command to merge the OEM partition with the adjoining value: ExtendNote: if you only want to merge part of the partition, you need to use this command “extend [size=<size>]”. For instance, you want to extend its size by 5GB, then you need to type “Extend size=5000”. The size you set is the size you select from the OEM partition. This will extend the selected volume by size in MB or megabytes.
Can not open and run EXE file in Windows is not a new issue and sadly it can still happen from time to time, luckily this step by step solution will help you to resolve this problem fast and effective in no time.
Try the below solutions in no particular order and I hope that you will solve the issue fast and be able to return to using the computer like it never happened
Run SFC scan
As the EXE file not opening issue lies in the Windows OS, the SFC tool will be able to identify the cause and fix this issue.
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X and choose command prompt (admin)
in command prompt type: sfc /scannow
Press ENTER
Check registry and modify if needed
Sometimes value in the registry key is wrong and can cause this error, in order to check if this is the case, we will open the registry editor and find out
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to bring run dialog up
type in it: RegEdit and press ENTERIn the left pane of the Registry Editor window, click on the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT to expand the section
Scroll down to find out the .exe registry and click on it
Go to the right pane of the window and double-click on the Default and set the Value Data as exefile
Click on the OK button
Next, located the given in the window: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT>exefile>shell>open>command
Click on the “Command” in the left pane of the window
In the right pane of the window double-click on the Default and set Value Data as “%1” %*Click on the OK button
Restart your computer and check if the issue persists
Turn off Firewall and defender
If you have a firewall and antivirus active there might be a chance of a conflict and that firewall or antivirus is preventing the EXE file from starting, disable your firewall and anti-virus and try again to open the EXE file.
Turn off user account control
User account control can also like a firewall prevent some files from executing, go into accounts and turn off user account control to see if this might be an issue preventing you from opening the file.
InternetSpeedTracker is a browser extension developed by MindSpark Inc. This browser add-on offer uses tips on how to boost their “bad” internet connection speed. It displays false internet speed in order to get you to open the sponsored links listed in the toolbar.
This extension also hijacks your browser home page and replaces your default search engine with MyWay. While browsing the internet you will see additional unwanted sponsored ads and links throughout your search results, and sometimes even pop-up ads might appear. While active this extension gathers personal information, website visits, links, and clicks and uses this data to serve ads.
InternetSpeedTracker has been flagged as a Browser Hijacker by several anti-virus scanners, and due to its data mining behavior, it is not recommended to keep it on your computer, especially because it gives false data about your internet speed.
About Browser Hijackers
Browser hijack is a very common type of online fraud where your internet browser settings are modified to allow it to carry out things you don’t intend. They’re created to disrupt browser functions for several purposes. It redirects you to the sponsored sites and inserts ads on the web browser which helps its developer generate earnings. Nevertheless, it’s not that naive. Your web safety is jeopardized and it is also extremely irritating. They don’t just ruin your web browsers, but browser hijackers could also modify the computer registry, making your PC vulnerable to other attacks.
How one can know if your web browser is hijacked
Signs that an internet browser is a hi-jacked include: the browser’s home-page is modified; you find yourself regularly directed to a different site than the one you meant; the default search engine is changed; unwanted new toolbars are added to your web browser; never-ending pop-up ads show up and/or your browser pop-up blocker is disabled; your web browser starts running sluggishly or displays frequent glitches; You simply can’t access specific sites, particularly anti-virus sites.
How they infect PCs
A browser hijacker can be installed on your computer when you check out an infected website, click an e-mail attachment, or download something from a file-sharing website. They are usually included with toolbars, BHO, add-ons, plugins, or browser extensions. A browser hijacker could also be installed as a part of freeware, shareware, demoware, and fake programs. A good example of a notorious browser hijacker is the most recent Chinese malware known as “Fireball”, which has attacked 250 million computer systems worldwide. It acts as a hijacker but can be turned into a fully functioning malware downloader afterward.
Browser hijackers could affect the user’s browsing experience greatly, keep track of the websites visited by users and steal private information, cause difficulty in connecting to the internet, and ultimately create stability issues, making software programs and systems freeze.
How to repair a browser hijack
Some hijackers could be removed by uninstalling the freeware they came with or by eliminating any extension you have recently added to your system. But, many hijackers are hard to get rid of manually. No matter how much you attempt to eliminate it, it can keep coming back over and over again. And there’s no denying the fact that the manual fixes and removal methods can be quite a complicated job for a rookie PC user. Furthermore, there are several risks connected with fiddling around with the system registry files.
What you can do if Virus Stops You From Downloading Anything?
Malware could cause all kinds of damage after they invade your system, ranging from stealing your private information to deleting data files on your computer system. Certain malware variants modify web browser settings by adding a proxy server or modify the computer’s DNS configuration settings. In such cases, you’ll be unable to visit some or all of the websites, and thus not able to download or install the necessary security software to remove the infection. If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re stuck with a virus infection that is preventing you to download or install the Safebytes Anti-Malware program on your PC. There are some fixes you can try to get around with this issue.
Install antivirus in Safe Mode with Networking
If the malware is set to load at Windows startup, then booting in Safe Mode should prevent it. Since only the minimal programs and services start-up in safe mode, there are rarely any reasons for issues to take place. Listed below are the steps you should follow to start your computer into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers (visit Microsoft site for instructions on Windows 8 and 10 PCs).
1) At power on/start-up, tap the F8 key in one-second intervals. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu.2) Select Safe Mode with Networking with arrow keys and hit Enter.3) As soon as this mode loads, you will have an internet connection. Now, utilize your web browser normally and navigate to https://safebytes.com/products/anti-malware/ to download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware.4) Right after the software program is installed, let the diagnostic scan run to remove trojans and other malware automatically.
Switch to an alternate web browser
Web-based viruses can be environment-specific, aiming for a particular internet browser or attacking specific versions of the browser. The best solution to avoid this issue is to opt for a browser that is known for its security features. Firefox comprises built-in Phishing and Malware Protection to keep you safe online.
Run anti-virus from a pen drive
Another technique is to download and transfer an anti-malware application from a clean PC to run a scan on the affected computer. Follow these steps to use a flash drive to clean your infected system.
1) Download Safebytes Anti-Malware or Microsoft Windows Defender Offline onto a clean PC.2) Insert the pen drive on the same system.3) Double-click the Setup icon of the anti-malware software package to run the Installation Wizard.4) Pick a USB flash drive as the place when the wizard asks you exactly where you would like to install the application. Follow the instructions on the computer screen to complete the installation process.5) Now, transfer the pen drive to the infected computer.6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the thumb drive by double-clicking the icon.7) Click the “Scan” button to run a full system scan and remove malware automatically.
Let's Talk About SafeBytes Anti-Malware!
Want to install the best anti-malware application for your laptop or computer? There are many applications available in the market which comes in free and paid versions for Windows computers. Some of them are great and some are scamware applications that pretend as legitimate anti-malware programs waiting to wreak havoc on your PC. When looking for an antimalware program, pick one which gives reliable, efficient, and total protection against all known viruses and malware. One of the recommended tools by industry leaders is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, the most dependable program for Windows computers.
SafeBytes anti-malware is a reliable tool that not only secures your system permanently but is also quite user-friendly for people of all ability levels. This application could easily identify, remove, and protect your personal computer from the most advanced malware attacks such as spyware, adware, trojan horses, ransomware, worms, PUPs, and other possibly damaging software applications.
SafeBytes has excellent features when compared to other anti-malware programs. Below are a few of the great ones:
World-class AntiMalware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal application can identify and remove numerous obstinate malware threats such as browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other common antivirus applications will miss.
Live Protection: SafeBytes gives real-time active supervision and protection from all known viruses and malware. They’re very effective in screening and eliminating different threats because they are regularly improved with new updates and alerts.
Web Security: SafeBytes provides an instant safety rating on the web pages you are going to visit, automatically blocking risky sites and making sure that you are certain of your safety while browsing the internet.
Very Low CPU and Memory Usage: SafeBytes provides complete protection from online threats at a fraction of the CPU load due to its enhanced detection engine and algorithms.
Premium Support: SafeBytes provides 24/7 technical support, automatic maintenance, and updates for the best user experience.
Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)
If you wish to manually remove InternetSpeedTracker without the use of an automated tool, it may be possible to do so by removing the program from the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser extensions, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. You will likely also want to reset your browser.
To ensure the complete removal, manually check your hard drive and registry for all of the following and remove or reset the values accordingly. Please note that this is for advanced users only and may be difficult, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. In addition, some malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. Doing this in Safe Mode is advised.
The following files, folders, and registry entries are created or modified by InternetSpeedTracker
If you have the HP printer, then you may come across this error. HP Printer Spooler not running errors does not mean there is anything wrong with your printer. It indicates printer driver issues.
Solution
Error Causes
There can be multiple causes behind the HP printer Spooler not running error code such as:
The poor or unsuccessful printer driver installation
Invalid registry entries
Though this is not a critical error code as it does not pose serious damage threats to your PC, however, it is advisable to resolve it as it can cause you a great deal of inconvenience especially if you want to take out printouts every now and then.
Further Information and Manual Repair
Here are some ways you can try to resolve HP Printer Spooler Not Running Error on your system:
1. Reinstall the HP Printer driver on Your System
Simply go to the control panel and then click on the Device Manager option
Once you click it you will see details pane with a list of devices. Now simply click on the printer, to reinstall the driver software.
Double click on it to open the properties dialog box
After that click on the driver tab and then click update driver
Once you update the driver, try using the Printer to see if it works. Sometimes you may come across a pop-up displaying the following message: ‘Driver installed correctly, Device is ready to use however, you may not see the printer under the printer’s pane. This triggers registry issues.
2. To resolve registry issues, install Restoro on your system.
This is a highly functional registry cleaner integrated with a powerful antivirus. It helps resolve registry issues, malware, and guarantees system optimization. This feature-filled tool is the answer to all your PC-related issues.
Restoro is a next-generation PC repair software that extends outstanding usability and helps PC users resolve errors efficiently.
Its simple navigation and user-friendly interface make it so easy to use that even novice users can also work around it and repair issues without any hassle or difficulty.
It’s a smart and intuitive in-built registry cleaner that wipes out all the unnecessary and obsolete files on your hard disk. This includes junk files, internet history, invalid registry keys, and files from the uninstalled old program versions.
Sometimes the files from the uninstalled programs hamper your ability to update new program versions thus leading to unsuccessful driver installation. Nonetheless, all such files are removed in seconds with this helper and you are then ready to reinstall the driver.
This registry cleaner cleans the clutter from your hard disk and optimizes your system's speed, lowering your PC boot time significantly. Total System Care can be used on all Windows versions
To fix the HP printer spooler not running error on your computer, simply click here to install Restoro. Run it to scan for the error and fix it in seconds. Once the issue is resolved, update the printer driver. You’ll see the driver will be updated successfully and the HP printer will also appear in the printer’s panel.
By installing Restoro on your system, you can also resolve several other issues like privacy errors triggered by malware and virus infections. With this tool, you will not have to download and run a separate anti-virus on your system.