
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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:
If you ask us, ESET has it all!
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:
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:
Both are excellent security tools, though we do prefer KTS a little more because of these additional options.
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:
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.
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:
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!
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:
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.
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!
“The boot configuration data store could not be opened”while you try to carry out any command on the bcedit.exe, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can fix this error in Windows 10. This kind of error could pop up if the system is not able to locate the specified file. It is also possible that the requested system device can’t be found or that the boot configuration data store could not be opened. In addition, when you open the System Configuration or MSConfig, you might notice that there is no Boot data, and according to the reports, is that when you try to dual boot the computer, the installer will replace the default bootloader.
PC Optimizer Pro is a PC optimizer utility developed by Xportsoft Technologies. It is classified as a potentially unwanted program, due to its aggressive scan and registration reminders, and that it is often distributed bundled with other programs in a manner that leads many users to not know how it got on their computer. While not inherently malicious, PC Optimizer Pro adds numerous registry keys, startup entries and while running consumes a relatively high amount of system resources, especially during its scans. The software installs from a .exe file that is around 5.20 MB or 5.453.240 Bytes (depending on the version). As of the publication of these videos, the current version of PC Optimizer Pro was detected as malicious or potentially unwanted by at least 21 AntiViruses.
Generated due to temporary device and Window system conflicts, Error code 14 is a typical Device Manager error. This error code can pop up anytime and usually displayed in the following format:
“This device cannot work properly until you restart your computer. (Code 14)”
Though it is not a fatal error code like the infamous Blue Screen of Death and runtime error codes, nonetheless it is still advisable to repair it immediately before any delay to avoid inconvenience.
It can lower your PC’s performance and hamper you from using certain hardware devices as a result of driver problems.
Error 14 is triggered when your system is unable to correctly read the files and settings which is important for running a certain piece of your PC hardware. Now this conflict may occur due to reasons like outdated, corrupted, or poorly installed drivers. Other causes may include corrupted registry entries.
Simply put, Error code 14 is a good reminder that PC users should pay attention to updating device drivers to ensure healthy systems and optimum PC performance.
The good news is that error code 14 is quite easy to resolve. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to hire a professional programmer to get it fixed. To repair, simply follow the DIY methods listed below.
We have compiled some of the best, proven, and easy to perform solutions for PC users to resolve Device Manager error codes like error code 14. Follow the instructions here to resume the functionality of your PC.
Let’s get started:
Sometimes, an action as simple as rebooting your PC can also resolve technical problems like error code 14. So, before you try any other method, try giving this a shot.
The moment the error code pops on your screen, simply close all the programs running on your system and restart your PC. This refreshes your system settings, processes and services allowing it to run smoothly.
However, if the error still persists, then try other methods given below.
Corrupted registry entry can also trigger error code 14. To resolve delete the corrupted registry entries. For this, go to the start menu and type Regedit. A dialog box will open. Now navigate through the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key. Expand further to locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlClass. Once located, now in the right pane click upper filters and then click delete on the edit menu. Click yes when prompted to confirm the deletion.
Now in the right pane, click lower filters. Repeat the same steps as performed to delete upper filters. Confirm deletion and then exit the registry editor. To activate changes, restart your PC. This will hopefully resolve the issue. If the error code pops up on your computer screen, then try method 3.
Drivers are basically software applications that communicate and provide instructions to your system to operate hardware devices.
When these become corrupt or outdated, you start experiencing problems like error code 14. To resolve, locate corrupted drivers and update them. You can do it both manually and automatically. We’ll discuss both ways.
For a manual driver update, go to the start menu, control panel, and then Device Manager. Now go through all devices listed to locate problematic drivers. To identify problematic drivers, look for yellow exclamation marks next to each device. Devices with yellow exclamation marks indicate that driver issues. To repair, right-click on each hardware device and select update driver.
Updating each driver separately and manually is a stressful and frustrating task. This can take a lot of your time. Sometimes, you may also have to download new driver versions from the internet to install perform updates. To avoid the hassle and save time, it is advisable to install a program like DriverFIX.
This user-friendly and intuitive software is based on sophisticated technology featuring an intelligent programming system that automatically detects all your PC drivers in seconds.
Once you install this software on your system, it instantly identifies problematic drivers and matches them to the latest versions. It updates PC drivers immediately thereby resolving the error code 14 problem in a few seconds. It enables accurate installations and ensures that your PC runs at its optimum level.
More importantly, with this software installed on your PC, you don’t have to worry about keeping track of your driver updates anymore. The software updates drivers on a regular basis with new and compatible versions ensuring that your PC functions properly and you don’t experience any type of Device Manager error code. It is easy to use and install. It is compatible with all Windows versions.
Click here to download DriverFIX to resolve error code 14 on your system right away.
nslookup xyz.com Server: dns.company.com Address: 192.168.1.38 C:> ping xyz.com Ping request could not find host xyz.com. Please check the name and try again.The domain is converted into an IP address and then data is sent to that IP address when you use PING. So when a reply comes back it means that the data is going back and forth to that domain without any problem. However, if the DNS fails to resolve the IP address of the website or if your PC does not attempt a DNS lookup, you will receive a similar error message that says, “Could not find host” and so on. To resolve this issue, here are some options that might help.
DEL /F /S /Q /A “%systemroot%System32driversepfwwfp.sys”
DEL /F /S /Q /A “%systemroot%System32driversmfewfpk.sys”