Removing old drivers from Windows 10

In today's age of smart gadgets and complete replacement of even some simple things with their smart counterpart, it is not really a surprise to see some strange innovations that try to take advantage of modern technology.

One of these innovations is a smart book, or to be more precise smart note, a reusable notebook that could be connected to your phone.

Why Rocketbook Fusion smartbook

One thing that could justify, well it should justify buying Rocketbook is the preservation of trees and the environment since it can be reused. The second argument would be its price since it is not expensive considering what it offers.

On top of all, you also have a free application for your phone in order to take full advantage of it.

What is a smartbook?

Imagine this scenario, you have a notebook of 42 pages with several different page styles inside. You write in it and after it is filled you upload its content to your email or cloud service of your choice, get a cloth, erase everything and start again from zero.

So as mentioned notebook comes with 42 pages of various page styles. Most of the pages are either lined or dotted but the notebook also includes a monthly calendar, two-week detailed calendar pages, and three pages for project or idea tracking. Since everything can be erased this is enough variety to cover all basis and eliminate any need for another workbook ever.

When you feel like you want to save work or once it is filled you can easily upload and save the workbook from the scan page option in the free Rocketbook app. Once scanned pages can be uploaded to your preferred cloud service or sent to your email.

Now in order to write and be able to erase any of Rocketbook's notebooks, you will have to use Pilot's Frixion writing pens. They will dry around 15s on the page and can be of course easily wiped with a damp microfiber cloth that is included with the purchase. One pen also comes with a workbook when purchased.

Application

Application has cool features, of course, the most important and most useful one is setting your upload scan destination so when you scan your pages they get automatically uploaded to your chosen destination.

In the application settings, you can also toggle some handwriting recognition features that will allow you to easily search your uploaded documents. For example, you can search through documents just by writing now or two words. There is also a Smart List feature as well that will take your checklist and make it into a virtual checklist.

The app also has a fun Explore section where you can find all sorts of fun hacks and different ideas on how to use your Rocketbook.

Cyclic Redundancy Check Error - What is it?

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

Error Causes

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

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

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

Further Information and Manual Repair

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

Run the CHKDSK application.

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

Microsoft has officially announced details about the newest upgrades to its office 365 suite moving forward along with its new OS release. It seems that Microsoft has listened to its user base and feedback since Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are getting much-needed redesign taking into account many suggestions from the community. The new office should feel more like an application suite guiding focus on the interconnection of applications themselves providing users with a much more natural experience of using them.

The new office features so far

From Microsoft themselves:

“This Office visual refresh is based on feedback from customers who asked for a more natural and consistent experience within and between your applications, specifically on Windows. With this update, we deliver an intuitive, coherent, and familiar user interface, using the Fluent Design principles, across all your applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access, Project, Publisher, and Visio. We aligned this visual refresh with the design of Windows 11 to provide seamless experiences on your PC.”

It is always refreshing to hear when a company listens to its user base and actually does what is needed instead of trying to invent the wheel.

How to switch

Since beta is already rolling and if you have an active 365 subscription to office suite visual refresh will be automatically available to all Office insiders running beta channel builds. It can be turned on and off using the coming soon feature in the top right corner of the menu in any application. Just click on the megaphone icon to open the coming soon pane and apply settings to all office apps. Note that The Coming Soon feature is not available in Access, Project, Publisher, or Visio. If you turn on the visual refresh in any of the 4 apps mentioned above (Work Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote), it will also be available in these 4 apps.

Difference themselves

The Home tab menu still has a familiar look with a few tweaks. For example, accessing frequently used Word commands will be a lot easier. By navigating to Designer > Show Quick Access Toolbar, users can add a customizable shortcut ribbon to Word that houses conveniently placed options. Also, the office will not match your Windows operating system color theme so if you have a dark theme enabled, the office will also have a dark color theme. Color palettes are more neutral, corners are a bit softer but customizable ribbons are a win here for me.

Conclusion

There was not much said other than visual upgrades and small tweaks that were supposed to make your life easier but then again Windows 11 itself is in the same boat. I am not sure if this is a great update offering just some visual tweaks and focus on workflow mechanics or just being plain lazy and trying to cash in visuals as a completely new product.

As you know, the Taskbar is one of the integral parts of the Windows desktop and it has been there since the release of Windows 1.0 and up until now with Windows 10. Since then, Microsoft has been modifying the Taskbar with a new design which makes it a home for new features such as Windows Search, Task View, and many more. However, there are times when you may that the Taskbar has disappeared or has stopped responding. If you experience either one of these scenarios, read on as this post will walk you through what you can do to resolve the problem. Here are some suggestions you can check out to resolve the issue with the Taskbar in Windows 10 but before you proceed, make sure that you create a System Restore point first. To do that, follow these steps:

• In the Start search, type in “create a restore point” and click the entry “System Properties”.
• Next, select the main system drive under Protection Settings and click on the Configure button.
• After that, select the “Turn on system protection” option and then click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.

Once you’ve created a System Restore point, refer to the troubleshooting steps below to fix the Taskbar in Windows 10.

Option 1 – Try to restart the Explorer process

This may sound really basic but it actually is a proven method to fix the Taskbar issue. So if anything gets stuck on the system tray or the Taskbar, you can always fix it by restarting the explorer.exe. How? Refer to these steps:

• First, right-click on the Taskbar and select the Task Manager.
• After opening the Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for the process named “Windows Explorer”.
• Then right-click on that process and select the option to Restart. Afterward, you should now be seeing the Taskbar as this will reload the whole Windows Shell.

Option 2 – Unhide the Taskbar using the Settings app

It is possible that the Taskbar could be hidden so you can try to unhide it using the Settings app.

• Tap the Win + I keys to open Settings.
• After that, go to Personalization > Taskbar.
• From the main section, make sure that the “Automatically hide the task in desktop mode” is toggled to the off position. However, if it’s already off then proceed to the next options below.

Option 3 – Make sure that you are not in Tablet Mode

Since Windows 10 is designed to work on both desktop and mobile devices, it could be that your computer has slipped into Tablet Mode which explains why you’re not seeing the Taskbar. To check if your computer is really in Tablet Mode, follow these steps:

• Go to the Start menu and select Settings.
• Next, select the System setting and from the left pane select the Tablet Mode.
• From there, make sure that the buttons next to the options given below are set to the off position:
  • Hide app icons on the taskbar in tablet mode
  • Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode

Option 4 – Try to check the Projection Settings

You might also want to check the Projection settings as it could be the reason why Taskbar has disappeared.

• Tap the Win + P keys to open the Windows Projection settings.
• Next, make sure that you select the “PC screen only” option and then check if your Taskbar has now appeared or not.

A lot of users complain about low storage space each time a Windows Feature update is released as well as to complain about not being able to download the updates, slow update experience, and many other complaints. The main issue is that many users do not have enough storage space available on their PCs. And now to make sure that none of the updates gets stuck because of low storage space, Microsoft presented the Reserved Storage feature which comes preinstalled with v1903 or those where v1903 was clean installed. This guide will be showing you how you can enable or disable the Reserved Storage in your Windows 10 computer. As you know, the Windows Update process should have enough space so that it can download, extract and apply the update on the computer. Usually, the size of the Reserved Storage is around 7GB which gives enough space for the update, temporary files, system caches, apps, and many more. And according to Microsoft, the size of the Reserved Storage space will vary from time to time and will depend on how you use your computer.

Explanation

The Reserved Storage space feature is enabled by default on devices that come preinstalled with the May 2019 update or after performing a clean installation of the Windows 10 OS. To check if your computer has this feature, you need to go to Settings > System > Storage and from there click on the “Show more categories” link and then click on the “System & reserved” option. However, if you can’t find the Reserved Storage from the list, then it’s probably because your computer has limited space on the hard disk or it is not a fresh or new install. On the other hand, if you have this feature but have no use for it and want to disable it instead, then read on as this post will also show you how it’s done.

Solution

Keep in mind that when you disable the Reserved Storage feature, chances are, you might be unable to enable it back so you need to make sure that it’s really what you want to do before you disable it permanently. So if you really want to disable Reserved Storage, you can do so using the Registry Editor. Before you proceed, you have to create a System Restore point first and then carry out the following steps.

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionReserveManager
• From there, double click on the DWORD named “ShippedWithReserves” and set its value to “1”.
• Once you’re done, restart your computer and see if the Reserved Storage feature is now gone.

On the other hand, if you want to reduce the Reserved Storage space, there are two ways you can do that. First, you can go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Manage optional features and from there, uninstall the optional features that you do not use. The second one is you have to go to Settings > Time & Language > Language and then uninstall the languages and their add-on which you don’t use. Note: The Reserved Storage feature is also used by system processes and apps to create temporary files and once the Reserved Storage space fills up, Windows 10 will delete them automatically. It is undeniable a useful feature so disabling it is not recommended but if you are running on low storage space and don’t have much choice, then you may disable it at your own risk.

Toolbar.Dll is one of the most destructive software you will encounter on your Personal Computer. For every report out there you read about threats to your Windows PC, a significant number speak about Toolbar.Dll. Technically, this is non-essential to the functioning of your computer yet poses great dangers to your computer's security. It can cause massive destruction if not properly resolved.

Solution

Error Causes

As suggested below, the sources of Toolbar.Dll are many and broad: a) Misconfigured System: Nothing causes this malfunction on your own Computer a lot more than having a misconfigured system. You ought to anticipate this malfunction and repair the situation before it gets worse. Especially if you have Toolbar.Dll files on your computer. More often than not the situation can only get worse. b) Broken Windows OS File: the 2nd trigger of Toolbar.Dll, and that is linked to the primary aforementioned one, is a broken Windows OS file. Fix it as soon as you realize its existence. c) Installation Issues: If you poorly install Windows on your PC, you generate a loophole by which Toolbar.Dll malfunction might appear. You essentially provide a massive possibility to the Toolbar.dll error to affect your Computer, if you neglect to finish an install or uninstall procedure. d) Removing Programs and Hardware Incorrectly: When you decide to remove programs and hardware, you need to exercise caution. Should you be rash with this specific procedure, you raise the odds of striking the Toolbar.Dll malfunction on your Personal Computer. e) Incorrect Shut-Down: unless you want to strike this malfunction, ensure that you shut down your Computer procedurally. Regardless of what hurry you might be in, always power down your computer correctly.

Further Information and Manual Repair

In the event you strike the Toolbar.Dll malfunction on your Personal Computer, you shouldn't get frightened. But, prior to starting considering of ways that to fix this malfunction, you should look for the signs, to be able to recognize it. The malfunction exists in your Computer in circumstances where software programs can't load properly. The situation might be repaired in numerous methods, as revealed below:

• Switch on your computer, and log in as the superuser/admin. Next, select All Programs, subsequently go to Accessories. Under Accessories, choose System Tools. Click on System Restore from the menu.
• A fresh window will appear. In the new window, find the choice designated "Restore My Pc To An Earlier Time", before you click next.
• Search for the newest System Restore update from "On This List, Click a Restore Point" before you click Next once more.
• Pick Next when a verification window appears on the screen. After the complete procedure is done, reboot the pc and the Toolbar.Dll malfunction will soon be no further.

Each of the measures suggested previously, are for advanced pc users. You must obtain the very best software on the web to eliminate this malfunction, in case you are a non-techie. Alternately, contact a tech to help fixing the problem.

Typical use of file explorer will probably not need any kind of elevated privileges, but from time to time you might encounter some tasks that will require administrator rights in order to perform them. If this is the case you will need to run file explorer with these rights but inside Windows 11 that is somewhat hidden and not 1 click away. How this is the case we have decided to put a little tutorial on how to accomplish this very task and run file explorer with administrator privileges.

Open File Explorer via EXE file

1. Open File Explorer typically
2. Navigate to This PC > Windows (C:) > Windows
3. Locate file explorer application
4. Right-click on it and select Run as Administrator
5. Run File Explorer

A new instance of file explorer will pop with elevated administrator privileges.

Run it as an administrator using the Task Manager

1. Open the Task Manager ( CTRL + SHIFT + ESC )
2. Click on More details (at the bottom)
3. After the task manager expands click on the File tab
4. Click on Run New Task
5. Type in explorer.exe and check the box next to it that says Create this task with administrative privileges
6. Click on OK

File Explorer will now run as administrator.

BubbleDock is a software developed by Nosibay. It installs a customizable dock at the top of your screen.

It adds registry entities to allow it to start automatically each time your system is rebooted, as well as installing an update checker that will automatically update the software when an update is available. The software also adds various scheduled tasks to start the application at different times, this ensures that once the application is closed, it is re-launched at a later time, making it very hard to keep the software closed permanently.

While the software is running, it will generate ad links in your browser, display sponsored ads, and collect personal information and deliver it back to it’s ad network. While using this software you may see additional ads, banners, links, pop-up ads, and various other sponsored content while browsing the internet.

About Potentially Unwanted Applications

Have you ever found out an unwanted program running on your computer system and wondered exactly how the heck it got there? A PUA / PUP (potentially unwanted application / potentially unwanted program) is actually a piece of software that comes bundled with freeware and you consent to install it on your computer. These are programs you certainly don’t want on your computer since it does not provide any beneficial service. From a technical standpoint, a PUP isn’t “true” malware. An interesting difference between PUP and malware is distribution. Malware is commonly dropped via vulnerability exploitation whereas PUP gets installed with the consent of the user, who purposefully or unwittingly authorizes the PUP installation on their PC. Although a PUP is not malware by definition, it can still be harmful software and put your computer at risk exactly the same way a computer virus does.

Exactly how do PUPs look like?

PUPs come in many forms; however, most of them are adware, which usually displays irritating adverts and advertising banners on internet pages that you’re surfing. PUPs which come as browser add-ons and toolbars are widely recognizable. These toolbars alter your homepage and your default search engine in the installed web browser, track your internet activities, modify your search results with re-directs and sponsored hyperlinks, and eventually slow down your internet browser and diminish your web browsing experience. Potentially Unwanted Programs occasionally act quite much like viruses or spyware. They will carry dialers, keyloggers, as well as other software built right into them that may monitor you or deliver your sensitive details to 3rd parties. Even if the PUPs are not basically malicious, these applications still do practically nothing good on your personal computer – they’ll take precious system resources, slow your PC, weaken your device’s security, and make your PC more susceptible to viruses.

Preventing PUPs

• Study the fine print to be sure the end-user license agreement (EULA) you are accepting is only for the program you actually intend to download. • Never accept standard, express, default, or other installation settings which are recommended. Always opt for custom installation. • Use a good anti-malware program. Try Safebytes Anti-Malware which will spot PUPs and handle them as malware by flagging them for deletion. • Avoid shareware or freeware wherever possible. Disable or get rid of toolbars and browser extensions you don’t actually need. • Don’t download software from popups, online advertising, file sharing sites, as well as other unreliable sources; look out for any pre-set, unwanted features when downloading the program. Avoid heading to blogs and websites that promote pirated programs.

How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected Computer

Practically all malware is inherently unsafe, but certain kinds of malicious software do a lot more damage to your computer than others. Certain malware goes to great lengths to prevent you from downloading or installing anything on your personal computer, particularly antivirus applications. So what should you do if malicious software keeps you from downloading or installing Anti-Malware? There are some solutions you could try to get around with this particular obstacle.

Install in Safe Mode with Networking

Safe Mode is a unique, simplified version of Microsoft Windows where only the bare minimum services are loaded to stop malware and other troublesome applications from loading. In the event, the malicious software is set to load immediately when the PC starts, switching to this mode can prevent it from doing so. In order to enter into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press the F8 key while the PC is starting up or run MSCONFIG and look for the “Safe Boot” options under the “Boot” tab. After you restart the PC into Safe Mode with Networking, you may download, install, as well as update the anti-malware program from there. Now, you can run the anti-virus scan to remove computer viruses and malware without interference from another application.

Switch to some other internet browser

Web-based malware could be environment-specific, aiming for a particular internet browser or attacking specific versions of the web browser. If you’re not able to download the security software program using Internet Explorer, this means the virus may be targeting IE’s vulnerabilities. Here, you must switch over to a different browser like Firefox or Chrome to download Safebytes Anti-malware software.

Create a portable USB antivirus for removing viruses

Here’s yet another solution which is creating a portable USB antivirus software that can scan your computer for malware without needing installation. Abide by these steps to run the anti-virus on the affected computer. 1) Use another virus-free computer to download 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) When asked, select the location of the USB drive as the place where you would like to put the software files. Follow the activation instructions. 5) Now, transfer the USB drive to the infected PC. 6) Double-click the antivirus program EXE file on the flash drive. 7) Hit the “Scan Now” button to start the virus scan.

Benefits and Features of SafeBytes Security Suite

To protect your computer from many different internet-based threats, it’s very important to install an anti-malware application on your laptop. However, with so many antimalware companies in the marketplace, these days it’s tough to decide which one you should obtain for your PC. A few of them are excellent, some are ok types, and some will destroy your computer themselves! You should pick one that is efficient, practical, and has a strong reputation for its malware source protection. While considering the highly regarded software programs, Safebytes Anti-Malware is undoubtedly the highly recommended one. SafeBytes anti-malware is a powerful, highly effective protection application intended to help end-users of all levels of computer literacy in identifying and eliminating harmful threats out of their personal computer. After you have installed this software program, SafeBytes' superior protection system will ensure that no viruses or malicious software can seep through your personal computer. There are numerous great features you’ll get with this security product. Let’s check out a few of them below: Live Protection: Malware programs attempting to get into the computer are identified and stopped as and when detected by the SafeBytes real-time protection shields. They’re very efficient in screening and getting rid of different threats since they’re constantly improved with the latest updates and safety measures. Robust Anti-malware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal tool is able to identify and get rid of many stubborn malware threats like browser hijackers, potentially unwanted programs, and ransomware that other common antivirus applications will miss. Internet Security: SafeBytes gives an instant safety rating about the web pages you’re about to visit, automatically blocking dangerous sites and ensuring that you are certain of your safety while browsing the net. “Fast Scan” Abilities: Safebytes AntiMalware, with its enhanced scanning engine, provides ultra-fast scanning that will promptly target any active online threat. Lightweight: This program is not “heavy” on the computer’s resources, so you will not find any performance problems when SafeBytes is operating in the background. 24/7 Guidance: Expert technicians are at your disposal 24/7! They will quickly fix any technical issues you may be experiencing with your security software.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you wish to manually remove BubbleDock 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 BubbleDock

As we near the end of 2022 we look at the current best antivirus software for popular platforms, why they are the best, and why you should get them.

Avira, a great free Antivirus

Avira has been around a long time with its free antivirus version of the larger protection suite. It had its ups and downs but the latest versions are really great. With high-speed scans and low system impact, Avira antivirus is really one of the best free antivirus software currently on the market.

The software itself has also received UI & UX updates making it straightforward and easy to use. The virus scanning engine is the same as in paid version that ranks among the top engines in the world for this type of work. The package also gives you some great browser protection and a good firewall as well, there is really no excuse to skip on this if you want a free solution.

The only thing that we would say is not so great in Avira is reporting some false positives, sometimes even for MS updates, it is rare but it can happen.

Malwarebytes, a powerful Windows antivirus

Malwarebytes Premium is easy to use, simple antivirus solution that shies away from complicated UI, and simply put, it just works. Its scanning engine is well-known and places among the top and best in the world often finding some malware that other can miss.

Another great thing is its integration with Windows itself, it is one of the rare applications that can and will work incredibly well beside your typical Windows protection tools so you can have both of them running at the same time.

Installation and running are really simple and every typical PC user will find it as easy as walking in the park. On the other hand, sadly system impact is a little high and it will have issues running on lower-end systems due to its memory requirements.

Intego MAC Internet Security X9, the best Mac antivirus

Gone are the days when MAC had no virus issues, since MAC rose in popularity among the users, also rose the number of viruses and malware. The system itself has some great protection built it inside but for more security and better control of it, you will need a third-party dedicated solution.

Intego was made by Mac antivirus experts who have been building this kind of software last 25 years. The interface is easy to use and premade presets are really helpful, but the security suite can also be customized to fit your needs and desires.

Since this is only available as a security suite, you are getting a firewall and some other security tools along with your antivirus that will run as a part of it.

The bad side is that scans can sometimes run slow, most of the time they are OK in terms of speed but occasionally they can switch to slower speeds and impact scanning time to some annoying times. Also, there is no webcam protection nor VPN service included where others on this list have them.

Bitdefender mobile security: best Android protection

While protection is not only needed for your gaming or workstation, software suites that are dealing with mobile and tablet security exist. The best of them is the Bitdefender antivirus mobile suite. Low on system resources and low on performance impact with the really great virus detection rate Bitdefender is at the top of suites for your phone.

Consistent high virus detection packed with low battery impact is great but the suite comes with tons of other tools as well like browser security tools, email protection, and real-time link and notification protection.

The application will always scan each file and newly installed application in the background and alert and cut off any found threat. App itself is easy to install and use and most of the time it will do everything in the background for you but offer you customization if you need it.

The package also includes VPN and application lock that will let you protect the critical applications from being accessed as well as an online account scanner. Anti-theft and anti-loss tools, which allow you to find, remotely lock or wipe a stolen or lost device, add yet another layer of protection.

One thing that is missing from this great package is fraudulent call protection. Newer Android phones have this feature inside but it would be nice if Bitdefender had it as well.

Bitdefender, the best antivirus software

Now that we have covered specific cases of each platform, there is one player that has all of them covered and with a quality product, that player is BitDefender and it is great. Personally, this is my protection suite of choice and as I type this it is running in the background.

Bitdefender has it all, low system impact, as a matter of fact, it is one, if not, the lowest performance impact engine on the market currently and that is packed with a great and highly consistent virus & malware detection suite. Along with real-time malware protection, browser security, and anti-spam tools, you also get anti-phishing defenses, ransomware protection, and a strong firewall.

Bitdefender scores are very high in both the zero-day threat and real-world protection tests at AV-Test, an established organization that tests antivirus software. Despite being tested against tens of thousands of well-known and widespread malware threats, the software consistently achieves a 100% blocking rate.

The suite also comes with a restricted free VPN and with parental controls as well. Webcam and microphone protection are also included in the suite and on top of all, it has great pricing plans and constant discounts.

BitDefender is really a great package and it might sound too good, but after years and years of personally using it I have not had single malware or virus issue, the only thing that I would put as a negative is that system is severely slowed down when system scans are performed so be sure to run or schedule them when you are not using your computer. This, of course, can put some people off and I will admit it is a serious drawback but for me, the security of my workstation is more important than leaving the computer for 20 or so minutes in order to perform a full scan of the system.

In this post, you will be guided on how you can set up the USB tethering feature on your Windows 10 computer and share your mobile device’s mobile data so other devices can also access the internet. Tethering is usually known as Wi-Fi tethering which allows users to share mobile data to any device with Wi-Fi, laptops included. This is really useful especially when you have no other way to access the internet. For instance, if you are using a desktop computer and there is no way for you to connect to the Ethernet, and you have no Wi-Fi adapter that you can use to connect to a router as well, you can use USB tethering instead to access the internet. It is almost similar to Wi-Fi tethering except that it works over a USB connection instead of a Wi-Fi adapter. USB tethering is almost quite the same as an Ethernet connection except that it’s faster compared to Wi-Fi tethering as well as Bluetooth tethering. Just like Wi-Fi tethering, USB tethering is free unless your network carrier has blocked it. Thus, it’s better if you make that clear with your operator. Once you have that covered,

Follow the instructions provided below to set up USB tethering on your Windows 10 computer.

Step 1: First, connect your mobile device to your Windows 10 computer using a USB cable. Step 2: If it asks you to enable the file transfer feature, just cancel it. A prompt that says, “Tethering or Hotspot active—Tap to setup” should be available as soon as you get connected – tap on it. Note: If there is no prompt, just go to Settings > Network and Internet > Hotspot and Tethering and from there, toggle on the USB tethering option. Step 3: Afterwards, the setup will create a new network adapter in Windows 10 automatically and your computer should now be connected to the internet using USB tethering. Note: You have to make sure that the Wi-Fi connection in your mobile device is turned off and if it is connected to an existing network, the USB tethering will be disabled but if you see its status as enabled, then the USB tethering setup is successfully done. In addition, keep in mind that the location of tethering can be different for every phone, especially on a customized operating system such as RealMe, Redmi, Samsung, and any other mobile device although they are clubbed in the section of Mobile and Data Network. In case you encounter some problems when using USB tethering in your Windows 10 computer, there are troubleshooting tips you should follow. The NDIS-based Internet Sharing Device network adapter is what Windows 10 uses to make USB tethering possible so if it stops working, follow the options provided below.

Option 1 – Perform basic check

The first thing you can do if you encounter problems in USB tethering is to do a basic check like checking if Wi-Fi is enabled automatically as well as check if the USB cable is disconnected or if you’ve turned off USB tethering accidentally.

Option 2 – Try installing or updating the USB RNDIS adapter

RNDIS or Remote Network Driver Interface Specification can also help you resolve any USB tethering problem. If the pre-installed driver does not help you in connecting to the internet, then you can try installing the USB RNDIS driver that is, if it’s not installed yet. If it is already installed, you can try to update it instead.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.
• Next, expand the Network adapters section and look for the Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device. But if you are using a Samsung smartphone, you might see “Samsung” instead of under Network adapters.
• Right-click on it and then select the “Update driver” option.
• Then select the “Browse my computer for driver software” option.
• After that, select the “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer” option.
• Now uncheck the checkbox for “Show compatible hardware”.
• From the given list on your left-hand side, look for Microsoft and then select the Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device on your right-hand side.
• Click on Next. A new popup will appear where you have to click on Yes. This will install the driver.
• Now click on the Close button and restart your computer.