22H2 update for Windows 11 will arrive later this year and although Microsoft is not releasing anything big there will be some interesting improvements and fixes. We take a look at some that caught our attention.
Phishing protection
One of the most interesting upcoming features is enhanced phishing protection. Microsoft Defender SmartScreen will be upgraded to alert users when they try to store passwords in plain text files and also if they accidentally type in a Microsoft account password on phishing sites.
"These enhancements will make Windows the world's first operating system with phishing safeguards built directly into the platform and shipped out of the box to help users stay productive and secure without having to learn to be their own IT department,"
Microsoft
File Explorer gets tabs, a modern sidebar, and contextual suggestions
Finally, Windows File explorer is getting tabs that will allow much easier management of folders and files inside it.
It is confirmed that Microsoft is also working on a new 'HOME' sidebar that should be modern in design and in features including OneDrive so you can find everything in one place.
Pinning of favorite files was also mentioned so you can easily pin favorites for quick access.
Full-screen widgets
Windows 11 has brought back widgets in a new way and from all the feedback users are loving them. Currently, you have a widget sidebar on the left part of the screen where you have your chosen store widgets but from the Microsoft teaser, we will have soon the option to have them in full screen.
If you are using a widget for reading news, blogs, etc. this feature will be very good since you will be able to use your whole screen for information and not just a part of it.
Suggested actions
Another new feature is 'suggested actions' which is going to be particularly useful in apps like Microsoft Teams. With this new feature, you can highlight a date in a Teams message and Windows will suggest actions.
For example, if you highlight a date, you'll see a recommendation to create an event in Microsoft Calendar for that day.
Interrupts are designed so that the resource requests don’t get into a headlock when it comes to the hardware level. To simply put it, it is used to break a loop that never ends. Aside from that, developers also designed levels in order to prioritize interrupts. It is also known as “Interrupt Request Level” or IRQL. And if you suddenly encounter a “Bugcode 0xA –IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL” error, this means that a driver has accessed a memory location illegally while NT is operating at a specific IRQL.
The Bugcode 0xA –IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL is a fatal driver coding error and as an end-user, there isn’t much that you can do to resolve it but if you’re a developer, then this means that your code is trying to access an invalid memory location. You could check on different parameters such as memory location that was referenced and code addressed which referenced memory. The technical parameters are:
a memory location that was referenced
IRQL at time of reference
0 = read, 1 = write
code addressed which referenced memory
As mentioned earlier, if you are an end-user, there is nothing much that you can do to resolve this problem, but worry not for there are still possible solutions that could help you in fixing it. Refer to the suggestions laid out below to fix Bugcode 0xA –IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error.
Option 1 – Try running the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
The first thing you can do to fix the problem is by running the Hardware Troubleshooter. Although it won’t make much of a difference, there’s still a possibility that it could automatically fix the problem. To use it, refer to these steps:
The first thing you need to do is click on Start and then on the gear-like icon to pull up the window for Settings.
After opening Settings, look for the Update and Security option and select it.
From there, go to the Troubleshoot option located on the left-hand side of the list.
Next, select Hardware and Devices from the list and open the Troubleshooter and run it. Once it is doing its job, wait for it to complete the process and then restart the system.
After the system restarts, check if the problem’s now fixed. If not, refer to the next option given below.
Option 2 – Try to update or rollback your device drivers
If the first option didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.
Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.
Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.
Option 3 – Run the Memory Diagnostic Tool to check for Memory leaks
Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type 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 the option, your PC 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.
NVIDIA is undeniably the market leader as a Graphics Card manufacturer. Recently, NVIDIA came about a feature known as NVIDIA Share. This feature allows users to carry out a number of tasks such as streaming, recording, and sharing their gameplay with other users. NVIDIA Share allows users to take multiple snapshots of the gameplay which brings in capabilities to get the memories of the moments that happen during an awesome game. However, as of late, there were reports that NVIDIA Share is not working or responding. So if you are one of the users who are currently facing this issue, then read on as this post will guide you in resolving it. Make sure to follow the options given below carefully for a successful result.
Option 1 – Try to update the drivers from the official site of NVIDIA
The first thing you can do is to update the drivers from the official site of NVIDIA. And in case you don’t know the type of Nvidia graphics card that your computer is on, follow the steps below:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next type in “dxdiag” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
From there, you can see what type of Nvidia graphics card that your system is on.
Take note of your graphics card information and then look for the best drivers for your operating system. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the file, restart your PC.
Option 2 – Try to roll back the driver to the previous version
If the first option didn’t work for you, then it’s time to roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh.
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the NVIDIA Drivers and expand them.
Next, select the driver entries that are labeled appropriately.
Then select each one of them and double click to open a new mini window.
After that, make sure that you’re on the Driver tab and if you are not, just navigate to it then click the Roll Back Driver button to switch back to the previous version of the NVIDIA Drivers.
Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 3 – Try disabling NVIDIA Share
If the first two options given above didn’t work then you might want to try disabling NVIDIA Share. In case you didn’t make any modifications to the driver, chances are either your driver is out of date or there are some issues with the installation of the drivers. For you to find out, you need to first check if your NVIDIA drivers are really up to date. Once you’ve confirmed it, you can now disable the NVIDIA Share feature. Just refer to the steps below to do that.
Search for the NVIDIA GeForce Experience in the search box and then click on the appropriate result to open it.
After you open the NVIDIA GeForce Experience, go to the General tab.
Next, scroll down to the NVIDIA Share section and then select the toggle to turn off this feature.
Now restart your computer and try to check if there are any updates available for the NVIDIA Graphics card and install them again if there are any.
This post will guide you in fixing high CPU, Memory, and Disk usage problems caused by NTOSKRNL.exe. NTOSKRNL stands for “NT Operating System Kernel. This file is a kernel image that is responsible for a lot of systems-based processes such as Hardware Virtualization, Process, and Memory. Aside from that, it is also the one that compresses the old pages of memory that reduces the overall amount of memory being used. If you notice that your computer is running slowly and you find that the NTOSKRNL.exe file is hogging your resources such as disk usage, CPU usage as well as memory usage, then read on as this post will guide you in fixing the problem caused by NTOSKRNL.exe.
Make use of the options given below to resolve the issues caused by NTOSKRNL.exe.
1] Scan your computer for potential malware
There might be a good chance that your computer might be infected with malware. And this malware might be associated with the NTOSKRNL.exe file and hence making it consume a lot of system resources. So, I would really recommend you to make sure that your Antivirus is up to date and then scan your computer with it specifically the C:/Windows/System32 folder because this is the location where the NTOSKRNL.exe file is located.
Option 1 – Put your computer in a Clean Boot State
The first thing you have to do is to put your computer in a Clean Boot State as this can help you in finding any incompatible programs that are causing the problem.
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.)
From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.
Once you’ve found any incompatible programs, you need to uninstall them. Refer to the steps below to do so.
In the search box, type in “control” and then click on Control Panel (desktop app) among the search results.
After that, select Programs and Features from the list which will give you a list of all the programs installed on your computer.
From there, look for the concerned program and select it and then uninstall it.
Note: If you have downloaded the app from the Windows Store, you can simply right-click on it from the application list and then uninstall it.
Option 2 – Update or rollback drivers
If the first option didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.
Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.
Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.
Option 3 – Try to run the DISM tool
If the first two options didn’t work, then running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management might. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.
Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.
Option 4 – Try to stop the Runtime Broker process
The RuntimeBroker.exe or the Runtime Broker process is the one that monitors access to Windows APIs to make sure that the apps do not violate the core security of Windows. This process usually leaves a very small footprint. However, there are times when it consumes more resources than it’s supposed to and does not release memory after the work is done that results in a memory leak. As a result, it affects NTOSKRNL.exe which is why you have to stop the Runtime Broker process. To do so, refer to these steps:
Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
After opening Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for the Runtime Broker process.
Once you find it, check if it is using more than 15% of your memory. If it is, then you most likely have an issue with an app installed on your computer.
Select the Runtime Broker process and right-click on it and then click on the End Task option to end its process.
Option 5 – Try to run the Performance Troubleshooter
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Type “msdt.exe /id PerformanceDiagnostic” in the field and hit Enter to open the Performance troubleshooter.
Then click on Next to get started. Wait until the process is completed.
Option 6 – Try using the Windows Performance Toolkit
You can also use the Windows Performance Toolkit in finding the root cause of the problem. Just refer to the following steps to use this toolkit.
Search for “cmd” in the Cortana Search box and click on Command Prompt from the search results to open it.
Next, type in the command given below or copy and paste it and then hit Enter:
After executing the command, wait for at least 60 seconds and then check the logs of the Windows Performance toolkit which is stored in a file named cpuusage.etl in the folder located at C:/Windows/System32. From there, you should see a list of all the causes of the System Resources being hogged.
Originally Microsoft has imagined its widgets menu as Microsoft-only widgets but it seems that they have changed their mind.
Due to the latest leak, it seems that Microsoft will open the widgets menu to 3rd party developers as well but at launch, it will be only official widgets. It was hinted that later widgets menu will be open to developers who want to bring their own stuff into it.
Distribution, date, and technology that will need to be used in order to create your widget have not been discussed nor leaked at a given time but in some way, I am very glad that at least some customization will be in Windows 11.
It is funny and amusing how some things that were in Windows Vista are getting back like glass design, round corners, and widgets. Let’s just hope Windows 11 will be a better Windows than Vista was.
In this post, you will be guided on how you can fix error 0x80070013 while executing various operations in your Windows 10 computer like System Restore, Windows Backup, or Windows Updates. When you encounter error 0x80070013, you will see the following error messages.
For System Restore, it states:
“System Restore did not complete successfully. Your computer’s system files and settings were not changed.Details: System Restore failed while scanning the file system on the drive <Partition Letter>The drive might be corrupt. You might want to retry System Restore after running chkdsk /R on this disk.An unspecified error occurred during System Restore. (0x80070013)You can try System Restore again and choose a different restore point. If you continue to see this error, you can try an advanced recovery method.”
Whereas in Windows Backup, it states:
“Check your backup, Windows Backup failed while trying to read from this shadow copy on one of the volumes being backed up. Please check in the event logs for any relevant errors.The backup failed, The media is write protected (0x80070013).”
On the other hand, you will see the following error message in Windows Update:
“There were some problems installing updates, but we’ll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search the web or contact the support for information, this may help: (0x80070013).”
There are several suggestions you can check out to fix the error depending on where you encountered it. If you encountered it while running Windows Updates, then you can try to reset the Windows Update components or run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. And if you got the error when running System Restore, you can try to run a System File Checker scan or the DISM tool as well as the CHKDSK utility. Lastly, if you got this error when running the Windows Backup service, you can try to check its status in the Services Manager.
Error 0x80070013 in Windows Updates:
Option 1 – Try to reset the Windows Update components
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptsvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS, and MSI Installer.
After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
net start wuauserv
net start cryptsvc
net start bits
net start msiserver
Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.
Option 2 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
You might also want to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing error 0x80070013. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.
Error 0x80070013 in System Restore:
Option 3 – Try to run both Systems File Checker scan and DISM tool
Running the System File Checker scan as well as the DISM tool can help you resolve error 0x80070013 while performing System Restore. Refer to these steps to do so.
Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After opening Command Prompt, execute this command to run a System File Checker scan: sfc /scannow
Once the scan is completed, restart your computer and then see if the error is now fixed. If not, you can run the DISM tool.
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges again.
Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them in order to properly run the DISM tool:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.
Option 4 – Run the CHKDSK utility
In the Windows Search box, type “command prompt” and from the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
After opening Command Prompt, type this command and tap Enter: chkdsk <Partition Letter>: /f /r /x /b
The command you entered will start to check for errors and fix them automatically. Else, it will throw an error message saying, “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like the schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)”.
Tap the Y key to schedule Disk Check the next time your computer restarts.
Error 0x80070013 in Windows Backup:
Option 5 – Try checking the status of the Windows Backup Service
First, you need to tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “services.msc” in the field and click OK or tap Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
After that, you will see a list of services and from there, look for the Windows Backup Service and double click on it to open its Properties.
Then check if its Startup type is set to Disabled. If it is, then change it to “Manual”. Note that this service is essential as it provides backup and restores capabilities.
Now click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made and then restart your computer. Check if the error is now gone.
Updating your computer does not always end up successfully as there are a number of things that could go wrong with the Windows Update module in your Windows 10 computer. One of the issues you could face when you update your computer is error 0x80244019. This error could be caused by a number of factors. If you are currently having problems fixing this Windows Update error, read on as this post will help you resolve this problem.
Here’s the full content of the error:
“There were some problems installing updates, but we’ll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search the web or contact support for information, this may help: (0x80244019).”
In this kind of Windows Update error, you might not be able to get the download file of the requested update started to your computer and this could be due to some third-party application or the overall internal components that contribute to the functioning of the Windows Update module.
Refer to each one of the following options to fix the Windows Update error 0x80244019.
Option 1 – Restart your computer
The most basic thing you can do to fix the problem is to restart your computer. It usually works in fixing common issues like the Windows Update error 0x80244019. However, if it didn’t work, proceed to the next given options below.
Option 2 – Try to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
The Windows Update Troubleshooter will help you in fixing error 0x80244019. This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any issues with Windows Update. So this is worth a try to solve the problem.
To use the Windows Update Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.
Tap Win + I keys again to open the Windows Settings panel.
Go to Update & Security and then go to Troubleshoot.
Under the Troubleshoot section, on your left-hand side, scroll down to find Windows Update and then click on Run the troubleshooter option and follow the on-screen instructions and then see if it fixes the problem.
Option 3 – Try configuring the Windows Update-related Services
Configuring all the Windows Update-related services could also help in fixing the error as it makes sure that all the required services are available.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “cmd” in the field and tap Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
Next, execute the following commands. Note that you have to type and enter each command one after the other.
SC config wuauserv start= auto
SC config bits start= auto
SC config cryptsvc start= auto
SC config trustedinstaller start= auto
The commands you executed will make sure that the Windows Update-related services are available. Once it’s done, restart your computer and see if the Windows Update error is now fixed.
Option 4 – Run Windows Update in a Clean Boot State
It could be that some third-party application is the one that’s causing the problem so it’s best if you put your computer in a Clean Boot state. During this state, you can start the system with a minimum number of drivers and startup programs that will surely help you in isolating the root cause of the issue.
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 “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
Click Disable all.
Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
After that, try to run Windows Update again.
Note: If you are able to install the app without any trouble at all then it means that the error is caused by some third-party application on your computer. You need to look for the culprit and uninstall it once you found it.
Option 5 – Try to fix the Proxy Settings
In the Cortana search box, search for Internet Explorer and then click on the related search result.
After that, tap the Win + T keys on your keyboard and click on Internet Options.
Next, navigate to the Connections tab and click on LAN Settings.
Then click on the Advanced button and delete all the entries in the list generated in the Exceptions section. And if the Advanced button is disabled because the “Use a proxy server for your LAN (These settings will not apply to dial-up or VPN connections)” option is disabled then you are good to go. Now proceed to the next step.
Tap the Win + X keys or right-click on the Start button and select Command Prompt (Admin) or you could also search for “cmd” in the Cortana search box and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and select the “Run as administrator” option.
If a User Account Control appears, click on Yes to proceed. After that, type each one of the commands listed below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type each one of them.
netsh winhttp reset proxy
net stop wuauserv
net start wuauserv
Now restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not by checking for Windows Updates again.
You can prevent starting of app installations files if they have not come from the MS store inside Windows 11.
This can make your PC more secure because all apps in the store will have to be digitally signed and overall it can provide you with more control over what will be installed.
Follow the guide below to find out how can you easily turn this feature ON.
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open Windows settings
Select Apps and then choose Apps & Features
Click on Choose where to get apps to bring a drop-down menu
Select The Microsoft Store only (Recommended)
Close settings
Settings will apply changes immediately and you continue using Windows right away.
With these settings turned ON if you want to install a downloaded application or run the installer you will not be able to, and message The app you’re trying to install isn’t a Microsoft-verified app will show on your screen.
You can always reverse this setting by choosing Anywhere in settings instead of Microsoft store only.
Kindle is, without doubt, a great piece of hardware, perhaps it is the closest thing to a book within the domain of digital devices. With its low price and usability, it has found itself in many homes and within the grasp of many readers in the world. You can buy digital books in the Amazon store for fraction of a regular price if it digital Kindle edition. You keep your library in the cloud and download just books you want to read on your device.
In this article, we will explore how you can send your existing PDF or any other supported file that you already have to your kindle device so you can read it on it.
Before we begin, you should make sure the file you're trying to convert is compatible with the Kindle:
HTML
RTF
JPEG
GIF
PNG
BMP or
PDF
The compatible file types cover most formats you're likely using, but if you find the document you want on your Kindle isn't compatible, there are a few ways to convert it. In the program it typically opens into, like Microsoft Word for .doc files or an image editing apps for .PNG ones, select 'Save As', and in the drop-down menu, see if any of the compatible options are available.
If not, you could try a PDF converter tool. There are plenty of great paid options and a few good free ones too.
Transfering PDF
To get a PDF on a Kindle, you're going to need to know your Kindle's email address. You'll need to head over to the Amazon website and sign in first. Select 'Your devices and content', click 'Manage Devices'. You should see a list of the books you have assigned to your Kindle account, above this list, in a toolbar should be some options - you'll currently be on 'Content', which should be followed by 'Devices', 'Preferences' and 'Privacy Settings'. Click on 'Devices', and in the next menu, select the option for the Kindle you want the document on. You'll be brought to a Device Summary page which tells you your Kindle email as well as the type of device it is.
You now need to approve your personal email, so that when the Kindle receives your PDF, it knows to download this. Make sure the email you approve is the one you're planning to send documents to your Kindle from otherwise it won't work. To approve your email address follow the steps for finding your Kindle email address but instead of selecting 'Devices' in the top bar, click 'Preferences'.
Scroll down this list until you find Personal Document Settings, and select this option so it expands into more options. From here, scroll down until you find 'Approved Personal Document E-mail List'. This list will show people who can email stuff to your Kindle, Below the emails is an option to 'Add a new approved e-mail address', which you should select. Enter your email address and click 'Add address' to get yourself approved.
Head over to your email client of choice, attach the file to an email, and send the email to your Kindle email address. You're able to send multiple documents at once, so if you have loads of files you want on your Kindle, you don't need to send separate emails. If you're sending over a PDF file, you can ask Amazon to automatically convert the file into a Kindle one, which lets you annotate the sections and change the font size. Simply put the word 'convert' as the subject line and the rest will be handled for you. 'Sync Your Kindle'.
There are instances when you might encounter an error that says, “Something went wrong, We couldn’t start your program” when you open any Office program. This could be due to an issue with the Office file and any Office app you open throws the same error message. This applies to Office 2019/2016, Office 365 Home, Office for Business as well as Business editions. In this post, you will be guided in what you can do to resolve this error.
There are several potential fixes for this error, you might only have to restart your computer or you may have to repair Office from Apps and Features or you could also uninstall and install it back again. For more details, follow each one of the provided options below.
Option 1 – Restart your computer
You might be unable to launch any Office app due to some background process that got stuck or there might be some glitch in the system. Thus, the first thing you can do to resolve the error is simply restarting your computer. Once you’ve restarted your computer, open the Office app again or you could also try to sign in back with your Microsoft account that’s connected to Office. If you’re not quite sure which account you were using, you can follow these steps:
Open any Office app.
Then click on File and look for your name located in the top-right portion.
Now click on it. This will display the email or Microsoft account that’s related to Office.
Option 2 – Try repairing Office from Apps and Features
Since Windows 10 offers some repair features that could replace some of the core files with the original files, you can take advantage of such a feature to fix the “Something went wrong, We couldn’t start your program” error when opening any Office app.
Open Windows settings and click the Apps and Features option.
Next, scroll down until you see the Microsoft Office installation option. Select it and click on Modify.
This will open a window and from there, select Quick Repair or Online Repair and click on the Repair button.
Note: When you choose to repair, you might be given two options which depend on how Microsoft Office was installed. For instance, it was installed via Web Installer or Offline Installer (MSI-based). In Web Installer, select Online Repair > Repair when you’re prompted on how you would like to repair Office. While in MSI-based, you have to select Repair under “Change your installation” and then click on Continue. The repair process makes sure that the app data remains untouched.
Option 3 – Try to uninstall and reinstall Office
If neither of the two given options above worked, then you might want to uninstall Office and reinstall it. All you have to do is download the Microsoft Office Uninstall tool from the official site of Microsoft and run it. This will remove any incomplete Office installation as well as unwanted files. It will also get rid of all the Office apps and settings on your computer.
Ever gotten an e-mail offer that seemed just a little bit too good to be true? Might’ve been a phishing attempt! These are everywhere and can come in many different forms.
So what’s phishing exactly, how can you detect it and how can you keep safe?
What is phishing?
Phishing (pronounced like fishing) is a type of cyberattack that tricks the user into trusting the source and revealing sensitive information. Fishing being the perfect analogy, the bait is a legitimate-looking site, e-mail or file and when you take a bite, your identity, banking information and much more can be revealed and stolen.
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Some phishing attempts are incredibly obvious, others are super elaborate. Like with most types of malware, cybercriminals have become extremely well-versed in phishing and anyone can fall for it. To help you recognize and avoid it, we’ll take you through a couple of phishing types and give you tips on what to do if faced with them.
Phishing techniques
E-mail phishing
This is actually the most common type of phishing. A cybercriminal creates an e-mail containing stuff like attractive offers, legitimate-looking attachments or links and makes it appear as though it’s coming from a trusted source.
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For example, it looks like it’s coming from your bank or your favorite retailer. The logo looks legit and the structure of the e-mail seems familiar, so you might get tricked into clicking on whatever clickable content is in it.
Unfortunately this exposes your device to malware that hands your data off to the hacker, who can decide what to do with it further.
SMS and social media phishing
Like the above example, you could be approached with lucrative offers or links via text messages or social media messages. Typically, the messages seem relevant to the user as they will be made to look like they’re related to apps or services you’re using.
Voice phishing
Voice phishing attacks are schemes that appear as though they’re coming from a credible number. Normally, you’ll get a call about something related to credit cards or taxes to get you into a state of worry, leading you to disclose personal information on the phone.
Spear phishing, whaling and BEC
Spear phishing normally targets specific individuals within a company who are likely to have access to sensitive data. Spear phishers spend time collecting information they can use to reach out to the individual looking as trustworthy as possible. They’ll typically lead with something relevant, for example mentioning an upcoming company event, and make a seemingly legitimate request.
Whaling is a more elaborate form of spear phishing, which targets people in even stronger positions such as executives or high-value individuals. The ultimate goal is to get them to transfer financial or other sensitive information that can be used to compromise the entire business.
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BEC, or Business e-mail compromise, is a specific spear phishing technique carried out via e-mail. While there are many ways this is done, most commonly you’ll see instances where the phisher poses as a CEO or similar executive, or as a lower-level employee in specific positions (e.g. sales managers or financial controllers).
In the first situation, the impersonator reaches out to employees requesting them to transfer certain files or pay invoices. In the second situation, the phisher takes control of the employee’s e-mail account and sends false instructions to other employees in order to obtain data and information from them.
What can you do?
There are many ways you can be aware and spot a phishing attempt. Here are some tips:
Always check the sender’s address in your e-mails, even when they seem to come from a familiar source.
In any instance where payment information is requested, be very, very careful.
If you are receiving attachments you never asked for and definitely didn’t expect, better not click on them.
Beware of content that transmits a sense of urgency (sales deals, urgent updates to login credentials, etc.).
Bad spelling and grammar are usually a telltale sign of phishing.
Links that look shortened (e.g. Bit.ly) or just suspicious in general - if you have a bad feeling, do not click on them.
If you are receiving threats, you probably shouldn’t be clicking on anything in that message.
Always examine first-time senders in detail.
Block suspicious e-mail addresses, numbers and social media accounts.
If you are receiving a coupon for free stuff… You aren’t.
If you’re being asked to update your payment details by a service you use, such as Netflix, chances are it’s an impersonator.
Those are some of the ways to identify and prevent phishing attacks. However, sometimes phishers disguise themselves a little too well or a misclick happens and there you go - you’ve been exposed to malware.
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This won’t happen if you invest in powerful protection software from the get-go, though. A good antivirus program like Bitdefender will keep you safe from becoming a victim of phishing scams. In fact, it will protect you from malicious attacks overall.
Be it your household or your business you’re concerned about, there are a bunch of different packages and options available, providing different kinds of cybersecurity services. That’s the only way you can ever really be sure you aren’t at risk of a digital attack.
Summary
Have you ever been targeted by phishers and didn’t know that’s what it was until you read this article? Many can relate. Protect yourself before it’s too late!