Virtual desktop with different wallpapers

Recent Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger & Oculus fiasco and downtime reminded us that even big IT tech behemoth is vulnerable and can go offline. The situation has been resolve in not so fast manner but not long also, let’s say it was resolved in time that people have not left and switched to another platform. That being said, now when services are back we stopped and reflected on the platform itself and on its users. If Facebook is vulnerable so are its users, but sometimes users themselves are responsible for being a target. We step back and take a look at posts that manifest on Facebook and have come with some advice on what things you should never post on Facebook and on other social platforms.

Pictures of any kind of ID, bill, vaccine cards or similar document

This should be a no-brainer at all but we see people posting this kind of information. They go on a rant about how the bill is too high and place a picture of it, or they took their vaccine shot and posted a vaccine card as proof. Why this is a bad idea is that any of these documents contain certain things like birthdays, names, and even more like addresses and other information that can be used against users.

Information about where you live

This could be tied to the previous point but it is very crucial that a living address is not something that you wish to share publicly. A lot of burglars are stalking social media for exactly this kind of information so they can then analyze when and how to strike and this time you have done all work for them providing them with the information on where to find your flat.

Daily routines and vacation plans

The most burglary happens to believe it or not during the day, in hours when people are at work. So by providing the world with your daily routines and when you are not at home you are putting your home at risk of being broken into. Posting vacation plans are even worse or posting pictures and status when you are on vacation will send a clear message to anyone that your home is empty and unattended.

Pictures of your home interior

This can also sadly disclosure more information that you wish like maybe some interesting facts like address or birthday on certificates, diplomas, or other documents accidentally caught in the taken picture. Also, these kinds of pictures can show much about your home security, alarm positions if you have some, how is your front door secured, etc.

Content that can get you fired

We hear all the time, famous star or director has some tweets that have resurfaced and now it is fired. I know that many of us are not famous stars but we can also be fired. Sharing some offensive opinions, inappropriate content or just plain pure lies like took sick leave to play this new game can have not so great resolution for your working relationship with your employer. We do not support lies nor do any kind of inappropriate content but posting it online on social media will just make things worse for you personally.

Your login info or sites and services that you are using

It is fairly safe to say hey we are chilling with Netflix or watching the new season of Mandalorian on Disney plus but speaking of things like made a new account on freelancer service of got my new e-banking in this cool new bank, etc. is not very wise. Cyber crooks are always on the lookout for identity theft and will use available information to steal data and money. You are risking also losing provided accounts this way leaving you with tons of work to explain that you got mugged to service providers.

Conclusion

We know that this article seems paranoid and maybe assumes that among your friends there are some crocks and people trying to take advantage of you. As this certainly was not our attention nor goal, we had to point to extremes in order to protect you the most.

What is this particular error?

One common issue when trying to upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or 8 is incompatible software. Any installed software or app that isn’t compatible with Windows 10 will prevent you from continuing with the set-up. Normally, you’ll get an error message “What needs your attention” and it will ask you to uninstall a list of apps manually. Unfortunately, some users reported that they couldn’t find the app it asks to uninstall. In some cases, users said they’ve already uninstalled the app but it still won’t start the Windows 10 Setup.

Solution

Error Causes

This type of issue normally occurs because of the following:

• Incompatible software/apps
• Corrupted software/apps
• Incomplete uninstallation

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some steps you can take whenever you encounter this error.

Note: Before taking any steps, make sure that you’re highly equipped to do so. Some steps might affect the system and even do more damage to your computer. You might also want to consider using an automated tool instead.

Method 1 – Perform a clean boot, then retry upgrading

A clean boot is normally done to start Windows using the least set of drivers and startup programs available. By doing this, it eliminates possible software issues that happen when installing or uninstalling a program in Windows 10.

Before performing a clean boot, make sure to take note of the following:

• You need administrative privileges in order to perform this action.
• When doing this, your computer might lose temporarily functionality. However, it will return after start-up.
• It is highly advisable to not use the System Configuration to change advanced boot options.

Here are the steps to perform a clean boot.

• Step 1 – Go to Start and search for msconfig
• Step 2 – Go to System Configuration
• Step 3 – Under Services tab, click on the “Hide all Microsoft services” checkbox. Then, choose to Disable all
• Step 4 – Go to the System Configuration’s Startup tab. Then, click on “Open Task Manager”
• Step 5 – In the Task Manager dialog box, you will see a Startup tab. Choose items that you want to disable and then click the Disable button
• Step 6 – Close the Task Manager dialog box.
• Step 7 – Go back to the Startup tab of the System Configuration box. Click “Ok” then proceed with restarting.

Method 2 – Manually uninstall programs from the Program Files folders

Instead of using the “add or remove programs” feature in Windows, you might need to manually install the program directly from the C drive. To do this, follow the steps below:

• Step 1 – Go to the C drive, and look for the Program Files folders. For 32-bit users, you can find it at C:\Program Files. If you’re using the 64-bit version of Windows, go to C:\Program Files (x86) folder.
• Step 2 – Find the “uninstall” application file
• Step 3 – Right-click, and run the file as administrator. Wait for the uninstallation to finish. In some software, you need to restart your system before the uninstallation will take effect.

Note: In some cases, you may also need to search for files related to the program. You can use the search bar under Drive C to do this. Delete those files as well.

Method 3 – Create a new user account

Before upgrading to Windows 10, create a new user account. Make sure it has administrative privileges. From there, run the upgrade.

Method 4 – Use third-party uninstaller services

If you still can’t run Windows 10 Setup after the above methods, you might need to rely on a third-party service. Microsoft recommends Revouninstaller that can help you.

Before using this software, reinstall the application or utility that Windows 10 wants you to install. Then, use Revouninstaller to delete the program completely.

Method 5 – Disable third-party antivirus software

Some users who experienced this issue reported that it was solved after disabling or completely uninstalling the anti-virus software installed in their system.

Method 6 – Use a trusted automated tool

If after trying the above methods, the problem still persists, it might be best to use a trusted automated tool to fix the issue.

A lot of things can go wrong even when you’re only doing some simple operations or tasks on your computer and this is due to the fact that there are various small operations make up in order to perform the larger operations on your computer. So if any of these smaller operations are not properly working, it crashes the operation as a whole and it throws an error code instead. And one of these error codes is Error 0x800701e3. This particular error pops up when an error has occurred in the File Explorer when a transfer is initiated from one disk to another in your Windows 10 computer. When you encounter this error, you will get the following error message:

“Error 0x800701e3: The request failed due to a fatal hardware error.”

There are several methods you can check out to fix this error – you can try to run System Restore or Check Disk or format the destination drive or check the SMART attribute of the drive. For more details, refer to each one of the following options.

Option 1 – Try to run System Restore

Error 0x800701e3 might be due to some adjustments you’ve made in your computer’s settings. Thus, to fix this error, you can try undoing those changes using System Restore. How? Refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and then check if your mouse is now back to its normal state.

Option 2 – Try running the Check Disk utility

You can also run the Check Disk utility in fixing Error 0x800701e3.

• 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.

Option 3 – Try to format the destination drive

Formatting the destination drive could also help you resolve error 0x800701e3. To format your drive, follow these steps:

• First, open File Explorer and then right-click on the drive where you encountered the error.
• Next, select Format from the context menu. This will open a new mini window.
• Then select the NTFS option from the drop-down menu for the File System menu.
• After that, check the box labeled as Quick Format.
• Now click on Start. Keep in mind that doing so will remove all the contents of your storage device.

Option 4 – Verify the hard drive using SMART attributes

In case you don’t know, Windows has a built-in feature of SMART analysis which analyzes the hard drive/SSD and checks all the parameters by performing some minor operations. To use it, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + S keys and type “command prompt” in the field then right-click on the related search result and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After opening Command Prompt as admin, type the “wmic diskdrive get status” command and hit Enter.
• You should get a result after that, and if you see that it’s “normal”, proceed to the next option below

Instaling and removing applications from your Windows can sometimes leave some traces that are unpleasant and can cause annoyances. One of these annoyances is the program in the startup section of the task manager.

If you ever opened task manager and went into the startup section trying to disable some of the startup items on your Windows boot there might be a chance that you have experienced and seen a program without any icon or information about it just sitting there.

This is due to some applications being removed from the system but for some reason, it still shows itself in startup and it is quite annoying. So here we will show you how to get rid of this annoyance so your startup is clean again without junk in it.

Removing a program from startup

Locating the source of the issue

The first thing of course is to open the task manager itself and navigate to the startup tab. Inside the startup tab right-click on the column header and tick or enable Startup type and command line. Now you will see the location of the supposed file (that is missing or you could just go there by right-clicking on the item, but here it is greyed).

99% of the time startup type will be registry since the file is missing, if it was a file fix would be just to simply delete the file in the folder but since it was installed and not properly removed registry key is still present but the file cannot be found. After confirmation that the file is indeed missing and that the startup type is registry open the registry editor by typing Regedit in search and pressing enter.

Removing the key from registry

Inside Registry editor navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. Inside on right part, you will see all auto-start entries added by installed applications.

Locate one that is causing issues by comparing its path with the path inside the task manager command line and delete the key. Once the key is deleted right-click on RUN on the left part and choose HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to quickly jump on that key location and repeat the process of key deletion if needed. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE will delete startup entry for all users and sometimes entry will not be present here since the application is not installed for all users or there are no other users on the machine.

After the procedure is finished, reboot your systems in order to apply changes.

Email Access Online is a browser extension published by Polarity Technologies Ltd. That offers users quick and easy access to emails and weather reports. While this might sound interesting and useful, there is nothing this extension offers that cannot be solved with a few simple bookmarks.

While installed Email Access Online monitors the user's browser activity and records visited websites, clicked links, and bought products, this data is later used to serve partner ads if the user looks for the covered categories, additionally, it will hijack your new tab page, changing your search engine to Yahoo to allow easier ad placement.

Browsing the internet with this extension enabled will result in additional ad placement, pop-up ads, and sponsored links throughout your browsing sessions.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that this extension is a repack of MyEmailXP, which was a repack of Fast Email Checker. Due to its suspicious delivery methods and information gathering, several anti-virus scanners have marked this extension as a browser hijacker and it is recommended to remove it from your computer.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking means that a malicious code has taken control over and modified the settings of your web browser, without your consent. Browser hijacker malware is designed for many different reasons. The idea is to force users to visit specific websites which are aiming to increase their visitor traffic and generate higher advertisement income. It may appear naive, but the majority of such websites are not legitimate and can present a significant risk to your online safety. In a worst-case scenario, your internet browser could be hi-jacked to download malicious software that can do a lot of damage to your PC.

Major signs that your internet browser has been highjacked

There are many signs that could indicate a browser hijacking: 1. the home page of the web browser is changed suddenly 2. you observe new unwanted bookmarks or favorites added, usually directed to ad-filled or porn websites 3. the default search engine is changed and the web browser security settings have been brought down without your knowledge 4. you see unwanted new toolbars added 5. your internet browser will display constant pop-up windows 6. your web browser starts running sluggishly or presents frequent errors 7. Inability to navigate to particular sites, especially anti-malware and other computer security software websites.

So how does a computer get infected with a browser hijacker

There are a number of ways your computer can get infected by a browser hijacker. They usually arrive through spam e-mail, via file sharing websites, or by a drive-by-download. They could also come from add-on software, also referred to as browser helper objects (BHO), web browser extensions, or toolbars. Browser hijackers sneak to your computer in addition to free software application downloads that you unintentionally install along with the original. The presence of any browser hijacker on your system could substantially diminish the web browsing experience, monitor your internet activities that lead to critical privacy concerns, create system stability problems and finally cause your PC to slow down or to a practically unusable condition.

How to repair a browser hijack

Certain kinds of browser hijackers can be effortlessly removed from your PC by deleting malicious software programs or any other recently installed shareware. However, most hijacking codes are certainly not very easy to remove manually, as they go deeper into your operating system. And there’s no denying the very fact that manual repairs and removal methods can certainly be a difficult job for an inexperienced PC user. Besides, there are several risks connected with fiddling around with the system registry files. Anti-malware program is incredibly effective when it comes to discovering and removing browser hijackers that regular anti-virus application has missed. To get rid of any kind of browser hijacker from your computer, you can download the following certified malware removal application – SafeBytes Anti-Malware.

What you can do if Virus Stops You From Downloading Antivirus?

Practically all malware is bad, but certain kinds of malicious software do much more damage to your PC than others. Some malware goes to great lengths to stop you from downloading or installing anything on your personal computer, especially anti-malware software. If you are reading this right now, you’ve probably realized that virus infection is the reason behind your blocked net traffic. So what to do when you want to install an anti-malware application such as Safebytes? There are a few actions you can take to circumvent this issue.

Make use of Safe Mode to fix the issue

If the malware is set to run automatically when Windows starts, getting into safe mode may block this attempt. Since only the bare minimum programs and services start-up in “Safe Mode”, there are rarely any reasons for conflicts to happen. You will need to do the following to remove malware in Safe mode. 1) At power on/start-up, tap the F8 key in one-second intervals. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Use the arrow keys to choose Safe Mode with Networking and press ENTER. 3) When you are into this mode, you will have access to the internet again. Now, use your internet browser normally and navigate to https://safebytes.com/products/anti-malware/ to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 4) Once the software is installed, let the diagnostic scan run to remove viruses and other threats automatically.

Obtain the antivirus software in an alternate browser

Certain viruses may target vulnerabilities of a particular web browser that obstruct the downloading process. If you seem to have a virus attached to Internet Explorer, then switch to an alternate browser with built-in safety features, such as Firefox or Chrome, to download your favorite antivirus program – Safebytes.

Run anti-virus from a pen drive

Here’s yet another solution which is using a portable USB anti-malware software package that can scan your computer for viruses without needing installation. Follow these steps to run the anti-malware on the infected PC. 1) Make use of another virus-free computer to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Plug the Flash drive into the uninfected computer. 3) Double-click on the downloaded file to run the installation wizard. 4) Choose the drive letter of the USB drive as the location when the wizard asks you exactly where you want to install the anti-virus. Follow activation instructions. 5) Now, insert the USB drive into the infected system. 6) Double click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the thumb drive to run the software. 7) Click on “Scan Now” to run a complete scan on the infected computer for malware.

Let's Talk About SafeBytes Anti-Malware!

Nowadays, anti-malware software can protect your PC from different forms of internet threats. But wait, how to select the right one among plenty of malware protection application that is available on the market? As you may be aware, there are numerous anti-malware companies and tools for you to consider. Some of them are good, some are ok types, while some will affect your computer themselves! When looking for an antivirus program, select one which gives solid, efficient, and full protection against all known computer viruses and malware. On the list of the recommended tool by industry experts is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, well-known security software for Microsoft Windows. SafeBytes anti-malware is really a powerful, highly effective protection software intended to help end-users of all levels of IT literacy in identifying and removing malicious threats from their computers. Once you have installed this tool, SafeBytes advanced protection system will ensure that absolutely no viruses or malware can seep through your personal computer.

SafeBytes possesses a plethora of amazing features that can help you protect your computer from malware attacks and damage. The following are some of the great features included in the application.

Real-time Active Protection: SafeBytes offers a totally hands-free active protection and is set to observe, prevent and wipe out all threats at its first encounter. It’ll constantly monitor your pc for hacker activity and also gives users superior firewall protection. Anti-Malware Protection: Using its advanced and sophisticated algorithm, this malware removal tool can detect and remove the malware threats hiding in your PC effectively. High-Speed Malware Scanning Engine: This computer software has got one of the fastest and most efficient virus scanning engines in the industry. The scans are extremely accurate and take a short amount of time to complete. Web Security: SafeBytes gives an instant safety rating on the pages you are about to check out, automatically blocking risky sites and making sure that you’re certain of your online safety while browsing the web. Lowest Memory/CPU Usage: SafeBytes gives you complete protection from online threats at a fraction of the CPU load due to its enhanced detection engine and algorithms. Fantastic Tech Support Team: For any technical inquiries or product guidance, you could get 24/7 expert assistance through chat and email. SafeBytes will keep your personal computer protected from most advanced malware threats automatically, thus keeping your online experience safe and secure. You now may know that this particular software does more than just scan and delete threats on your computer. If you want advanced forms of protection features and threat detections, buying SafeBytes Anti-Malware could be well worth the dollars!

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

To remove Email Access Online manually, navigate to the Add/Remove programs list in the Windows Control Panel and choose the program you want to remove. For browser plug-ins, go to your browser’s Addon/Extension manager and choose the plug-in you want to remove or disable. You will probably also want to reset your internet browser. To make sure of complete removal, find the following Windows registry entries on your system and eliminate it or reset the values accordingly. However, this is a difficult task and only computer professionals can perform it safely. Additionally, certain malware is capable of replicating itself or preventing deletion. You’re suggested to do this process in Windows Safe Mode.

In the latest news, Microsoft has reached a deal to purchase Activision Blizzard for 67.8 billion. Now franchises like Warcraft, Starcraft, Overwatch, Call of duty, Diablo are now the property of Microsoft and I am sure that some of these games we can expect to be included in the Xbox game pass. This is the second large game company acquisition by Microsoft, Acquiring Bethesda first and a big hit to Sony since Xbox will now have more games in its catalog and as exclusives. Of course, the sale has to go through the standard closing conditions and completion of regulatory review and Activision Blizzard’s shareholder approval before it’s finalized. Assuming that all goes well, the deal is slated to be completed during the fiscal year 2023, which is July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

169 IP address error can stop your computer from connecting to the internet which could be a very frustrating experience. In this guide, we will cover simple but effective tips on how to fix this error so you can continue with internet use.

1. Reconnect your Modem or Router

   Simple and sometimes effective solution, unplug and plug back in modem or router so IP is fetched again, it is very likely that computer will pick right IP address with this stunt.

2. Use built-in Windows Network troubleshooter

   Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X top open secret menu Go to settings Go to Network & Internet Inside click on Network troubleshooter Follow onscreen instructions After the troubleshooter ends reboot your PC

3. Reconfigure IP address

   Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog Inside run dialog type ncpa.clp and press ENTER Right-click on your network adapter and select properties Uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and click on OK Now press ⊞ WINDOWS + X and click on Command prompt (admin) In command prompt type and after each line press ENTER netsh winsock reset catalog netsh int ip reset reset.log ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew Reboot your computer

4. Restart DHCP client

   Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog In run dialog type services.msc and click on OK Find DHCP client Right-click on it and choose Restart Reboot PC

5. Reinstall Network Adapter

   Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the windows menu Click on Device Manager Expand Network Adapter and right-click on wireless or ethernet adapter, click on Uninstall device Reboot the computer to automatically reinstall the device driver

6. Reset IP and subnet mask

   Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog In run dialog type in ncpa.cpl and press OK Right-click on your network adapter and select properties Uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) Double click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Select Use the following IP address and change it to 192.168.0.1 Change Subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 Leave default gateway blank Click OK to save changes

If your Microsoft Edge browser encountered a Stop Error that says, “INVALID_POINTER_READ_c0000005 (atidxx64.dll)” in your Windows 10 computer, then this indicates that your Graphics card driver is outdated. According to security experts, Microsoft has already acknowledged the problem and stated that this issue exists with Windows 10 v1809, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server version 1809. Although there is no direct way to resolve the problem, there are still some workarounds you can try. If you are using a RadeonHD2000 or HD4000 series video card, the update will be blocked for you. Some users also claim to experience performance issues with the lock screen or the ShellExperienceHost. However, if you are using AMD, the problem is that it no longer supports Radeon HD2000 and HD4000 series graphics processing units or GPUs. Even though Microsoft is already working for a way to resolve the problem, here are some alternative solutions you can check out:

Option 1 – Update your Graphics card drivers

• First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
• After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. From there, look for the Display Adapters and click on them.
• After that, right-click on each entry under the Display Adapters and select the “Uninstall Device” option from the menu.
• Now restart your computer.
• After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.

Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturers like NVIDIA, Intel or AMD and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it.

Option 2 – Try removing AMD Radeon HD2000 and HD4000 drivers

Although this is not exactly a perfect solution, removing AMD drivers will make the operating system fall back to the default GPU available on your motherboard. You also have the option to completely disable the hardware.

• Tap the Win + X + M keys to open the Device Manager.
• Next, look for your Graphics card drive, and under Display Adapters, right click on them and click Uninstall device or Disable device.
• After that, restart your computer. This will disable the AMD drivers so you won’t be able to find them. It will also release the Windows 10 v1809 update on your computer and in case your operating system tries to prompt you with the “New Device found” message, simply ignore it.

Option 3 – Try to use another browser

You might want to use another browser especially when you already updated your computer and Microsoft Edge still keeps on crashing. You can use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and other browsers as alternatives until you sort out the problem.

Option 4 – Try to remove the Graphics card physically

You might also want to try removing both AMD Radeon HD2000 and HD4000 as they are very old graphics cards. And since AMD is not going to roll out anything, at least on its own if your motherboard has an onboard GPU, it would be best to get rid of the cards. After that, install the Windows v1809 update and then put them back in. You also have the option to install the driver but just don’t use Microsoft Edge.

New Windows brings new keyboard shortcuts, most of them are tied to new features and we are presenting you some new ones that are worth remembering. ⊞ WINDOWS + N - notification panel ⊞ WINDOWS + W - News and Interests feed With the News and Interests feed, Windows 11 offers users the ability to check the latest news, the weather, and more without opening a browser window. ⊞ WINDOWS + Z - Snap Layout Instead of the usual two windows snapping capability, Windows 11 allow users to snap their windows in a three-column layout. Users can access this by pressing Windows Key and Z to access the Snap layout. ⊞ WINDOWS + PRT SCN - taking screenshots This one isn’t exactly new, but pressing the Windows Key and Print Screen will automatically capture the entire screen and save a copy of the image on your PC. Once the screen flashes, you will know that the screenshot has been taken, after which you can find the file saved under your Pictures folder in a subfolder called Screenshot. ⊞ WINDOWS + C - Microsoft Teams chat Microsoft Teams app, the service allows anyone with a Microsoft account to quickly start a chat using the Windows + C shortcut.