One of the most sophisticated Artificial Intelligence or AI assistants there is in the market is Cortana. However, no matter how sophisticated this AI assistant may be, there are still times when you encounter issues with it. So if your Cortana is not connecting to the internet, worry not for this post will guide you in fixing the problem.
This connection issue in Cortana might have something to do with the settings, network connectivity, or your Microsoft account. In addition, it could also be that the Firewall or antivirus program interferes with its connection. Whichever the case is, here are some possible solutions that could help you resolve the problem.
Option 1 – Try to power cycle the modem, router, and computer
Connect the modem, router, and the PC hard-wired and then switch all of these three devices off.
Turn on the modem and wait for 30 seconds.
Turn on the router and wait for 30 seconds as well.
Finally, turn on the computer and check if you can now successfully connect to the internet.
Option 2 – Check if your router or ISP is properly working
Since the basis for this issue is that Cortana is not connecting to the internet even though you are able to access websites using your browser, you might want to check your router or ISP (Internet Service Provider) and see if they’re functioning properly.
Option 3 – Try changing your internet connection
You can also try changing your internet connection and see if it fixes the problem. If you are using Ethernet, you can try connecting to a Wi-Fi connection and see if Cortana is able to connect or not.
Option 4 – Try to run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter
You might also want to run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter in Windows 10 as it checks whether the settings for Cortana are in place and automatically corrects any issues if the update or software installation has changed the settings. To run it just click on the Start button and select Settings > Updates and Security > Troubleshoot. From there, select the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter.
Note: You can also run the Network Troubleshooter as it can also help in resolving the issue especially if the problem is in the network.
Option 5 – Try to remove Proxy
Removing the Proxy might also help you in fixing the connection issue in Cortana. Here’s how you can do it:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “inetcpl.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to pull up the Internet Properties.
After that, go to the Connections tab and select the LAN settings.
From there. Uncheck the “Use a Proxy Server” option for your LAN and then make sure that the “Automatically detect settings” option is checked.
Now click the OK and the Apply buttons.
Restart your PC.
Note: If you are using a third-party proxy service, you have to disable it.
Option 6 – Verify your Microsoft account
In some cases, Cortana might not be able to connect to the internet because your Microsoft account is no longer verified. This usually happens when you use a two-step authentication system with your Microsoft account. To verify it, just open Settings and click on Accounts. After that, check if you have a Verify hyperlink under your Microsoft account or not then click on Verify. Afterward, follow the next on-screen prompts to verify your Microsoft account. Once your account is verified, restart your computer.
Option 7 – Try resetting Cortana
Open Cortana and go to the Settings section where you’ll see the “Turning off Cortana clears what Cortana knows on this device, but won’t delete anything from the Notebook. After Cortana is off, you can decide what you’d like to do with anything still stored in the cloud” option. Turn this option off.
Restart your PC.
After your computer boots, launch Cortana again and check.
Option 8 – Try to reinstall Cortana
If none of the options given above works, you must consider reinstalling Cortana.
First, right-click on the Start button and click on the Windows Powershell (Admin) option from the list.
Next, type the following command and hit Enter to execute it:
If you wish to continue where you have left off when you signed out of Windows follow this guide and learn how to continue your work after signing in, restart apps in your Windows.
You can set Windows 10 to Automatically save your restartable apps when you sign out and restart them after you sign in. Here’s how:
Right-click on the Windows logo to open the secret menu
Select Settings
Click open Accounts
From the left side, select Sign-in options
Scroll down till you see Restart apps setting
Toggle the Automatically save your restartable apps when you sign out and restart them after you sign in setting to On position
REevil is one of the most active and successful hacking groups connected to Russia and operating all over the world. The group recently demanded a huge bitcoin ransom for an attack targeting IT firm Kaseya in the USA.
Since Tuesday blog and payment site run by REvil group cannot be longer reached without any kind of explanation or why.
The reason behind the disappearance is unknown but has sparked speculation that the group may have been targeted deliberately by authorities.
US President Joe Biden said he raised the issue with Vladimir Putin during a phone call on Friday, after discussing the subject during a summit with the Russian president in Geneva last month.
Mr. Biden told reporters that he had "made it very clear to him...we expect them to act" on information and also hinted the US could take direct digital retaliation on servers used for intrusions.
The timing of Tuesday's outage has sparked speculation that either the US or Russian officials may have taken action against REvil - though officials have so far declined to comment and cyber experts say sudden disappearances of groups are not necessarily uncommon.
The development comes after a series of high-profile ransomware attacks which have hit major US businesses this year.
The FBI accused REvil - also known as Sodinokibi - of being behind a ransomware attack on the world's largest meat processing company JBS last month.
There are times when you encounter some issues while your Windows 10 computer. One of the errors you can encounter in the update process is the “Something went wrong, error code 0x8007042B”. This kind of error might be caused by several reasons and it could also pop up in lots of cases like upgrading to a new feature update or a new build using the Media Creation tool or Windows Update Assistant.
There are times when the Windows Update error code 0x8007042B is followed by another error code like 0x2000d. Whatever the extra error code that follows, the core issue still remains the same. To resolve the problem, here are some options that could help. And while going over these troubleshooting tips, you have to keep clicking the Update button right after you carry out a troubleshooting option.
Option 1 – Try to restart the Background Intelligent Transfer Service
The Background Intelligent Transfer Service or BITS is a part of the Windows Update service and is the one that manages the background download of Windows Update, as well as scans for new updates and so on. And if Windows Update is experiencing some problems, you can try restarting BITS but make sure that you have admin privileges to do so.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open Windows Services.
From the list of Services, look for the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and double-click on it to open Properties.
After that, you need to set the Startup type to “Automatic (Delayed Start) and click on Apply.
Now click the Stop button to stop BITS and then click the Start button to restart the service.
Click OK to save the changes made and then restart your PC.
Option 2 – Try creating Windows 10 ISO media
In this option, you will have to create a Windows 10 bootable media and use it to install the latest Windows 10 version. The most user reported that this option works and the reason why it does have something to do with the Windows Update client since the Windows Updates downloaded from the regular Windows Update client seems to create issues such as the Windows Update error code 0x8007042B. However, issues like this one don’t occur when the very same Windows Updates are downloaded and installed via an ISO file. Take note that when using a Windows ISO file, you will be asked to choose what you want to do with the previous settings and apps. A lot of users opted for the “Not to keep the old Windows settings” option which has resolved the issue. So if you want to keep the previous settings then you must try to update Windows first while keeping the old settings. However, if it doesn’t work, you have to try installing the latest version of Windows without keeping the previous settings.
Click this link and then click the Download Tool Now button.
Next, click the “Use the tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file)…” option and follow the next given instructions on the screen.
Now select the ISO file option in step 5.
After that, you should now have an ISO file.
Next, go to the location where you’ve downloaded the ISO file.
Then right-click on the Windows 10 ISO file and select the Open with option and then select File Explorer.
Now click on “setup.exe” and follow the next instructions that appear on the screen. When asked, you have to select either the Nothing (clean install) or the Keep personal files only option. Take note that you must not select the “Keep personal files, apps, and Windows settings since it doesn’t really work.
Option 3 – Run the DISM tool
You can run the DISM tool as well to help fix the error code 0x8007042B during Windows Update. 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 – Perform a System File Checker scan
The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the Windows Update Error 0x8007042B to appear. SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.
Tap Win + R to launch Run.
Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Option 5 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
You might also want to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing Windows Update Error 0x8007042B. 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.
Option 6 – Contact Microsoft Support for assistance
If you’re at your wits’ end in trying to update your Windows 10 computer, you should consider contacting Microsoft Support for help as they can offer you various options that would make fixing Windows Update Error 0x8007042B a lot easier and faster.
Error 400 is a bad request error that displays in the internet browser like a web page. It pops up when the web page you’ve requested cannot be found. Error 400 may be displayed in one of the following formats on the computer screen:
‘400 Bad Request’
Bad Request - Invalid URL"
"HTTP Error 400 - Bad Request"
"Bad Request. Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand.”
"HTTP Error 400. The request hostname is invalid."
"400 - Bad request. The request could not be understood by the server due to malformed syntax. The client should not repeat the request without modifications."
Solution
Error Causes
Error 400 can be generated due to multiple reasons. These include:
Wrong URL
Browser cookies
Outdated DNS cache
Though this error code is not fatal like the blue screen of death and runtime errors nonetheless it is still advisable to fix it to access your desired website without any inconvenience.
Further Information and Manual Repair
Here are some of the best ways to fix error 400 on your PC without any professional help. Try these methods to resolve error 400:
Method 1
This might come to you by surprise that the most common cause for a 400 Bad Request error is because the URL of the website was typed wrong.
So, first things first make sure the URL you’ve inserted is correct. If the URL typed is correct, then try other methods illustrated below.
Method 2
Sometimes error 400 may pop up due to outdated DNS records. DNS cache stores the location (IP addresses) of web servers that contain pages that you’ve viewed recently.
You are unable to access the site if the location of the webserver changes before the entry in your DNS cache updates. If this is the error cause then simply clear your DNS cache to resolve.
Follow these steps to clear the DNS cache on Windows 8.
Press Win+X to open the WinX menu.
Now ‘right click’ on command prompt and select RUN as Administrator. Enter the following command:
ipconfig /flushdns
If the command was successful, you will see the following message:
Windows IP configuration successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.
This method will hopefully repair error 400 on your computer screen.
Method 3
Another reason for error 400 can be browser cookies. Many sites report error 400 when a cookie it reads is corrupt or too old. In such a situation it is advisable to clear your browser cookies.
You can do it manually but it can be time-consuming virtually because the steps involved in deleting cookies differ considerably depending on what web browser you’re using.
So, to avoid the hassle it is advisable to download Reimage to remove browser cookies immediately. This is a user-friendly PC Fixer deployed with a powerful registry cleaner.
It removes all obsolete and unnecessary files from your PC including junk files, internet history, and cookies in seconds.
Click here to download Restoro.
Creating a new Windows 10 account comes with options related to privacy. For instance, you will see the options to disable or enable Speech recognition, Find my device, Location service, Inking & typing, and many more. And if you often have to create a test account in Windows 10 v1809 and you don’t want to give this option, you can just disable the Privacy Settings Experience at sign-in on your Windows 10 PC using a couple of instructions given in this guide.
To disable the Privacy Settings Experience, you can use the Registry Editor and the Group Policy Editor. But before you get started, you need to log in as an administrator. Moreover, it would also be better if you create a backup copy of the Registry files as well as create a System Restore Point before you make any changes. After you have those things covered, refer to the steps given below to disable the Privacy Settings Experience at sign-in on your Windows 10 PC. Since there are two ways to get things done, choose one option that you prefer.
Option 1 – via Registry Editor
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Next, navigate to this path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsOOBE
From there, look for the OOBE value and if you can’t find it there, you can just create it. To do so, right-click on the Windows key and select New > Key, and then name it “OOBE”.
After that, right-click on the OOBE value and select New > DWORD (32-bit) value, and name it “DisablePrivacyExperience”.
Then double click on DisablePrivacyExperience and set its value to “1”.
Now exit the Registry Editor and restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
Option 2 – via the Group Policy Editor
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “gpedit.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
After that, navigate to this path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OOBE
Next, look for a setting named “Don’t launch privacy settings experience on user login” located on your right-hand side and then double click on it and select Enabled.
Now click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
Blizzard is one of the most beloved game company which brought some of the most and greatest titles in PC gaming. Blizzard has released its own launcher in which you can launch games, sadly sometimes launcher does not want to work and fails to connect.
If this happens to you be sure to:
Reset your network devices to make sure your router hasn't become flooded with data.
Power cycling your modem and router allows them to reset and re-establish a connection to your ISP. Follow these steps to completely power cycle the devices in your network connection:Note: If your modem has a battery backup, you will need to take the battery out or use the reset button on the modem.
Shut down all computers connected to the modem/router.
Power down and unplug the modem and the router if you're using one.
Allow to sit for 60 seconds unplugged.
Plug in and turn on the modem and router, and allow them to completely boot up until the front panel connection lights on the modem show a steady connection.
Start the computer and allow it to completely boot up.
If you're using a wireless connection, optimize your internet connection to rule out a connection issue.
If you're experiencing issues with your low-speed or wireless internet connection, follow the steps below to troubleshoot the problem.
Try plugging your computer directly into your modem.
Shut down other programs that access the internet, such as other games or download programs.
Satellite, mobile phone, and WiMax internet connections are not stable connections and may cause further connection issues when playing Blizzard games. If possible, consider switching to a more stable connection.
Update your drivers and operating system to resolve any compatibility issues.
Out-of-date drivers and operating systems can cause a variety of issues and are one of the first things to check when a game is having problems. The instructions below will help you check and update your drivers.
Even new computers can have out-of-date drivers and operating systems because updates are released routinely.
Some games and programs might run fine on a system with old drivers, but outdated drivers can still create technical issues with specific games or programs.
Check our supported video cards articles to make sure your hardware is compatible:
Refer to the steps below to update drivers and software for your operating system.
Release and renew your IP and flush your DNS to resolve any network conflicts.
While on the desktop, press Windows Key and type CMD.
Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
Type ipconfig /release in the command prompt.
Wait a few seconds for a reply that the IP address has been released.
Type ipconfig /renew in the command prompt.
Wait a few seconds for a reply that the IP address has been re-established.
Type ipconfig /flushdns in the command prompt.
Close the command prompt and attempt to make a connection.
Close all other applications to resolve software conflicts and free up resources.
Before trying the steps below, close unnecessary programs and restart your computer.
Identify Problematic Startup Items
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager.
Click More Details.
Select the Startup tab.
Right-click on each item and select Disable.
Restart the computer.
If this resolves the issue, enable the startup application one at a time to determine which one is causing the problem. You will need to restart between each application you enable.
Note: To re-enable startup applications, follow steps 1-4 and select Enable.
Delete the Battle.net Tools folder to automatically rebuild outdated or corrupt files.
Close Blizzard processes.
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to bring up the Task Manager.
Click the Processes tab.
Select all Agent, Blizzard Battle.net desktop app, and game processes, and click End Process.
Navigate to the folder containing the Battle.net directory:
Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialogue.
Type C:\ProgramData\ into the Open field and press Enter.
Delete the Battle.net folder.
Run Battle.net and update the game to see if the issue persists.
If the error persists after you try these steps, another program may be causing the problem. Restart your computer and delete the Battle.net folder one more time.
Note: The above steps may cause the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app to forget game install locations. If your games can’t be found, you will see Install on the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app game tab instead of Play. To find your installation, click Locate this game or run the game launcher.
Anxiety from all these digital threats lurking everywhere? An antivirus program can help put your mind at ease.
What can a virus do to your device?
A virus is malicious software that can affect pretty much any device and does so in a variety of ways. Be it your computer, your phone or your smart lightbulb - as long as there’s access to the internet, malware can get to it.
How exactly does this kind of attack manifest itself? Well, there’s a wide variety of effects ranging from mild to severe. Among other things, they depend on which type of malware attacks your device - a virus, spyware, ransomware, adware or something else.
These are some of the things you can expect to happen:
Slow performance
System crashes
Theft of data and sensitive information
Connectivity issues
Constant browser redirects
Strange messages sent to your contacts
Interference with files
It really can be the stuff of nightmares. So, if you want to sleep peacefully knowing that your devices are completely safe, you should definitely consider getting an antivirus.
P.S. don’t let its name fool you - an antivirus does indeed protect your devices against more than just viruses.
What is antivirus software exactly?
Antivirus software is designed to help you battle and ward off malware. Basically, it scans your device to detect any suspicious activity and offers tools to get rid of the culprit.
At first, antiviruses were developed to fight against viruses only, but nowadays they cover a lot more ground. Here are some of the biggest benefits of getting yourself a powerful defender.
Advantages of antivirus software
1. It fights those pesky ads
Look, constant ads that pop up everywhere aren’t the absolute worst thing that can happen on your computer. If anything, they are annoying, like when you’re trying to sleep but that one fly in your room just won’t stop buzzing.
Now, there’s a free, well-established solution for that - installing an ad blocker. And we’re about a hundred and ten percent sure you’ve already done that on each and every browser you use.
However, “if I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist” isn’t the most ideal approach for your online safety. Ad blockers can’t block everything and they won’t protect you from potential adware. An antivirus on the other hand offers that layer of protection against malware snuck into pop-ups and spammy websites.
2. It protects you from hackers
Hackers don’t target government institutions only. They’ll target regular people too if they have something to gain.
Credit: Clint Patteron (Unsplash)
There are different types of hacking, such as phishing e-mails, transmission of malicious programs, credential reuse, denial of service and more. In any case, they take control of your device and hijack your data.
The good thing is that, as threats evolve, antiviruses evolve too and there are tons of quality programs on the market that can keep you secure for an affordable price.
3. It keeps your files and data safe
When malware enters your device, it can target pretty much any file and get access to any and all data.
Installing an antivirus program will make sure that every single file, new or old, is monitored at all times, warning you against threats immediately. That way, you can make sure to react before your other files become infected and data is lost or stolen.
Another great thing for data protection is that the best antivirus software normally comes with a password manager, so no one can use malware to steal your passwords.
4. It blocks all kinds of malware
As we already stated, malicious attacks can be performed in many ways and malware comes in in different shapes an sizes, such as:
Trojan horse
Spyware
Ransomware
Adware
Rootkit
RAT (remote access Trojan)
Keyloggers
Worms
Botnets
Credit: Growtika (Unsplash)
Nowadays, antivirus software is designed to fight against all of these types. That’s why more often than not we hear the term 'antivirus' used interchangeably with 'anti-malware,' like in this article.
5. It keeps your children protected
You can’t keep your eyes on your kid every second of the day and you can’t protect them from everything. But at least you can limit their exposure to the threats they can encounter at every corner of the digital world.
An antivirus program will block harmful or suspicious websites and ads, which is great both for you and your children. To take it a step further, though, many such programs come with special parental controls and offer monitoring as well. It’s a great solution for keeping your kids safe online without sounding like the irritating, overbearing, controlling parent who “just doesn’t get it!”
How to pick one
There are definitely lots of different antivirus programs out there, both free and paid. We recommend you look for a paid option, since free ones are unfortunately a lot more susceptible to being compromised through malicious attacks.
Now, there are a few factors to consider when choosing the right software. If you use your PC for basic things then a basic antivirus will suffice. However, the more complex your use and the more sensitive the data you deal with, the stronger it needs to be.
It’s also crucial that you take into account the features it includes. As we already mentioned, some programs have additional security options. For example, depending on the package you select, Bitdefender provides:
Some are included in plans and some are separate products, so make sure to check out all the offers.
And don’t worry if you have multiple PCs or you’re looking for protection for your smartphone or tablet as well; Bitdefender has suitable solutions for your needs. Of course, you can also just pick their classic antivirus software if you’re not in need of advanced protection.
Another important point is how regularly the software is updated and enhanced. The more frequent the updates the better, as bugs can make the program more vulnerable. Other things we advise you consider are user-friendliness, impact on performance, reputation (user reviews especially) and, of course, price.
The bottom line
Fact is: anyone can be a malware victim. Don’t let it be you.
You can’t put a price on peace and security, so don’t be reluctant to pay for yours - especially since a lot of options out there are extremely affordable. Is $159.00 a year really too much to pay for cross-platform protection for up to 10 devices? We don’t think so.
Explore your options and protect your files and data before it’s too late.
What is PyLocky ransomware? And how does it execute its attack?
PyLocky ransomware is a file-locking malware created in order to lock important files and demand ransom from victims in exchange for data recovery. This new ransomware uses the .lockymap extension in marking the files it encrypts. It starts to execute its attack by dropping the following malicious payload in the system:
After dropping its malicious payload, this crypto-malware connects the infected computer to a remote server where it downloads more malicious files and places them on system folders. It then applies a data gathering module used to gather data about the user and the computer. The malicious files that were downloaded earlier along with the data obtained are used for another module called stealth protection. This allows PyLocky ransomware to execute its attack without detection from any security or antivirus programs installed in the system. It also modifies some registry keys and entries in the Windows Registry such as:
Once all the modifications are carried out, PyLocky ransomware will begin encrypting its targeted files using a sophisticated encryption cipher. Following the encryption, it adds the .lockymap extension to each one of the encrypted files and releases a ransom note named “LOCKY-README.txt” which contains the following content:
“Please be advised:All your files, pictures document and data has been encrypted with Military Grade Encryption RSA ABS-256.Your information is not lost. But Encrypted.In order for you to restore your files, you have to purchase a Decrypter.Follow these steps to restore your files.1* Download the Tor Browser. ( Just type in google “Download Tor“2‘ Browse to URL: http://4wcgqlckaazungm.onion/index.php3* Purchase the Decryptor to restore your files.It is very simple. If you don’t believe that we can restore your files, then you can restore 1 file of image format for free.Be aware the time is ticking. Price will be doubled every 96 hours so use it wisely.Your unique ID :CAUTION:Please do not try to modify or delete any encrypted file as it will be hard to restore it.SUPPORT:You can contact support to help decrypt your files for you.Click on support at http://4wcgqlckaazungm.onion/index.php”
How does PyLocky ransomware spread over the web?
PyLocky ransomware spreads using malicious spam email campaigns. Creators of this threat embed an infected attachment to spam emails and send them using a spambot. Crooks may even use deceptive tactics to trick you into opening the malware-laden immediately which is something you must not do. Thus, before opening any emails, make sure that you’ve thoroughly checked them.
To successfully obliterate PyLocky ransomware from your computer, refer to the removal guide laid out below.
Step 1: Launch the Task Manager by simply tapping Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard.
Step 2: Under the Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for the process named facture_4739149_08.26.2018.exe and any suspicious-looking process which takes up most of your CPU’s resources and is most likely related to PyLocky ransomware.
Step 3: After that, close the Task Manager.
Step 4: Tap Win + R, type in appwiz.cpl and click OK or tap Enter to open Control Panel’s list of installed programs.
Step 5: Under the list of installed programs, look for PyLocky ransomware or anything similar, and then uninstall it.
Step 6: Next, close the Control Panel and tap Win + E keys to launch File Explorer.
Step 7: Navigate to the following locations below and look for PyLocky ransomware’s malicious components such as facture_4739149_08.26.2018.exe and LOCKY-README.txt as well as other suspicious files, then delete all of them.
Step 11: Delete the registry keys and sub-keys created by PyLocky ransomware.
Step 12: Close the Registry Editor and empty the Recycle Bin.
Try to recover your encrypted files using the Shadow Volume copies
Restoring your encrypted files using Windows Previous Versions feature will only be effective if PyLocky ransomware hasn’t deleted the shadow copies of your files. But still, this is one of the best and free methods there is, so it’s definitely worth a shot.
To restore the encrypted file, right-click on it and select Properties, a new window will pop up, then proceed to Previous Versions. It will load the file’s previous version before it was modified. After it loads, select any of the previous versions displayed on the list like the one in the illustration below. And then click the Restore button.
Although there are several Windows 10 devices that are touchscreen-based, the mouse still remains to be an important part of usage for many users especially the ones who do some hardcore work on their Windows 10 computers or laptops. If you’re one of the users who often edit images or videos either for fun or work, using Touch is difficult as it’s a bit hard to drag on the screen so nothing really beats the mouse. However, as awesome as the mouse is, there are times when you encounter issues while using it. One of these issues is when your mouse pointer lags or freezes so in this post, you can try out a few tips that can help you resolve the issue.
Option 1 – Clean both the mouse and the mousepad
It might sound silly but it is a fact that either the mouse or the mouse pad themselves is the problem. Even though mouse balls are long gone, the laser lights that replaced them are not immune to some dirt which is why you need to clean the bottom of the mouse and then clean the mouse pad afterward.
Option 2 – Try changing the USB port
This is another basic thing you can do to resolve the problem since there are instances when USB ports where either your mouse is connected have gone rogue so you need to try switching to a different port and then see if the problem’s fixed or not.
Option 3 – Switch back to the default settings of the mouse
Switching your mouse back to its default setting is always a good idea since you are dealing with a pointer issue. To go back to the default settings of the mouse, here’s what you have to do:
Click on Mouse and Touchpad.
Next, click on Additional Mouse Settings located in the right pane.
After that, click on the “Use Default” option under the Pointer tab.
Then click on Apply and OK to save the changes made.
Option 4 – Try disabling Smooth Scrolling
You have to slow down both the horizontal and the vertical scrolling of the mouse in the settings which are called “Smooth scrolling”. This will help if you think that the websites you are visiting scroll up and down way too fast.
Option 5 – Try to update or rollback mouse drivers
If the first few options didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or roll back the mouse 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 the mouse driver then you need to roll back the driver. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.
The problem may be caused by a corrupted or outdated driver. So you have to update or reinstall the mouse driver. How? Follow these steps:
Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
Then locate the Mouse and other pointing devices and right-click on the mouse driver 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, disconnect the mouse and plug it back in to reinstall the mouse driver.
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 6 – Try to check if your laptop is turning off the mouse
In case you don’t know, the power management can turn off the devices that are not in use to save battery power if you use a laptop. And this can also happen on USB-based devices like the mouse. Thus, you need to verify if your laptop is turning off the mouse.
Go to Device Manager > Universal serial bus controllers > USB Root Hub > Power Management.
After opening Power Management, uncheck the “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” option.
If you have lots of USB Root hubs, you can try changing each one of them and see if it works or not.
Option 7 – Try updating the Graphics Drivers
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. If you see a red or yellow sign that shows up against the driver, right-click on the driver’s name and select “Update Driver Software” or “Uninstall”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
Restart your PC.
Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturer and check if there’s a new update – if there is, download it.
Option 8 – Try setting the No Delay option for Touchpad
If you are using a laptop that’s touchscreen-based, you can try setting the delay to zero in the settings. To do so, simply go to Settings > Devices > Mouse and Touchpad. From there, you can set the delay before clicks to “No Delay”.
If your WIFI signal is strong but you can not connect to the internet then keep reading in order to find out why this happens and what can you do to fix it.
One very important thing to know and understand is that WIFI and the internet are two different things and that they altho connected and working together are basically 2 things.
WIFI is a name for a group of technologies that are using radio vawes to connect to the router in order to access the internet. The Internet itself is series of computers all connected in LAN. Think of WIFI like some invisible cable that connects your computer to the router. When we put things into perspective this way it becomes clear that we can indeed have a strong WIFI signal and that we are connected to the router but the router itself is not connected to the internet.
So basically troubleshooting an internet connection is troubleshooting the router itself. The most common approach is to reset the router, turn it off, then back on, check cables, etc. But be sure that if your WIFI signal is strong and you can not access the internet it is a router issue.