As you know, the Win + X menu, which is the shortcut context menu, is a useful way to launch several utilizes in Windows such as Power Options, Windows PowerShell, Event Viewer, Device Manager, and so on. However, there are times when you might experience difficulty in identifying the required utility. This is actually a part of the Windows 10 shell that goes out of scope in the customization of Windows 10. However, there is an easy trick you can use to do that. So in this post, you will be guided on how you can rename the options in the Win + X menu in Windows 10. In case you don’t know, the context menu is divided into three groups. Microsoft has categorized the bottom-most part as Group 1, while the middle part is categorized as Group 2 and the first part as Group 3. To rename these options, you need to use File Explorer and follow the instructions laid out below. Step 1: First, tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer. Step 2: Next, navigate to this path: %LocalAppdata%MicrosoftWindowsWinX Step 3: From there, you should see three folders as Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3. Open the appropriate folder of your choice. Step 4: After that, right-click on the shortcut option you want to rename and then select Properties. Step 5: Next, navigate to the Shortcut tab under the Properties window. Step 6: Now in the text field of Comment, enter the new name of the option you selected. Step 7: Click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made. Note: You can now either Sign back in or sign out of your Windows 10 User Account to see the result of the changes you’ve made. You could also restart the process of File Explorer via Task Manager. This will close the File Explorer as well as the shell components and then only launch the shell components again. In addition, you can check the Win + X menu to see the customized name that you’ve just set for a particular option. As you can see, even though it does not add anything extra, it is still a lot better in knowing how you can customize it.

In case you don’t know, the Title bar comes with the Maximize, Minimize, as well as the Close button. However, there are instances when you might notice that the Title bar, Maximize, Minimize and Close buttons are missing in the File Explorer. This kind of problem might be due to some glitch in the computer, or it could also be caused by some built-in tool or an installed program in your computer. Moreover, there are also other factors that you have to consider such as corruption in the system files as well as errors in the user profile which is generated on a domain network, and so on. There are several suggestions you can check out to fix the problem. You can try to boot your computer in a Clean Boot State to see if a third-party program is the root cause of the problem. You can also try to run built-in tools like System File Checker and the DISM tool. You could also get the video buffer emptied, reset or reinstall the program, or recreate the User Profile.

Option 1 – Put your computer in a Clean Boot State

As pointed out, it is possible that some third-party program or service is the one that’s behind the problem. To isolate this possibility and to identify the culprit, you have to put your computer into a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Log onto your PC as 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.)
• You need to disable one third-party app after the other to really isolate the issue. And once you’ve narrowed down the problem, you can either disable the third-party app that’s causing the problem or remove it.

Option 2 – Run System File Checker scan

You might also try running the System File Checker or SFC scan to fix the issue. System File Checker is a command utility built into your computer that helps restore corrupted files and missing files. Refer to the following steps to run it:

• Hit the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

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:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

• Restart your computer and see if the System32 folder still pops up at startup or not.

Option 3 – Try running the DISM tool

You can try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the Windows Upgrade problem. 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 empty the Vide buffer

These kinds of problems could also be due to bad data in the Video Buffer. Thus, you can try to empty the Video buffer to resolve the problem. All you have to do is tap the Shift + Ctrl + Win key + B keys on your keyboard. After that, leave your computer idle for about 10 seconds until you notice it blink once. Now you try using your computer as usual and see if the glitch is now fixed or not.

Option 5 – Try to reset or reinstall the program

Another thing you can do to fix the issue is to reset or reinstall the program where you encounter the problem. Chances are, you are running the application in the Full-screen mode but you can exit it by simply tapping the Esc or F11 key. However, if nothing changed, then consider resetting or reinstalling the program. Just go to the Windows 10 Settings app and navigate to Apps > Apps & Features. From there, look for the entry of the application you’re having problems with and select it and then click on the Advanced options. After that, click on the Reset button under the Reset section.

Option 6 – Try recreating the User Profile

You might also want to try recreating the User Profile on your computer since some errors in the creation of a User Profile can result in problems like this one. Thus, you have to try deleting the User Profile and then recreate it.

In 2014 Proton mail started as an end-to-end encrypted email service offering secure and private email services. Proton mail is still live and going with the same dedication to privacy and security but the company has expanded its offering into cloud storage drive services.

Starting as a public beta at the end of 2020, Proton Drive is keeping its privacy and security policy philosophy with the new service. Proton Drive is the newest service besides Proton Calendar, Proton VPN, and Proton Mail.

Drive has end-to-end encryption for everything on it including files themselves, filenames, folder structure, folder names, extensions, and file sizes. This means that you and only you can access your files. Servers are located in Geneva, Switzerland and they are under Swiss privacy laws making sure that your files are protected. Proton services in general are all open source so anyone can take a look at them to be sure that nothing is lurking under the hood. For now, sync is done either via the android app or web interface but the desktop client will come soon since currently, it is under development.

Sadly free plan of Proton Drive will give you only 1GB of storage which is much less than other services and sadly payments plans are also not so jaw-dropping going for $4 USD per month for a 200GB plan or with Proton ultimate subscription that will set you $10 behind but you will get 500GB of drive storage. Of course, if you value privacy for your files these options are good but if you do not mind that part other services have much better options.

All in all Proton Drive is a great cloud storage solution if you need privacy and well worth the investment. With the ultimate subscription, you will get enough space for most people and company needs with other services and guaranteed privacy and security, on the other hand, if you just need a large amount of cloud storage not caring too much about privacy other options are better.

Error Code 0xc00000fd - What is it?

In its most basic essence, Error Code 0xc00000fd appears when a program can not be initiated. It can occur when a file or program is corrupted, incompatible with the current version of the operating system, or out of date.

This error code occurs primarily in Windows but is also present in previous editions of the operating system. The symptoms of this error and the resolution methods for each of these systems are essentially resolved in the same way.

Common symptoms include:

• Failure of programs to open properly, even if they were able to be opened in the past
• The appearance of an error message stating that the application couldn’t be started correctly

There are several different things that Windows 10 users can do to try to fix the appearance of Error Code 0xc00000fd on their machine. Some of these methods are fairly simple for the average user, while others may require advanced knowledge and comfort with diving into the deeper tools and settings of the Windows operating system. If you have difficulty in implementing the methods below, contact a qualified Windows repair technician to assist you in the resolution of the error code.

Solution

Error Causes

Error Code 0xc00000fd can arise when program files are not recognized properly by the operating system, when the operating system is no longer compatible with the program being run, when files are missing or corrupted, or when the program has been changed in a substantial way. Each of these causes requires a different method of resolution.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Several methods can be used to attempt to resolve Error Code 0xc00000fd on your computer. Basic users can use some of these methods, while others require familiarity with advanced tools and options in Windows. If you have trouble implementing the steps below, contact a qualified professional to assist you. Here are the top ways to deal with Error Code 0xc00000fd on your machine:

Method One:  Check for Updates using the Windows Update Tool

In some cases, compatibility issues can be resolved through updates and patches available directly from Microsoft via the Windows Update tool. This is most likely the case if you have not kept up with regular updates on your machine over time. In your settings, open up the Windows Update tool and run a scan to see if there are any required updates available for your programs or for the operating system itself. If there are updates, install them, then reboot your computer to make sure that all updates are able to be fully applied to your operating system. Attempt to open the program that caused the error after you are finished to see if this method addressed the problem fully or if an additional method needs to be used.

Method Two:  Roll Back to an Earlier Version of the Updates

Sometimes, an update can cause a compatibility issue. If you have previously been able to open the program in question without any problems, but have recently installed an update on your computer, that update may have been the source of the problem. If this is the case, roll your system back to an earlier stage of updates to see if that fixes the problem. If so, you may need to wait to reinstall the updates until Microsoft corrects the issue.

Method Three:  Run Scans on Your Registry, Antivirus Software, Drivers, and Update Troubleshooters

If there truly is a corrupted or missing file within the program that you are trying to run, you can open up several tools to scan for the file that may be causing the trouble and attempt to fix it. Run the following tools to try to fix the problems:

• Windows Registry Repair Tool (this particular tool may take some time to complete)
• Windows Update Troubleshooting Wizard
• Windows Drivers Updates
• Antivirus software or Microsoft Security Essentials

After running each of these tools, restart your computer to allow any necessary changes to be applied to your system. If the above methods do not fix error Code 0xc00000fd on your particular device or if you do not have the confidence and knowledge to implement these steps on your own, get in touch with a Windows repair professional who can help you to resolve the problem.

Method 4: Use An Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 10 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

One of the essential parts of the Windows 10 operating system is the Microsoft Store as it is the distribution hub of numerous applications such as Netflix, Facebook, and many more. In fact, Microsoft is planning to make it a hub not just for UWP applications but also Windows Classic applications. Microsoft has already built a bridge with the power of Project Centennial which allows developers to migrate and upload their Windows Classic applications to the Microsoft Store. Although the Microsoft Store has been constantly improving, there are still times when you might face an error while using it. One of these errors is error 0x80131500. When you encounter this error, you will get the following error message on your screen:

“Try that again, Something happened at our end, Waiting a bit might help, The error code is 0x80131500 in case you need it.”

To fix this error, you can try changing your internet connection, toggle the date & time settings, change DNS, create a new user account, run the Microsoft Store Apps troubleshooter or reset the Microsoft Store as well re-register it using Windows PowerShell.

Option 1 – Try changing your internet connection

The first thing you can do is to change your internet connection. If you are using Ethernet, you can try to connect to a Wi-Fi connection instead and see if it helps.

Option 2 – Try to toggle the Date and Time settings

The first thing you can try is to sync the Date and Time of your computer as the wrong Date and Time settings are one of the most common causes of connection problems like the error 0x80131500. This is because of the incompatibility between the SSL Certificate validation date and the System Clock. Thus, you have to sync your System Clock. Refer to the steps below to do so.

• Start by tapping the Win + I keys to open the Windows Settings.
• Next, go to Time & Language > Date & time.
• From there, turn the toggle on for the “Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically” option on the right-side panel.
• After that, click on Region & language located on the left side panel and make sure that the Country or region on the right-side panel is set to the country you live in.
• Now close the Settings app and restart your computer and see if it fixes the problem or not.

Option 3 – Try to change the DNS Server

In this option, you can try changing your current DNS settings to the Google Public DNS as it could also help in fixing error 0x80131500. To do so, follow the steps below.

• The first thing you have to do is right-click on the network icon in the Taskbar and select Network and Sharing Center.
• Next, click on the “Change Adapter Settings” option.
• After that, search for the network connection that you are using to connect to the internet. Note that the option might be “Wireless Connection” or “Local Area Connection”.
• Right-click on your network connection and click on Properties.
• Then select the new window to choose the “Internet Protocol 4 (TCP/IPv4)” option.
• After that, click on the Properties button and click the checkbox in the new window for the option “Use the following DNS server addresses”.
• Type in “8.8.8.8” and “8.8.4.4” and click OK and exit.

Option 4 – Try to create a new Administrator User account

If you have a standard account, you can try creating a new account but this time, you create an administrator user account and then see if the error is fixed or not. Note that you have to sign in with your main account before you can create an admin account.

Option 5 – Run the Microsoft Store Apps troubleshooter

The Microsoft Store Apps Troubleshooter will help you in fixing the error 0x80131500. This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any app installation issues. So this is worth a try to solve the problem. This built-in tool also helps you fix the Windows 10 Store if it isn’t working. To use the Windows Store Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.

1. Tap Win + I keys again to open the Windows Settings panel.
2. Go to Update & Security and then go to Troubleshoot.
3. On your right-hand side, scroll down to find the Windows Store Apps and then click on the Run the troubleshooter option and see if it fixes the problem.

Option 6 – Try to reset the Microsoft Store cache

Just like browsers, Microsoft Store also caches as you view apps and games so it is most likely that the cache is no longer valid and must be removed. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Right-click on the start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator).
• Next, type in the command, “exe” and tap Enter. Once you do, the command will clear the cache for the Windows Store app.
• Now restart your PC and afterward, try opening Microsoft Store again and then try to install your app or update your computer again.

Option 7 – Try to re-register the Microsoft Store app via PowerShell

• Tap the Win + X key combination or right-click on the Start button and click on the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option.
• If a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click on Yes to proceed and open the Windows PowerShell window.
• Next, type in or copy-paste the following command to re-register the Microsoft Store app and tap Enter:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRootWinStoreAppxManifest.xml

• Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.

To make the Windows 10 operating system a lot more user-friendly, Microsoft introduced the Tablet Mode for Windows 10 devices, especially the 2-in-1 devices like Surface Pro and Surface Book. Despite the Tablet Mode’s efficiency, it also encounters some errors from time to time. One of the issues users reported about tablet mode is that they can’t turn off or exit tablet mode. If you are one of these users, read on as this post will guide you in what you can do to fix the issue. To fix the problem with Tablet Mode, there are several suggestions you can check out. You can try to check the full-screen setting, or perform a full shutdown or perform two buttons to restart the Surface devices. You could also disable Tablet Mode via Registry Editor or perform System Restore or change the settings in the System tab or the Action Center.

Option 1 – Try to check the full-screen setting

• Tap the Win + I keys to open the Windows Settings app.
• Then navigate to this path, Personalization > Start.
• Next, scroll down to toggle off the “Use Start Full Screen” option.
• After that, restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed.

Option 2 – Perform a full shutdown

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges first.
• Next, execute this command to perform a full shutdown: shutdown /s /f /t 0
• The command you entered will shut down your computer and once it’s turned off, wait for a couple of minutes and then turn it back on.

Option 3 – Try to perform a two-button restart on your Surface device

• Tap and hold the power button for about 30 seconds.
• Then release them after 30 seconds.
• After that, tap and hold the volume up + the power button for 20 seconds. This will cause the display to flash a few times but you have to keep those buttons pressed until your Surface device is turned off.
• Wait for a couple of minutes and your Surface will turn back on. This should resolve the problem.

Option 4 – Try to disable the Tablet Mode via Registry Editor

• In the Start Search, type “registry editor” and right-click on the Registry Editor from the results, and then select the Run as administrator option. This will open the Registry Editor with admin privileges.
• Next, navigate to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionImmersiveShell
• From there, look for the DWORD named “SignInMode” and double click on it.
• Set its value to “1” and its base as hexadecimal.
• After that, click on OK to save the changes made. This will make sure that you are signed in to the desktop mode when you log into your account.
• Now look for the DWORD named “TabletMode” and double click on it and set its value data to “0” and it's base as hexadecimal.
• Click on OK to save the changes made and then restart your computer.

Option 5 – Run System Restore

• 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 check if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 6 – Try changing the settings in the System tab or the Action Center

• Go to Settings and navigate to System > Tablet Mode.
• After that, scroll down to set the “Use desktop mode” from the drop-down menu under the “When I sign in” section.
• Now restart your computer and see if the issue is fixed.

Computer voice control has moved a long way from its beginning routes and in today's age controlling your PC with voice is truly a reality and fully possible. Voice control is taking up the steam in everyday life, from simple commands in cars, Alexa, smartphones, TVs, etc. to modern computers.

Windows 10 has introduced voice control into PC with Cortana even during the installation process but a lot has changed from having a virtual assistant in begging days and in today's modern Windows 11 OS. You can now freely open apps, move, copy delete files, and even dictate in order to create a word document.

However, in order to take this advantage, you will need to turn it off first since it is disabled by default. Of course, you will need a microphone and some spare time to train Windows in understanding you properly.

Setting up Voice Control

Just like in Windows 10, in Windows 11 voice control is also in accessibility options and the first step is to turn ON Windows Speech Recognition.

Click on the Start button and type Settings into the search bar, click on Open, or press ENTER. On the left side of the settings, window locate and click on Accessibility. On the right part once Accessibility is selected scroll down and find a section titled Interaction and click on Speech. Turn on the switch next to Windows Speech Recognition.

A pop-up will appear that will lead you through the rest of the setup and that's it.

Improving Voice Control

In order to make your voice control better, if you are not satisfied with the results, you can sample more of your voice into the algorithm to tune it more to your liking. Sadly this option is still deep in Control Panel.

Click the Start button and type in Speech recognition into the search bar, look for the search result with Control Panel displayed under it, and click on Open. Click on Train Your Computer to Better Understand You and follow the instructions.

The process will probably take a few minutes. The more data you provide to the speech recognition model, the more accurate it will be when interpreting your instructions. You can train the model multiple times, and each time you do, it should improve the accuracy.

Over time Applications change, some for the better some for worse. Some of them even stop receiving updates and are old and vulnerable. Sometimes standards change and some file types are not used anymore. Software evolves along with technology and that is good. Keeping old and useless applications inside your Windows is not so good. From various exploits to simply taking up space, maybe even slowing down OS it is always wise and good to clean your Windows from unwanted old applications. In this article, we will be mentioning some relics of old and providing you with an explanation of why you should remove them from your system if by any chance you still have them on it.

Silverlight

Silverlight was meant to be a competitor for Adobe Flash, it is a WEB framework that enables rich media content inside your WEB browser. The issue is that it is not developed anymore and today's browsers do not support it. The only browser that actually can support it is internet explorer which itself is not supported and how there is practically 0 content on today's modern WEB that will require Silverlight, it is safe and recommended to remove it.

Adobe Flash

Speaking of Adobe Flash, you should remove it as well. Flash has stopped receiving support as of January 2021 and browsers have dropped support for it and even blocked it due to security issues. However, there still might be some local installation of Flash itself inside Windows along with the old Shockwave player that stopped receiving support in 2019. You should remove them both.

JAVA

Now this one is tricky, by itself JAVA does not present any security issues since browsers do not support it anymore and the desktop version is not really slowing down your computer. This one has simply put just another media runtime that is not used and simply takes up space and resources. However if you have some applications that you do use that rely on it (I can really just think of JAVA Minecraft at this point) leave it of course but in any other case, it is just purely not needed.

Quicktime

While we are at media runtime and stuff that just simply is not needed, Quicktime is one of them. Now this Apple Video player and codec is still pretty developed and active in Apple’s iOS environment, Windows version has not been updated since 2016 and it was discovered that it contains some critical vulnerabilities. Uninstall it and if you need a player that could play MOV files, just use a VLC player that can play them without any separately installed codec.

uTorrent

This one, the same as CCleaner was once a good application, as a matter of fact, it was the best torrenting application. Sadly it has fallen from its grace very low, from getting tons of ads in its interface to findings in 2015 that code of torrent client was packed with a crypto miner that used system resources of an installed computer to mine crypto without user’s awareness. You should uninstall this torrent client if you would like to get your PC back and not provide it for cryptocurrency mining for the company that developed it. Use qBittorrent or TIxati, open-source and free ones that have everything needed for any torrenting needs.

Toolbars and Browser extensions

There are a lot of toolbars for browsers and extensions that are malicious in nature or simply not updated providing security issues. It is very advisable to remove this as soon as possible.

WinRAR

WinRAR has gained its large popularity solely for the reason that you could download it from the official site like shareware and use it forever. The license never expired and you could use it indefinitely. Sadly not much has been improved in the application itself and it is slowly falling out in its range of what it can do. There are better open source and free options today like 7zip, PeaZip, ZIPvare, and more that are working the same as WinRAR if not even better.

Windows and manufacturers Bloatware

Yes, applications that come bundled with Windows and with some laptops that include manufacturers made software for different tasks like its own specific media players, calculators, etc. It is known that these applications are not better than their open-source rivals and there are too many of them including some that you will probably never use. It is the same as buying a new phone bundled with tons of applications that you do not need, did not ask for, and do not use. Delete all of them. Considering Windows there are also some Store application like Candy Crush Saga demo and other are safe to remove if not needed. That’s it, our advice for old and not needed applications so you can keep your PC safe and fast.

Recently, a number of users reported seeing plain white icons on their “.docx” files instead of the Word icon. This kind of issue is mostly caused by a conflict with the default program settings in Windows which is why you may not see any Microsoft Word icon on your .docx files. So if you suddenly find that the Microsoft Word icon is either blank or missing and does not show properly on .doc and .docx document files of Office on your Windows 10 computer, then you can check out the potential solutions outlined below. Before you proceed, you can try to restart your computer as there are instances when a simple system restart can resolve some issues like this one. However, if it does not help, create a System Restore point first. This is to ensure that you can always undo the changes you are about to make in case something goes wrong. Once you have that covered, proceed to the following options.

Option 1 – Try to configure .docx files to open with “winword.exe”

You can try configuring the .docx files to open with the winword.exe in order to fix the problem.

• Right-click on a .docx file and select the “Open with…” option.
• After that, if a prompt appears with a message saying, “How do you want to open this file”, select the “More apps” option to proceed.
• Next, scroll down and check the checkbox that says, “Always use this app to open .docx files” option.
• Then click on the “Look for another app on this PC” link and choose the WINWORD.exe application from one of the following paths based on the installed Office version in your computer and click Open:
  • Word 2016 (64-bit): C:/Program Files/Microsoft Office/root/Office16
  • Word 2016 (32-bit): C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Office/root/Office16

• Now check if you can now see the Word icon on the .doc or .docx files.

Option 2 – Try changing the default Word icon via Registry Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility.
• Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this path located in the left pane: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTWord.Document.12DefaultIcon
• From there, double click on the default value at the right pane and based on the Word version you are using as well as the architecture (32 bit or 64 bit) and then copy-paste the corresponding value in the Value data box:
  • For Word 2016 (64-bit) keep it as C:/Program Files/Microsoft Office/root/Office16/wordicon.exe,13
  • For Word 2016 (32-bit) Keep it as C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Office/root/Office16/wordicon.exe,13

• Once you’re done, tap Enter and then close the Registry Editor.
• Restart your computer and see if the problem’s fixed.

Option 3 – Try to rebuild the Icon cache

You may want to rebuild the Icon cache as it could also help fix the issue.

• Tap Win + E to open File Explorer and then click Folder Options and click Views to show Hidden System Files.
• After that, go to C:Users%username%AppDataLocal folder and look for a file named Iconcache.db and delete it.
• Next, go to C:Users%username%AppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsExplorer.
• From there, look for the following files and delete them.
  • iconcache_32.db
  • iconcache_48.db
  • iconcache_96.db
  • iconcache_256.db
  • iconcache_1024.db
  • iconcache_1280.db
  • iconcache_1600.db
  • iconcache_1920.db
  • iconcache_2560.db
  • iconcache_exif.db
  • iconcache_idx.db
  • iconcache_sr.db
  • iconcache_wide.dd
  • iconcache_wide_alternate.db
• Restart your computer. This will purge and rebuild the icon cache.

Option 4 – Try fixing Office apps

Fixing the Office apps can help you resolve the Word icon issue. All you have to do is open Settings > Apps. From the app list, look for the Microsoft Office Desktop apps and select it and then click on the Advanced options and click Fix. After that, wait until the process is completed and restart your PC. However, if the problem still persists, repeat the steps again but this time, click on Reset instead of Fix.

Option 5 – Try to repair Office Installation

If the options given above didn’t work, you can try to repair the Office installation and see if it can fix the problem.

• Open Control Panel and click on Programs and Features.
• Next, right-click on the Office program that you want to repair which in this case is, Word.
• Select Change and click Repair > Continue. After that, Office will start to repair Microsoft Word.
• Wait until the process is done and then reboot your computer.

Linkury Smartbar Engine is a Brower Toolbar for Internet Explorer. Upon investigation, we discovered that this toolbar does not work with the latest versions of Internet Explorer.

From the Author:

What the Smartbar does: – Changes the default search engine in your web browser’s built-in search box. – Changes the default home page of your web browser. – Adds alternative “page not found” functionality. – Enable search from the address bar of your web browser. – Allows software updates of the application once a new version is released. – Adds, removes, or modifies components interacting with search input fields.

While installed, users may see additional unwanted ads throughout their browsing sessions.

Several anti-virus applications have marked this toolbar as a Browser Hijacker, and it is not recommended to keep it on your computer, especially if you are using a newer version of internet explorer that renders this toolbar useless.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking means a malicious program code has taken control over and modified the settings of your browser, without your permission. Browser hijackers will do a number of things on a computer. These are typically used to force visitors to a particular site, manipulating web traffic to earn ad revenue. It may appear naive, but the majority of these sites are not legitimate and may pose a serious threat to your online safety. They did not just screw up your web browsers, but browser hijackers can also modify the system registry, leaving your computer susceptible to other attacks.

How you can determine if your browser is hijacked

When your browser is hijacked, the following could happen: home-page is changed; you see new unwanted favorites or bookmarks added, usually directed to advertisement-filled or pornography sites; the default browser settings are changed and/or your default web engine is altered; you find unsolicited new toolbars added; never-ending pop-up adverts appear and/or your web browser pop-up blocker is disabled; your web browser starts running slowly or exhibits frequent errors; you can’t visit specific websites like home pages of security software.

Precisely how browser hijacker infects computer systems

Browser hijackers could use drive-by downloads or file-sharing websites or perhaps an e-mail attachment in order to reach a targeted computer. They may also come from any BHO, browser extension, add-on, toolbar, or plug-in with malicious intent. A browser hijacker can be installed as a part of freeware, shareware, demoware, and fake programs. A good example of a well-known browser hijacker is the latest Chinese malware called “Fireball”, which has infected 250 million PCs across the world. It works as a hijacker but can be turned into a fully functioning malware downloader afterward. The existence of any browser hijacker malware on your system could substantially diminish the web browsing experience, monitor your internet activities that lead to serious privacy concerns, create system stability problems and ultimately cause your PC to slow down or to a nearly unusable state.

Removing browser hijackers

Some kinds of browser hijackers can be removed from your computer by deleting malicious software applications or any other recently added freeware. At times, it could be a tough job to find and eliminate the malicious program since the associated file could be running as part of the operating system process. Also, manual removals require in-depth system understanding and thus can be a very difficult job for novice computer users. Browser hijackers could be effectively removed by installing and running an anti-malware program on the affected PC. To eradicate any kind of browser hijacker from your laptop or computer, you could download this certified malware removal application – SafeBytes Anti-Malware. Utilize a system optimizer (like Restoro) together with your anti-malware software to fix various computer registry problems, eliminate computer vulnerabilities, and enhance your computer's overall performance.

Help! Malware Blocking Anti-virus Installation And Access To The Web

Practically all malware is bad, but certain kinds of malware do a lot more damage to your computer than others. Some malware sits in between the computer and your net connection and blocks some or all websites that you really want to check out. It would also block you from installing anything on your machine, especially anti-virus software. If you are reading this now, you have probably recognized that a malware infection is the real cause of your blocked web traffic. So how to proceed if you need to download and install an anti-malware application such as Safebytes? There are some steps you can take to circumvent this issue.

Eliminate viruses in Safe Mode

If the malware is set to load at Windows start-up, then booting in Safe Mode should prevent it. Only the minimum required applications and services are loaded whenever you start your laptop or computer in Safe Mode. You need to do the following to remove malware in Safe mode. 1) After switching on the computer, hit the F8 key before the Windows splash screen starts to load. This should bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Select Safe Mode with Networking using arrow keys and hit ENTER. 3) As soon as this mode loads, you will have an internet connection. Now, utilize your web browser normally and navigate to https://safebytes.com/products/anti-malware/ to download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 4) Right after installation, run a complete scan and let the program get rid of the threats it detects.

Switch over to some other browser

Web-based malware can be environment-specific, aiming for a particular web browser or attacking particular versions of the web browser. The best solution to overcome this issue is to choose a browser that is well known for its security features. Firefox has built-in Phishing and Malware Protection to help keep you safe online.

Install antivirus on a USB drive

To successfully remove the malware, you will need to approach the issue of installing an antivirus program on the infected computer system from a different angle. To run antivirus using a thumb drive, follow these simple measures: 1) On a virus-free computer, install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Plug the Thumb drive into the clean computer. 3) Double click on the exe file to run the installation wizard. 4) Choose a USB drive as the location when the wizard asks you where you wish to install the software. Follow activation instructions. 5) Transfer the pen drive from the clean PC to the infected PC. 6) Double-click the antivirus software EXE file on the USB flash drive. 7) Simply click “Scan Now” to run a scan on the affected computer for malware.

SafeBytes Anti-Malware Features

In order to protect your personal computer from many different internet-based threats, it’s important to install anti-malware software on your PC. But with so many anti-malware companies in the market, these days it’s challenging to decide which one you should purchase for your laptop. Some are really worth your money, but most aren’t. You must choose one that is efficient, practical, and has a strong reputation for its malware protection. While considering the trustworthy applications, Safebytes Anti-Malware is undoubtedly the strongly recommended one. SafeBytes anti-malware is really a powerful, highly effective protection application created to assist users of all levels of IT literacy in identifying and eliminating harmful threats from their PC. With its most advanced virus detection and repair technology, this software protects your PC against infections caused by different kinds of malware and similar internet threats, including adware, spyware, viruses, worms, trojans, keyloggers, potentially unwanted program (PUPs), and ransomware.

SafeBytes anti-malware offers a myriad of advanced features that sets it aside from all others. Here are some of the best ones:

Most Reliable AntiMalware Protection: Built upon a highly acclaimed antivirus engine, this malware removal application can detect and get rid of the most stubborn malware threats like browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other common anti-virus programs will miss. Real-time Threat Response: SafeBytes provides totally hands-free live protection and is set to check, block, and get rid of all computer threats at its very first encounter. They’re extremely efficient in screening and getting rid of numerous threats since they’re constantly revised with the latest updates and alerts. Web Protection: SafeBytes checks the links present on a web page for possible threats and notifies you whether the site is safe to browse or not, through its unique safety rating system. “Fast Scan” Features: Safebytes AntiMalware, using its enhanced scanning engine, gives super-fast scanning that can quickly target any active internet threat. Light-weight: This program is lightweight and can work silently in the background, and will not have an effect on your PC efficiency. 24/7 Online Support: Support service is accessible 24 x 7 x 365 days via email and chats to answer your concerns. To sum it up, SafeBytes has developed a meaningful anti-malware solution that is aimed to protect you against various malware. You can be sure that your PC will be protected in real-time once you put this software to use. So when you want advanced forms of protection features & threat detections, buying SafeBytes Anti-Malware could be worth the money!

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you do not wish to use an automated tool and prefer to eliminate Linkury Smartbar Engine manually, you might do so by going to the Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and removing the offending program; in cases of web browser plug-ins, you may uninstall it by visiting the browsers Add-on/Extension manager. You’ll likely also want to reset your web browser. To be certain of complete removal, find the following Windows registry entries on your system and eliminate them or reset the values appropriately. Please note that this is for advanced users only and might be difficult, with wrong file removal leading to additional system errors. Furthermore, certain malware is capable of replicating itself or preventing deletion. Carrying out this in Safe Mode is suggested.