Scroll bar in Chrome is missing in Windows

The GifsGalore Toolbar from Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc. is proposed to active Web users who like to embed GIFs into their emails and share entertaining GIFs with friends via social media services. The GifsGalore software can be added to your Internet client for free but you need to be using Google Chrome, Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox for the GifsGalore Toolbar to be activated.

When installed it hijacks your New tab page and default search engine changing them to search.myway.com. This extension also monitors user browsing activity recording information such as: visited websites, clicked links, viewed products, etc. This information is later used to better target ads. While browsing the internet with this extension enabled you will see additional pop-up ads, as well as sponsored links and injected ads throughout your browsing session, especially in search results.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is actually a form of unwanted software program, often a browser add-on or extension, which causes modifications in web browser’s settings. There are various reasons why you may experience an internet browser hijack; however commercial, advertising, and marketing are definitely the main reasons for their creation. The idea would be to force users to visit specific sites that are aiming to improve their site visitor traffic and generate higher ad earnings. It could seem naive, but most of these sites are not legitimate and could present a serious risk to your online safety. Browser hijackers can even let other vicious programs without your knowledge further damage the computer.

Find out how to identify a browser hijack

When your web browser is hijacked, the following can happen: the browser’s homepage is modified; bookmark and the new tab are also changed; the default search engine has been changed and your browser security settings have been lowered without your knowledge; you see unwanted new toolbars added; unstoppable flurries of popup ads appear on your computer screen; your web browser gets sluggish, buggy, crashes very often; you are prohibited access to particular web pages, including the site of an anti-malware software developer like SafeBytes.

How browser hijacker finds its way onto your computer system

Browser hijackers might use drive-by downloads or file-sharing networks or perhaps an email attachment to reach a targeted computer. They may also come from any BHO, browser extension, toolbar, add-on, or plug-in with malicious purpose. Other times you might have unintentionally accepted a browser hijacker as part of an application package (usually freeware or shareware). Examples of well-known browser hijackers are Fireball, CoolWebSearch. save, Ask Toolbar, RocketTab, and Babylon Toolbar.

Removal

Some browser hijacking could be quite easily reversed by discovering and removing the corresponding malware software from your control panel. Yet, certain hijackers are far harder to find or eliminate since they might get themselves associated with some crucial computer files that enable them to operate as a necessary operating system process. Additionally, manual removals demand deep system knowledge and therefore can be a very difficult job for novices. Installing and running an anti-malware program on the affected computer could automatically erase browser hijackers and other malicious applications. Safebytes Anti-Malware has a sophisticated anti-malware engine to help you prevent browser hijacking in the first place, and mop up any pre-existing problems. And use a PC optimizer, like Total System Care, to get rid of all related files in the registry and repair browser issues.

What you can do if Malware Stops You From Downloading Or Installing Anything?

All malware is bad, but certain types of malware do a lot more damage to your computer than others. Some malware is created to restrict or prevent things that you want to do on your PC. It may well not let you download anything from the internet or stop you from accessing some or all websites, particularly the antivirus websites. If you’re reading this article, you may have infected by a virus that stops you from installing security software such as Safebytes Antimalware on your PC. There are some actions you can take to circumvent this problem.

Remove malware in Safe Mode

The Windows OS includes a special mode known as “Safe Mode” in which just the bare minimum required programs and services are loaded. If the malware is obstructing internet access and affecting the computer, launching it in Safe Mode allows you to download anti-virus and run a scan whilst limiting possible damage. To enter into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press the F8 key while the computer is starting up or run MSConfig and find the “Safe Boot” options in the “Boot” tab. After you restart into Safe Mode with Networking, you can download, install, as well as update the anti-malware program from there. At this point, you could run the antivirus scan to remove computer viruses and malware without any interference from another application.

Download the security software using an alternate web browser

Web-based viruses can be environment-specific, aiming for a particular browser or attacking specific versions of the browser. If you are not able to download the anti-malware software program using Internet Explorer, it means the virus could be targeting IE’s vulnerabilities. Here, you should switch over to a different browser like Firefox or Chrome to download the Safebytes Anti-malware program.

Install and run antivirus from your USB drive

Another solution is to create a portable anti-malware program onto your USB stick. Adopt these measures to run the antivirus on the affected computer system. 1) Make use of another virus-free computer to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Plug the Thumb drive into the uninfected computer. 3) Double click on the executable file to run the installation wizard. 4) Select flash drive as the place when the wizard asks you where you wish to install the software. Do as instructed on the screen to finish up the installation process. 5) Now, transfer the USB drive to the infected computer 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 affected computer for malware.

How SafeBytes Anti-Malware Keep your Computer Virus Free

If you’re planning to purchase anti-malware for your desktop, there are plenty of brands and utilities for you to consider. A few of them are good but there are lots of scamware applications that pretend as legit anti-malware programs waiting around to wreak havoc on your computer. You need to go with a tool that has obtained a strong reputation and detects not only viruses but other kinds of malware as well. Amongst few good applications, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is the strongly recommended software program for the security-conscious individual. SafeBytes anti-malware is a trusted tool that not only protects your PC completely but is also extremely user-friendly for people of all ability levels. With its cutting-edge technology, this application can help you remove multiples types of malware which include viruses, trojans, PUPs, worms, ransomware, adware, and browser hijackers.

SafeBytes anti-malware provides a myriad of enhanced features that sets it aside from all others. Below are a few of the good ones:

Robust, Anti-malware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal tool can identify and remove several stubborn malware threats like browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other common antivirus software will miss. Live Protection: SafeBytes gives you round-the-clock protection for your personal computer restricting malware intrusions instantly. They’re extremely effective in screening and removing numerous threats because they are regularly improved with new updates and alerts. Web Filtering: SafeBytes inspects the links present on a web page for possible threats and alerts you whether the website is safe to browse or not, through its unique safety ranking system. Fast Scan: SafeBytes’s virus scan engine is one of the quickest and most efficient in the industry. It's targeted scanning greatly increases the catch rate for viruses which is embedded in various computer files. Very Low CPU and RAM Usage: SafeBytes is a lightweight and easy-of-use anti-virus and anti-malware solution. Since it uses low computer resources, this application leaves the computer power exactly where it belongs to: with you. 24/7 Premium Support: You will get 24/7 technical support to quickly resolve any issue with your security tool. To sum it up all, SafeBytes Anti-Malware offers superb protection combined with very low system resource usage with both great malware detection and prevention. You now may realize that this particular software does more than just scan and eliminate threats from your computer. You’ll get the best all-around protection for the money you spend on SafeBytes AntiMalware subscription, there isn’t any doubt about it.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

To remove GifsGalore manually, go to the Add or Remove programs list in the Windows Control Panel and select the program you want to get rid of. For internet browser extensions, go to your web browser’s Addon/Extension manager and choose the add-on you would like to remove or disable. You’ll probably also want to reset your web browser. If you choose to manually delete the system files and registry entries, use the following list to make sure you know precisely what files to remove before undertaking any actions. However, editing the registry is usually a difficult task that only experienced users and professionals should try to fix it. Moreover, some malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. Carrying out this malware-removal process in Safe Mode is recommended.

Logitech announced the Logitech G CLOUD gaming handheld, somewhat of a STEAM Deck competitor. Somewhat, because the reason is that not like Deck this device is not packing huge power in order to run locally PC games, instead it is made with one goal in mind to connect to Cloud gaming and let you play games in that way.

The device is packed with a 7-inch display featuring 1080p resolution in a 16:9 ratio with a refresh rate of 60Hz, an analog thumbstick, a D-pad, 4 action buttons, and triggers. Inside the device beats Snapdragon 720G (CPU used in most Android phones), 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM & 64GB of internal storage. As seen hardware is way less impressive than one that is packed inside the STEAM deck but as stated this handheld is not meant to run natively PC games so this hardware will suffice for its purpose.

Logitech has partnered with both Nvidia and Microsoft to add GeForce now and Xbox Cloud Gaming access to its device. If you have an account on either one of these services you can fully use them on the Logitech G Cloud gaming handheld. You can also play some Android games via the Google play store but the main goal is Cloud gaming.

The price of 350$ USD is not very impressive since STEAM Deck which is a way more capable device is running for 400$ USD, for the difference of only 50$ USD Deck has an advantage, and the price itself is a hard point for selling and if we place into this mix som retro handhelds that go as low as 100$ USD Logitech is in an awkward position. Note that Nintendo Switch is 300$ USD.

One of the primary packages that install the Windows Media Player is the Media Feature Pack among other related files that are needed by the associated software products. And one of the essential DLL files in that package is the mfplat.dll file which is needed by various games and streaming services. So if this DLL file goes missing, you will most likely encounter any of the following error messages:

• “mfplat.dll missing”
• “The application failed to start because mfplat.dll was not found.”
• “The program can’t start because mfplat.dll is missing from your computer.”

In other circumstances, the Media Feature Package does not come pre-installed with the main Windows package especially for those who use Windows N, thereby causing the error to pop up. The main cause of this problem is that users who use Windows 10 N do not have the Media Feature pack pre-installed with the installation package. Aside from that, the installation package could go missing after a few Windows Updates or if you have uninstalled it by accident. To resolve this problem, you need to check out each one of the given options below.

Option 1 – Try to enable Media Playback via Command Prompt

If you encounter the mfplat.dll missing error when you attempt to run PLEX or other similar streaming service and you’ve already verified that the Media Feature Pack is indeed installed, you might want to try enabling it using an elevated Command Prompt. There are cases when a particular Windows Update ends up disabling the feature and creates the grounds which results in the mfplat.dll missing error. Thus, you can have to enable the feature via Command Prompt.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “cmd” in the field and hit Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
• Next, click on Yes if a User Account Control prompt pops up.
• After opening Command Prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter to execute it:

dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:MediaPlayback

• Close Command Prompt and then open the app once again to check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 2 – Try installing the Media Feature Pack for Windows 10 N version

As mentioned, the Windows 10 N version does not come with Windows Media Player. Meaning to say, the Media Feature Pack is also not installed by default or won’t be updated by the Windows Update component. So if you are not quite sure what Windows 10 version you currently have installed, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Windows key + S and then type “about” in the search box.
• From the search results, click on the “About your PC” to open the About tab of the Settings app.
• Afterward, scroll down to the Windows specifications and check your Windows version under Edition.

Note: If you have verified that your PC is using the Windows 10 N version, you need to install the appropriate Media Feature Pack for your computer. How? Refer to the steps below:

• Click this link to download and install the Media Feature Pack from Microsoft’s official website.
• Upon installation, select the edition you want to install using the drop-down menu and then click on Confirm. Take note that there are few reasons why you’d want to install the older version since most streaming services like PLEX and most games usually require version 1803.
• After that, wait until the request is validated. The download should begin in a few minutes automatically.
• Once the download is completed, open the installation executable file and follow the next on-screen instructions to install the Media Feature Pack on your computer.
• Restart your computer. After your computer has rebooted, open the application where you’re getting the mfplat.dll missing error and then check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 3 – Try to extract a copy of the mfplat.dll file from the windows.old directory

If you encounter the error shortly after you just upgraded to Windows 10 from an older version, the best thing you can do to resolve the problem is to use windows.old directory to fetch an old copy of the mfplat.dll file. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Go to the Windows drive and then look for the windows.old directory where it preserves a copy of your old operating system as well as associated files in case something goes out of hand during the upgrade process.
• After that, open the windows.old folder and then go to the syswow64 folder.
• Next, from the syswow64 folder, copy the mfplat.dll file and paste it to C:/windows/syswow64.
• Restart your computer and check if the error is now resolved or not.

Device drivers serve as a connection between the hardware in your computer and the operating system. So if any of the device drivers fail, the concerned hardware will stop communicating with Windows. And when you encounter some network-related issues, you can run the Network Adapter troubleshooter to fix them. However, this built-in troubleshooter does not work all the time as there are still problems that it can’t fix on its own and you’ll see the following error message:

“Windows could not find a driver for your network adapter.”

If you encounter this kind of error, read on as this post will help you in fixing the problem but before you get started in troubleshooting the problem, try running the Network Adapter Troubleshooter again.

• Open the Search bar on your computer and type in “troubleshoot” to open the Troubleshoot settings.
• Next, scroll down and select the “Network Adapter” option from the right pane.
• Then click on the Run Troubleshooter” button.
• After that, your computer will check for any possible errors and will pinpoint the root cause of the problem if possible.

Refer to each one of the solutions given below to get started:

Option 1 – Update the Network Adapter drivers

Of course, the first thing you can try to do is to update the Network Adapter drivers to resolve the error.

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
• Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the Network Adapters and expand it.
• Then right-click on each one of the Network drivers and update them all.
• Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the BSOD error.

Note: If updating the network drivers didn’t help in fixing the “Windows could not find a driver for your network adapter” error, you can also try to uninstall the very same drivers and restart your Windows 10 PC. After that, the system itself will reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled. Alternatively, you can also download and install the drivers from the manufacturer’s website directly. To reinstall the network adapter driver, refer to these steps:

• Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
• Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
• After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
• Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
• Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.

Option 2 – Try running the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

Apart from the Network Adapter Troubleshooter, you can also run another built-in troubleshooter in Windows, the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter, as it can also help you in resolving the “Windows could not find a driver for your network adapter” error.

• The first thing you need to do is click on Start and then on the gear-like icon to pull up the window for Settings.
• After opening Settings, look for the Update and Security option and select it.
• From there, go to the Troubleshoot option located on the left-hand side of the list.
• Next, select Hardware and Devices from the list and open the Troubleshooter and run it. Once it is doing its job, wait for it to complete the process and then restart the system.
• After the system restarts, check if the problem’s now fixed. If not, refer to the next option given below.

Option 3 – Try performing a System Restore

You might also want to perform a System Restore that might help you in fixing the error. You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.

• 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.

If you have or are currently getting a troublesome error saying, “The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible” when you boot your computer, then continue reading as this post will give you some suggestions that may help you resolve the error. This pesky error pops up during the booting process of your computer and prevents you from booting to your Windows 10 PC and displays the error message on a black screen instead. To fix this problem, here are some suggestions you need to check out.

Option 1 – Try checking the boot order in BIOS

• Turn on your PC and repeatedly tap the Setup key right away about once every second until you see the Computer Setup Utility or the BIOS settings.
• Then use the right arrow key to select the Security menu and then use the down arrow key to select the Secure Boot Configuration option and then tap Enter.
• Just a heads up, before you can use Secure Boot Configuration, a warning will pop up. Simply tap F10 to continue to the menu. After opening it, use the down arrow key to select Secure Boot and then the right arrow key to set the setting to Disable.
• Next, select the Legacy Support option using the down arrow key and then the right key to set the setting to Enable.
• Now tap F10 to confirm the changes and then use the arrow key to select File menu and then the down arrow key to select Save Changes and then Exit and tap Enter to select Yes. From there, your computer should restart and once it does, use the power button to switch it off.

If you are now able to boot from your hard drive, you need to know which option to choose once the boot menu pulls up. Refer to the steps below to easily boot from your hard drive.

• Tap the power button to boot your PC. Once your PC starts, a message will appear indicating that the boot mode has now changed.
• Next, you’ll see a security screen displaying a four-digit code. Type in this four-digit code and tap Enter.
• After that, tap the power button to turn the computer off and wait for a couple of seconds and then turn your PC on and tap the ESC key right away repeatedly until you see the Startup menu.
• Now tap F9 to open the Boot Menu and use the down arrow key to select the hard disk and make sure to select it by tapping Enter on your keyboard.
• Restart your PC and check.

Option 2 – Try running the DSKCHK Check from the Recovery Media.

The DSKCHK utility scans your hard drive for any errors, bad files, or corrupt sectors so this should help in fixing the problem.

• The first thing you need to do is to download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft and then open it after the download. The file should be “MediaCreationTool.exe”.
• Then tap Accept to agree to the terms and conditions and then from the initial screen, select the “Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC” option. Keep in mind that the language, architecture, and edition of the bootable drive will be selected based on your PC’s settings but you have to uncheck the Use the recommended options for this PC in order to choose the correct settings for your own computer that’s getting the error.
• Now click Next and then click the USB drive or DVD option once prompted to select between USB or DVD depending on what device you are using to store this image on. Then click Next and select the required drivers from the list of storage devices currently connected to the computer.
• Click Next. After that, the Media Creation Tool will proceed to download the files needed to install and create the installation device.
• The next thing you have to do is to insert the installation drive.
• After that, you will see the “Choose your keyboard layout” window so select the one you prefer and then the Choose an option screen will pop up.
• Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt. After opening Command Prompt, input the following command and hit Enter.

CHKDSK /R /X C:

• Now boot your PC without the recovery drive and check if the problem’s fixed or not.

Option 3 – Try resetting the BIOS

• Open the computer case and then look for the battery in the motherboard. If you can’t find it, you can seek out the motherboard or computer documentation of your PC as well as browse the web or contact the manufacturer for further assistance.
• Removing the battery should be easy especially if your computer uses a coin cell battery. Just use your fingers to grab on the edge of the battery then pull it up and out of the socket that’s holding it in place.
• Keep the battery removed for about 10 minutes and then insert it back and try booting into the BIOS.

Option 4 – Try using the Startup Repair

• Inject the installation drive you created earlier and boot your PC.
• Select the keyboard layout from the Choose your keyboard layout window.
• From there, the Choose an option screen pops up. Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Repair.

As you know, Microsoft Store is the ultimate source of applications for Windows 10 devices and it’s turning to be the hub for various applications. In fact, aside from applications, it has also become a source for movies, books, TV and even buying hardware directly from Microsoft and many more. Although downloading goes smoothly most of the time, depending on your internet connection, there are also times when you might experience slow download speeds while downloading apps and other things in the Microsoft Store. There are several factors that could be causing this kind of issue. It can be due to the Microsoft Store app itself or it could be enforced speed limiter on the application or it could be due to a corrupted Microsoft Store cache, or it could be due to the Windows Update service running in the background, and so on. To fix this problem, you can try to reset the Microsoft Store cache, or set the bandwidth limit for downloads, or try to re-register the Microsoft Store app via Windows PowerShell. Before you proceed with the troubleshooting options provided below, make sure that your internet connection is stable enough to download apps and games. You also have to check if there is an update or a massive download in progress. Once you have these things covered, follow the given options below.

Option 1 – 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 2 – Try to set the bandwidth limit for downloads

• Tap the Win + I key combination to open the Windows Settings app.
• After that, navigate to Update & security > Windows Update.
• From there, select the Advanced options located on the right-side panel.
• Next, select Delivery Optimization and check the box for “Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the background under the Download settings section and then set the slider to 100%.

Option 3 – Try to re-register the Microsoft Store app via Windows 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.

If you suddenly find your Windows 10 computer stuck on the “Preparing to configure” screen for quite a long time now after you run Windows Update, read on as you will be guided on how you can fix that issue in this post. During an update process, there’s a lot of things that go on in the background which is why Windows Updates take quite a while before it finishes. It can be at 25%, 50%, or even 100% but the only message you’re going to see on your screen is the “Preparing to configure Windows, Don’t turn off your computer”. However, if you notice that the Windows Update is taking a longer time than it’s supposed to, the first option is to wait some more but if it’s still the same, then there’s definitely something wrong. This kind of issue occurs when Windows Update fails to configure in short correctly download and install the update. When this happens, it will revert all the changes which are why you were advised to wait for a couple of hours. There are two possibilities why your computer is stuck on the “Preparing to configure Windows, Don’t turn off your computer” screen. The first one is that the Windows 10 operating system is installing any updates. The second one is when the user profile takes time to load or encounters an error. There are several options you can try to fix the problem. You can try running System Restore or boot your computer in Safe Mode or repair the corrupted profile via Registry Editor. You might also want to try using installation media to boot and repair your computer if the other options didn’t work.

Option 1 – Perform 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.

Note: If you can’t boot into the desktop of your computer, you can run System Restore in the Advanced Startup Options by following these steps:

• Boot your computer into the Advanced Startup Options screen.
• From there, you will see some options to troubleshoot when you can’t log in to Windows in the usual way.
• Now select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
• After that, type “rstrui” and hit Enter to execute the command which will start the System Restore process.
• Once it’s done, restart your computer.

Option 2 – Boot your computer in Safe Mode

You can try to tap the F8 key if you have it enabled in your Windows 10 computer, as you start your system to boot into Safe Mode. Once your computer is in Safe Mode, you can access the Start Menu and the Mouse and Keyboard. Aside from that, you can also access your files and other built-in tools in Windows such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, Computer Manager, Device Manager, Event Log Viewer, and many more. On the other hand, if you haven’t enabled the F8 key, you can just go to the Advanced Startup options to boot your computer into Safe Mode. Once you’re there, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart > Tap the number 4 key. After that, your computer will restart in Safe Mode. If you want to reboot into Safe Mode with Networking instead, you can tap the number 5 key and for Safe Mode with Command Prompt, tap the number 6 key. Once your computer is in Safe Mode, you can use any of the built-in tools to restore your computer or troubleshoot the problem that’s causing your computer to get stuck at the “Preparing to configure” screen.

Option 3 – Try to repair your corrupted profile via Registry

In this third option, you can try to repair the corrupted profile using the Registry but before you proceed, take note that you can only try this if you can boot into your desktop and if you can, make sure to create a System Restore Point and then follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, go to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList
• Once you’ve opened the registry key, you should see a list of all the user profiles on your computer. Now click on each S-1-5 folder and look for the “ProfileImagePath” entry and double click on it to check which user account it is related to. You will see a path like “CUsersACK” where “ACK” is the username.
• You should know which of the user account is corrupted. Just look for a key named “RefCount” and change its Value data to “0” and click OK. And if it isn’t available, simply right-click on the right pane and create it.
• After that, double click on the key named “State” and make sure that the Value data is “0” and click OK.
• Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 4 – Try to use installation media to boot and repair your computer

Another thing you can try to resolve the issue is to use the Windows installation bootable media so you can boot and repair the operating system. To use it, follow these steps:

• You need to first create an installation media which has the dame version of the operating system installed in your computer.
• After that, once you reach the Install Windows screen, click on the “Repair your computer” link.
• Wait until the repair is completed and then shut down your computer
• Now once your computer has restarted, check if it can now boot properly.

iWin is a self-published games platform that offers users to download and play free games. It is classified as potentially unwanted, primarily because it often comes bundled with the iWin Toolbar, which is an adware supported browser extension by Conduit. The iWin Toolbar is heavily flagged as malware or unwanted by numerous Antiviruses. iWin Games is not malicious in itself, though due to its bundling and common inclusion of the toolbar, many users wish to remove it.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijack is a very common type of online fraud where your web browser configurations are altered to allow it to do things you never intend. Basically, most browser hijackers are made for marketing or advertising purposes. It redirects you to the sponsored sites and injects advertisements on the browser that helps its creator generate income. Most people assume that these kinds of websites are legitimate and harmless but that is incorrect. Nearly every browser hijacker poses an actual threat to your online safety and it is necessary to categorize them under privacy risks. When the program attacks your computer or laptop, it starts to mess things up a whole lot that slows your computer down to a crawl. In the worst-case scenario, you may be pushed to deal with serious malware threats as well.

How one can know whether the web browser is hijacked?

There are plenty of signs that indicate your internet browser has been highjacked: the browser’s homepage is changed; you find new unwanted bookmarks or favorites added, usually directed to ad-filled or pornography sites; The default search page of web browser is altered; you’ll see many toolbars on the web browser; your internet browser displays constant pop-up ads; your web browser starts running slowly or presents frequent glitches; You can’t access certain sites, particularly anti-virus websites.

How they invade computers

Browser hijackers infect PCs in numerous ways, including via a drive-by download, a file-share, or an infected e-mail. Many browser hijackings originate from add-on programs, i.e., browser helper objects (BHO), toolbars, or plug-ins added to web browsers to provide them extra capabilities. Also, some shareware and freeware can put the hijacker in your computer through the “bundling” technique. A good example of some popular browser hijackers includes Anyprotect, Conduit, Babylon, SweetPage, DefaultTab, Delta Search, and RocketTab, but the names are constantly changing. Browser hijackers could record user keystrokes to collect potentially important information that leads to privacy concerns, cause instability on systems, severely disrupt the user experience, and ultimately slow down the computer to a point where it becomes unusable.

How to repair a browser hijack

Some hijackers can be easily removed by uninstalling the free software they were included with or by deleting any extension you have recently added to your computer system. However, most browser hijackers are hard to get rid of manually. Irrespective of how much you try to eliminate it, it may return over and over. And there’s no denying the very fact that manual repairs and removal can be quite a difficult job for a beginner computer user. Furthermore, there are many risks associated with tinkering around with the pc registry files.

What To Do If You Cannot Install Any Antivirus?

Malware could cause many different types of damage to computer systems, networks, and data. Some malware variants modify internet browser settings by including a proxy server or modify the computer’s DNS settings. In these cases, you’ll be unable to visit some or all of the sites, and thus not able to download or install the required security software to remove the computer virus. If you’re reading this article right now, you may have perhaps recognized that virus infection is the cause of your blocked net connectivity. So what to do when you want to install an anti-virus application like Safebytes? Refer to the instructions below to remove malware through alternative ways.

Make use of Safe Mode to fix the issue

In the event the malware is set to load at Windows startup, then booting in safe mode should avoid it. Only minimal required applications and services are loaded whenever you boot your laptop or computer in Safe Mode. Here are the steps you should follow to boot into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers (visit Microsoft website for instructions on Windows 8 and 10 computers). 1) Press the F8 key continuously as soon as your system boots, but before the large windows logo comes up. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Use the arrow keys to choose Safe Mode with Networking and press ENTER. 3) Once you get into this mode, you will have an internet connection once again. Now, use your browser to download and install an anti-malware application. 4) Right after the software program is installed, let the scan run to remove viruses and other threats automatically.

Obtain the antivirus software using an alternate internet browser

Certain malware might target vulnerabilities of a specific web browser that obstruct the downloading process. The ideal way to overcome this issue is to go with an internet browser that is well known for its security measures. Firefox has built-in Malware and Phishing Protection to help keep you safe online.

Create a bootable USB antivirus drive

Another way is to download and transfer an antivirus application from a clean PC to run a scan on the infected computer. To run anti-malware from a USB pen drive, follow these simple measures: 1) Use another virus-free computer system to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Insert the pen drive onto the same computer. 3) Double-click the Setup icon of the anti-malware software package to run the Installation Wizard. 4) When asked, select the location of the pen drive as the place where you would like to store the software files. Follow the activation instructions. 5) Now, transfer the pen drive to the infected PC. 6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the pen drive by double-clicking the icon. 7) Click on “Scan Now” to run a scan on the infected computer for malware.

Protect Your Computer & Privacy With SafeBytes Anti-Malware

To help protect your PC from many different internet-based threats, it is important to install an anti-malware program on your laptop. But with countless numbers of anti-malware companies in the market, nowadays it is hard to decide which one you should buy for your computer. A few of them are good, some are decent, while some will harm your PC themselves! You need to purchase a product that has gained a strong reputation and detects not just viruses but other kinds of malware as well. When considering commercial anti-malware tool options, most people opt for well-known brands, such as SafeBytes, and they are quite happy with it. SafeBytes anti-malware is a trustworthy tool that not only secures your PC permanently but is also extremely user-friendly for people of all ability levels. Through its cutting-edge technology, this software protects your personal computer against infections caused by various kinds of malware and similar threats, including adware, spyware, trojans, worms, computer viruses, keyloggers, potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), and ransomware. SafeBytes has a plethora of great features that can help you protect your PC from malware attacks and damage. Listed below are some of the best ones: Robust, Anti-malware Protection: Built upon a highly acclaimed antivirus engine, this malware removal application is able to identify and get rid of various stubborn malware threats like browser hijackers, potentially unwanted programs, and ransomware that other typical antivirus programs will miss. Live Protection: Malware programs attempting to get into the system are discovered and stopped as and when detected by the SafeBytes active protection shields. This tool will always monitor your PC for any suspicious activity and updates itself regularly to keep abreast of the constantly changing threat scenarios. Web Protection: Safebytes assigns all websites a unique safety rating that helps you to get an idea of whether the webpage you’re just about to visit is safe to browse or known to be a phishing site. High-Speed Malware Scanning Engine: SafeBytes’s virus scan engine is among the fastest and most efficient in the industry. Its targeted scanning considerably increases the catch rate for viruses which is embedded in various computer files. Lowest CPU and RAM Usage: SafeBytes is a lightweight and user-friendly anti-virus and antimalware solution. Since it uses very low computer resources, this program leaves the computer’s power exactly where it belongs to: with you actually. 24/7 Live Expert Support: For any technical concerns or product support, you may get 24/7 expert assistance through chat and email.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you wish to manually get rid of iWin Games without the use of an automated tool, it might be possible to do so by removing the program from the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser extensions, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and uninstalling it. You may even want to reset your home page and search providers, and also delete browsing history, temporary files, and cookies. Lastly, examine your hard drive for all of the following and clean your computer registry manually to get rid of leftover application entries after uninstalls. Please be aware that this is for advanced users only and could be difficult, with wrong file removal causing additional PC errors. Moreover, certain malware is capable of replicating or preventing removal. You’re suggested to do this process in Safe Mode.

Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox are some of the leading browsers commonly used these days and they all include an embedded copy of the Adobe Flash Player. So if you are running a Windows 10 PC then you can have up to 4 copies of Adobe Flash Player; one for Microsoft Edge, one for Internet Explorer, one for Opera, one for Firefox. You might also experience cases wherein two flash players are simultaneously running, i.e. one installed in Chrome as a single plug-in and another one installed in Windows, trying to parse the data. And in such cases, you might consider removing or uninstalling one of the versions of Adobe Flash Player. If you do, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you in disabling the embedded Adobe Flash Player in Windows 10. Before you get started in removing the Adobe Flash Player in Internet Explorer & Microsoft Edge browser, you need to sign in with your administrative account even if don’t use it or set it as the default browser. After you’ve signed in to your administrative account, follow the steps below. Step 1: Open your browser, if you are using Edge then open it. Step 2: After opening your browser, go to its Settings and select Advanced Settings. Step 3: Next, Move the slider against the “Use Adobe Flash Player” option to off. Step 4: After that, open File Explorer and navigate to this address, “C:/Windows/servicingPackages” and from there, check on the following entries:

• Adobe-Flash-For-Windows-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64….(version number of the Flash Player)
• Adobe-Flash-For-Windows-WOW64-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64….(version number of the Flash player #)
• Adobe-Flash-For-Windows-onecoreuap-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64…(version number of the Flash Player)

Step 5: Take note of all the listed package names of Adobe Flash Player and 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. Step 6: Next, right-click on the three keys which have the name of the packages you listed and select “Permissions” one after the other. Step 7: Then check “Allow” to enable full control for the Administrators account and click OK to save the changes made. Step 8: Select the three keys one after the other and select Visibility DWORD located on the right side and then right-click on Visibility and change the Value data from 2 to 1. Step 9: Go over the same procedures again for the other keys. Once you’ve completed then you should now be able to remove packages using the DISM tool. Step 10: Simply open an elevated Command Prompt and execute the following commands:

• dism /online /remove-package /packagename:Adobe-Flash-For-Windows-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64-10.0.17134.1
• dism /online /remove-package /packagename:Adobe-Flash-For-Windows-WOW64-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64-10.0.17134.1
• dism /online /remove-package /packagename:Adobe-Flash-For-Windows-onecoreuap-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64-10.0.17134.1

Keep in mind that the numbers at the end could be different on your computer due to the difference of version number so you have to use the numbers on your system. After that, reboot your computer.

The quickest and easiest way to log into your computer is when you use the PIN feature in Windows 10. Even though it is a bit slower compared to biometric logins such as Fingerprint and Iris scanning that comes under Windows Hello, the PIN feature is definitely less complicated. However, just like any other module of the software, it is also prone to some errors. In this post, you will be guided in fixing several PIN errors such as 0xd00000e5, 0x8007139f, and 0x8009003. These errors could be caused at different points in time like when you change or create a PIN or when you log into your computer. To fix the 0xd00000e5, 0x8007139f and 0x8009003 PIN errors, there are various solutions you can try. You may empty the contents of the NGC folder or remove and change the PIN or the password. You could also use the Group Policy Editor or reset the ACLs in the NGC folder as well as run built-in tools like System File Checker and the DISM tool.

Option 1 – Take ownership of the NGC folder and delete its contents

• Boot your computer first into Safe Mode.
• Next, you need to take ownership of the Ngc folder first and you can do that using Command Prompt.
• Type “command prompt” in the Windows Search bar and then right-click on the relevant search result and select “Run as administrator”.
• After that, if a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click on Yes to proceed.
• Next, type and enter this command: TAKEOWN /F C:WindowsServiceProfilesLocalServiceAppDataLocalMicrosoftNgc
• Note that the <path> is the location of the folder or file in File Explorer.
• Now type and enter this second command: ICACLS C:WindowsServiceProfilesLocalServiceAppDataLocalMicrosoftNgc /grant administrators:F
• Finally, once the command has been executed, restart your computer.
• Once your computer has restarted, delete all the contents in the Ngc folder and check if the error is now fixed.

Option 2 – Try to remove and change the PIN or password

The 0xd00000e5, 0x8007139f, and 0x8009003 PIN errors could be caused by some conflicting issues with the PIN or password you have set for the User Account of your computer. Thus, you have to remove or change the PIN or password to fix these PIN errors.

• Remove the PIN by going to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
• From there, go to the PIN section and click on the Remove button.
• You will be asked to verify your account to proceed in removing the PIN, enter your credentials.
• Restart your computer and then set up a new PIN.
• Once you’re done, restart your computer and check if the error is gone now.

Option 3 – Try to use the Group Policy Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “gpedit.msc” in the field and tap Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
• Next, navigate to this policy setting: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Logon
• After that, double click on the “Turn on convenience PIN Sign-in” option located on the right-side panel.
• Then set its radio button to Enabled. You will see the following description when you do so:

“This policy setting allows you to control whether a domain user can sign in using a convenience PIN. If you enable this policy setting, a domain user can set up and sign in with a convenience PIN. If you disable or don’t configure this policy setting, a domain user can’t set up and use a convenience PIN. Note: The user’s domain password will be cached in the system vault when using this feature. To configure Windows Hello for Business, use the Administrative Template policies under Windows Hello for Business.”

• After setting the radio button to Enabled, it will turn on the Logins in your computer using the PIN.
• Close the Group Policy Editor and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Option 4 – Try to reset the ACLs in the Ngc folder

• Type “command prompt” in the Windows Search bar and then right-click on the relevant search result and select “Run as administrator”.
• After opening Command Prompt with admin privileges, execute this command: C:/Windows/Service/Profiles/Local/Service/AppData/Local/MicrosoftNgc /T /Q /C /RESET
• The command you entered will start checking for errors and fix them automatically.

Option 5 – Run the System File Checker scan and the DISM tool

System File Checker:

• Tap Win + R 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.

• Now restart your computer.

DISM tool:

• Open Command Prompt.
• 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
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
• After that, wait until the process is finished and do not close the window as the process will probably take a couple of minutes.
• Once it’s done, restart your computer.