USB Security key is not working on Windows

FindYourMaps is a Google Chrome Browser Extension developed by Mindspark. This extension hijacks your home page and new tab page changing them to MyWebSearch.com in order to display ads more efficiently.

While using this extension you will see additional pop-up ads, sponsored content, and unwanted ads (that are sometimes not ever relative to your search query) displayed throughout your browsing sessions, cluttering up the pages and sometimes even going over page parts, making some pages unreadable.

Several anti-virus applications have marked this Extension as a Browser Hijacker due to its data mining behaviors and ad injections and were marked for removal by most of them.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is a very common type of internet fraud where your web browser configurations are modified to allow it to do things you never intend. Practically most browser hijackers are made for advertising or marketing purposes. These are typically used to force visitors to a specific website, manipulating web traffic to generate ad revenue. However, it is not that innocent. Your web safety is jeopardized and it is extremely annoying. What’s more, hijackers will make the whole infected system fragile – other harmful malware and viruses would use these opportunities to get into your system very easily.

Indications of browser hijack

There are many symptoms that indicate the browser is highjacked: your home page is reset to some unknown site; you observe new unwanted favorites or bookmarks added, typically directed to ad-filled or porn websites; The default search page of your web browser is modified; you see many toolbars on the browser; you observe numerous ads show up on the browsers or display screen; your browser has instability issues or displays frequent errors; you cannot go to specific sites such as home pages of security software.

How it infects your computer

A browser hijacker could be installed on your PC when you check out an infected website, click an e-mail attachment, or download something from a file-sharing website. They also come from add-on programs, also known as browser helper objects (BHO), web browser plug-ins, or toolbars. A browser hijacker could also come bundled up with some free application which you inadvertently download and install the browser hijack, compromising your PC security. Browser hijackers can record user keystrokes to gather potentially invaluable information leading to privacy concerns, cause instability on computers, drastically disrupt user’s browsing experience, and ultimately slow down the system to a point where it will become unusable.

How to fix a browser hijack

The one thing you can try to remove a browser hijacker is to locate the malware inside the “Add or Remove Programs” list of the Windows Control Panel. It may or may not be there. When it is, uninstall it. But, many hijacking codes aren’t very easy to remove manually, as they go much deeper into your operating system. On top of that, manual removal demands you to carry out several time-consuming and tricky procedures that are very hard to carry out for novice computer users. Anti-malware application is incredibly efficient when it comes to picking up and eliminating browser hijackers that standard anti-virus software has overlooked. Safebytes Anti-Malware features a state-of-the-art anti-malware engine to help you avoid browser hijacking in the first place, and clean up any pre-existing problems. Along with the anti-virus tool, a system optimizer, like SafeBytes’s Total System Care, could help you in deleting all associated files and modifications in the computer registry automatically.

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

Viruses may cause a great deal of damage to your computer. Certain malware goes to great lengths to stop you from downloading or installing anything on your computer system, particularly antivirus programs. If you’re reading this now, you have probably realized that a malware infection is a reason behind your blocked net connectivity. So how to proceed when you want to download and install an anti-virus application such as Safebytes? Do as instructed below to get rid of the malware by alternate methods.

Start Windows in Safe Mode

If any virus is set to load automatically when Windows starts, stepping into Safe Mode could very well block this attempt. Since only the minimum applications and services start-up in Safe Mode, there are seldom any reasons for conflicts to occur. Below are the steps you have to follow to remove malware in Safemode. 1) At power-on/startup, press the F8 key in one-second intervals. This should bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Use the arrow keys to choose Safe Mode with Networking and hit ENTER. 3) When this mode loads, you should have an internet connection. Now, utilize your browser to download and install Safebytes. 4) As soon as the application is installed, allow the scan run to remove trojans and other threats automatically.

Obtain the anti-malware program in an alternate internet browser

Some malware might target vulnerabilities of a specific browser that obstruct the downloading process. If you are not able to download the security program using Internet Explorer, this means malware is targeting IE’s vulnerabilities. Here, you must switch to another internet browser like Chrome or Firefox to download the Safebytes application.

Run anti-virus from your pen drive

Another option would be to create a portable antivirus program onto your USB stick. Adopt these measures to employ a flash drive to fix your infected computer system. 1) Download the anti-malware program on a virus-free computer. 2) Plug the Flash drive into the uninfected computer. 3) Double-click the Setup icon of the anti-malware software to run the Installation Wizard. 4) Choose the USB flash drive as the location for saving the file. Follow the directions to finish the installation process. 5) Now, plug the thumb drive into the infected computer. 6) Double-click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the pen drive to run the program. 7) Click on “Scan Now” to run a complete scan on the affected computer for viruses.

Highlights of SafeBytes Anti-Malware

These days, an anti-malware program can protect your laptop or computer from different forms of online threats. But how do choose the right one amongst several malware protection software that’s available out there? Perhaps you might be aware, there are numerous anti-malware companies and tools for you to consider. A few of them are great and some are scamware applications that pretend as legitimate anti-malware programs waiting around to wreak havoc on your personal computer. You have to be careful not to pick the wrong application, particularly if you purchase a paid software. One of the highly recommended software by industry experts is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, well-known security software for Windows computers. Safebytes is among the well-established PC solutions firms, which offer this comprehensive anti-malware program. Through its cutting-edge technology, this software will help you protect your computer against infections caused by different types of malware and similar internet threats, including spyware, adware, trojans, worms, computer viruses, keyloggers, potentially unwanted program (PUPs), and ransomware.

SafeBytes has great features when compared with various other anti-malware programs. These are some of the great features included in the tool.

Real-time Threat Response: SafeBytes delivers complete and real-time security for your PC. They are extremely efficient in screening and getting rid of different threats because they are continuously revised with the latest updates and safety measures. World-class AntiMalware Protection: By using a critically acclaimed anti-malware engine, SafeBytes offers multilayered protection which is made to find and eliminate viruses and malware which are hidden deep in your computer’s operating system. Web Filtering: Safebytes allots all websites a unique safety rating that helps you to have an idea of whether the webpage you’re about to visit is safe to view or known to be a phishing site. Very Low CPU and RAM Usage: SafeBytes is a lightweight tool. It consumes a very small amount of processing power as it runs in the background so you are free to use your Windows-based computer the way you want. 24/7 Assistance: SafeBytes provides 24/7 technical support, automatic maintenance, and upgrades for the best user experience. To sum it up, SafeBytes Anti-Malware offers outstanding protection combined with very low system resource usage with great malware prevention and detection. You can rest assured that your PC will be protected in real-time once you put this software program to use. You will get the very best all-around protection for the money you pay on SafeBytes anti-malware subscription, there is no doubt about it.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you don’t wish to use an automated tool and prefer to eliminate FindYourMaps manually, you could do so by going to the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and deleting the offending software; in cases of web browser add-ons, you can remove it by visiting the browser’s Add-on/Extension manager. It’s also advised to factory reset your web browser settings to their default state. To ensure the complete removal, manually examine your hard drive and Windows registry for all of the following and remove or reset the values as needed. Please be aware that this is for experienced users only and might be challenging, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. Furthermore, some malware is capable of replicating itself or preventing deletion. Completing this task in Safe Mode is recommended.

Changing Taskbar location in your Windows 10 is an easy task but lately, Microsoft has removed the option to just drag it to one side of the screen and place it there, now in order to change location we need to do a little more work but do not worry it is not difficult at all. Right-click on the taskbar to open its properties menu in the menu, on the bottom choose taskbar settings. Once the settings dialog opens, on the right side locate the taskbar location on screen. Click on the dropdown menu and choose the desired location for the taskbar.

In Windows 11 if you do not own a mouse or it has suddenly malfunctioned you can still move your arrow on-screen using the numeric pad. In this guide, we will guide you on how to turn this option ON, follow this easy guide step by step.

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open Windows settings
2. Click on Accessibility on left
3. Scroll down to reach the interaction section on the right and click on Mouse
4. Click on Switch beside Mouse keys under accessibility options
5. Set your preferences
6. Close settings

Settings will be as always automatically applied.

Recently, a number of users reported not being able to use the Restore, Minimize and Close buttons on their Windows 10 computers. This kind of issue can be quite annoying as you won’t be able to use your computer properly, especially when you navigate between programs and windows. In such cases, the buttons on the right side of the title bar won’t respond to any inputs which could be caused by a number of factors such as different input modes, corrupted system files, and many more. If you are one of the users who are currently facing this problem, worry not for this post will guide you on what you can do to resolve it. There are several potential fixes you can check out to fix the issue. You can try to check if Tablet Mode is enabled and if it is, you have to disable it. You could also boot your computer in a Clean Boot State to check if a third-party program is the one that’s causing the problem. In addition, you could also reinstall the program where you experience the problem or run built-in utilities like System File Checker and DISM tool.

Option 1 – Make sure that you are not in Tablet Mode

Since Windows 10 is designed to work on both desktop and mobile devices, it could be that your computer has slipped into Tablet Mode which explains why you’re not seeing the Taskbar. To check if your computer is really in Tablet Mode, follow these steps:

• Go to the Start menu and select Settings.
• Next, select the System setting and from the left pane select the Tablet Mode.
• From there, make sure that the buttons next to the options given below are set to the off position:
  • Hide app icons on the taskbar in tablet mode
  • Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode

Option 2 – 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 an administrator.
• Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
• From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
• Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• Once your computer is in a Clean Boot State, try to open the program where the problem occurred.

Option 3 – Try reinstalling the program

If the first two options didn’t work, then you might want to consider uninstalling the program and then install it back with its latest version. This should resolve the problem.

Option 4 – Try to run System File Checker

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be the cause why the Restore, Minimize and Close buttons don’t work. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Type “cmd” in the Start search and then right-click on the appropriate search result.
• Next, select “Run as administrator” to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• 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 and see if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 5 – Run the DISM tool

You can try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the 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. Once it’s done, restart your computer.

If you are trying to copy a folder or a file but encountered an error that says, “An unexpected error is keeping you from copying the folder. If you continue to receive this error, you can use the error code to search for help with this problem”, read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix this error. This kind of error is a CHKDSK error. It is the “Volume is dirty” error message with error code 0x80071AC3 which indicates that the CHKDSK operation on your computer did not go through due to some corrupted sector of your hard drive, data corruption, corrupted system files, malware infection, as well as improper installation of an application that left some residual folders and files and many more. To fix the Error 0x80071AC3, here are some potential fixes you can check out to resolve it:

Option 1 – Run the Check Disk utility

You can also run the Check Disk utility to fix the error when you connect your USB or external device.

• In the Windows Search box, type “command prompt” and from the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
• After opening Command Prompt, type this command and tap Enter: chkdsk /r /f <PARTITION LETTER>
• The command you entered will start to check for errors and fix them automatically. Else, it will throw an error message saying, “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like the schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)”.
• Tap the Y key to schedule Disk Check the next time your computer restarts.

Option 2 – Try to check if a particular volume is dirty and exclude it

The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to check if the particular volume is dirty and exclude it. To do so, follow these steps:

• In the Start Search, type “command prompt” in the field and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results, and then select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After opening Command Prompt with admin privileges, execute this command: fsutil dirty query <PARTITION LETTER>
• After that, you will see either of the following results of the command you just executed:
  • “Volume <PARTITION LETTER> is dirty”
  • “Volume <PARTITION LETTER> is not dirty”
• If you see the “Volume <PARTITION LETTER> is dirty” message, then you can just skip checking the drive for errors by executing this command: CHKNTFS /X <PARTITION LETTER>

Option 3 – Try to format the destination drive

If the first two options above didn’t work, then you might want to try formatting the drive can also help you resolve the error. To format it, follow these steps:

• To get started formatting your drive, tap the Win + E keys and then go to the access page of the drive.
• Next, right-click on the drive and select Format.
• After that, uncheck the “Quick Format” option and then format your drive properly.
• Now once the formatting process is finished, unplug the drive and plug it back in afterward.
• Check if the error is already fixed. If the drive is not initialized, tap the Win + R keys and hit Enter.
• After opening the Run dialog box, type “diskmgmt.msc” and hit Enter to open Disk Management.
• From there, right-click on the drive volume and select initialize disk.
• Next, select the correct partition type and proceed.

Sometimes we need and want some apps that are not part of the official Amazon Appstore but having their Fire TV stick prevents us from installing anything that's not in their store, or does it?

You can quickly "jailbreak" given stick and unlock additional installations via different providers. Although the term jailbreaking is associated with illegal and hacker activities rest assured that in this case there is nothing illegal about this procedure and that you are entirely safe.

Jailbreaking process

In order to do this procedure firstly you will have to allow the installation of apps obtained from outside the Amazon Appstore. To do this open the settings menu on your Fire TV Stick and inside settings choose My Fire TV. On the My Fire TV page select Developer Options and inside select Apps From Unknown Sources. The prompt screen will open, choose Turn On to activate the option.

APK installation is enabled now and the next step is to download an app like Downloader that will allow you to get your favorite apps. Downloader is free to download manager fully available on the Amazon Appstore and with it, you can download any kind of file to your device including APKs.

Once installed open the Downloader app and type in the URL or search term in order to find your application of choice but please do get all of your APK from trusted sources in order to avoid exploits and getting malware.

The Volsnap.sys is a Windows operating system file that is related to the Volume Shadow Copy Service or VSS. It is known to cause a Blue Screen of Death error. The main cause of the Volsnap.sys Blue Screen errors include conflicts with the RAM, issues with the hard disk, incompatible firmware, corrupted drivers, malware infection, and many more. Despite its many possible causes, its fixes are quite straightforward so won’t have any problem following them. The Blue Screen errors that are related to the Volsnap.sys file are:

• KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
• PAGE FAULT IN A NONPAGED AREA
• SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
• IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL

You might want to try performing System Restore as it could resolve Blue Screen errors like the ones related to the Volsnap.sys before you proceed with the troubleshooting tips given below. To run System Restore, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

If System Restore didn’t help in fixing the Blue Screen error, now’s the time for you to resort to the troubleshooting tips provided below but before you get started, make sure that you create a System Restore point first.

Option 1 – Check if the Volume Shadow Copy service is running and restart it

The first thing you need to do is check if the Volume Shadow Copy service. To do that, refer to the following steps:

• Click on Start and type “cmd” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
• Then select the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After that, type “net stop sdrsvc” and hit Enter to execute the command in stopping the Volume Shadow Copy service.
• Next, type the “net start sdrsvc” command and hit Enter to start the service again.

Note: You can also restart the service using the Windows Services Manager.

• In the Cortana search box, type “services” and click on the Services icon to open the Services Manager. Alternatively, you can also tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run prompt and then type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
• From there, look for the Volume Shadow Service (sdrsv) from the list of services. Its Startup type should be set to Manual by default.
• Restart the service and if you don’t encounter any error while you turn it on, re-run the backup service and see if the backup process runs successfully.

Option 2 – Try checking the Memory for the Errors using Memory Diagnostic Tool

The Memory Diagnostic tool in windows can help resolve the Volsnap.sys Blue Screen error by checking and automatically fixing any memory-based issues. To run it, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type mdsched.exe and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
• After that, it will give two options such as:
  • Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)
  • Check for problems the next time I start my computer
• Once your computer has restarted, perform a basic scan or you could also go for the “Advanced” options such as “Test mix” or “Pass count”. Simply tap the F10 key to start the test.

Note: After you select your preferred option, your computer will restart and check for memory-based issues. If it finds any issues, it will automatically fix them and if there’s no issue found, then it’s most likely not a memory-based issue so you should try the other options given below.

Option 3 – Try to update or rollback your device drivers

If the first option didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or rollback the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.

• Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
• Then go to the section of IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers as well as Storage Controllers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
• After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
• Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
• Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.

Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.

Option 4 – Try to run the CHKDSK utility

Running the CHKDSK utility might also help you resolve the Volsnap.sys Blue Screen error. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the CHKDSK utility comes in. The CHKDSK utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt, execute the following command and hit Enter:

chkdsk /f /r

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

Option 5 – Run the System File Checker Scan

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

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

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.

Option 6 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter

The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like Volsnap.sys. It can be found on the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
• Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.

Most scrollbars are hidden by default if they are not used in Windows 11. If you are not ok with this feature and want scrollbars to be always visible and available do not worry, turning them ON is very easy.

• Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open Windows settings
• Click on Accessibility in the sidebar
• Select Visual Effects
• Inside visual effects settings find Always show scrollbars and switch it ON

Windows 11 will save settings automatically and apply setting right away. Close settings and continue with work.

Two monitor systems are not such a rarity like they were just a couple of years ago. More and more people are finding out the benefits of having 2 screens instead of one no matter if you play games or do serious work. So how technology has moved forward and new norms so have Windows and we can now set different wallpapers to different screens very easy, a task which was very difficult in the past.

1. Go to the Personalization option in the Control Panel.
2. Right-click on your home screen and select the Personalize option from the menu.
3. In the new window, you can browse for images you wish to set as wallpaper on both of your monitors. This way, the images would be preloaded in the “Choose your picture” option.
4. Right-click on the image. Doing this will open a new menu that will allow you to set wallpapers for each screen. There is also another option called “Choose a fit” which gives you the option to select the fit of the wallpaper.
5. Choose one wallpaper for “monitor 1” and a different wallpaper for “monitor 2.” You will now see your dual-screen setup customized with two different wallpapers.

Code 21 - What is it?

Code 21 is a Device Manager error code that appears when you try to use a hardware device attached to your computer and the Windows prohibits you from using it.

This is due to the Windows experiences problems loading the device driver. This error message is displayed in the following format:

“Windows is removing this device. (Code 21)”

Solution

Error Causes

Error code 21 means that Windows is in the device removal process and the device has not been completely removed. It occurs when you set a device to be removed and then select the same device to run on your system.

Upon your instructions, Windows start to remove that device and when you on the other hand try to use/access the same device that you selected for removal, it kicks up Code 21.

Further Information and Manual Repair

If you are experiencing error code 21 on your PC, it is advisable to resolve it immediately.

Though this error will not damage your system, but will significantly lower the performance of your PC which is definitely something you don’t want especially if you work on your computer daily and use it to perform important time-sensitive errands.

To repair and resolve, try the methods given below:

Method 1 - Wait for a Few Seconds and Then Press F5

This is one of the best and easiest ways to resolve code 15 on your system. Wait for a few seconds, and then press the F5 key. This will update the Device Manager view and the error will most probably go away.

Method 2 - Restart Your PC

Sometimes error codes may pop up due to temporary glitches. To resolve such errors, a simple reboot of your PC is enough. Shut down Windows and then restart your system.

This is most likely to resolve Code 21. However, if the error still persists then this means the underlying problem for code 21 is deeper than you think. Try method 3 to resolve.

Method 3 - Install DriverFIX

As mentioned earlier, the error code 21 may occur if you have selected a device to remove and then you try to reuse it.

To resolve, you may have to install the device again and the driver for that the reinstalled device. To reinstall the driver without any hassle, simply download DriverFIX.

It is a smart, user-friendly, and intuitive software program designed to resolve driver problems. The program is embedded with intelligent device identification technology which:

• Automatically detects all the appropriate system drivers
• Matches them with the latest available versions
• And then updates drivers according to their compatible versions on a regular basis

Furthermore, it enables accurate installation and ensures that your system is running at its optimal speed.

Other features that this program boasts are full backup and restoration, safe USB management, and ejection.

If nothing works, you can try the full backup and restoration feature and restore your PC to its previous state when it was functioning properly before the error occurred.

DriverFIX creates a backup of all your files and data hedging keeps you from disasters like data loss. It restores the system to the time when it was working properly.

Click here to download DriverFIX on your system and resolve error code 21 today.