If your Windows 10 computer is having problems connecting to a wireless network and it takes too long to respond and only keeps on displaying the “Checking network requirements”, then you’ve come to the right place as this place will walk you through fixing the problem.
There are two things that can happen when your computer connects to a wireless network. Windows can either connect to the wireless network successfully or return an error message that says, “Cannot connect to the network. However, if none of these things happened, and it only remains at the “Checking network requirements” message, then it could be due to obsolete or incompatible drivers in your computer, particularly the network adapter drivers. To fix this problem, you can try to update or reinstall these drivers, reset the TCP/IP, or run the Network Adapter troubleshooter, as well as reset the Network. For more information, refer to the given options below.
Option 1 – Update the Network Adapter drivers
The first thing you can do to resolve the problem is to update the Network Adapter drivers by following these steps:
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 them.
Look for the Broadcom Network Adapter and right-click on it, as well as other network adapters that have an exclamation icon, and update them all.
Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the problem.
Note: If updating the network drivers didn’t help in fixing the problem, 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 drivers, 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 to reset the TCP/IP
As you know, the TCP/IP or the Internet Protocol is the most important thing if you want to use the internet on your computer. That’s why if it ends up getting corrupted, you need to reset the TCP/IP to fix the problem. To reset TCP/IP, refer to these steps:
In the Windows start the search, type “command prompt” 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, execute this command: netsh int ip reset resettcpip.txt
Once it’s done, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer and then check if the error is now fixed.
Option 3 – Run the Network Adapter troubleshooter
To run the Network Troubleshooter, refer to these steps:
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.
Restart your computer.
Option 4 – Try to perform Network Reset
You can also try to perform a Network Reset to resolve the problem. This will reset the entire network configuration including your IP address. To perform Network Reset, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + I keys to open Settings.
From there, go to the Network and Internet section.
Next, scroll down and look for “Network Reset” under the status pane.
After that, click on Network Reset and then on Reset now to start resetting the network configuration. Once done, check if it is able to fix the error or not.
The Error Code 0x800488AB will appear when a user is in the Windows 10 Mail app and has provided an Outlook.com e-mail address. The mail app will give a message that the “account information is out of date” and it does provide an option to fix the issue. After clicking the Fix button, this error code will show up to the user.
Common symptoms include:
A dialog box will appear with the Error Code 0x800488AB
Microsoft Windows 10 Mail App will not retrieve (or subsequently send) mail
User cannot delete and re-add the Outlook email account in the Windows 10 Mail app
User can still access and log in to various Microsoft websites, including logging into the Outlook Mail website
Solution
Error Causes
This error can be caused by a few different actions of the user when they have changed a password or a PIN number to access their Outlook mail. This error does have a relatively easy fix after the cause is determined and where the break-in information has occurred. A few of the causes may be:
If the user changes their password on the Microsoft website and uses the alternative PIN login method to access the Mail App.
The log-in information on the Microsoft website does not match the login information on the Windows 10 App.
The login information was changed on the Microsoft website and was not updated to reflect on the Windows 10 Mail app.
The Microsoft website and Microsoft Mail app do not share the knowledge of the change in login credentials, therefore the log-in credentials appear to be incorrect when trying to access the Microsoft Mail app. It should be noted that a user may bypass the password option if they log in to the Microsoft Mail app while using the alternative PIN log-in method, thus still leaving the password undetected.
Further Information and Manual Repair
As is the case with all new technology and having a few wrinkles, the release of Microsoft Windows 10 is not left out. There have been a few discussions of errors and bugs, including Error Code 0x800488AB. As of right now, there are three different methods that can be utilized by any at-home user. These methods are rather simple and make sense when the problem has been identified.
Method 1:
Run the built-in Windows Store Apps troubleshooter:
Press the Windows Key and then type ‘troubleshoot’ and hit Enter
Select “View all” on the left panel and run the “Windows Store Apps” troubleshooter from the list displayed and see if it works.
Method 2:
Use the System File Checker tool to repair corrupted or missing system files:
Click Start.
Type cmd, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER to open the elevated command prompt (I.e. Command prompt with administrative rights).
The User Account Control window should appear, be sure that the action it exhibits is correct, and then press the Continue button.
Type or copy-paste the below command line into it without quotes:
“Sfc /scannow”
Method 3:
Press the Windows Key
Search for "Credentials Manager"
Click on Windows Credentials
Look for any reference to your windows account (generally your @outlook.com is listed)
Delete them.
Then select your account at the top of the start menu and select Log Out.
If using a Pin Code, switch to type input and put your password into the box.
When you go to Mail, and select "Fix Issues" it will detect your password and your account should sync with new emails. In some cases, depending on why this particular error code was caused, you may have to use a powerful automated tool to have it resolved.
Today we will be solving the Device not found 3F0 error which is a common error, especially among HP (HP Pavilion G6), Lenovo, Acer, and Dell laptops/desktops. This error occurs when the computer is turned ON and when the system is about to boot. It can happen on windows 7, 8, or 10. When a mentioned error occurs one of the following messages will be displayed on your screen:
“No bootable device – insert boot disk and press any key”
“No Boot Device Found. Press any key to reboot the machine”
“Boot Device Not Found. Please install an operating system on your hard disk. Hard Disk (3FO)”
“No boot device is available”
The most common reasons for 3F0 error to occur is:
Using the unbootable device or disk to boot from.
If the bootable hard drive you are using might have corrupted or damaged somehow.
MBR or boot sector is damaged on the bootable hard drive.
If your system has gone through a virus or malware attack.
The wrong boot order in the BIOS.
Hard disk connection problem.
System files or boot files unknowingly damaged.
Corrupt hard drive partitions.
Now all of these being said let us go through some of the solutions and fix this dreaded error in order to get your computer back in working order:
1: Change Boot Order
This is well, the most simple solution and the easiest one, try to change the boot sequence in the BIOS settings of your motherboard. Sometimes most easier solutions can provide great results and solve our problems. If sadly this fails and the issue persists move to the next solution.
2: Perform a Hard Reset
Performing hard reset can often solve issues, to perform a hard reset do the following:
Turn off the computer and unplug the power adapter. If there is a removable battery, it should also be removed.
Then disconnect all peripherals, including the removable hard drive, etc.
then
Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds to drain all remaining power.
Insert the battery, and then re-plug the AC adapter into the laptop.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.
Once the computer starts up properly and the startup menu appears, use the arrow keys to select “Start Windows normally” and then press Enter.
Reconnect everything back of your peripherals.
If by any chance problem still persists follow the next step:
3: Test Hard Drive Using HP Diagnostic Tool
Use the built-in tool in the Hp device to solve the issue:
Turn on your computer and keep pressing the Esc key until the menu appears on the screen.
Next, press the F2 key.
Choose the Components Tests option from the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics menu.
Select Hard Drive from the Component Tests menu.
Click on the Quick Test, then click on the Run once button.
If there are still any issues with your hard drive, then run the Extensive Test.
4: Restore BIOS Default Settings
Press the Power button to start the computer, and immediately after this, repeatedly press the F10 key to enter the BIOS setup menu.
To load and restore BIOS Setup Default settings, press F9 on the BIOS setup menu.
Once loaded, press F10 to Save and Exit.
Select yes, and then press Enter when it says Exit Saving Changes.
5: Reconnect Your Hard Drive
Turn the computer off and remove the power cable.
If you have a removable battery, take it out
Disconnect your hard drive and then connect it back.
Reassemble your computer and turn the computer on to see if it fixed the issue.
6: Fix and Rebuild Damaged MBR
Boot from the original installation DVD (or the recovery USB)
At the Welcome screen, click Repair your computer.
Choose Troubleshoot.
Choose Command Prompt.
When the Command Prompt loads, type the following commands: bootrec /FixMbr bootrec /FixBoot bootrec /ScanOs bootrec /RebuildBcd.
7: Fix Operating System
Prepare a Windows installation disc, CD/DVD or USB flash drive and connect it to your PC.
During the installation process, launch Command Prompt.
In Windows 7, under the System Recovery Options tab, click Startup Repair.
In Windows 8 and Windows 10, click Repair your computer, then select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Automatic Repair (Windows 8) or Startup Repair (Windows 10).
Windows 11 is a good-looking operating system but people love to make things personal and to their liking so we decided to help you in this mission with small customization of changing default system fonts inside Windows 11.
Since there is no really easy way to just switch the font windows is using for itself we will have to tweak a registry a little so before we start please do make a backup of the registry file and follow the steps as they are presented in order to avoid any errors and break the system.
So, if all precautions are made and you are ready to change your Windows appearance let's dive right into it:
Find and/or install the font that you wish to use
There are vast free font sites on the internet where you can find fonts that you like and wish to use but be very careful with your desired font selection. The font that you choose needs to be a complete typeface, meaning that it has to contain all glyphs, large and small font sizes, all special characters, etc or you will experience that in certain areas nothing will be displayed.
Once you have found the font that you like and made sure it is a complete font, install it on your system (you can skip this step if you just want to change the system font with one already installed on your system)
Create REG file
Open notepad or a similar plain text editor in order to create a file that will apply changes directly into the registry and create a new file. Inside the file paste this text:
All the way to the bottom where it says: "Segoe UI"="NEW-FONT", change NEW-FONT with the font name that you have chosen or installed in the previous step. For example: "Segoe UI"="Ubuntu".
Now go to File > Save As and name your file however you want but give it REG extension so it looks like: my_new_windows_font.REG
Apply changes
Now that you have your registry entry saved, locate it and double-click on it, at this stage Windows warning will probably pop up, you can just ignore it and click on YES since you wrote the file and know what it is. After registry entry is applied reboot your PC in order for changes to take effect.
Rolling back
If you want to change the font to another one, just repeat this procedure again. If you want to roll back to using the default Windows font, repeat the process but with this code instead of the one provided in the REG file:
If your Windows 10 computer slows down, the first thing you can do is to check the status of the resource usage in the Task Manager. In such cases, it shoots up to even 1000% which causes the system to either hang or freeze since some programs are using a major chunk of system resources. And this is the case with msrtn32.exe.
Msrtn32.exe is a malicious file that may try to steal your digital currency. It can get installed on your computer when you install a browser plugin or extension that can modify the default settings of browsers, the content of web pages, search results, as well as display tons of intrusive ads. So if you see msrtn32.exe under the Processes tab of the Task Manager
If you see msrtn32.exe under the Processes tab of your Task Manager, refer to the suggestions given below to get rid of it and restore your computer’s normal function.
Before you proceed, take note that this executable file is found in the following location:
C:/Program Files(x86)msrtn32
Option 1 – Delete the folder where msrtn32.exe is located
The first thing you can do is to go to C:/Program Files(x86)/msrtn32. From there, look for the malicious executable file and delete its folder. If you are not able to delete the folder, make sure that you’re logged in as administrator and then try again.
Option 2 – Try scanning your computer using Windows Defender
Since you are dealing with a malicious file, if you weren’t able to delete the folder where the file is located, you can scan your computer using the built-in Windows Defender program and then eliminate the malicious file. Follow the steps below to do so:
Tap the Win + I keys to open Update & Security.
Then click on the Windows Security option and open Windows Defender Security Center.
Next, click on Virus & threat protection > Run a new advanced scan.
Now make sure that Full Scan is selected from the menu and then click the Scan Now button to get started.
If you are trying to connect to the internet using the Microsoft Edge browser but encountered an error message instead that says, “Can’t connect to the proxy server”, read on as this post will show you how you can fix this error. This kind of error in Microsoft Edge could be caused by incorrect proxy settings or worse, malware.
To fix this error, here are some suggestions you need to check out:
Option 1 – Try to check your internet connection
The first thing you can do to resolve the “Can’t connect to the proxy server” error in Microsoft Edge is to check your internet connection. There are times when your internet connection or Wi-Fi router can cause such problems. In such cases, you have to ensure that you have a valid internet source and if you are using a Wi-Fi router, you can try to use another connection and then see if the error is gone or not.
Option 2 – Try to disable the manual proxy set up from the Settings
In case you miss it, there is actually an option in the Settings panel that you can use to set up proxy in your Windows 10 computer. So if you encounter the “Can’t connect to the proxy server” error, you should disable manual proxy for the meantime and check if it fixed the error or not.
Tap the Win + I keys to open the Windows Settings.
Then go to Network & Internet > Proxy.
And on your right-hand side, ensure that the Automatically detect settings are enabled and that the Use a proxy server option under the Manual proxy setup is disabled.
Now try to open any website again and see if the problem’s fixed.
Option 3 – Try disabling the VPN
Like pointed out earlier, if you are using VPN, this could be the reason why you’re getting the “Can’t connect to the proxy server” error so the most obvious thing to do is for you to turn off the VPN and try to load a website in Edge again. And if you use a VPN software that works using their software, you can just completely exit or log-off from its account. On the other hand, if you are using a built-in Windows 10 VPN, you can simply turn it off or delete all the settings you have created there.
Option 4 – Disable the proxy server for your LAN
If your PC was just attacked by some adware or malware as of late, it is possible that it has changed the network settings in the system and might display spam advertisements. Thus, you have to disable the proxy server for your LAN. To do that, refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “inetcpl.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to pull up the Internet Properties.
After that, go to the Connections tab and select the LAN settings.
From there. Uncheck the “Use a Proxy Server” option for your LAN and then make sure that the “Automatically detect settings” option is checked.
Now click the OK and the Apply buttons.
Restart your PC.
Note: If you are using a third-party proxy service, you have to disable it.
Option 5 – Temporarily disable Firewall and third-party antivirus
Firewall and antivirus programs are known to block files the instant it detects a threat to the system. However, there are some cases when it can also block a file even when it’s a safe one. Thus, your antivirus or firewall programs might be the reason why you can’t download anything on your Windows 10 computer. To isolate the issue, you need to temporarily disable both the Firewall and antivirus programs and then check if you can now download anything from the internet. Do not forget to enable them again as disabling them can leave your computer vulnerable to cyber threats.
Option 6 – Clear the browsing data of Microsoft Edge
Open Microsoft Edge.
Then click on the three horizontal dots to open the menu.
From there, click on Settings. And under Settings, click the “Choose what to clear” button under the Clear browsing data section.
Next, check all the checkboxes and then click the Clear button to clear the browsing data in the Edge browser.
Restart Edge.
Option 7 – Try to reset, repair or reinstall Edge via Settings
You can reset, repair or reinstall the Edge browser through Settings.
If none of it helped, you can try the following:
Open File Explorer and then go to this path – C:/Users/YourUsername/AppData/Local/Packages
Note: Before you type in the path in the Address bar, make sure that you put your user account name in place with the “YourUsername”.
Tap Enter to proceed.
Next, look for the folder named “MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe” then right-click on it.
Click on Properties and uncheck the option “Read-only” under the General tab in the Properties window.
Click on Apply and then OK to save the changes made.
After that, look for the MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe folder again and delete it. And if a prompt stating “Folder Access Denied” appears on your screen, just click on the Continue button to proceed – doing so will delete most of the content inside the folder except for the folder named “AC”.
Restart your PC.
Now all you have to do is to re-register Microsoft Edge using PowerShell. In the Start Menu, search “Windows PowerShell”.
Right-click on Windows PowerShell from the search results and select the “Run as administrator” option.
Type in this command in the PowerShell windows and tap Enter – Cd C:/Users/YourUsername
Note: Once again, make sure that you key in your user account name in place of “YourUsername.
After that, type in this command and tap Enter – Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}
Restart your PC.
Option 8 – Scan your computer for malware using Windows Defender
Your computer could be infected with malware which might have triggered the “Can’t connect to the proxy server” error. To fix this, you need to scan your computer using a reliable program like Windows Defender.
Tap the Win + I keys to open Update & Security.
Then click on the Windows Security option and open Windows Defender Security Center.
Next, click on Virus & threat protection > Run a new advanced scan.
Now make sure that Full Scan is selected from the menu and then click the Scan Now button to get started.
Uncdms.dll is a Dynamic Link Library file and a crucial part of the Windows Desktop Search Software. It is used to search emails, documents, photos, videos, and folders instantly.
However, the Uncdms.dll error pops on the screen, when the Windows Desktop Search Software fails to start.
The error message is displayed in one of the following formats:
“Uncdms.dll cannot be found.”
“Windowssearch.exe – cannot find the component. This application has failed to start because uncdms.dll was not found. Reinstalling the application may fix the problem.”
“The file uncdms.dll is missing.”
Solution
Error Causes
Uncdms.dll error code may pop on your screen due to multiple reasons. These usually include but are not limited to:
Viral infection
Issues with Windows Desktop Search
Registry corruption
Uncdms.dll accidentally deleted during program un-installation
Further Information and Manual Repair
If you experience an Uncdms.dll error code on your system, fix it right away. This error is easy to resolve. You don’t have to be technically sound to resolve the uncdms.dll error code. Try the methods listed below to resolve without any hassle:
Method 1 - Check Your Recycle Bin and Restore the Deleted Uncdms.dll File
Since DLL files are shared files, there is a possibility that you accidentally deleted them while uninstalling some other program. To fix the issue, simply go to the recycle bin and look for the file. If you locate it, reinstall it. If you can’t, then it is advisable to download the Uncdms.dll file from a trusted DLL file website.
Method 2 - Uninstall and Then Re-install Windows Desktop Search
If the error code is related to issues with the Window Desktop Search application, then simply uninstall this software and re-install to resolve. To do this, click the start button, go to the control panel and then add/ remove programs.
Now choose Windows Desktop Search from the list of programs and click Remove. After that, reboot your PC to activate changes. Now download the software and follow the same process and reinstall the Windows Desktop Search program on your PC.
To activate changes, reboot. This will hopefully resolve the issue.
Method 3 - Update Windows
As this file is included in the service pack, try updating the Windows Utility to resolve the Uncdms.dll error code. To get started, click start and then go to the control panel, now choose Windows update. Follow the instructions to install Active X and then click install to update Windows Utility. Restart your system to bring the changes into effect.
Method 4 - Scan for Viruses and Repair the Registry
Whether the underlying cause of the Uncdms.dll error code is viral infection or registry corruption, it is advisable to download Restoro. It is an advanced and multi-functional PC Repair Tool integrated with 6 powerful utilities including antivirus and a registry cleaner.
It scans and removes all types of viruses. The registry cleaning utility works simultaneously and removes all the unnecessary files corrupting the registry including cookies, temporary files, internet history, and junk files, and repairs it in seconds, thereby resolving the Uncdms.dll error immediately.
Click here to download Restoro - PC Fixer
Upgrading your computer from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 10 or even upgrading Windows 10 to a new version is not that simple. The setup initially checks for all the drivers and other software utilities installed on your computer and verifies and blockages or upgrade or upgrade blocks with respect to any of those drivers or any of those software utilities regardless if you use the Windows 10 ISO or the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant. One of these common errors, when you upgrade or update your computer, is the “The Display is not compatible with Windows 10” error. This kind of Windows Upgrade error is related to the compatibility of the Graphics Driver installed in your computer. But worry not for this post will guide you in fixing this problem.
The “The display is not compatible with Windows 10” error has the same workarounds as the following errors:
These devices aren’t fully compatible with Windows 10.
The display is not compatible with Windows 10. Check with the manufacturer for support.
The display manufacturer hasn’t made your display compatible with Windows 10. Check with the manufacturer for support.
To resolve this Windows Upgrade error, here are some suggestions that could help:
Option 1 – Check for incompatible drivers in your computer
Open the Device Manager from the WinX Menu.
Then expand the list for Display Adapters.
Next, right-click on the NVIDIA Graphics Card list and select Enable.
After that, right-click on it again and click on the “Update Driver Software…” option.
After doing so, a new window will appear and from there, click on the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.
Then check if Windows is now able to detect your Graphics Card as well as the latest driver for it. If not, proceed to the next step.
Right-click on the driver again and click on the “Update Driver Software…” option.
Now click on the Browse my computer for driver software option and then click on Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
Afterward, select a compatible driver for your computer named NVIDIA Graphics Card and then proceed.
Wait for the whole process to be completed and restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 2 – Get the latest version of Graphics drivers from the manufacturer’s website
In case you don’t know the manufacturer of the Graphics Processing Unit or GPU of your computer, you need to check first. They’re usually NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD. So if your computer’s Graphics Processing Unit is manufactured by NVIDIA, you need to get the latest version from their official website.
Option 3 – Try to install the latest Graphics driver in Compatibility Mode
If you’re not able to install the Graphics drivers you’ve downloaded, you can try installing them again but this time using Compatibility mode. Follow the steps below to do so:
You need to download the driver and place it on your desktop.
After that, right-click on it and select Properties.
Next, switch to the Compatibility tab where you should see two options:
Compatibility troubleshooter, and let Windows figure out what works best for you. If it fails, follow the next.
Manually choose the version of Windows it was correctly working.
You also have the option to change the DPI settings and see if that helps. Then click the Apply and OK buttons.
Now right-click on the file and select the “Run as administrator” option to install. After that, you should now be able to change your screen aspect ratio to what you were using early on.
Note: If you have other programs that won’t work on the existing version of Windows, then make sure to run the program in a Compatibility mode.
Option 4 – Try to run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter
You might also want to run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter. This built-in troubleshooter is available in the Windows Update & Security section. From there, select Troubleshoot. This will find a list of programs for you and since you have already downloaded the driver files, just click on Not Listed located at the top of the program list. After that, browse and select the driver files and then let the program do its job.
Microsoft's anniversary update has come with many new features and improvements. One of these features is that Microsoft's Cortana can now be installed on your Android phone and as long as you are logged in to your Microsoft account on different devices, she can pass information between devices. You can not see battery life on your desktop PC, notifications, etc.
There are some prerequisites in order to get this going, first is to have a Windows version 1607 or newer. The second is to have the last Android version
Installing Cortana on Android
Download and install the Cortana app from the Google Play store.
Open the app and accept the license terms.
Enter the credentials for the Microsoft account you use to sign in to your PC.
After a few seconds, Cortana will open.
Click the settings button and select Sync Notifications.
By default, missed calls, incoming messages, and low battery notifications will be turned on. You can turn this on\off from here. The only option off by default is for App notifications. Any non-system apps such as Facebook and Instagram can also send alerts to your Windows box. You can choose to enable the App notification sync option or leave it off.
If you enable “App notification sync,” you will need to give Cortana permissions to read and control notifications on your phone.
You can then select exactly which applications will be synched to your PC.
Once done you can exit out of Cortana.
Configuring Cortana on PC
Click the Windows button and type Cortana. Click the icon for Cortana and Search Settings.
Scroll through the settings list and look for Send notifications between devices
Click the switch to turn it on.
Sign in to the same Microsoft account you used in the previous section
Navigate back to the Cortana & Search settings tool.
Click Edit Sync Settings. Make sure that your phone shows up on the list. You can also determine if you want PC notifications are sent to your phone.
With those settings in place, you should now start getting alerts for the items you enabled in your Action Center. As notices come in, you will see them pop up in a small bubble on the lower right of your screen. You can dismiss the notification or use the link to find a compatible app in the Windows store.
Ever gotten an e-mail offer that seemed just a little bit too good to be true? Might’ve been a phishing attempt! These are everywhere and can come in many different forms.
So what’s phishing exactly, how can you detect it and how can you keep safe?
What is phishing?
Phishing (pronounced like fishing) is a type of cyberattack that tricks the user into trusting the source and revealing sensitive information. Fishing being the perfect analogy, the bait is a legitimate-looking site, e-mail or file and when you take a bite, your identity, banking information and much more can be revealed and stolen.
Credit: Anne Nygård on Unsplash
Some phishing attempts are incredibly obvious, others are super elaborate. Like with most types of malware, cybercriminals have become extremely well-versed in phishing and anyone can fall for it. To help you recognize and avoid it, we’ll take you through a couple of phishing types and give you tips on what to do if faced with them.
Phishing techniques
E-mail phishing
This is actually the most common type of phishing. A cybercriminal creates an e-mail containing stuff like attractive offers, legitimate-looking attachments or links and makes it appear as though it’s coming from a trusted source.
Credit: Justin Morgan on Unsplash
For example, it looks like it’s coming from your bank or your favorite retailer. The logo looks legit and the structure of the e-mail seems familiar, so you might get tricked into clicking on whatever clickable content is in it.
Unfortunately this exposes your device to malware that hands your data off to the hacker, who can decide what to do with it further.
SMS and social media phishing
Like the above example, you could be approached with lucrative offers or links via text messages or social media messages. Typically, the messages seem relevant to the user as they will be made to look like they’re related to apps or services you’re using.
Voice phishing
Voice phishing attacks are schemes that appear as though they’re coming from a credible number. Normally, you’ll get a call about something related to credit cards or taxes to get you into a state of worry, leading you to disclose personal information on the phone.
Spear phishing, whaling and BEC
Spear phishing normally targets specific individuals within a company who are likely to have access to sensitive data. Spear phishers spend time collecting information they can use to reach out to the individual looking as trustworthy as possible. They’ll typically lead with something relevant, for example mentioning an upcoming company event, and make a seemingly legitimate request.
Whaling is a more elaborate form of spear phishing, which targets people in even stronger positions such as executives or high-value individuals. The ultimate goal is to get them to transfer financial or other sensitive information that can be used to compromise the entire business.
Credit: Azamat E on Unsplash
BEC, or Business e-mail compromise, is a specific spear phishing technique carried out via e-mail. While there are many ways this is done, most commonly you’ll see instances where the phisher poses as a CEO or similar executive, or as a lower-level employee in specific positions (e.g. sales managers or financial controllers).
In the first situation, the impersonator reaches out to employees requesting them to transfer certain files or pay invoices. In the second situation, the phisher takes control of the employee’s e-mail account and sends false instructions to other employees in order to obtain data and information from them.
What can you do?
There are many ways you can be aware and spot a phishing attempt. Here are some tips:
Always check the sender’s address in your e-mails, even when they seem to come from a familiar source.
In any instance where payment information is requested, be very, very careful.
If you are receiving attachments you never asked for and definitely didn’t expect, better not click on them.
Beware of content that transmits a sense of urgency (sales deals, urgent updates to login credentials, etc.).
Bad spelling and grammar are usually a telltale sign of phishing.
Links that look shortened (e.g. Bit.ly) or just suspicious in general - if you have a bad feeling, do not click on them.
If you are receiving threats, you probably shouldn’t be clicking on anything in that message.
Always examine first-time senders in detail.
Block suspicious e-mail addresses, numbers and social media accounts.
If you are receiving a coupon for free stuff… You aren’t.
If you’re being asked to update your payment details by a service you use, such as Netflix, chances are it’s an impersonator.
Those are some of the ways to identify and prevent phishing attacks. However, sometimes phishers disguise themselves a little too well or a misclick happens and there you go - you’ve been exposed to malware.
Credit: FLY:D on Unsplash
This won’t happen if you invest in powerful protection software from the get-go, though. A good antivirus program like Bitdefender will keep you safe from becoming a victim of phishing scams. In fact, it will protect you from malicious attacks overall.
Be it your household or your business you’re concerned about, there are a bunch of different packages and options available, providing different kinds of cybersecurity services. That’s the only way you can ever really be sure you aren’t at risk of a digital attack.
Summary
Have you ever been targeted by phishers and didn’t know that’s what it was until you read this article? Many can relate. Protect yourself before it’s too late!
If you have received a BSOD error message that says, “Tcpip.sys”, read on as this post will show you how you can fix the problem. The “Tcpip.sys” means Transmission Control Protocol over Internet Protocol. It is a library of a set of rules that are used to interconnect different devices all over the internet. The Tcpip.sys file is a driver and if a BSOD error message includes this one, it could only mean that the driver file is corrupted or incompatible with your system or there are some conflicting programs installed in your computer.
To fix this error, you can try the following workarounds. Make sure to carefully follow each one of them.
Option 1 – Check for conflicting or incompatible programs by putting your PC in a Clean Boot state
As mentioned, the “tcpip.sys” BSOD error might be caused by some problematic programs that clash with your existing operating system. Several users reported that numerous programs that are supposedly designed to enhance computer performance are causing conflict in the system instead. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in 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” checkbox 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” checkbox.
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.)
After putting your PC in a Clean Boot State, try creating a system restore point and see if the problem still occurs. Clean Boot troubleshooting is designed to help you isolate the problem. For you to execute a clean boot troubleshooting, you must do a couple of actions (the steps are given above) and then restart your PC after every action. You might have 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. Note that you must switch your PC back into the Normal Startup mode after you’re done troubleshooting the problem. Here’s how you can do it:
From the “Start” menu, go to System Configuration.
After that, switch to the General tab and click the option for “Normal Startup”.
Next, go to the Services tab and clear the checkbox for “Hide all Microsoft services”.
Then find and click “Enable all” and if prompted, you have to confirm.
Afterward, go to the Task Manager and enable all the Startup programs and confirm the action.
Restart your PC when prompted.
Option 2 – Disabling Antivirus Software
There are cases when the “tcpip.sys” BSOD error is caused by the antivirus program installed in your computer that’s blocking some essential operations. Because of this, the operating system fails which throws up the BSOD error. As you know, the antivirus program is designed to protect the computer and monitor every action in the system. However, there are instances when the antivirus program gives false positives and shuts down some modules even if it’s harmless. So this could be the case for the “tcpip.sys” error. To verify if the problem is indeed caused by the antivirus program in your computer, you need to temporarily disable it. After you’ve disabled it, restart your PC and then check if the problem’s fixed or not.
Option 3 – Try to update all your Drivers
From time to time, drivers get corrupted or outdated so it’s no surprise that they conflict with the operating system and cause errors like the “tcpip.sys” BSOD error. To fix the problem, you need to update all your drivers especially the network driver since the “tcpip.sys” error is closely related to this driver. Follow the steps below to update your drivers.
Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. If you see a red or yellow sign that shows up against the driver, right-click on the driver’s name and select “Update Driver Software” or “Uninstall”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
Restart your PC.
Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturer and check if there’s a new update – if there is, download it. After that, you could also check if there’s a new update of the game you’re getting the issue of the black bar.
Error Causes
