Windows 10 Setup says I need to uninstall a program or utility in order to continue setup. I cannot find program it ask for or it was already uninstalled

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 are trying to restore your computer using a System Image that has been created by the Windows Backup and Restore tool but encountered an error message instead that says, “Windows cannot find a system image on this computer”, you’ve come to the right place as this post will walk you through in fixing this error. Here’s the complete context of the error message:

“Windows cannot find a system image on this computer, Attach the backup hard disk or insert the final DVD from a backup set and click Retry. Alternatively, close this dialog for more options.”

In the error message, you are offered two choices – to either Retry or Cancel the operation. You can try to select Retry to try again but you will most likely get the same error if you do so. This kind of error can occur if the name of the WindowsImageBackup folder or any of its sub-folders has been modified. On the other hand, this error can also pop up if this folder or any of its sub-folders have gone missing or have become corrupted. To resolve the error, you can try to move the WindowsImageBackup folder or check its sub-folders. You can also try to isolate the System Image file or rename the System Image folder or remove all the unwanted sub-folders as well as use Command Prompt in Repair mode.

Option 1 – Try to move the WindowsImageBackup folder

The WindowsImageBackup folder must be stored in the root of the volume where it is stored, in line with the functioning of the System Restore utility. For example, if the WindowsImageBackup folder is stored in the “C:/Backups/System Restore Backups/New” location, then you have to move it to the C: drive as well.

Option 2 – Try to check the subfolders of the WindowsImageBackup folder

The classification of folders and files plays an important part to restore in restoring a computer from a System Restore point. Thus, if have modified the names of any files or folders inside the WindowsImageBackup folder, then you need to set the defaults. After that, run System Restore again and check if it fixes the error.

Option 3 – Try to isolate the System Image file

If the System Image file is stored in a USB storage device along with various System Restore images, then it’s no wonder why you’re getting this error. To set things right, you have to make sure that the System Restore image you wish to restore your computer from, is the only one that’s present at the root of the USB storage device.

Option 4 – Try renaming the System Image folder

If you have renamed the System Image folder prior to running System Restore, then it is most likely the reason why you’re getting the “Windows cannot find a system image on this computer” error. This error pops up because the System Restore utility in Windows 10 looks out for the WindowsImageBackup folder so if you have renamed it, you need to change its name back to what it originally was to fix the error.

Option 5 – Try to remove all the sub-folders of the WindowsImageBackup folder

If you have stored some foreign files inside the WindowsImageBackup folder, you need to get rid of them right away and return the folder to its default state as this folder must be left alone and should not be meddled with if you want to run System Restore smoothly.

Option 6 – Try to use Command Prompt in Repair Mode

• Open Command Prompt while your computer is in the Repair Mode.
• Next, type and enter this command where you need to replace “<Partition Letter>” with your drive’s letter: dir <Partition Letter>
• After you’ve found the WindowsImageBackup folder in any of the partitions, type and enter this command: dir <Parition Letter>WindowsImageBackup /s
• The command you entered will display all the contents of the folder exceeding 10 GB in total size. You can check and confirm the integrity of the folder and if you find that the integrity is violated, then it is the reason why you’re getting the error.

Enter Cooler Master XG850 PLUS PLATINUM, a new, in-house designed power supply from Cooler Master. I will admit that in last years I was a big fan of Cooler Master and their components, well not all but power supply and PC cases were always products from them that I liked and used. The latest power supply from them does not disappoint and I must say that I like it very much, it is hi-quality, it is silent, it has a large LCD display where you can see its current state and also has some RGB lights so it looks cool in your case.

Technical specifications

So without further detours here are the technical specifications and then we will talk a little about it.

Opinion about Cooler Master XG850 PLUS PLATINUM

If we put aside the technical characteristics of the power supply itself we are left with visual and real working experience. Now real working experience will not be covered here since yea it is working great but it needs some time and a long period of testing in order to be able to say that it is indeed reliable and great but considering I have never had any issues personally with power supplies from Cooler Master I will assume that this one is also very reliable and hi-quality.

That leaves us basically with looks and feels of supply itself and I must say that I like it, and I mean I like it a lot. It feels hi-quality and it looks hi-quality. The LCD display is very good looking and it is very crisp and readable. With power supply some proprietary software so you can choose what you want on display on the screen and also you can control RGB and display colors with it.

I have not opened the power supply to see how it looks inside but from what I could see I think this would be my new power supply if I were building a new PC now. I recommend it and if you decide to get it I hope it will serve you long long time.

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you next time.

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.

Strange and anxious message no internet, secured can happen even during when everything is ok and you do indeed have internet. So in order to fix this issue please keep on reading.

Reset Router

Most a simple and most straightforward solution and 80% of the time it works like a charm. Before trying other solutions, try this simple one.

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Run the Networking Troubleshooter

1. Run the build-in Windows 10 troubleshooter for networking.
2. To do this, right-click Start then select Settings
3. In the Settings window, click Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Internet Connections > Run the troubleshooter then follow the instructions

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Device Manager solution

The Windows device manager is the place where you can update, disable and re-enable, and reinstall your devices, including the network adapter which is most likely the cause of this issue. In Device Manager, click Network adapters then locate your network adapter and right-click on it Do the following things in order presented:

1. Update driver.
2. Disable device, enable Flight mode in the taskbar, reboot PC, then Enable device and turn off Flight mode.
3. Uninstall device, reboot PC, reinstall the device if it was not installed automatically

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Refresh IP Configuration

Refreshing your IP configuration reassigns your IP address, which will fix the problem if it was down to your IP allocation issues Open the Command Prompt, then enter the following commands:

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Reset Winsock

There are a couple of other things you can try in the command prompt. The Winsock protocol controls a big chunk of your computer’s communication with network services and resetting it will reset many of those under-the-hood elements to their default settings. Enter the following into the command prompt:

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Fix Connection’s Properties

Click the Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) connection icon in the taskbar, then Network & Internet Settings. In the new window, click Change adapter options then right-click the affected connection and click Properties. In the Properties window, make sure all the following boxes are ticked:

• Client for Microsoft Networks
• File and Printer Sharing
• Internet Protocol Version 4
• Internet Protocol Version 6
• Link-layer Topology Discovery Responder

Click OK and restart PC.

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Disable iPv6

IPv6 is the relatively new Internet protocol that more and more PCs are using due to the fact that the number of available IPv4 addresses is simply running out. Not all networking equipment and ISPs play nice with iPv6, however, so if you have this switched on, then it could be interfering with your connection. If you suspect this might be the issue, uncheck the IPv6 box under your connection’s Properties.

If you suddenly encounter Error 0x80000003 while trying to execute a random file then read on as this post will show you how you can fix such an error. Obviously, it mostly happens on executable files or .exe files and is most likely caused by the conflict in the execution of some registry files or it could also be caused by missing drivers or it could also be due to some incompatible hardware which is why you’re unable to run the executable file. When you encounter this error, you will see the following error message on your screen:

“The exception Breakpoint, A breakpoint has been reached, (0x80000003) occurred in the application.”

As you can tell, the Windows Executive STATUS message is a warning and if you are given an option, you must select one of the options from the message box. So if you are running the application in an end-user environment rather than in a development environment, you must contact the supplier of the running application regarding this error message since this shouldn’t be happening when a finished program is running. Before you get started executing the troubleshooting guide given below, make sure that you create a System Restore Point first since you will be dealing with some critical settings in Windows. Having done this, proceed to the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to run the CHKDSK utility

Running the CHKDSK utility might also help you resolve Error 0x80000003. 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 2 – Try to run a System File Checker scan

You can also try to run a System File Checker or SFC scan in order to scan your computer for corrupted files that might be the cause behind the Error 0x80000003. Once it finds any corrupted system files, it will automatically fix them. To run System File Checker, here’s what you have to do:

• 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 after the scan is completed.

Option 3 – Perform a Clean Boot

There are some instances that some conflicting programs installed in your computer might be the one that’s causing the Error 0x80000003 to appear. 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” 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.)
• From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.

Option 4 – Run the Memory Diagnostic Tool to check for Memory leaks

• 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.

Option 5 – Try contacting the developer

If you find that you’re getting Error 0x80000003 on only one particular application, then you can try to contact the developer of the software that’s throwing up this error. All you have to do is search the web for the official support channel of the software and discuss the error from there.

CLR20R3 error is received when you are launching an application in Windows 10. It can happen because of two reasons, a corrupted application file or missing system components. Keep on reading in order to find solutions to fix this error.

1. Run the program in compatibility mode

   Locate problematic application executable file Right-click on executable Click on properties Go to the compatibility tab and try running the application in the previous version of Windows or as an administrator.

2. Reset Windows media component

   Right-click on Start, then left-click on command prompt (admin) In command prompt type next command and after each line of command press ENTER regsvr32 atl.dll cd C:\WINDOWS\eHome ehSched /unregServer ehSched /service ehRecvr /unregServer ehRecvr /service ehRec.exe /unregServer ehRec.exe /regserver ehmsas.exe /unregServer ehmsas.exe /regserver

3. Reinstall Windows media player

   Go to control panel Click on Program and Features > Turn Windows feature on or off. Expand Media Features, uncheck Windows Media Player, and click Ok. Restart your PC, go through the same steps, tick Windows Media Player, and restart your computer once again.

4. Reinstall .NET framework

   Go to control panel Click on Program and Features > Turn Windows feature on or off. Uncheck “.NET Framework 3.5” and “.NET Framework 4.8”, and click Ok. Restart your computer, go through the same steps, check “.NET Framework 3.5” and “.NET Framework 4.8”, and restart your computer once again.

5. Update Windows

   Go to settings and check for updates

New Windows brings new keyboard shortcuts, most of them are tied to new features and we are presenting you some new ones that are worth remembering. ⊞ WINDOWS + N - notification panel ⊞ WINDOWS + W - News and Interests feed With the News and Interests feed, Windows 11 offers users the ability to check the latest news, the weather, and more without opening a browser window. ⊞ WINDOWS + Z - Snap Layout Instead of the usual two windows snapping capability, Windows 11 allow users to snap their windows in a three-column layout. Users can access this by pressing Windows Key and Z to access the Snap layout. ⊞ WINDOWS + PRT SCN - taking screenshots This one isn’t exactly new, but pressing the Windows Key and Print Screen will automatically capture the entire screen and save a copy of the image on your PC. Once the screen flashes, you will know that the screenshot has been taken, after which you can find the file saved under your Pictures folder in a subfolder called Screenshot. ⊞ WINDOWS + C - Microsoft Teams chat Microsoft Teams app, the service allows anyone with a Microsoft account to quickly start a chat using the Windows + C shortcut.

The color settings in a Windows computer certainly matter a lot especially when it comes to printing pictures. Users who are found or edit photos for a living change their computer’s color settings in order to ensure that the printout looks like the actual colors. However, those settings might not be appropriate for computer display and you can really tell right away that there something’s not right in the display. You might also notice some weird tint which isn’t easy to get rid of. You can’t actually tell the difference at first, not until you look at some other computers and then wonder what’s wrong with yours so, in this guide, you will know how to restore the display color settings back to their default state on your Windows 10 PC. Make sure to follow each one of the steps laid out below carefully to restore the default Display Color settings.

Step 1: Set the Color Management Settings to default.

• In the Start search box, type in “color management”. Once you see it in the search results, open it.
• Once you’ve pulled up the Color Management window, go to the Advanced tab. From there, make sure that every single option is set to default – from all the options in both the “Windows Color System” and “ICC rendering intent to WCS gamut mapping”.

Note: You also have the option to reset it for everyone by simply clicking on the “Change system defaults” button.

• Finally, you can also try to calibrate your display.

Step 2: Set the Graphics Properties to default.

After making changes in the Color Management settings, you need to also set the Graphics Properties to default.

• Start by right-clicking on any empty space on your desktop.
• Then select the Graphics properties from the context menu. From the Graphics properties window, you will see that most sections have to restore defaults.

Step 3: Try using Nvidia Color Settings for Desktop

The next thing you can try is using the Nvidia Color Settings if you have Nvidia graphics installed on your Windows 10 PC. Just the Control Panel to reset the color settings.

• From the system tray, launch the Nvidia control panel.
• Next, go to Display > adjust desktop color settings.
• From there, select the display and then select the Nvidia Settings.
• After that, change the options accordingly in order to get the correct combination though you can always leave them to default.

If you are using a Windows 10 PC that has different processors clubbed together, chances are you might encounter an error saying, “MULTIPROCESSOR CONFIGURATION NOT SUPPORTED” during a Windows upgrade or software installation. This error is actually caused by a bug check with a value of 0x0000003E. This error also indicates that the processors in your computer are asymmetric in relation to one another. So if you want to upgrade you need to have all the processors of the same type and level. But worry not for this guide will help you in fixing this error. The MULTIPROCESSOR_CONFIGURATION_NOT_SUPPORTED error can occur in several cases such as during an installation of Windows 10, or when the driver is loaded, or when Windows Start or Shutdown and the chances of you getting a blue screen is very much high. To fix this error, refer to the options given below and make sure to follow them carefully.

Option 1 – Try to disable the Hyper-Threading in your BIOS

Hyper-Threading in the BIOS lets a processor (multi-threaded) run various tasks in a simultaneous manner. To disable this, here’s what you have to do:

• Restart your computer and boot into it right after. To do that, tap the F2 key.
• Once you’re in the BIOS, locate the Hyper-Threading option which should be located under the Performance section along with other options like Multi-core support, Rapid Start technology, and many more.
• Disable Hyper-Threading and then make sure to save the changes and exit BIOS.

Note: Although Hyper-Threading is only used when necessary, there are some OEMS that don’t have the option to disable it and if that’s the case, you need to try other options given below.

Option 2 – Try to disable the Virtualization in the BIOS

Virtualization in the BIOS allows users to run a single physical resource such as the server or storage device to appear that it is running as multiple logical resources. It is also properly termed as “HYPER-V”.  To disable it, refer to these steps:

• Boot into the BIOS as you did earlier.
• Then look for the Security options.
• After that, from Security options, look for Virtualization Technology or VTX among the options given.
• Then turn it off and restart your computer.

Note: Although Windows 10 offers features such as the Device Security for Core Isolation and Memory Integrity, if you turn them off at the software level, it will not help at all. If you’re able to resolve the error, you can do some further research and see what software or hardware you can use to further help you.

Option 3 – Try checking if there are any BIOS updates available for your PC

Updating the BIOS may help you resolve the MULTIPROCESSOR CONFIGURATION NOT SUPPORTED error. You can just go to the OEM’s website as they offer utility software that can download BIOS firmware and update it without any problem. BIOS updates usually offer enhancements and fixes to some issues like this one.