Windows 11 new features and preview

External hard drives have become essentials as they store data. However, they are also prone to issues and one of them is the “The device is not ready”. You could encounter this error when you try to access your connected hard drive. This error won’t allow you to access the contents of your hard drive so unless you fix it, you won’t be able to access any of the files on your hard drive. One of the most likely causes of this error is a hardware defect. Aside from that, it could also be due to loose connections, obsolete device drivers, as well as compatibility issues between the operating system and the hard drive. Before you start troubleshooting the problem, you need to determine if you were able to access your hard drive before you encountered the error or not. If not, you need to check the compatibility of the device with your operating system as it could be the reason why you’re getting the error. There are several potential fixes you can check out to fix this error. You can try to check the hardware connections, run the built-in Hardware and Devices troubleshooter, as well as the USB troubleshooter. You could also run the CHKDSK utility or update the drivers of the device or the USB drivers.

Option 1 – Try checking the hardware connections

The first thing you have to do before you further troubleshoot the problem is to check the hardware connections of your computer and see if there are damaged ones, just like with USB ports, it would also affect the overall connectivity of the device with the computer. So if you notice some irregularities in the connecting cable physically, you might have to buy another one and replace it and then see if it fixes the problem or not.

Option 2 – Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooters

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

Note: You could also try to run the USB troubleshooter as it could also resolve the problem.

Option 3 – Run the CHKDSK utility

As you know, the CHKDSK utility can help you in identifying the bad sectors in a drive and fix them automatically. Thus, you can run it to fix the “The device is not ready” error when you connect your USB drive to your computer.

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Next, type and enter this command to execute it: chkdsk /f <drive>
• Now, wait until the process is completed and exit Command Prompt.
• Restart your computer and try connecting the USB drive again and see if the error is fixed.

Option 4 – Try to update the drivers of the device

Although you can always update the device drivers using the Device Manager, you might want to try downloading the latest set of drivers directly from the manufacturer’s website. Once you’ve downloaded them, install them right away and then correct the external hard drive.

Option 5 – Update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller driver

If updating the drivers of the device did not fix the “The device is not ready” error, you can try to update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller drivers instead of using the Device Manager. Refer to the following steps:

• First, click the Start button and type “device manager”.
• Then click on the “Device Manager” from the search results to open it.
• From there, look for the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” option and then right-click on each one of the USB drivers and select the Update Driver from the menu.

Note: If it is a regular USB drive, then it will be listed as a USB Mass Storage Device but if you have a USB 3.0 device, then look for a USB 3.0 Extensible Host Controller.

• Restart your PC and then click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.

Note: If updating the USB Controller drivers didn’t work, you can try to reinstall them instead.

Option 6 – Restart your computer in a Clean Boot State

If the first three given options didn’t work and you still see the error when you connect external devices, you can try putting your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try connecting them again.

• 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.)
• Now try to connect the external devices and check if the error is now gone.

There are times when you install a Windows update to your Windows 10 computer but you only got an error message saying, “The update isn’t applicable to your computer”. This is unusual as Windows was the one that downloaded them in the first place. To understand the reason behind this error, read on as this post will also give you a couple of suggestions you can try to fix the problem. One of the main reasons why this error occurs is that your computer might not have the required installed updates and many more. Other reasons include:

1. The update might be replaced. There are instances when a newer Windows version is already available on the computer and that the version you are trying to manually install is an older version which is why the Windows update failed.
2. The update might already be installed. There are times when the update process is still in progress and the earlier payload might have already been installed.
3. It could also be that it’s a wrong update for architecture. As you know, updates are designed accordingly based on the architecture of the computer so if the update you are trying to install does not match the architecture of your CPU then it’s no wonder you’re getting an error message.
4. Your computer might be missing a prerequisite update. There are Windows updates that depend on other updates so if you missed one and you’re installing another one, it could be the reason why you’re getting the error.

To fix the problem, here are some suggestions that might help.

Option 1 – Try verifying the package and the Processor Architecture

As pointed out earlier, updates are made according to the Windows versions. Thus, if one of the updates failed to install, you need to check if it’s applicable or not. The best way to do that is by searching the Windows update name on the official website of Windows. It could be that the Processor Architecture is not compatible with the Windows Update you are trying to install. If you have an X86-based processor, you can’t install x64-based installations of Windows and vice-versa. This usually happens when you’ve downloaded the update manually and then tried installing it.

Option 2 – Try checking if the update is old

The issue might be because you are trying to install an old Windows update which is why it didn’t work. To check, go to Settings > Update and Security > View Update history. From there, you can look for the update.

Option 3 – Try checking if the update is already installed

To verify the update, just go to the Windows Update history once more as you did in option 2, and then see if the update is already installed or not.

Option 4 – Try checking the prerequisites

AS mentioned earlier, there are some updates that depend on other updates before they get installed on your computer. The best way to verify is by checking the Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB). And to verify if the prerequisite updates are installed or not, just run the command below in PowerShell:

get-hotfix KB1111111, KB2222222, KB3333333

Note: In the command given above, you need to replace “KB1111111, KB2222222, KB3333333” with the actual update KB numbers.

Option 5 – Try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter

As you know, Windows 10 has various auto-repair built-in tools to help users fix small issues which used to get fixed manually. And in this case, you will need the Windows Update Troubleshooter to fix the issue.

• Go to Settings and click on Update and Security.
• From there, click Troubleshoot and click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” option.
• After that, it will try to detect and automatically fix common issues in the Windows Updates which can be resolved by Windows itself. Note that the process may take several minutes before it completes so you need to wait until it’s done. Once it’s done, in case you have some pending update that wasn’t realized by the system early on, it will apply the fix right away and restart the Windows Update service.

Error Code 0xc00007b – What is it?

When error code 0xc00007b occurs in Windows 8, users are unable to run gaming or multimedia programs on their devices. The message box will occur stating that error code 0xc00007b is present. This issue is usually related to software conflict associated with the use of a gaming program that has errors. It may also result when users use applications that are not compatible with the version of Windows they have installed on their machine.

Solution

Error Causes

Error codes on Windows devices can result from many reasons, including lack of proper PC maintenance, the presence of malware, and issues related to servers. In the case of error code 0xc00007b, it manifests itself on various versions of the Windows operating system when users attempting to run applications incompatible with their system or use the incorrect bit location. To correct these issues that may be causing error code 0xc00007b, users will need to use manual repair methods listed in this article. Failure to rectify this error code could result in others such as error code 0xc0000142.

Further Information and Manual Repair

The manual repair procedures listed in this article do not require extensive technical knowledge. Thus, even average Windows users will be able to apply these solutions in order to fix error code 0xc00007b in Windows 8. However, in case of difficulty applying the solutions listed below, contact a Windows repair technician.

Method One: Install Windows Updates

One of the first manual repair methods you can attempt is to use Windows Update. This will enable users to access the latest updates for the version of Windows they have on their system. To update your system, follow the instructions below.

• Step one: Open Start Menu, then select Settings
• Step two: Select Update & security
• Step three: Select Windows Update
• Step four: Install updates if any are available

After you’ve completed the installation of the latest updates, reboot your machine then attempt to run the gaming application you were unable to open due to error code 0xc00007b. You should be able to run the application if Windows Update fixed the issue. However, if the error code reoccurs, proceed to the next manual repair method by installing Microsoft DirectX.

Method Two: Install Microsoft DirectX

Another important manual repair method relates to the use of DirectX, a free tool available to Windows users regardless of the version of the Windows operating system present on their PC. Visit Microsoft’s official website and search for DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer. Ensure you access the latest version of the program, then click download.

The app enables Windows users to access high-speed gaming by providing a powerful platform for games and multimedia applications. Access to the latest version of DirectX can help users fix the issues causing error code 0xc00007b in Windows 8.

When the installation process is complete, reboot your PC, then proceed by checking if you are able to run your gaming applications. If you are still unable to run the applications the issue will need to be resolved via another manual repair method.

Method Three: Install Latest Version of .NET Framework

Access the latest version of Microsoft’s .NET Framework to complete the final manual repair method. Be sure to follow the steps listed below to download the latest version of the .NET framework. This is crucial as only the latest version of the framework is equipped with the necessary capabilities required to successfully address the issues causing error code 0xc00007b on your device.

• Step one: Open your favorite web browser
• Step two: Enter www.microsoft.com/net
• Step three: Click Downloads
• Step four: Select the latest version of the .NET Framework by clicking the framework at the top of the list. (Currently, the latest version is .NET Framework 4.6.2.)
• Step five: Select preferred language, then download
• Step six: Run software.

Restart your computer after you’ve downloaded the latest version of the .NET framework. Open the gaming application you were previously unable to run due to error code 0xc00007b.

You’ll be able to access all your gaming or multimedia programs if the issue was resolved via this manual repair method. Otherwise, you may need to reinstall the programs you are unable to run as there may be an issue with the program itself resulting in software conflict or the inability to run other gaming programs.

Method Four: Download an Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 8 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

Waol.exe Error - What is it?

Waol.exe is an executable file located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files" - usually C:\Program Files\America Online 9.0a. Waol.exe is not a core file but it is an important part of AOL (American Online) utilities. It ensures the AOL programs run smoothly on your system. The Waol.exe error occurs when the AOL program fails to execute and run properly. The error message is displayed in the following format:

“Waol.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.’

Solution

Error Causes

Waol.exe error typically occurs when this executable file gets infected by a virus, Trojan, adware, or spyware. When this happens the file location also changes. Therefore the best way to verify if your PC is under attack by malicious software is to check the Waol.exe file location on your PC. If the file is found in some other location instead of its correct disk location, then you must immediately fix this error before the damage sets it. Malicious software like viruses and spyware are notorious for slowing down PC performance and besides they give access to hackers to break into your system and manipulate your confidential and private data saved on your PC. This exposes you to serious privacy errors and data security dangers including identity thefts, cybercrime, and data breaches. Furthermore, viruses can also corrupt the computer’s registry and lead to system failure and crashes.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve Waol.exe error many PC users seek an antivirus. Though this also helps resolve the issue but you should know that an antivirus has certain limitations. It is known to slow down the system speed and will only remove viruses from your PC. This means if the virus has affected the registry of your PC, it will not resolve that, and to repair your registry you may then have to download a registry cleaner separately on your system thereby reducing the PC speed even more. To ensure all kinds of malware are removed and registry issues resolved along with system speed optimization, it is recommended to download Restoro. This is an advanced, innovative, and multi-functional PC repair tool deployed with a variety of powerful utilities. These include a registry cleaner and a system optimizer. It is safe, efficient, user-friendly, and compatible with all Windows versions including Vista, XP, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10. The antivirus feature embedded inside this software detects scans and removes all malicious programs infecting your PC immediately. It resolves all your system’s privacy issues and makes sure that your system is inaccessible to hackers. Besides this, the registry cleaner removes files cluttering and damaging the registry and also restores it. With the help of the system stability detector, it detects errors causing PC slowdowns and resolves them too thereby boosting the speed of your PC dramatically. To resolve Waol.exe error right away, click here to download Restoro today.

Xinput1_3.dll - What is it?

Xinput1_3.dll is a type of dynamic link library. It is an essential component of Microsoft DirectX. This is a technology that makes Windows OS compatible with programs rich in multimedia elements It helps your graphic card in creating a detailed virtual and stimulus environment. Games and programs with high graphics and sounds require DirectX to form a consonance with Windows PC to run successfully. The Xinput1_3.dll error occurs when games supported by DirectX are unable to run smoothly. This error is common on Windows 7. The error message is displayed in the following format:

• "The file xinput1_3.dll is missing"
• "File xinput1_3.dll not found"
• "Xinput1_3.dll not found. Reinstalling might help fix this."
• "Xinput1_3.DLL Not Found"

Solution

Error Causes

The causes of Xinput1_3.dll error include:

• Damaged and Corrupt Xinput1_3.dll files
• Missing Microsoft DirectX file
• Viruses and malware on your system
• Driver issues
• Registry overloaded with invalid entries

If you come across this error, make sure you fix it timely. It is recommended to do so because it not only stops you from accessing and playing your desired games and using high graphic applications but also can lead to system failure and crash if the underlying cause of the error is related to the registry.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve this error code, here are some of the best do it yourself methods:

Restart Your PC

Sometimes due to minor concurrence, PC is unable to load the file Xinput1_3.dll from the directory. If this is the cause, then you are lucky. All you have to do to resolve it and restart your computer. Once the computer restarts, re-launch the program.

Install the Latest DirectX Version

Search for the latest versions of the DirectX utility version. Try extracting the Xinput1_3.dll files individually from the DirectX downloadable package on your PC. Once downloading is complete, try running your desired application again and see if the error code pops up or not.

Update the Graphics Card

Being an element of Microsoft DirectX, Xinput1_3.dll is directly related to the video/graphics card assimilated. There can be a possibility of a mismatch between the Xinput1_3.dll file and graphic card drivers. If this is the case, then the best way to resolve the error is to update the graphic drivers by installing the latest version drivers of your video/graphics card. Nonetheless, after trying all the solutions discussed above if the error still persists, then this triggers two things either the error is triggered by a viral infection that you are unaware of or the problem is related to the registry.

Install Restoro

Whichever might be the cause, in such as scenario the best quick fix to it is to download Restoro. This is an advanced, cutting edge, and multi functional PC repair that is deployed with several utilities including a registry cleaner, an antivirus, Active X controls, and class detector, and a system optimizer. The registry cleaner utility removes all the unnecessary files from the registry that could be damaging the dll files and the registry. It clears the disk space, repairs dll files, and restores the registry back to normal. Simultaneously the antivirus module scans your system for all possible malicious software. It removes viruses, Trojans, malware, spyware, and adware thereby resolving the Xinput1_3.dll error right away. Total System Care is safe, bug-free, and has a user-friendly interface with easy navigation. It is compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve the Xinput1_3.dll error right away!

If you are trying to copy or move files to and from your external storage device but you suddenly encounter the error 0x800703EE, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can fix this error in your Windows 10 computer. This kind of error when copying files may be accompanied by an error message that says, “The volume for a file has been externally altered so that the opened file is no longer valid”. This error prevents you from copying or moving the files to and from the external storage device. This kind of issue might be caused by a service that belongs to a backup program that could be blocking the operation or a conflict with your third-party antivirus program. In addition, the error could also be due to corrupted or outdated USB drivers or it could be caused by a disabled Windows Backup and Volume Shadow copy service. It is also possible that some system files are corrupted or that the drivers for the external device are also corrupted. Whatever the cause is, here are some options you need to check out to fix the error. Before you troubleshoot the error, you might want to try moving the files to another location on your local drive and remove the USB drive and insert it back again. After that, try to move or copy the file to the USB drive and see if it still throws an error. If it does, then you need to troubleshoot the problem further by following each one of the suggestions given below.

Option 1 – Update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller driver

Since it could be a driver issue, you can try to update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller drivers using the Device Manager. Refer to the following steps:

• First, click the Start button and type “device manager”.
• Then click on the “Device Manager” from the search results to open it.
• From there, look for the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” option and then right-click on each one of the USB drivers and select the Update Driver from the menu.

Note: If it is a regular USB drive, then it will be listed as a USB Mass Storage Device but if you have a USB 3.0 device, then look for a USB 3.0 Extensible Host Controller.

• Restart your PC and then click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.

Note: If updating the USB Controller drivers didn’t work, you can try to reinstall them instead.

Option 2 – Try checking the Volume Shadow Copy and Windows Backup services

The next thing you can do to fix error 0x800703EE is to check the Volume Shadow Copy and Windows Backup service.

• First, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “services.msc” in the field, and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
• From there, look for the Volume Shadow Copy service and right-click on it, and then select Properties.
• After that, make sure that its Startup type is set to Manual and that its status is “Started” so if it isn’t, you need to click on the Start button and then on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
• Once done, look for the Windows Backup Service and repeat the same process you did with the Volume Shadow Copy service.
• After you complete the steps, restart your computer and see if the error is now fixed.

Option 3 – Restart your computer in a Clean Boot State

If a third party program like antivirus is the one that’s causing the problem, you can try to put your computer in a Clean Boot State to isolate the issue by following these steps:

• 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.)
• Now try to copy the files to your external storage device again and check if the error is now gone.

Option 4 – Try to run System File Checker or SFC scan

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

Option 5 – Try to delete the Filter drivers

Note that this option is only applicable if you see the error 0x800703EE accompanied with the “The volume for a file has been externally altered so that the opened file is no longer valid” error message. Before you start, create a System Restore Point first.

• Open the Registry Editor and navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlClass{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
• After that, select the “{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}” key and check if you can find the “Upperfilters” and “Lowerfilters” value in the right pane. If you can find them, right-click on them and select Delete.
• Once done, exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

AVFoundationCF.dll is a type of Dynamic Link Library file. This DLL file is associated with AVFoundationCF and is developed by Apple Computer Inc. for Windows PC. This file functions similarly to any other DLL files. It comprises of small programs. This DLL file is typically needed to load and start the Apple iTunes utility. The inability to call this file or the files to load triggers the AVFoundationCF.dll error message on your system. The error message can be displayed in either of the formats on your PC:

“The program can’t start because AVFoundationCF.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.” "This application failed to start because avfoundationcf.dll was not found.” "Cannot find %COMMONFILES%AppleApple Application Supportavfoundationcf.dll." "Cannot start AVFoundationCF. A required component is missing: avfoundationcf.dll.” “Avfoundationcf.dll Access Violation." "Cannot register avfoundationcf.dll."

Solution

Error Causes

AVFoundationCF.dll error can occur due to numerous reasons. However, the most common reasons for this error code include:

• Viral infection
• Corrupt or invalid registry entries
• Apple Computer Inc. hardware failure such as bad hard drive
• Missing or deleted Avfoundationcf.dll file

It is recommended to resolve the error as soon as you experience it virtually because if the error code is related to viral infection on your system, it can expose your PC to privacy errors and data security risk. And if the error is triggered by registry issues, it can lead to serious threats like system crash, failure, and data loss. Therefore, the AVFoundationCF.dll error not only hampers your ability to access and start Apple iTunes program but it also puts your PC at serious risk.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To fix the error AVFoundationCF.dll on your PC, here are some of the best and easy to do solutions that you can try:

Check your Recycle Bin

Since dll files are shared files, there is a possibility that this file accidentally got deleted when you were uninstalling some other program on your system. If you experience missing AVFoundationCF dll file error message after performing any program on your PC, then chances are that it got deleted and maybe in your recycle bin. So, first, check your recycle bin and search for the dll file. If you find it, restore it to fix the error.

Update Device Driver

To resolve the issue, try performing a driver update. This can be done by downloading the latest drivers from the hardware manufacturer’s website. Now open Device Manager from the Control Panel and locate the hardware device that you want to update the driver for. Once you find the hardware you are updating the driver for, right-click on the hardware icon and choose properties. In the properties windows, click the driver tab. Now click the update driver button. To activate changes, restart your PC. To automatically update your computer's drivers when necessary, download and install DriverFIX.

Try Re-installing Apple iTunes Program

To do this, simply go to the control panel, select programs and then uninstall a program and then select iTunes.  Uninstall it and then repeat the same program and install the Apple iTunes program again on your PC by downloading the program from Apple’s official website.

Scan for Viruses

If the error still persists, then it is advisable to scan your PC for viruses. This can be easily done by running a powerful antivirus on your PC. However, please note anti-viruses are notorious for slowing down PC performance. So, may have to compromise on the speed of your system.

Clean and Repair the Registry

If the error is caused by invalid and corrupt registry entries and damaged Avfoundationcf dll file, then the best way to resolve is to download a powerful registry cleaner. We advise you to install Restoro on your PC. This is an advanced and a multi-functional PC Fixer integrated with multiple powerful utilities including a high functional registry cleaner, an antivirus and a system optimizer. The registry cleaning utility scans all the registry issues and removes all errors triggered by the registry immediately. It cleans the registry by wiping out all the unnecessary, obsolete and redundant files including invalid entries and bad registry keys. Furthermore, it also fixes the damaged and corrupt dll files including Avfoundationcf dll file. Thereby resolving the error right away. Furthermore, the antivirus deployed in this software scans for all types of malicious codes like viruses, Trojans, spyware, and malware and removes them. To ensure you don’t compromise on your PC performance, it is deployed with a system optimizer utility that boosts the speed of your computer dramatically. This tool is bug free, has a user-friendly interface and compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve Avfoundationcf.dll error on your PC today!

We have often talked about the security of your computer, we have been giving you tips and tried to explain how to best protect your computer from various attacks and malicious software. Today we will be talking about antivirus applications. Antivirus software has become the kind of a must-have in every computer in this day and age. When you think about it, our systems are connected to the internet most of the time if not always, and therefore kind placed in from the line of various cyber-attacks. Here antivirus software comes into focus, especially because it has evolved long from just a simple virus removal tool to full security suites. We will be going through the best of these applications in order to present both their good and bad sides and hope that we will help you in picking the right one for you. Remember, picking either one of the presented solutions is way better than not having one at all. The list is made from best down in our opinion so number one is highly recommended.

List of Best antivirus applications of 2021

1. BitDefender

   In our opinion the best overall security protection suite for this age and time. Bitdefender has cemented itself as number one a few years back and it holds that status even today. It has top-of-the-game virus protection, an incredible amount of features, safepay banking online protection and it is amazingly cheap. Its downside we could say is that it can be annoying sometimes, especially if you set it to maximum protection and paranoid mode. In this case, it will often ask what to do and how to behave leading to minor annoyances.

2. Norton antivirus

   Norton antivirus is well known to older computer users, this package has been around a long time and it is our pick for closest one to challenge top place because of its packed features. The number of features it has are really stunning and it comes also with great and maybe best-browsing protection of all candidates. It also has a backup tool bundled with it but the reason why it is in the second place is that it is taxing to the system and can have a real impact on computer performance. Great protection is important, but so it is working on it without slowdowns.

3. Kaspersky

   Another one of the old antivirus software on the list. Kaspersky Lab was once top tier antivirus software but it dropped down due to its high prices, later they have changed their pricing to be more in trend with other rival companies but many have switched to something else. Today it still packs one of the best antivirus engines with fast and configurable scans. It also has very impressive anti-ransomware features but sadly most of the things it just simply does for you leaving you to fully trust it since you cannot really configure much. It is not in step with new technologies and it is lacking some features like support for the Chrome browser that places it lower in our ranking.

4. Trend Micro antivirus

   The biggest sell point for this antivirus application is probably its ease of use and user-friendliness. It also packs a great antivirus engine and impressive anti-ransomware performance but sadly it comes with very limited configurability and somewhat lack of features comparing it with the top three entries. Never the less a very user-friendly application that you can configure without knowing any kind of tech talk, everything is laid out in simple English.

5. Avira

   Perhaps best known for its free version, Avira has a premium one that is well better worth than the free version. Strong suites of this software are mostly aimed at the internet with its great anti-phishing and web protection along with a low price for all of its features. Sadly in the domain of virus protection, there are some reports from independent websites that its antivirus engine is not so great, it will offer you moderate protection but not the best.

6. Webroot Secure Anywhere

   If you are on the lookout for software that has a great virus database and plenty of features but is also incredibly light weighted and fast then look no further, Webroot Secure Anywhere is an application for you, incredibly fast and incredibly small is a great solution for older machines. It keeps all of its databases up in the cloud and this feature among its great advantages is also its greatest disadvantage since if you are out of the internet you will not be able to have the latest virus definitions available to you making this tool very situational.

7. Avast

   Avast has many great protection features and it is very highly configurable. The firewall comes also in its premium edition and it offers great virus protection including a file shredder and awesome WI-FI inspector for an extra layer of security. This package would be higher on the list if it was not for its lack of WEB protection and its tool on the system resources.

8. Sophos home antivirus

   Lack of features and somewhat strange user interface are downsides of this software but on its positive side it has good antivirus engine and its user interface is very friendly. Where it shines though is in its price, for one affordable price you get protection for 10 devices making this option a great choice for anyone wanting to protect more devices or just use a single license for the whole family.

9. ESET antivirus

   Greatly configurable antivirus software with tons of options and very light on system resources makes ESET one of the best out there. Virus engine and database is also top tier but some testing labs have reported that protection offering is not really what it is advertised and if we talk about its strong suite of a great many options and configurations it is at the same moment its downside since it is not very friendly to novice and beginner users.

10. McAfee antivirus

    McAfee antivirus comes in its package with unlimited VPN service and if we take look at the top tier pricing plan it is a great investment. Sadly for its entry-level price, it covers only a single device and it was reported that it packs little outdated virus engine if we compare it with its rivals. Nevertheless, it still offers good virus protection and if you take into account the VPN that comes with it, it can find its users.

Conclusion

No matter which antivirus you choose you will not go wrong, after all any protection is way better than none.

Yes, you read that right, KFC is making a console partnered with Cooler Master. Bizzare at it sounds, it is even more bizarre that the console is designed to keep your food warm!!! You can pull out the drawer from the console out on its top and place some food there in order to keep it warm. The console itself is coming in cylindrical shape powered by Intel CPU and ASUS GPU of the unknown chipset. It has Seagate Baraccuda 1TB SSD and it is VR-ready. The console will have raytracing and will be 4K ready.

My thoughts

Well, my thoughts are somewhat strange, on one side I am not really sold on food heating gimmicks and without specific hardware specifications, it is difficult to say how much power the console will have. Price is also not leaked so that is also a stumbling stone for making an informed opinion. I am a little puzzled and concerned about this whole heating food thing because personally, I can see 2 issues: Console overheating and fat dripping on inside hardware, I am sure they have somehow eliminated this but I would be very interested to see how.

RAM drive is basically a hard drive made of your RAM memory. Altho this kind of drive can not and is not available to save any data when the computer is shut down its advantage is lightning fast speed since the application is installed in RAM itself, it is loading from there and executing from there. Creating this kind of drive which will use your RAM memory, well part of it can not be done natively in Windows, you will need some kind of application for this task. Luckily there is a free open source application for this kind of task. ImDisk, you can download the application here. ImDisk Toolkit is an application for managing virtual drives. It also includes a utility that allows the creation of RAM drives. Download the application and install it, make sure that you select all components on the installation selection screen. After installation is finished double click on icon labeled RamDisk Configuration. Once the application is running adjust the disk size in the box at the top of the window for your RAM drive. Click “OK” at the bottom of the window. This will create your RAM drive, which is just a virtual disk that’s assigned to your computer’s RAM. The process happens transparently, so there’s nothing you need to do. If you get a warning about shutdown settings, click on the “Shutdown Settings” button. Then unlock the settings pane with your administrator password. Finally, uncheck the checkbox next to “Turn on fast startup (recommended)” and click “Save Changes” at the bottom of the window. Your RAM drive is now ready for use. Fast Startup speeds up the process of turning on your computer by saving a system state between completely off and hibernation to your hard drive. This happens when the computer writes the contents of your RAM to a stable hard drive. As you may guess, this could mess with your RAM drive’s ability to preserve and track its data. With Fast Startup off, boots may take slightly longer, but it’s doubtful that you’ll notice much. Disabling a fast startup will satisfy the warning window, but let’s consider why. This will also allow ImDisk to save your RAM drive’s data to an image file when you shut down your computer. If you don’t, the contents of your RAM drive will be erased completely every time, with no saved image storage. It would also disable the RAM drive’s ability to load the previous content. Basically, the drive would act much more like RAM and much less like a disk. Depending on your use case, that may be disappointing or unusable. You can access and use it just like any normal hard drive. It shows up in Windows’s file explorer just like any other drive. However, a Ram drive is exponentially faster than traditional types of storage. And we mean exponentially. Whereas an SSD might offer 300 to 500 MB when reading from the disk, a RAM drive can offer more than 5000 MB, even on mediocre memory sticks.