10 Worst Computer Viruses in history

Computers viruses, worms, ransomware, etc. are kinds of malicious software that no user should take lightly. On several occasions, we have touched upon security steps that each user should take in order to protect its identity and data. Sadly sometimes even when all precautions are taken some malware can still slip through and wreak havoc. Today we are looking at some of the worst or the best, depending on your view that has indeed wreaked plenty of havoc.

10 worst computer viruses in history

In the list of the 10 most famous computer viruses below, we show the costs, dates, reach, and other key facts. First a note about terms: we use the words “virus” and “worm” interchangeably because most readers search for them that way. But there’s a subtle difference that we explain after the list.

1. Mydoom – $38 billion

The worst computer virus outbreak in history, Mydoom caused estimated damage of $38 billion in 2004, but its inflation-adjusted cost is actually $52.2 billion. Also known as Novarg, this malware is technically a “worm,” spread by mass emailing. At one point, the Mydoom virus was responsible for 25% of all emails sent.
Mydoom scraped addresses from infected machines, then sent copies of itself to those addresses. It also roped those infected machines into a web of computers called a botnet that performed distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks were intended to shut down a target website or server.

Mydoom is still around today, generating 1% of all phishing emails. That’s no small feat considering the 3.4 billion phishing emails sent each day. By that figure, Mydoom has taken on a life of its own, infecting enough poorly-protected machines to send 1.2 billion copies of itself per year, 16 years after its creation.
Though a $250,000 reward was offered, the developer of this dangerous computer worm was never caught.
Wondering what makes the world’s most secure computers so safe? See the Tech@Work guide: Upgrade to the World's Most Secure and Manageable PC

2. Sobig – $30 billion

The 2003 Sobig computer virus is actually another worm. It is second only to the Mydoom virus in its scope. The $30 billion figure is a worldwide total, including Canada, the U.K., the U.S., mainland Europe, and Asia. Several versions of the worm were released in quick succession, named Sobig.A through Sobig.F, with Sobig.F being the most damaging.
This cybercriminal program masqueraded as legitimate computer software attached to emails. It disrupted ticketing at Air Canada and interfered with countless other businesses. Despite its widespread damage, the creator of the successful bug was never caught.

3. Klez – $19.8 billion

Klez is a close third on the list of the worst computer viruses ever created. With nearly $20 billion in estimated damages, it infected about 7.2% of all computers in 2001, or 7 million PCs. The Klez worm sent fake emails, spoofed recognized senders and, among other things, attempted to deactivate other viruses.
As with other viruses and worms, Klez was released in several variants. It infected files, copied itself, and spread throughout each victim’s network. It hung around for years, with each version more destructive than the last.
Windows has come a long way since most of the computer viruses on this list hit the web. Thankfully, built-in protection with Microsoft Defender is always on the watch.

4. ILOVEYOU – $15 billion

The year 2000’s ILOVEYOU virus worked by sending a bogus “love letter” that looked like a harmless text file. Like Mydoom, this attacker sent copies of itself to every email address in the infected machine’s contact list. Shortly after its May 4 release, it had spread to more than 10 million PCs.
The virus was created by a college student in the Philippines named Onel de Guzman. Lacking funds, he wrote the virus to steal passwords so he could log into online services he wanted to use for free. He reportedly had no idea how far his creation would spread. This virus is also known as Loveletter.
Need to up your remote work security game before there’s another entry on the list of most deadly computer viruses? See our guide: How to Work Remotely and Securely

5. WannaCry – $4 billion

The 2017 WannaCry computer virus is ransomware, a virus that takes over your computer (or cloud files) and holds them hostage. The WannaCry ransomware ripped through computers in 150 countries, causing massive productivity losses as businesses, hospitals, and government organizations that didn’t pay were forced to rebuild systems from scratch.
The malware raged like wildfire through 200,000 computers worldwide. It stopped when a 22-year-old security researcher in the U.K. found a way to turn it off. Computers with out-of-date operating systems were hit especially hard. That’s why security experts always recommend updating your systems frequently.

Ransomware strikes again

In September 2020, one of the potentially largest computer virus attacks in medical history hit Universal Health Services. The U.S. hospital chain, which has more than 400 locations, was reportedly struck by damaging ransomware. The attack forced the cancellation of surgeries and made healthcare workers switch to paper records.

6. Zeus – $3 billion

The Zeus computer virus is an online theft tool that hit the web in 2007. A whitepaper by Unisys three years later estimated that it was behind 44% of all banking malware attacks. By then, it had breached 88% of all Fortune 500 companies, 2,500 organizations total, and 76,000 computers in 196 countries.
The Zeus botnet was a group of programs that worked together to take over machines for a remote “bot master.” It originated in Eastern Europe and was used to transfer money to secret bank accounts. More than 100 members of the crime ring behind the virus, mostly in the U.S., were arrested in 2010. It’s not as prominent today, but some of the virus’ source code lives on in newer botnet viruses and worms.

Zeus caused documented damage of $100 million. But the real cost in terms of lost productivity, removal, and undocumented theft is undoubtedly much higher. A $3 billion estimate, adjusted for inflation, puts this virus at a cost of $3.7 billion in today’s dollars.

7. Code Red – $2.4 billion

First observed in 2001, the Code Red computer virus was yet another worm that penetrated 975,000 hosts. It displayed the words “Hacked by Chinese!” across infected web pages, and it ran entirely in each machine’s memory. In most cases it left no trace in hard drives or other storage.
Financial costs are pegged at $2.4 billion. The virus attacked websites of infected computers and delivered a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on the U.S. White House’s website, www.whitehouse.gov. In fact, the White House had to change its IP address to defend against Cod Red.
Can your printer get a virus? See our cool infographic: The State of Printer Security

8. Slammer – $1.2 billion

The SQL Slammer worm cost an estimated $750 million across 200,000 computer users in 2003. This computer virus randomly selected IP addresses, exploiting vulnerabilities and sending itself on to other machines. It used these victim machines to launch a DDoS attack on several internet hosts, significantly slowing internet traffic.
The Slammer worm hit banks in the U.S. and Canada especially hard, taking ATMs offline in many locations. Customers of Toronto’s Imperial Bank of Commerce found themselves unable to access funds. The attack reared its ugly head again in 2016, launching from IP addresses in Ukraine, China, and Mexico.

9. CryptoLocker – $665 million

Thankfully, ransomware attacks like the 2013 CryptoLocker virus have dipped since their 2017 peak. This malware attacked upwards of 250,000 machines by encrypting their files. It displayed a red ransom note informing users that “your important files encryption produced on this computer.” A payment window accompanied the note.
The virus’ creators used a worm called the Gameover Zeus botnet to make and send copies of the CryptoLocker virus. According to a report by security firm Sophos, the average ransomware attack costs a business $133,000. If we estimate that CryptoLocker hit 5,000 companies, that would put its total cost at $665 million.
Where will cybersecurity go next? See our guide: The Future of Cybersecurity

10. Sasser – $500 million

The Sasser worm was written by a 17-year-old German computer science student named Sven Jaschan. He was arrested at the age of 18 in 2004 after a $250,000 bounty was posted for the computer virus’ creator. A friend of Jaschan’s tipped authorities that the youth had penned not only the Sasser worm but also the damaging Netsky.AC attack.
Jaschan was given a suspended sentence after it was found he was a minor when he wrote the malware. The Sasser worm crashed millions of PCs, and though some reports put damages at $18 billion, the relatively low infection rate suggests a more likely cost of $500 million.
Other notable viruses

The top 10 worst computer viruses above are just the ugly tip of a gargantuan digital iceberg. With a million new malware programs popping up every 3 years, we may miss the forest for a few outstanding trees. Here are just a few more viruses that have wreaked havoc over the years:

Mimail: This worm tried to harvest data from infected machines to launch a string of DDoS attacks, but was relatively easy to remove.

Yaha: Yet another worm with several variants, thought to be the result of a cyber-war between Pakistan and India.

Swen: Written in C++, the Swen computer worm disguised itself to look like a 2003 OS update. Its financial cost has been pegged at $10.4 billion, but not reliably.

Storm Worm: This worm showed up in 2007 and attacked millions of computers with an email about approaching bad weather.

Tanatos/Bugbear: A 2002 keylogger virus that targeted financial institutions and spread to 150 countries.

Sircam: A computer worm from 2001 that used counterfeit emails with the subject line, “I send you this file in order to have your advice.”

Explorezip: This worm used fake emails to spread to every machine on thousands of local networks.

Melissa: The most dangerous computer virus in 1999, Melissa sent copies of itself that looked like NSFW pics. The U.S. FBI estimated cleanup and repair costs at $80 million.

Flashback: A Mac-only virus, Flashback infected over 600,000 Macs in 2012 and even infected Apple’s home base in Cupertino, Calif. In 2020, there’s now more malware on Macs than on PCs.

Conficker: This 2009 virus still infects many legacy systems and could do significant damage if it ever activates.

Stuxnet: This worm is reported to have destroyed Iranian nuclear centrifuges by sending damaging instructions.

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Best Free Stock Photo WEB sites of 2021

The Internet has become an essential human right as stated in many countries around the world. Among many benefits that the internet offers are various sites selling Stock photographs for all of your needs. No matter are you working in the design industry or just want to make something for yourself there is a high chance that you will eventually need some photos for your work. Stock photo work

In this article we are going to go through the best Stock Photo sites BUT, we will focus on ones that give you royalty-free Photos, so no paying stuff here, just the best of the free world.

Adobe Stock free collection

https://tracker.tradedoubler.com In the last year of 2020, Adobe has made more than 70000 photos, videos, illustrations, and templates completely free. You are free to use provided material for personal, commercial, and creative work. Since this is adobe’s collection, well part of it, all of the given material is of high quality. You can also upload pictures to do a visual search to find similar ones.

Unsplash

https://unsplash.com/ Unsplash is a place where you will go if you want to find free-quality pictures. Since a lot of photographers are donating their selected work there you will find always consistently high-quality work there. Unsplash also has applications for Android and iOS so you can go through their stock on your mobile device as well. Photos are organized into categories that make searching much easier.

Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/ Pixabay is maybe well known due to its huge collection of both images and illustrations. There are tons and tons of stuff in there all royalty-free for use. The bad side is due to its strongest one, since there are so many images on its site, quality is not always top-notch like on Unsplash for comparison but you might find stuff here that you will not be able to do it anywhere else.

Pexels

https://www.pexels.com/ This is a great choice for web or app developers since you can find various UI ideas and designs on it. Many UI ideas ready for implementation will be found here and a decent amount of photos as well. The overall site is great for that purpose but please do read the license on each image since some of them are limited in use and cannot be used in commercial projects.

Pikwizard Stock

https://www.pikwizard.com/ Stock photography from Pikwizard is a place where you will go if you need high-quality pictures of people. There are a lot of images of people in natural poses doing things, nothing cheesy or unnatural, just pure and great-looking ones. Among other things is also a vast selection of cityscapes. Sadly as in the case of Pexels, not all pictures have the the same license so make sure to check terms of use before using one.

Gratisography Stock photos

http://gratisography.com/ Last on our list is a Stock site with a strange name and if you visit it you will see that it is not just the name that is strange. Gratisography is a stock site that aims to provide you with high-quality photographs but in different take from another site. These images are more artistic and surreal than other competitor sites. Images are uploaded almost on daily basis but since thematic is somewhat niche collection itself is relatively small.

Conclusion

That’s it, we hope that we have helped you in any way to find some material for your next project and I hope to see you soon back on errortools.com. Take care and all the best.

Media Player can't detect the length of file

Even with the new Groove Music in Windows 10, a lot of users still prefer to use the old Windows Media Player. This isn’t surprising since Windows Media Player still remains to be one of the best players you can find. However, that does not mean that it is without flaws as it could still encounter some issues from time to time. One of the issues you might encounter when using the Windows Media Player is when you try to burn DVDs or CDs but end up failing due to an error that pops up that says, Windows Media Player cannot detect the length of the file. At the time of writing, it isn’t clear yet what the real cause of the error is. However, there are several fixes that are provided in this post for you to check out so you can resolve the problem. You can try to get rid of any unsupported files from the burning list or you could also try running the Windows Media Player troubleshooters. Aside from that, you could also try to drag and drop music or change the burning speed. For more details, refer to the following options.

Option 1 – Get rid of the unsupported files from the burning list

You must get rid of the unsupported files from the list of files to burn. This list can be found on the right-hand side of the Windows Media Player. One of the indications that a file is causing problems is when there is a white cross in a red circle next to the file. You can simply click on that icon to remove the file from the burning list. Once you’ve gotten rid of all the unsupported files, try to burn your files to the CD or disk once more.

Option 2 – Try running the Windows Media Player troubleshooters

The next thing you can do to fix the error is to run the built-in troubleshooters for the Windows Media Player. Windows 10 actually comes pre-packed with three troubleshooters designed for Windows Media Player. They can help in fixing the “Windows Media Player cannot detect the length of the file” error. To run these troubleshooters, simply tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “msdt.exe -id WindowsMediaPlayerConfigurationDiagnostic” for the Windows Media Player Settings troubleshooter or type “msdt.exe -id WindowsMediaPlayerLibraryDiagnostic” for the Windows Media Player Library troubleshooter, or type “msdt.exe -id WindowsMediaPlayerDVDDiagnostic” for the Windows Media Player DVD troubleshooter.

Option 3 – Try to drag and drop music

Another thing you can check out is to drag and drop all the tracks into the Windows Media Player before you burn them. All you have to do is open the folder where the tracks are located and highlight all of them and then drag them to the Windows Media Player. It should now be able to detect the length of each one of the tracks without any errors.

Option 4 – Try to change the burning speed

Since the burning speed is set to fastest by default, you can try to change the burning speed to resolve the problem. Just open the Options window and then go to the Burn tab. From there, select either Medium or Slow burning speed and save the changes made. Now try to burn your files to the CD or disk once again.

Fix NTOSKRNL.exe high CPU, Memory & Disk usage

This post will guide you in fixing high CPU, Memory, and Disk usage problems caused by NTOSKRNL.exe. NTOSKRNL stands for “NT Operating System Kernel. This file is a kernel image that is responsible for a lot of systems-based processes such as Hardware Virtualization, Process, and Memory. Aside from that, it is also the one that compresses the old pages of memory that reduces the overall amount of memory being used. If you notice that your computer is running slowly and you find that the NTOSKRNL.exe file is hogging your resources such as disk usage, CPU usage as well as memory usage, then read on as this post will guide you in fixing the problem caused by NTOSKRNL.exe. Make use of the options given below to resolve the issues caused by NTOSKRNL.exe. 1] Scan your computer for potential malware There might be a good chance that your computer might be infected with malware. And this malware might be associated with the NTOSKRNL.exe file and hence making it consume a lot of system resources. So, I would really recommend you to make sure that your Antivirus is up to date and then scan your computer with it specifically the C:/Windows/System32 folder because this is the location where the NTOSKRNL.exe file is located.

Option 1 – Put your computer in a Clean Boot State

The first thing you have to do is to put your computer in a Clean Boot State as this can help you in finding any incompatible programs that are causing the problem.

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.

Once you’ve found any incompatible programs, you need to uninstall them. Refer to the steps below to do so.

In the search box, type in “control” and then click on Control Panel (desktop app) among the search results.
After that, select Programs and Features from the list which will give you a list of all the programs installed on your computer.
From there, look for the concerned program and select it and then uninstall it.

Note: If you have downloaded the app from the Windows Store, you can simply right-click on it from the application list and then uninstall it.

Option 2 – Update or rollback drivers

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

Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
Then 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.

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

Option 3 – Try to run the DISM tool

If the first two options didn’t work, then running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management might. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.

Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
- exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Option 4 – Try to stop the Runtime Broker process

The RuntimeBroker.exe or the Runtime Broker process is the one that monitors access to Windows APIs to make sure that the apps do not violate the core security of Windows. This process usually leaves a very small footprint. However, there are times when it consumes more resources than it’s supposed to and does not release memory after the work is done that results in a memory leak. As a result, it affects NTOSKRNL.exe which is why you have to stop the Runtime Broker process. To do so, refer to these steps:

Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
After opening Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for the Runtime Broker process.
Once you find it, check if it is using more than 15% of your memory. If it is, then you most likely have an issue with an app installed on your computer.
Select the Runtime Broker process and right-click on it and then click on the End Task option to end its process.

Option 5 – Try to run the Performance Troubleshooter

Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Type “msdt.exe /id PerformanceDiagnostic” in the field and hit Enter to open the Performance troubleshooter.
Then click on Next to get started. Wait until the process is completed.

Option 6 – Try using the Windows Performance Toolkit

You can also use the Windows Performance Toolkit in finding the root cause of the problem. Just refer to the following steps to use this toolkit.

Search for “cmd” in the Cortana Search box and click on Command Prompt from the search results to open it.
Next, type in the command given below or copy and paste it and then hit Enter:

xperf -on latency -stackwalk profile -buffersize 1024 -MaxFile 256 -FileMode Circular && timeout -1 && xperf -d cpuusage.etl

After executing the command, wait for at least 60 seconds and then check the logs of the Windows Performance toolkit which is stored in a file named cpuusage.etl in the folder located at C:/Windows/System32. From there, you should see a list of all the causes of the System Resources being hogged.

Windows Update service could not be stopped

If you are running the Windows Update service but decided to stop it but you encountered an error message instead that says, “The Windows Update service could not be stopped”, read on as this post will help you fix the problem. This kind of error appears when you use the Command Prompt to stop the Windows Update service, especially if you are using cmd without admin privileges. A lot of users reported that they were not able to disable the automatic Windows Update in Windows 10 using Command Prompt. The command used to stop the Windows Update service is the “net stop wuauserv” command. However, when some users executed this command, they got the error message. So if you are one of these users that can’t stop the Windows Update Service via Command Prompt, you can try to fix that using PID as well as checking the Service dependencies. For more details, follow the given options below.

Option 1 – Try to stop the Windows Update service via PID

In case you don’t know, each running service or process has its own unique ID or PID and you can find it in the Task Manager. You can use it to stop the Windows Update service. How? Refer to these steps:

Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Task Manager.
Next, go to the Services tab and look for the service named “wuauserv” and get its PID.
After that, type “cmd” in the Windows Start search and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and then select the “Run as administrator” option.
After opening Command Prompt with admin privileges, execute this command: taskkill /f /pid <PID>

Note: You need to replace “<PID>” with the PID of the “wuauserv” service. For instance, the PID is 6676, then this is how the command should be “taskkill /f /pid 6676”.

After you execute the command, you will this message on your screen, “SUCCESS: The process with PID 6676 has been terminated” which indicates that you have stopped the Windows Update service successfully.

Option 2 – Try to check the Service dependencies

Dependencies of a Windows Service in Windows 10 are when windows services depend on other services. Such is the case with the Windows Update service – it also depends on three different services such as the Remote Procedure Call or RPC service, DCOM Server Process Launcher, and the RPC Endpoint Mapper. Meaning to say, if two of these services are not working as expected, then the dependant service will also be affected. This could be the reason why the Windows Update service could not start.

Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open Windows Services.
From the list of Services, look for the following services:
- Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Service
- DCOM Server Process Launcher
- RPC Endpoint Mapper
After you find these services, double click on each one of them and check whether the Startup type for all is set to Automatic and the Service status is set to Running or not.
If the service status is not running, then click the Start button. Afterward, check if you can now run the Windows Update service.

Windows keyboard shortcuts for easy life

Hello everyone and welcome to our useful tips and tricks and problem-solving article blog. This time we are doing something different, instead of solving issues this time we are focusing on some quality of life tips like keyboard shortcuts in your Windows 10.

Shortcut Keys

Description

Windows Key

Opens/closes the Start menu.

Windows Key + Up Arrow

Maximizes the selected window.

Windows Key + Down Arrow

Reduces the window size. (Restore down.)

Windows Key + M

Minimizes all open windows.

Windows Key + Shift + M

Opens minimized windows.

Windows Key + Tab

Shows Task View.

Windows Key + L

Locks the screen.

Windows Key + A

Opens the Action Center.

Windows Key + V

Opens Clipboard History.

Windows Key + I

Opens the Settings menu.

Windows Key + F

Opens the Feedback hub.

Windows Key + H

Opens the dictation toolbar.

Windows Key + P

Opens the projection settings.

Windows Key + . (Windows Key + ;)

Opens the emoji panel.

Windows Key + C

Opens Cortana in listening mode.

Windows Key + C (Windows Key + Q)

Opens Windows Search.

Windows Key + G

Opens the Xbox game bar.

Windows Key + X

Opens the secondary start menu.

Windows Key + <number>

Opens the app in the taskbar relative to the number input. For example, if Chrome is the fourth app on the taskbar, using Windows Key + 4 will open Chrome.

Windows Key + Alt + <number>

Opens the right-click menu for the app in the taskbar relative to the number input. For example, if Chrome is the fourth app on the taskbar, using Windows Key + Alt + 4 will open Chrome’s right-click menu.

Windows Key + D

Shows/hides open apps on the desktop.

Windows Key + E

Opens File Explorer.

Windows Key + U

Opens Ease of Access in the Settings menu.

Windows Key + Print Screen

Takes a screenshot of the desktop.

Windows Key + Control + F

Opens the Find Computers window.

Windows Key + Control + D

Creates a virtual desktop.

Windows Key + Control + Left Arrow

Switches to the virtual desktop on the left.

Windows Key + Control + Right Arrow

Switches to the virtual desktop on the right.

Windows Key + Control + F4

Closes the active virtual desktop.

Windows Key + Space

Switches between installed languages (for writing text).

Fix Netwtw04.sys BSOD Error in Windows 10

Blue Screen of Death errors or Stop errors are indications that something’s wrong with your computer. So when you encounter one, you must find out what the root cause of the problem is before it gets out of hand. One of the BSOD errors you might encounter on your Windows 10 computer is the “DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL or SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED, Netwtw04.sys failed” error. As you know, system files or .sys files are some of the essential parts of the Windows operating system. It is a repository of system driver settings used by the Windows operating system in order to communicate with the connected hardware and devices. They are essential for the normal functioning of the operating system. A lot of Windows 10 users are facing this particular Blue Screen of Death error whenever they open an app or disconnect external devices from the system. The Netwtw04.sys file is a part of the Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi software. And so when you might encounter two kinds of Stop errors for the Netwtw04.sys driver file such as:

“DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL What failed: Netwtw04.sys.” – This kind of error message signifies that a kernel-mode driver tried to access pageable memory at a process IRQL that was too high.
“SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED What failed: Netwtw04.sys” – This error message indicates that the root cause of the error might be incompatible drivers with the operating system. In general, the root cause of the Netwtw04.sys BSOD error might be due to several reasons such as corrupted files, incorrect device driver configuration, malicious programs, outdated drivers, bad drivers, corrupted Windows Registry as well as some damaged or corrupted system files.

Whichever of the two error messages you got, you can try the troubleshooting options given below to fix the “DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL or SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED, Netwtw04.sys failed” BSOD error.

Option 1 – Try to rollback your Network driver

If you have updated the driver software as of late and you suddenly got this BSOD error, you might have to roll back the device driver – in other words, switch back to the previous working version. To do that, follow 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 it.
Next, select the driver entries that are labeled appropriately other than anything in the context of the WAN Miniport.
Then select each one of them and double-click to open a new mini window.
After that, make sure that you’re on the Driver tab and if you are not, just navigate to it then click the Roll Back Driver button to switch back to the previous version of your Network adapters.
Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

Option 2 – Try to update the Network drivers

If the present Network driver is giving you a headache that is the “DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL or SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED, Netwtw04.sys failed” BSOD error, then you need to update the Network drivers. To do so, here’s what you have to do:

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

Note: If updating the network drivers didn’t help in fixing the 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.

Option 3 – Try running the System File Checker Scan

The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the Netwtw04.sys failed BSOD error. SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

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

The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

Option 4 – Run the DISM Tool

The DISM tool is another command-line tool in the Windows operating system that could help users fix various corrupted system files. To use it, follow these steps:

Open the Command Prompt as admin.
Then type in this command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
The DISM command you entered will repair the corrupted system image. Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Option 5 – Run the CHKDSK Utility

Running the CHKDSK utility might also help you resolve the Netwtw04.sys failed BSOD error. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the CHKDSK utility comes in. The CHKDSK utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.

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

chkdsk /f /r

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

FindGoFind Browser Hijacker Removal Guide

FindGoFind is a browser extension for Google Chrome.Developers present findgofind.com as an improved Internet search engine that supposedly enhances the Internet browsing experience by generating better search results. These claims often trick users into believing that findgofind.com is legitimate and useful. In fact, developers promote this site using deceptive software download/installation set-ups that hijack web browsers and modify various options without permission. Furthermore, findgofind.co continually records various data relating to users’ Internet browsing activity.

While this extension is installed, users will see additional unwanted ads throughout their browsing sessions. Furthermore, this extension changed the default search engine to FindGoFind to easier display Sponsored content.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijackers (also known as hijackware) are a type of malicious software that modifies web browser configuration settings without the computer owner’s knowledge or approval. These hijacks are raising at an astonishing rate across the world, and they can be truly nefarious and sometimes harmful too. Browser hijackers can do a variety of things on your computer. These are typically used to force hits to a specific site, manipulating web traffic to earn ad revenue. Many people believe that the browser hijacker is just a harmless website but that is incorrect. Almost every browser hijacker poses an actual threat to your online safety and it’s vital to categorize them under privacy risks. When the malware attacks your computer, it begins to mess things up a whole lot that slows your PC down to a crawl. In the worse case, you will be pushed to tackle serious malware threats too.

How one can know if your browser is hijacked

The typical signs that signify having this malicious software on your PC are: 1. the home page of the browser is changed all of a sudden 2. you see new unwanted favorites or bookmarks added, usually directed to advertisement-filled or porn websites 3. the default browser configurations are changed and/or your default web engine is altered 4. you’ll see multiple toolbars in your internet browser 5. you see lots of pop-ups on your screen 6. your internet browser has become unstable or starts running slowly 7. you can’t navigate to certain websites, like security software-related sites.

Exactly how they infect computer systems

Browser hijackers may use drive-by downloads or file-sharing websites or even an e-mail attachment to reach a targeted computer. They also come from add-on programs, also known as browser helper objects (BHO), web browser plug-ins, or toolbars. Also, certain freeware and shareware can put the hijacker in your PC through “bundling”. Some of the most well-known hijackers are FindGoFind, Babylon Toolbar, Conduit Search, Sweet Page, OneWebSearch, and CoolWebSearch.

How you can get rid of a browser hijacker

Some hijackers can be simply removed by uninstalling the free software they came with or by deleting any add-ons you have recently added to your system. In some cases, it can be a difficult job to find and delete the malicious program because the associated file might be running as part of the operating system process. Apart from that, manual removal expects you to perform several time-consuming and complicated actions that are tough to do for new computer users. Industry experts always recommend users to eliminate any malware including browser hijacker with an automatic malware removal tool, which is easier, safer and faster than the manual removal method. SafeBytes Anti-Malware can counter relentless hijackers and provide you with proactive PC protection against all kinds of malware.

What you can do if Virus Prevents You From Downloading Anti-virus?

Malware may cause several kinds of damage to computers, networks, and data. Some malware sits in between the computer and your net connection and blocks a few or all internet sites that you want to visit. It will also block you from adding anything to your system, particularly the anti-virus program. So what to do if malicious software keeps you from downloading or installing Anti-Malware? There are a few actions you can take to get around this issue.

Download the application in Safe Mode with Networking

If the malware is set to load at Windows startup, then booting in Safe Mode should prevent it. Just the minimum required programs and services are loaded when you start your computer in Safe Mode. To start your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers in Safe Mode with Networking, do as instructed below. 1) At power on/start-up, hit the F8 key in one-second intervals. This will conjure up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Select Safe Mode with Networking with arrow keys and press Enter. 3) When this mode loads, you will have the internet. Now, use your browser to download and install Safebytes Anti-malware. 4) Following installation, run a complete scan and let the software delete the threats it detects.

Use an alternate web browser to download an antivirus application

Some malware may target vulnerabilities of a particular browser that obstruct the downloading process. If you’re not able to download the anti-malware software program using Internet Explorer, it means the virus is targeting IE’s vulnerabilities. Here, you need to switch over to a different browser like Firefox or Chrome to download Safebytes Anti-malware software.

Make a bootable USB anti-virus drive

Another option would be to make a portable antivirus program onto your USB thumb drive. Adopt these measures to use a flash drive to fix your infected computer system. 1) Download the anti-malware program on a virus-free PC. 2) Connect the USB flash drive to a USB port on the uninfected computer. 3) Double click on the downloaded file to run the installation wizard. 4) Pick a USB flash drive as the place when the wizard asks you exactly where you intend to install the application. Follow the activation instructions. 5) Transfer the pen drive from the clean PC to the infected PC. 6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the pen drive by double-clicking the icon. 7) Hit the “Scan” button to run a full computer scan and remove viruses automatically.

Protect your PC against Malware With SafeBytes Security Suite

If you are looking to download an anti-malware application for your PC, there are several tools out there to consider nonetheless, you should not trust blindly anyone, no matter whether it is free or paid software. A few are good ones, some are decent, and some are merely fake anti-malware software that will harm your PC themselves! You need to be very careful not to select the wrong product, particularly if you buy a paid application. When considering commercial application options, the majority of people select well-known brands, like SafeBytes, and are very happy with them. SafeBytes anti-malware is trustworthy software that not only secures your PC permanently but is also very easy to use for people of all ability levels. Once you have installed this software, SafeByte's sophisticated protection system will ensure that no viruses or malicious software can seep through your personal computer.

SafeBytes has excellent features when compared to other anti-malware programs. Listed below are some of the features you may like in SafeBytes.

Robust Anti-malware Protection: With a critically acclaimed anti-malware engine, SafeBytes offers multilayered protection which is made to find and get rid of viruses and malware that are hidden deep in your computer’s operating system. Real-Time Protection: SafeBytes gives complete and real-time security for your PC. It’ll inspect your personal computer for suspicious activity at all times and its unparalleled firewall protects your PC from illegal access by the outside world. High-Speed Malware Scanning Engine: SafeBytes Anti-Malware has got a multi-thread scan algorithm that works up to 5 times faster than any other antivirus software. Safe Web Browsing: SafeBytes provides an instant safety rating on the web pages you are going to check out, automatically blocking unsafe sites and making sure that you’re certain of your online safety while browsing the web. Lightweight: The program is lightweight and can run silently in the background, and that does not impact your PC efficiency. Premium Support: For any technical queries or product guidance, you can obtain 24/7 professional assistance through chat and e-mail. To sum it up, SafeBytes has created a meaningful anti-malware solution that is aimed to protect your computer against all manner of malware. There is no doubt that your PC will be protected in real-time as soon as you put this software program to use. You’ll get the best all-around protection for the money you pay on SafeBytes Anti-Malware subscription, there’s no question about it.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you wish to carry out the removal of FindGoFind manually instead of employing an automated tool, you may follow these simple steps: Navigate to the Windows Control Panel, click the “Add or Remove Programs” and there, select the offending program to remove. In case of suspicious versions of browser plug-ins, you can actually remove it via your browser’s extension manager. You’ll likely also want to reset your browser. If you opt to manually delete the system files and Windows registry entries, use the following list to make sure you know precisely what files to remove before performing any actions. Please remember that this is for experienced users only and might be challenging, with wrong file removal resulting in additional system errors. In addition, some malicious programs have the capability to defend against its deletion. Doing this malware-removal process in Safe Mode is recommended.

Registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\FindGoFind.comTT0-F49X-LPA01-3150QB HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FindGoFind.comWG9-L33B-ZSH05-1418OI HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\FindGoFind.comRegistry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\FindGoFind.comTT0-F49X-LPA01-3150QB HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FindGoFind.comWG9-L33B-ZSH05-1418OI HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\FindGoFind.com%#MANIFEST#%PH1-S39W-JGS29-6268LL HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run [random].exe HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\Software\FindGoFind.com HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ FindGoFind.com HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\BrowserHelperObjects\[random numbers]PH1-S39W-JGS29-6268LL HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run [random].exe HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\Software\FindGoFind.com HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ FindGoFind.com HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\BrowserHelperObjects\[random numbers]

How to remove Nectar Toolbar from your Windows PC

Nectar Toolbar is a Browser addon for Internet Explorer developed by AIMIA Coalition Loyalty. This addon changed your default search provider to Yahoo UK. While installed, you might see additional unwanted ads and sponsored links injected in the search results.

From the Author: We all search the web every day for information from handy how-to’s, must know news about shopping. So wouldn’t it be great if you could collect extra Nectar points just for doing something you do already? Like to shop online? Nectar Search will also tell you when you’re on a shopping website (like Argos, Debenhams, Next, Play.com, and Apple) where you can collect points too.

Several anti-virus scanners have marked this addon as a Browser Hijacker and are therefore not recommended to keep on your computer.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking means a malicious program code has power over and modified the settings of your browser, without your permission. Browser hijackers could do more than just changing home pages. In general, hijackers are developed for the benefit of online hackers often through income generation that comes from forced ad mouse clicks and website visits. Nonetheless, it isn’t that harmless. Your web safety is compromised and it is also really annoying. In a much worst case, your browser could be hijacked to download malicious software that will do a great deal of damage to your computer.

Key symptoms that your browser has been hijacked

When your browser is hi-jacked, the following can happen: you notice unauthorized changes to your internet browser’s homepage; you observe new unwanted favorites or bookmarks added, usually directed to advertisement-filled or porn websites; the default browser configurations have been changed and/or your default web engine is altered; unwanted new toolbars are added to your internet browser; you might notice numerous pop-up adverts on your computer screen; your browser has instability issues or exhibits frequent errors; You can’t access particular websites, especially anti-malware websites.

Exactly how they invade computers

A browser hijacker can be installed on your computer or laptop when you go to an infected site, click on an e-mail attachment, or download something from a file-sharing site. Many internet browser hijackings originate from add-on programs, i.e., browser helper objects (BHO), toolbars, or plug-ins added to browsers to provide them additional features. Other times you might have accidentally accepted a browser hijacker as part of a software bundle (generally freeware or shareware). Popular examples of browser hijackers include CoolWebSearch, Conduit, OneWebSearch, Coupon Server, RocketTab, Delta Search, Searchult.com, and Snap.do. Browser hijacking can bring about serious privacy problems and even identity theft, affect your web browsing experience by taking control over outgoing traffic, drastically slows down your computer or laptop by depleting lots of resources, and lead to system instability also.

Browser hijacker removal methods

Some browser hijacking can be easily stopped by identifying and eliminating the corresponding malware software from your control panel. However, most hijackers are quite tenacious and require specialized applications to get rid of them. Moreover, browser hijackers could modify the Windows registry so it can be extremely tough to fix manually, particularly when you are not a tech-savvy person. Browser hijackers can be effectively removed by installing and running an anti-malware application on the affected computer. To get rid of any browser hijacker out of your computer, you could download this particular top-notch malware removal application – SafeBytes Anti-Malware. Together with anti-malware, a PC optimizer software, similar to Total System Care, could help you correct Windows registry errors, remove unwanted toolbars, secure your internet privacy, and stabilize programs installed on your computer.

Find Out How To Install Safebytes Anti-Malware On An Infected Computer system

All malware is bad and the consequences of the damage will vary based on the specific type of malicious software. Certain malware goes to great lengths to stop you from downloading or installing anything on your computer system, particularly anti-virus programs. If you are reading this, you probably have infected by a virus that stops you from installing a security program like Safebytes Anti-Malware. Follow the instructions below to remove malware through alternative methods.

Install in Safe Mode with Networking

Safe Mode is a unique, simplified version of Windows where just essential services are loaded to counteract malware and other problematic programs from loading. In case the malicious software is set to load immediately when the PC boots, switching to this mode could prevent it from doing so. To boot into Safe Mode, hit “F8” key on the keyboard right before Windows logo screen appears; Or right after normal Windows boot up, run MSCONFIG, look over Safe Boot under Boot tab, and then click Apply. Once you are in Safe Mode, you can try to install your anti-malware application without the hindrance of the malware. After installation, run the malware scanner to eliminate standard infections.

Download the anti-malware program in a different internet browser

Some malware only targets particular internet browsers. If this is your case, employ another browser as it might circumvent the computer virus. In case you suspect that your Internet Explorer happens to be hijacked by a computer virus or otherwise compromised by online hackers, the most effective course of action is to switch over to a different web browser such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Apple Safari to download your favorite security application – Safebytes Anti-Malware.

Make a bootable USB anti-virus drive

Another solution is to save and run an anti-malware software program entirely from a Thumb drive. To run antivirus from a thumb drive, follow these simple steps: 1) On a clean computer, install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Plug the USB drive into the clean computer. 3) Double-click the Setup icon of the anti-malware software to run the Installation Wizard. 4) Select the drive letter of the pen drive as the location when the wizard asks you where you would like to install the anti-virus. Follow the onscreen instructions to finish the installation. 5) Now, insert the USB drive into the corrupted PC. 6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the pen drive by double-clicking the icon. 7) Simply click “Scan Now” to run a complete scan on the affected computer for malware.

SafeBytes Anti-Malware Features

To protect your laptop or computer from various internet-based threats, it’s important to install anti-malware software on your personal computer. However, with countless numbers antimalware companies out there, these days it is hard to decide which one you should buy for your laptop. Some of them do a great job in eliminating malware threats while some will damage your PC by themselves. You must be careful not to pick the wrong product, especially if you buy a paid application. On the list of strongly recommended software by industry leaders is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, the most dependable program for Microsoft Windows. SafeBytes anti-malware is a trustworthy tool that not only secures your PC permanently but is also quite user-friendly for people of all skill levels. Once you’ve got installed this application, SafeByte's sophisticated protection system will ensure that no viruses or malware can seep through your PC.

SafeBytes anti-malware provides an array of enhanced features that sets it aside from all others. Some of them are listed as below:

Real-Time Protection: SafeBytes gives you round-the-clock protection for your PC limiting malware intrusions in real-time. This utility will constantly monitor your computer for suspicious activity and updates itself continuously to keep abreast of the constantly changing threat landscape. Most effective AntiMalware Protection: Built on a greatly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal application can find and get rid of numerous stubborn malware threats such as browser hijackers, potentially unwanted programs, and ransomware that other common anti-virus applications will miss. Website Filtering: Safebytes allots all websites a unique safety score that helps you to have an idea of whether the webpage you’re just about to visit is safe to browse or known to be a phishing site. Fast Multi-threaded Scanning: Safebytes Anti-Malware, with its advanced scanning engine, offers extremely fast scanning which can promptly target any active online threat. Low CPU/Memory Usage: SafeBytes is well known for its low influence on processing power and great detection rate of various threats. It operates silently and efficiently in the background so you’re free to utilize your PC at full power all of the time. 24/7 Customer Service: For any technical concerns or product assistance, you could get 24/7 professional assistance through chat and email. Put simply, SafeBytes has created a meaningful anti-malware solution that is aimed to protect you against all manner of malware. You now may understand that this particular software does more than just scan and eliminate threats from your PC. So if you’re searching for the absolute best malware removal application out there, and when you don’t mind shelling out a few bucks for it, opt for SafeBytes Anti-Malware.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

To eliminate Nectar Toolbar manually, go to the Add or Remove programs list in the Windows Control Panel and choose the program you want to remove. For browser extensions, go to your web browser’s Addon/Extension manager and select the add-on you want to remove or disable. You’ll probably also want to reset your internet browser to its default settings. Finally, check your hard disk for all of the following and clean your computer registry manually to get rid of leftover application entries after uninstallation. But bear in mind, this can be a tough task and only computer professionals can perform safely. In addition, certain malicious programs have the capability to defend against its removal. Completing this task in Safe Mode is suggested.

Files: C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\AimiaPoints.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\AimiaPointsAct.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\AimiaToolbar.css C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\ArrowDown.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\ArrowRight.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\ArrowUp.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\arrow_refresh.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\background.html C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\background.js C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\basis.xml C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\BrowserTweak.css C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\btn-background-grey.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\CanCollect.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\CanCollectAct.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\closeIcon.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\cog.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\Collecting.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\CollectingAct.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\computer_delete.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\eShopsMenu.html C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\eShopsMenu.js C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\help.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\HelpMenu.html C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\HelpMenu.js C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\icon-128.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\icon-16.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\icon-48.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\icons.bmp C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\icons.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\ie7vista.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\ie7xp.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\ie8bg.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\IE8GuardWorkaround.exe C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\info.txt C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\InstIcon.ico C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\jquery-1.7.2.min.js C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\jquery.placeholder.min.js C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\JSON.js C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\main.js C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\menu.js C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\nectar-icon-32×32.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\PIE.htc C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\PIE.js C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\SearchHist.html C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\SearchHist.js C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\search_glass.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\separator.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\separator_arrows.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\TbCommonUtils.dll C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\tbcore3.dll C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\TbHelper2.exe C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\tbhelperU.dll C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\uninstall.exe C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\UninstIcon.ico C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\update.exe C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\version.txt C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\Yahoo.ico C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\yahoo.png C:\Program Files (x86)\Nectar Toolbar\tbunsg7A.tmp\your_logo.png Registry: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software376694984709702142491016734454 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run 13376694984709702142491016734454

DISM Error 14098, component store corrupted

As you know, one of the useful and efficient utilities in Windows 10 is the DISM tool. It can be used with the Command Prompt command line which allows users to carry out various tasks. However, there are instances when the DISM tool could encounter some errors when you try to execute a command. One of these errors is the one that states, “The component store has been corrupted”. This kind of DISM error is due to an error in the image file. When you encounter the DISM Error 14098 when running the DISM tool, you will see the following content in the command line:

“C:>Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:testmountwindows /LimitAccess Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 10.0.10586.0 Image Version: 10.0.10586.0 [==========================100.0% Error: 14098 The component store has been corrupted. The DISM log file can be found at C:WINDOWSLogsDISMdism.log C:>”

There are several fixes you can check out to fix the DISM Error 14098, “The component store has been corrupted”. You can try to run the Restore Health command or reset the Windows Update components, or whitelist the dism.exe in your antivirus program, as well as try to uninstall any recently installed updates. Follow the options provided below for more details.

Option 1 – Run the Restore Health command in a Clean Boot State

First, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State.
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 open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Then type and enter this command to execute it: Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Wait until the process is completed and restart your computer.

Note: If the Restore Health command fails, you can use the “/StartComponentCleanup parameter” by executing this command: Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

Option 2 – Try to reset the Windows Update components

If by any chance that the second option didn’t work, resetting the Windows Update components could also help you resolve the problem. How? Refer to the following steps:

Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
- net stop wuauserv
- net stop cryptsvc
- net stop bits
- net stop msiserver

Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS, and MSI Installer.

After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
- ren C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution/SoftwareDistribution.old
- ren C:/Windows/System32/catroot2/Catroot2.old
Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
- net start wuauserv
- net start cryptsvc
- net start bits
- net start msiserver
Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.

Option 3 – Whitelist the “dism.exe” in your antivirus program

The DISM error 14098 might also be caused by your antivirus program which could be interfering it from running. To fix this, you have to whitelist dism.exe. How? Refer to these steps:

Open the Windows Defender Security Center from the system tray area.
Next, click the “Virus & threat protection” option and then open the “Virus and threat protection settings”.
After that, scroll down until you find the “Exclusions” and click on the “Add or remove exclusions” option.
Then click the plus button and select the type of exclusion you want to add and from the drop-down list, select Folder.
Next, navigate to this path and select the WinSxS folder: C:/Windows/WinSxS
When a User Account Control or UAC prompt, just click on Yes to proceed.

Option 4 – Try to uninstall recently installed updates

There are times when some Windows Updates affect some mechanism internally when you update your Windows 10 computer. As a result, it causes issues with other components of the operating system which could be the reason why you’re getting the DISM error 14098.

Go to Settings and select Update and Security > Windows Update.
From there, click on the “View update history” option and then click on the “Uninstall Updates” option.
This will open a new window that contains the list of installed Windows Updates.
Now right click on the Windows Update you wish to uninstall and click Uninstall.

Fix Windows errors 80240020, 8007002C, 80246007, 80070004

Upgrading your Windows 10 computer does not always go smoothly and you often encounter not just one but various errors so, in this post, we are going to cover several Windows 10 upgrade errors such as 80240020, 8007002C, 80246007, 80070004. All these upgrade errors are related to the Windows Update folder. Thus, you need to clear the Software Distribution folder, repair the System Image and fix System Health in order to resolve all these Windows 10 Upgrade errors. Before you get started on the steps to resolve these tons of errors, you have to disable your security program for the meantime, disconnect your peripherals, remove USBs connected to your PC and then make sure that your PC is connected to the main power supply. Once you have everything covered, carefully follow the options given below.

Option 1 – Delete Windows 10 Update Files in the SoftwareDistribution folder

The Software Distribution folder in the Windows operating system is a folder that can be found in the Windows directory and is used to store files temporarily which might be required to install the Windows Update on your PC. Thus, it is required by the Windows Update and maintained by WUAgent. A lot of users tried deleting the files in this folder to fix the problem and so far it has worked. Like them, you can try clearing the Windows Update cache by simply deleting the contents of the folder named “SoftwareDistribution” since Windows apparently can’t clear and re-download the update contents once they are corrupted. Thus, deleting the contents of this folder will make Windows download the contents again which will fix the problem. To do that, follow the steps below.

Open the WinX Menu.
From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.

net stop wuauserv net stop bits

After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
Next, go to the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files thereby tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.
Once all the contents in the Software Distribution folder are deleted, restart your PC and then go back to Command Prompt and input the following commands again.

net start wuauserv net start bits

Since the folder has already been flushed, it will be populated afresh the instant your restart your computer and open Windows Update.

Now Open Settings and check for Windows Updates. Windows 10 should begin the download right away.

Option 2 – Try using the DISM tool

Running the DISM Tool helps in repairing the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in Windows 10. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.

Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
- exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Note: If it happens that the Windows Update client is broken, you need to run the following command to repair it then restart your PC and click on Update once again.

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:RepairSourceWindows /LimitAccess

Note: The Windows Upgrade error, with error code 80240020 is an expected error message that happens when the upgrade requires customer user action. Thus, you need to do the following steps to resolve this particular Windows Upgrade error.

Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
After that, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWindowsUpdate
Now right click on WindowsUpdate located in the left pane and then create a new key and name it as “OSUpgrade”
Next, right-click in an empty space in the left pane and create a new DWORD and name it “AllowOSUpgrade” and enter “1” as its value.

Option 3 – Try running the Windows Update in a Clean Boot State.

Putting your PC in a Clean Boot state can also help you install Windows Updates or Upgrades without any trouble because, during this state, you can start the system with a minimum number of drivers and startup programs that will surely help you in isolating the root cause of the issue.

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 that, try to install the Windows Updates or upgrade again.

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