Malware Guide: How to remove OpenCandy

Malware Guide: How to remove OpenCandy

What is OpenCandy?

OpenCandy is an application that downloads and installs software, including other Internet Browsers to a computer system. Used as a bundle, this application installs additional programs that you may knowingly or unknowingly agree to install. Since most users don’t accept the challenge of reading the EULA in its entirety, they tend to download bundled applications unknowingly.

Assessment of OpenCandy PUP

During the initial assessment of OpenCandy, I was a little skeptical about what to look out for or expect. In fact, I had to install the OpenCandy.exe file twice to discern its behavior. I’m not sure how this application got its name but I do believe it has something to do with the fact that it supposedly helps Internet users open a new world of Internet browsing. That conclusion was arrived at after realizing that OpenCandy.exe installed mostly Internet browsers along with a tune-up tool on the test computer. However, as a result of the system requirements, there was a pop-up message indicating that Internet Explorer 8 was not compatible with the computer system in question.

In comparison to the malware I’ve encountered since I started researching malware, OpenCandy is everything but malicious. In fact, this application is only categorized as malware because of its’ subtle covert nature of installing bundled programs unsolicited by the user.

Additionally, OpenCandy coerces users into changing their Internet Browsers by installing those unrequested by the user. In fact, it’s no shock that OpenCandy chose to install the Internet Browser ‘Opera’ as a part of this bundle since it’s one of the least used browsers according to the Federal Government. Clearly, this was a smoothly disguised advertisement or promotion to force users into using the Opera Browser, along with Internet Explorer 8.0.

While these aforementioned browsers in themselves aren’t malicious and are in no way considered malware, they were installed as a promotional tool and without the request of the user. Despite being mentioned within the EULA, advertisers are capitalizing on this since most users do not bother to read the agreements when installing a program.

Furthermore, OpenCandy, like most other bundled applications I’ve dealt with, threw in a tune-up tool as a part of the promotion. I found this tune-up application annoying since I had to hassle my way into getting it to close from the computer screen. I can only imagine the hassle users would go through trying to remove this software.

Image 7: Depiction of a scan performed by Tuneup Utilities. The scan detected that several areas on the test PC could be optimized/tuned up.

Image 8: After a scan was completed using the Tuneup utility program, I was given an option to buy the full version. Nothing is wrong with this marketing strategy. In fact, most utility tools if not all will scan your computer to detect threats or loopholes, but they won't exactly allow you to fix those problems unless you buy the full version. It's not unfair, it's just business.

Programs installed during the installation of OpenCandy include:

  • Web Companion: Developed by Lavasoft, Web Companion is said to be an application that serves as a security defense for your Internet browsers by preventing unauthorized changes (see image below)
  • Tuneup Utilities: Tuneup Utilities does exactly as it says. It cleans up a computer system, whereby preventing unused programs from slowing it down.
  • Opera Stable 30.01.1835.88: Opera is a fast, simple, and effective Internet browser that allows users to get around on the web.

All in all, the intent of installing an application such as OpenCandy is to unleash a world of promotion or advertisements on your computer. They are pretty annoying and in some cases difficult to remove. Furthermore, as a user, you want to control what gets installed on your computer without being dictated to or coerced in some EULA that you probably overlook.

To completely remove OpenCandy PUP from your computer, click here to download and install Spyhunter.

If you like to learn and find out more about various Windows errors, and how to repair them go to our vast archive or use search to find articles that will explain and help you in solving your issue.
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Specified service does not exist, 0x80070424
Every now and then, the Windows Installer can also encounter some problems or glitches. One of these problems is where the Windows Update Standalone Installer, Windows Defender as well as Windows Firewall throws an error message that says, “The specified service does not exist as an installed service, 0x80070424”. This type of error can actually affect various applications on your computer so you have to fix it as soon as you can. Although there is no clear reason for what really causes this error, there are various suggestions you can try to fix it.

Option 1 – Try to run the Windows Update troubleshooter

Windows 10 have various troubleshooters that can help you resolve many system issues. So if you’re dealing with errors “The specified service does not exist as an installed service, 0x80070424”, you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter to resolve it. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 2 – Try to reconfigure the Windows Time Service

  • In the Start Search, type “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
  • Then click on the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • Now execute each one of the given commands sequentially and hit Enter right after you type each one of them.
    • net stop W32time
    • exe /unregister
    • exe /register
    • net start W32time
  • After executing the given commands above, wait until it says, “W32Time successfully registered”.

Option 3 – Try to restart related Windows services

  • First, type “command prompt” in the Start Search and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
  • Then click on the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • Now execute each one of the given commands sequentially and hit Enter right after you type each one of them.
    • SC config wuauserv start= auto
    • SC config bits start= auto
    • SC config cryptsvc start= auto
    • SC config trustedinstaller start= auto
Note: The commands you’ve just executed will make sure that the required Windows services are available.

Option 4 – Try to download and install the Windows Update Agent

You might also want to download and install the latest Windows Update Agent as it could also help you resolve the “The specified service does not exist as an installed service, 0x80070424” error.

Option 5 – 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:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
    • ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 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 and then check for updates on your computer and see if the error is resolved.

Option 6 – Try running the Windows Firewall troubleshooter

You could also try to run the Windows Firewall troubleshooter as it might also help you fix the problem. This could help in repairing and fixing Windows Firewall issues automatically. Check if it’s available for your Windows.
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CHKDSK cannot continue in read-only mode
As you know, the CHKDSK utility is proven to be one of the useful tools to fix any issues that concerns file system, storage, and disk. However, as useful as it may be, it is still not immune to issues as you could encounter errors when running it. One of these errors is the “One such error is the CHKDSK cannot continue in read-only mode” error. If you receive such an error message while running CHKDSK, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will help you sort the problem out. It is possible that the drive is read-only or that the Write Protection is enabled. It could also be that the drive is already being used and scanned by a different program or utility. To get rid of this error, there are a couple of suggestions you need to check out. You can try to run the CHKDSK utility from Recovery or run it on Boot. You could also try to disable Write Protection. For more detailed steps, follow the given instructions below.

Option 1 – Try to run the CHKDSK utility from Recovery

The first thing you can do to resolve the error in CHKDSK is to run the CHKDSK utility from Recovery. How? Follow these steps:
  • First, boot into the installation environment for Windows 10 from a Windows installation media.
  • Next, click on the “Repair your computer” option.
  • After that, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
  • After opening Command Prompt, type this command and tap Enter: chkdsk <Partition Letter>: /r /f
  • Wait until the disk error checking process is completed.
  • Once it’s done, exit the Command Prompt window and restart your computer and then see if the error is fixed.

Option 2 – Try running the CHKDSK utility on Boot

On the other hand, you can also try to run the CHKDSK utility on Boot so you can fix the error and recover any damaged segments of the drive.
  • Open an elevated Command Prompt and enter this command: chkdsk /r
  • After that, you will a message that says, “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)”
  • Type Y and tap Enter to schedule a CHKDSK scan once your computer reboots next time.

Option 3 – Try to remove the Write Protection from the drive

As mentioned, removing the Write-Protection on the concerned drive could also help you fix the problem and there are two ways to get rid of the write protection – you can either use the Diskpart utility or the Registry Editor. How? Refer to the following steps.

Via Diskpart utility:

  • Open Command Prompt with admin privileges and then type the “diskpart” command and tap Enter to execute it.
  • Next, type “list disk” and tap Enter to get the list of all the Disk connects or all the partitions that are formed on those disks.
  • After that, you need to choose one command depending on the list of commands you entered. Type “select disk #” and tap Enter to select the disk or partition you want to select.
  • Then type “attribute disk clear readonly” and tap Enter to Disable the Write Protection on the selected disk or partition.

Via Registry Editor:

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  • Next, navigate to the following registry key:
ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlStorageDevicePolicies
  • After that, look for the DWORD named “WriteProtect” and double click on it, and then set its Value Data to “0”.
  • Now restart your computer and see if the problem is now fixed or not.
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Fix Page Fault in Non-Paged Area in Windows 10
Page Fault in Non-Paged Area is a blue screen error usually happening with faulty drivers but it can come from different issues like faulty RAM. In this short article, we will cover usual ways on how to approach and solve this error.

Solving Page fault in Non-Paged Area

Page Fault in Non-Paged AreaRollback using system restore

Simple and easy solution, roll back to the previous system restore point where Windows was stable and working.

Fix Page Fault in Non-Paged Area using device manager

  1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden menu
  2. Click on device manager
  3. Find a device with a question mark and right-click on it
  4. Click on the rollback driver button

Fix via command prompt

  1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden menu
  2. Click on command prompt (admin)
  3. Inside command prompt type in SFC / scannow and press ENTER
  4. Wait for the process to be finished and then reboot the PC

Fix via DISM tool

  1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden menu
  2. Click on command prompt (admin)
  3. Inside command prompt type in DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press ENTER
  4. Wait for the process to be finished and then reboot the PC

Page fault in Non-Paged Area via a dedicated tool

Sometimes manual and provided solutions just simply cannot cut it because the issue is triggered also with something else and not just a single issue. Use DRIVERFIX to fix this specific issue with a single click.
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How to Fix Application Load Error 5:0000065434
When it comes to downloading and installing games in the Windows operating system, Steam is one of the well-known sources. You can find many big titles in Streams such as PUBG, Heaven Vaults, and a whole lot more. It is undeniably a great source of getting games in the Windows operating systems. However, just like other software, Steam is not immune to errors as you could encounter errors while using it. This isn’t caused by a bad code but also due to reliance on various factors in both respects to the software and hardware. One of these errors is the Application Load Error 5:0000065434. This kind of error can appear when you launch numerous game titles on your Windows 10 computer like Skyrim, Oblivion, Bully, Morrowind, Vortex, and many more. To fix this application error in Steam, you can try to copy the Steam executable file or use the Command Prompt. You could also try to verify the integrity of the game files feature or delete any conflicting files on your computer.

Option 1 – Try copying the Steam executable file

The first thing you can do to fix the error is to copy the executable file of Steam.
  • First, right-click on the desktop shortcut of steam located on your Desktop and click on the “Open file location” option.
  • After that, copy the executable file for Steam and navigate to the folder of the library of the games which is usually located in SteamSteamAppsCommon
  • Now paste the Steam executable file you just copied inside the folder of the game and see if it fixes the error or not.

Option 2 – Try to use the Command Prompt

  • In the Start Search, type “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and then select the “Run as administrator” option.
  • After opening Command Prompt as administrator, execute the following command:
cd "C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteamappscommon" mklink "steam.exe" "C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteam.exe"
  • The command you entered will create a link between the executable file of Steam to the operating system. Once you see a message that states, “Operation completed successfully”, restart your computer.

Option 3 – Try to use the “Verify integrity of the game files” feature

The next thing you can do to get rid of the error is to use the “Verify integrity of the game files” feature. How? Refer to these steps:
  • Open Steam and right-click on the entry of the game where you encountered the error in the Library and then select Properties.
  • After that, navigate to the LOCAL FILES tab and click the “VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES” button.
  • Wait for the process to be completed and see if the feature has helped in fixing the error or not.

Option 4 – Try to delete any conflicting files

The error might be caused by some conflicting files on your computer which is why you have to delete them. To do that, follow these steps:
  • Open the Documents folder and look for the folder created by the game that’s throwing the error. For instance, it could be stored in the “My Games” folder.
  • Next, delete the folder and then try to launch the game again and see if the error is now fixed.
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Fixing corrupted bootres.dll file in Windows 10
In this post, we will discuss what the “ bootres.dll ” file is in the Windows 10 operating system and where it’s also located. In addition, you will also be guided on how you can replace or fix a corrupt bootres.dll file which may prevent you from booting to your Windows desktop and will display an error message instead saying, “Boot critical file resourcescustombootres.dll is corrupt”. There are times when this error might also boot your PC to the Automatic Repair screen. DLL files, also known as Dynamic Link Libraries are external parts of applications that run on Windows as well as other operating systems. Almost all applications are not complete in themselves and store code in different files so if there is a need for the code, the related file being called by a certain application is loaded into memory and used. If the software or the operating system is unable to find the concerned DLL file or if the DLL file ends up getting corrupted, you will most likely get an error message. In case you don’t know, the bootres.dll file is a critical system OS file, size 90KB, and can be found in the Windows folder. It is a part of the Boot Resource Library and portrays an important role in making sure that your PC boots properly. So if it ends up getting corrupted, your PC may fail to boot correctly and you’ll get an error message instead. To resolve this problem, here are some suggestions that might help. If your PC automatically boots to the Automatic Repair screen, you need to click on that option to run the Automatic Repair. If it doesn’t work, you have to boot into the Advanced Startup options to manually access and run the Automatic Repair. Once you’re in the Advanced Options, you will be able to:
  • Run Automatic Repair
  • Use System Restore
  • Start Windows from an external device
  • Access Command Prompt
  • And use the System Image Recovery to restore Windows from a Factory image.
If the Automatic Repair fails to fix the problem, you may have to use System Restore or the Command Prompt to carry out further troubleshooting steps. Refer to the guide below to use these tools.

Option 1 – Try running the System File Checker in Safe Mode

Running the System File Checker is the safest way to fix DLL file missing or corrupted errors are thrown up by the Windows operating system as it could give you better results. System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files that might be causing the Machine Check Exception BSOD error. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.
  • Boot your PC into Safe Mode.
  • Tap Win + R to launch Run.
  • Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
  • After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow
The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:
  1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
  2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
  3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

Option 2 – Try running the DISM tool to repair the System Image

To repair the System Image, you need to use the DISM or Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management 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
  • Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.
Note: The command you executed will check for Windows component store corruption and will restore its good health. The scan might take up to 15 minutes. Once it is done, you have to restart your computer.

Option 3 – Try to repair the MBR and rebuild BCD

To repair the MBR and rebuild BCD, follow these steps: The problem might boil down to the Master Boot Records since the previous case has already been isolated. There are times when the Master Boot Records can get corrupted and even though it is a serious issue, it can still be rectified by repairing the Master Boot Record.
  • Tao the F8 key while booting the system to go into the Windows Recovery Menu.
  • Next, click on Troubleshoot.
  • Then click on the Advanced options to get into the Automatic Repair menu.
  • After that, you have to use the bootrex.exe tool, so click on the command prompt and type in the following commands, one after the other:
  • bootrec /RebuildBcd
  • bootrec /fixMbr
  • bootrec /fixboot
  • Exit and then go ahead and restart your PC.

Option 4 – Try running the ChkDsk utility

One of the best options you must try is running chkdsk as it will check the disk for any errors and repair them automatically. To use it, follow these steps:
  • Boot your PC to the Advanced Options menu and click on Command Prompt.
  • Once you’ve opened an elevated Command Prompt, type in the following command and tap Enter to execute it:
chkdsk C: /f /x /r
Note: “C” is the drive root drive so it could be changed if you’re using a different one.

Option 5 – Try resetting your PC

Go to the Advanced Options > Troubleshoot > and select the Reset This PC option from the menu and then select Keep my files.
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The server did not register with DCOM
There are times when after you upgrade your Windows operating system, the System Logs under the Event Viewer will display an error message saying, “Event ID 10010 error – The server did not register with DCOM within the required timeout”. What is DCOM? DCOM stands for “Distributed Component Object Model”. It is a proprietary Microsoft technology that allows the Component Object Model or COM software to communicate across a network. You can consider it as an extension of COM which is equipped with the capability of solving a couple of inherent problems related to the COM model to the better use over a network. COM is a tool that’s used for advanced configuration and troubleshooting in Windows 10. Developers usually use it to configure routine components and application behavior like participation in transactions and object pooling and so on. The Component Services needs the DCOM wire protocol in order to communicate with the Component Object Model components on other computers. By default, in a Windows-based system, the network computers are configured initially to enable DCOM. There are also some components in Windows that might require registering themselves with DCOM. However, if they fail to do so, you will encounter the “The server did not register with DCOM within the required timeout” error. To fix this, here are some suggestions you can check out.

Option 1 – Try to use the Component Services

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Then type “dcomcnfg” in the field and tap Enter to pull up Component Services.
  • Next, double click on the Computers folder located in the right pane and right-click on My Computer, and select the Properties option.
  • After that, switch to the COM Security tab under My Computer Properties and then go to the Access Permissions section.
  • From there, click the Edit Default button and in the new window that appears, apply the correct permission to objects under the Group or user names section.
  • Once you’re done, click OK and exit. This should fix the error.

Option 2 – Make sure that Function Discovery Resource Publication Properties Services is running

  • In the Cortana search box, type “services” and click on the Services icon to open the Services Manager. Alternatively, you can also tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run prompt and then type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
  • Next, scroll down and look for the “Function Discovery Resource Publication” entry and double click on it.
  • Then switch to the General tab and from there, make sure that the Startup Type is set to “Manual (Triggered).
  • You also have to make sure that the service is running so if it’s not, just click on the Start button to start the service.
  • Now click on Apply to save the changes made.

Option 3 – Try resetting the default DCOM permissions

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Then type “dcomcnfg” in the field and tap Enter to pull up Component Services.
  • After that, expand Component Services > Computers and right-click on My Computer, and then select Properties.
  • Next, go to the Default Properties tab, and in the Default Distributed COM Communication Properties section, make sure that:
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How to Turn Bluetooth ON in Windows 11
Windows 11 BluetoothBluetooth perhaps is slowly becoming an outdated feature but sometimes you can really used it and need it. By default, in Windows 11 Bluetooth is turned OFF so if you need it, you will need to turn it ON first. Luckily turning it ON is easy and we will guide you through the process

Turning Bluetooth using the Quick Settings menu

The easiest and fastest way to turn the Bluetooth ON is using the quick setting menu:
  1. Click on indicator icons located left of date and time in Taskbar
  2. Click on the Bluetooth icon (if the icon is not displayed, click on the pencil icon, then click on Add and add Bluetooth icon from the list)
  3. Right-click on the Bluetooth icon and select go to Settings
  4. Go to Adding a Bluetooth Device to Windows 11 section

Switch it ON via Windows Settings

  1. Open Windows settings by using ⊞ WINDOWS + I combination
  2. Click on Bluetooth & Devices
  3. Inside settings turn Switch to ON beside Bluetooth
  4. Click + Add Device large button on top
  5. Click Bluetooth
  6. Select device in the list of found devices (make sure device is turned ON, it has Bluetooth sharing ON, and that it is in pairing mode)
  7. If the device needs the password, type it in
  8. When the message Your device is ready to go is showed on the screen click on the Done

Advice on Bluetooth devices

Note that the Bluetooth devices you connect to Windows 11 stay linked to your PC unless you pair them with a different PC, smartphone, or tablet later. After a time, most Bluetooth devices power down automatically to save battery life. To continue where you left off, either power the Bluetooth device up (if it has a power button) or press a button on a keyboard or mouse, and it should automatically turn on and reconnect with your PC. If you’re having trouble connecting your Bluetooth device, make sure that Windows 11 is fully updated and that you’ve installed any drivers that came with your device. Make sure that the device is fully charged or that it has a fresh set of batteries. while Windows is searching. You’ll need to remove the device from Windows 11 first and then attempt to pair it with your PC again.

Removing devices

If you need to remove (un-pair) a Bluetooth device, just open Windows Settings and navigate to Bluetooth & Devices. Locate the name of the device that you want to remove, click the three dots button in the corner of its square and select Remove Device.
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Fix Windows Update Error 0x80070103
This post will guide you in fixing the error 0x80070103 when installing Windows Update. According to users who encountered this problem, Windows Update (WU) fails to install several different updates. This kind of Windows Update error is can mostly be seen in the Windows Update screen inside the update reports although it is also known to occur when a user attempts to install a peripheral driver – only if the Windows Update offers to update the driver through a prompt and when you click Yes. There are several possible causes for this error, it could be that Windows Update is trying to install a particular driver for the second time already which happens when it gets confused by an additional piece of identical hardware like the graphics adapter. Aside from that, the Windows Update might have already installed the driver which is known to occur with unsuitable versions of the already installed driver. In addition, the error could also be due to a third-party program interference like a security program or a utility program that is using the same driver and conflicts with the Windows Update. Here are some suggestions that might help in fixing the Windows Update error 0x80070103.

Option 1 – Install the updates in a Clean Boot State

You might want to try putting your computer in a Clean Boot state and then install Windows Updates again without any trouble. 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” 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.)
  • After that, try to install the Windows Updates or upgrade again.

Option 2 – Try installing the failing driver without using Windows Update

If installing the updates in a clean boot state didn’t help, you can try a manual approach to yield much better results using the Device Manager or by downloading the driver from the manufacturer’s website manually.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
  • Type in msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
  • After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. Look for the device driver you and then select either “Update driver” or “Uninstall device”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
  • Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
  • If you have chosen to uninstall the driver, follow the screen options to complete the process and then restart your PC.
Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your device driver manufacturer and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it.

Option 3 – Try to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

You might also want to run the built-in Windows Update Troubleshooter in Windows that could help you in resolving the Windows Update error 0x80070103. All you have to do is go to Settings > Update& security > Troubleshoot > Windows Update. From there, click on the Run the troubleshooter button and follow the next one-screen instructions that appear. After that, restart your computer and check if the error is now fixed or not by trying to install the update once again.
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Fix Chrome ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT
The Google Chrome browser checks the SSL Security Certificate of the website that you are trying to open. However, if Chrome is not able to check the certificate then you might encounter an error related to the SSL Certificates which you might face when browsing the web. This particular error is the ERR BAD SSL CLIENT AUTH CERT error which is caused by many factors such as the computer’s Time, Cached Data is corrupt, Date is out of sync, as well as third party software installed in your computer is the one that’s blocking the site and many more. The ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error might also be coming from the website’s end. It could be that the server is rejecting the certificate the client website is sending. The certificate might have already expired or the server may not trust its issuer – whichever the case may be, here are some options you can check out to fix the error.

Option 1 – Sync Date and Time

The first thing you can try is to sync the Date and Time of your computer as the wrong Date and Time settings are one of the most common causes of connection problems like the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error. This is because of the incompatibility between the SSL Certificate validation date and the System Clock. Thus, you have to sync your System Clock. Refer to the steps below to do so.
  • Right-click on the Taskbar and click on the Adjust Date and Time option.
  • Next, click on the Sync Now button to synchronize the Date and Time with the Microsoft Servers.
  • Now make sure that the Time Zone that’s set on the same page is correct.

Option 2 – Try clearing the browser data

There are times when some data in the browser is conflicting with the loading of the website and triggers errors like ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT. And so you can try to clear your browser’s data. This might be a very basic solution but oftentimes it works in fixing this kind of error in Google Chrome. Follow the steps below to clear the data in your browser.
  • Open your Google Chrome browser.
  • After that, tap the Ctrl + H keys. Doing so will open a new panel that allows you to delete the browsing history and other data in your browser.
  • Now select every checkbox that you see and click on the Clear browsing data button.
  • Then restart your Chrome browser and check if you can now open any website or not.

Option 3 – Try to check and fix any possible conflicts with third-party programs

Third-party programs like internet protection software could be interrupting the connection and causing the error. For some unknown reason, your antivirus program or firewall might be detecting the webpage you are trying to open as malicious or with less credibility which is why it is blocking the browser from opening the website. To fix that, if you have third-party programs installed like VPN, security software, or any add-on, or firewall, you can disable them temporarily and see if it fixes the problem and you’re able to pull up the website. After a while, you have to enable them back and configure their settings so that the website won’t get blocked again.

Option 4 – Try enabling SSL 3 / TLS and disable QUIC Protocol

If you were using Google Chrome when you got the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error, then you need to follow the protocol fixes for SSL3/TLS and QUIC which are usually some of the reasons that cause the SSL version / Cipher Mismatch. It also has a few fixes for Windows 10 computer where you can clear the certificates and make sure that your computer date and time is in sync with your time zone and so on. If you were using Edge or Internet Explorer when you got the error, then you have to follow the steps below.
  • Type “Internet” in the search box of your browser. After that, you should see the Internet Options from the search results.
  • Next, open the Internet Properties window and switch to the Advanced tab and then scroll down to the Security section.
  • From there, check the “Use TLS 1.1” checkbox as well as the “Use TLS 1.2” checkbox and then click OK to save the changes made.
  • Restart the browser.
On the other hand, if you were using Firefox when you go the error, here’s what you have to do.
  • Open Firefox and in the address bar, type “about:config” and hit Enter.
  • If a warning appears, just click on the “I accept the risk!” button to proceed.
  • Next, type in “TLS” in the search field and hit Enter.
  • Then look for “security.tls.version.min” and double click on it and set its integer value to 3 to force the protocol of TLS 1.3.
  • Now click OK and restart Firefox and do the same thing with SSL.

Option 5 – Try to update Google Chrome

You might also want to try updating your browser to its latest version and have it installed in your computer. After you install the update, check if you can now open the website you were trying to open earlier.

Option 6 – Get rid of any conflicting browser extensions

  • Open Chrome and press Alt + F keys.
  • Go to More tools and click Extensions to look for any suspicious browser extensions or toolbars.
  • Click the Recycle bin and select Remove.
  • Restart Chrome and press Alt + F keys again.
  • Proceed to On Startup and mark Open a specific page or set of pages.
  • To check if the browser hijacker is still active, click Set pages, if it is active, overwrite the URL.
Note: If removing the browser extensions or toolbars didn’t work, you can also try to reset your Google Chrome browser.
  • Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
  • After that, click on Settings.
  • Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
  • After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
  • Now restart Google Chrome.
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How to Fix Windows Upgrade error 0xa0000400
If you encounter an error code of 0xa0000400 while trying to upgrade your Windows 10 computer using the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant or the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool, then you might find this post useful as it will guide you in resolving this problem. When you get this error, you will see the following error message:
“Something went wrong You can contact Microsoft support for help with this error. Here is the error code 0xa0000400.”
As you know, keeping your computer up to date with all the Windows Updates is important and is imperative especially if you are experiencing a couple of issues like the Windows Upgrade error 0xa0000400. At the time of writing, there is no specific cause that has been found for this error. However, there are some potential fixes that might help you. You can try to recreate the Windows 10 installation USB and get the ISO files or you could also get a newer version of the Windows Media Creation Tool, or turn off your internet connection at a specific time or run the Windows Update troubleshooter. For more details, refer to the options given below.

Option 1 – Try to recreate the Windows 10 installation USB

Recreating the Windows 10 installation USB might help in fixing the problem. You can use a USB drive to do so but make sure that it has a great read-write speed. Follow the steps below to recreate Windows 10 installation USB”
  • Click this link and then click the Download Tool Now button.
  • Next, click the “Use the tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file)…” option and follow the next given instructions on the screen.
  • Now select the ISO file option in step 5.
  • After that, you should now have an ISO file.
  • Next, go to the location where you’ve downloaded the ISO file.
  • Then right-click on the Windows 10 ISO file and select the Open with option and then select File Explorer.
  • Now click on “setup.exe” and follow the next instructions that appear on the screen. When asked, you have to select either Nothing (clean install) or Keep personal files only option. Take note that you must not select the “Keep personal files, apps, and Windows settings since it doesn’t really work.

Option 2 – Try turning off the Internet connection at a specific time

You might want to turn off your internet connection at a specific time. This option can be quite tricky so what you need to do is to disconnect the internet connection when the update is downloaded using the Windows Upgrade tool. It’s actually okay since all the files you need would be downloaded safely and the Windows Upgrade tool will be the one to install the newer updates using those files.

Option 3 – Try to get a newer version of the Windows Media Creation tool

You can also fix the Windows Upgrade error 0xa0000400 by using the latest version of the Windows Media Creation tool. And so if what you have is an older version, you need to update it in order to resolve the error and upgrade your Windows 10 computer.

Option 4 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter is one of the things you can first check out as it is known to automatically resolve any Windows Update or upgrade errors like error code 0x800701E3. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 5 – Try running Disk Cleanup

You might want to run the Disk Cleanup utility as it is a useful tool that could delete temporary and useless files in your computer.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and then type “cleanmgr” in the field and hit Enter to open the Disk Cleanup window.
  • After that, select the drive you want to clean.
  • Now click OK to clean the disk and restart your computer.
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