You’ll usually see an EXE file when you install new software or run a program on your PC, where the EXE extension is used. If you’re creating your own software, you can even create your own executable file to run, install, or distribute. If you’re interested in learning more about executable files and how to create an executable file, here’s what you need to do. The Risks Of Executable (EXE) Files When you run an executable file, you give it permission to run the instructions held within it....

If you take a look at Windows Task Manager or Mac Activity Monitor while Chrome runs, you can see the Google Chrome Helper process taking up your system resources, but what is Google Chrome Helper and is it possible to disable it? To help you, here’s everything you need to know about the Google Chrome Helper process. What is Google Chrome Helper? At its core, Google Chrome is a pretty standard web browser....

What Is Google Search Console? Google Search Console tells you everything that the Google search crawler knows about your website. This provides some insight into how well your site is tailored for the crawler to pick up important information and to list your pages high in search results. This information includes things like: How often people see your pages in search resultsHow often people click on your pages in search resultsAny crawler errors the googlebot experiencesYour robots....

And while apps like Plex and Kodi have established themselves as leaders in the market, there are many other options with their own advantages. Stremio, for example, is a multi-platform media center app that is quickly gaining popularity, especially for PC users. What makes Stremio different from the likes of Kodi? Is it actually worth it? Let’s find out. Stremio: A Leaner, Meaner Alternative There is a reason Kodi is the number one choice for a media center application....

When it comes to WiFi security, there are really only a couple of options you have, especially if you are setting up a home wireless network. The three big security protocols today are WEP, WPA, and WPA2. The two big algorithms that are used with these protocols are TKIP and AES with CCMP. I’ll explain some of these concepts in more detail below. Which Security Option to Pick? If you don’t care about all the technical details behind each one of these protocols and just want to know which one to select for your wireless router, then check out the list below....

Often, the error is a false-positive alert—i.e., the file is safe, but the antivirus thinks otherwise. However, you shouldn’t rule out the possibility of the file being a virus or malicious software. We’ll show you how to check the authenticity and legitimacy of the quarantined file. That’ll tell you whether or not the “Win32:BogEnt” threat alert is genuine or a false-positive. Note: The troubleshooting tips and solutions in this post apply to Avast and AVG antivirus software....

In this article, we’re going to explore several methods of fixing generic PnP monitor driver issues. Take note you can apply our fixes on both Windows 10 and 11. What is Generic PnP Monitor PnP stands for Plug and Play. This is what allows your computer system to automatically adapt to many of the hardware changes you make. Whenever you connect a monitor or any other external device, Windows should configure it for you....

So when your PC starts showing problems, it can be hard to pinpoint the actual cause. This makes manually fixing the issue difficult. Instead, you can use a good Windows 11/10 repair tool that automatically fixes your Windows installation. Which tools, you ask? Here is a list of the best free Windows 11/10 repair apps. 1. Windows Repair One of the few all-in-one Windows 11/10 repair tools out there, Windows Repair does exactly what it promises – repair Windows 11/10....

Whole Home Ad-Blocker We don’t normally advise blocking ads. It’s how we pay our bills. Still, making an ad-blocker that works for every device in your home is a great learning project! These RaspberryPi (RasPi) based ad-blockers are known as Pi-holes. You’ll need: A Raspberry Pi with network connectionAccess to your network routerRaspberry Pi case (optional) Create a VPN For Your Home A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a huge step towards security and privacy on the internet....

In this article, you’ll learn some of the first things to check that should fix this problem quickly. If those don’t, there are some more advanced options to try toward the latter part of the article. Why Images Aren’t Loading in Chrome There could be many reasons images may not load in web pages when you’re using Chrome. Your internet connection is down, and Chrome is loading a cached page....

In this article, I hope to compile a huge list of all the different methods and tricks that I’ve used to get the last bit of juice out of a slow PC. Whether you are using an old PC or the latest and greatest in hardware, you can still use some of these tips to make your PC run faster. Note that since I write two blogs, Help Desk Geek and Online Tech Tips, I have previously written about many performance tips already which I will link back to throughout....

However, this is a major step backwards in terms of efficiency. What went from two clicks is now multiple clicks and either mouse maneuvering or keyboard shortcuts. Many people are not going to want to do that procedure every time they want to shutdown or restart their PC. Also, even with the shortcut tile on the Start Screen, I still didn’t like having to navigate to the Start Screen to restart or shutdown my PC....

Sometimes the Avast user interface fails to load, or the program just won’t open. Following are the reasons why Avast may not open: Incompatibility issues that may lead to BSOD errors Driver conflicts with other apps A broken Avast installation that may have been corrupted The service stops running properly What to Do When Avast Doesn’t Open on Windows 10 If you’re using a Windows 10 PC, you have Windows Defender by default, but Avast provides the following:...

We’ve written about the best free online Markdown editors too. But maybe you’re looking for a Markdown editor for Mac, Linux, or Windows. We’ve done a round-up of the best Markdown editors on any platform or online. What Makes a Markdown Editor the Best? There are as many preferences around Markdown editors as there are styles of writing. We can’t say what is best for you. We can say that a good Markdown editor should be able to give you a live preview and export to popular document types like Word or PDF, and to blogging platforms like WordPress....

Microsoft relies on pushy tactics that force you to use Microsoft Edge in various parts of the operating system. Additionally, broken configurations, browser hijackers, and conflicting settings can adversely impact your default program preferences. Read on to learn what you can do to stop your default browser from changing on a PC running Windows 10 or Windows 11. Double-Check Default Browser Settings It’s best to kick things off by double-checking the default browser settings on your PC....

A good example of the third instance is the “Windows could not automatically detect this network’s proxy settings” error. Obviously, this message tells you that there’s a problem with your network’s proxy settings. What it doesn’t reveal is how to fix the problem. That’s because issues relating to proxy configurations are multifaceted and often complex to fix, particularly if you don’t know where to look or what to do. Rebooting your router and computer may fix the problem....

However, it’s still fun and you get to learn a lot. In this article, I’m talking about fixing the error that shows up in Event Viewer related to DistributedCOM. I noticed I had no other errors in my System log other than a few every day with an Event ID of 10016. The basic error message was the same: It also listed out a CLSID, an APPID, an SID and something about modifying permissions using Component Services....

But knowing what the terms mean–and how adaptive sync technology works–will help you make the best decision about what monitor to use. What is Adaptive Sync? Both FreeSync and G-Sync are both forms of adaptive sync. If you have ever played a game and experienced screen tearing, juttering, or other graphical errors, you know how disruptive the experience can be. These errors often happen because the frame rate delivered by the graphics processing unit (GPU), of a computer and the refresh rate of the monitor do not line up....

Many new printers come with Windows 11 support, so you may not need to install the additional printer software to get it working. If the printer doesn’t work when you connect it to Windows, then you may need to install the printer software to get it working. A wireless printer usually will already be connected to your home wireless network. If you have a new Wi-Fi printer that hasn’t been added to your home network, then refer to the printer help guide to learn how to connect it to your home Wi-Fi....

When you want to add Google Analytics, Search Console verification code, and other scripts, you’re told to add them either in the header or footer section of your website. To do that, you either have to manually edit your theme’s header.php or footer.php files or use built-in theme options or a plugin. For new users and students, this can be intimidating. The thing about manually editing your theme’s file is when you make a mistake, you render the site inoperable....