Page 1023 • Windows Report

Dropbox sync icons missing on Windows 10/11 [Fixed]

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Madalina Dinita

Dropbox is one of the best cloud storage services available, allowing users to view and edit their files on any device, anytime and anywhere, share files, and automatically back up their work.

This service is a UWP app and is compatible with many Windows 10 features such as Windows Hello, Live Tiles, and Notifications.

Dropbox is a reliable app, but sometimes Windows 10 users encounter various issues when running it on Microsoft’s latest OS.

Oftentimes, users complained that the Dropbox sync icons don’t show in Windows 10, especially after having upgraded to this OS.

What can I do if Dropbox sync icons are missing?

1. Reinstall the latest version of the Dropbox desktop application

In some cases, there might be a temporary glitch with Dropbox and that can cause issues with Dropbox sync icons. One way to fix the problem is to restart Dropbox and check if that solves the issue.

On the other hand, you might experience problems with Dropbox sync icons because your installation is damaged. However, you can fix that easily by reinstalling Dropbox.

Once you uninstall Dropbox, download the latest version and install it again. After installing the latest version, the issue with sync icons should be resolved.

2. Try out a different cloud storage solution

You’re already used to the idea of not wasting valuable storage space on your PC when you can store your data in the cloud.

However, these Dropbox sync icons issues prevent you from enjoying this experience. That’s why it’s time to talk about an alternative that doesn’t include handing over your hard-earned cash.

Sync is one of the very few free cloud services that easily guarantee the confidentiality of your private files. No unauthorized access is ever allowed.

You get plenty of other advanced collaboration features too – file requests, permissions, and expiry dates – all make sure you’re organized and ready for action.

Sync

You won't find a better cloud storage solution than the full-featured Sync. It will help you forget all about Dropbox!

Get it free Visit website

3. Customize the notification area

Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
When the Settings app opens, navigate to the Personalization section.
In the right pane choose Taskbar. Scroll down to the Notification area section and choose Select which icons appear on the taskbar.
Locate Dropbox on the list, disable it and wait for a few moments. Now turn on Dropbox again.

Sometimes you might encounter problems with Dropbox sync icons because the Dropbox icons aren’t set to appear on Taskbar.

After doing that, the problem should be completely resolved and the sync icons will appear again.

If you’re having trouble opening the Setting app, take a look at this article to solve the issue.

4. Unlink and relink your computer to Dropbox

Open the account menu.
Select Settings > select the Security tab.
In the Devices section, click the X for the computer you want to unlink.

5. Relink your Windows computer from the desktop app.

Some users claim that you might be able to fix the problem simply by unlinking your PC from Dropbox. This is just temporary, so you won’t lose any synchronized files.

To unlink your account, just complete the above procedure.

5. Hack the Registry

Press the Windows key + R and enter regedit.
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerShellIconOverlayIdentifiers
If the Dropbox overlays are in the first 15 positions, they will display.
If the Dropbox overlays aren’t in the first 15 positions > right-click the Dropbox files > select Rename > add a space before the name of the Dropbox files to take them to the first positions.

If Dropbox sync icons aren’t showing, the issue might be related to your registry. Windows has a limit of 15 overlay icons that can be loaded.

To prioritize the Dropbox sync icon overlays, just apply the above steps.

6. Remove other cloud storage software

According to users, sometimes other cloud storage software can interfere with Dropbox and cause Dropbox sync icons to become missing.

However, you can fix this problem simply by removing other cloud storage software from your PC.

There are many ways to do that, but the most effective one is to use uninstaller software such as Revo Uninstaller.

In case you’re not familiar, uninstaller software is a special application that can remove any application, along with all of its files and registry entries, from your PC.

Once you remove other cloud storage software from your PC, the problem should be resolved completely.

In addition to cloud storage software, other applications that have status icons can also cause this problem to appear, so if you have any other applications that are using sync icons similarly to Dropbox, be sure to remove them.

7. Restart explorer.exe

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
A list of running applications will now appear. Locate Windows Explorer, right-click it and choose Restart from the menu.

After Windows Explorer restarts, check if the problem with Dropbox sync icons is still there.

Keep in mind that this is just a temporary solution and if the problem reappears, you’ll have to repeat this solution.

If Dropbox sync icons are missing, you might be able to fix this problem simply by restarting explorer.exe. Sometimes there might be certain glitches on your system, and in order to fix them, it’s necessary that you restart Windows Explorer.

Can’t open Task Manager? Don’t worry, we’ve got the right solution for you.

8. Move your Dropbox folder

Click the Dropbox icon in the system tray and select the gear icon.
Navigate to Sync > Move.
Choose a new location for your Dropbox directory and wait while Windows moves all your files.

In some cases, the location of your Dropbox folder can cause Dropbox sync icons to become missing. If the Dropbox folder is in the root directory on your PC, that can cause this and other problems to occur.

However, you can just move your Dropbox folder and the issue should be resolved.

9. Install the latest updates

Open the Settings app.
Navigate to the Update & Security section.
In the right pane, click Check for updates button.

In some cases, Dropbox sync icons won’t appear on your PC due to certain system issues.

If your system is out of date, that might be a problem, and in order to fix it, you need to install the missing updates.

By default, Windows 10 installs the missing updates automatically, but you can always check for updates manually by doing as described above.

If any updates are available, they will be downloaded automatically in the background. Once the updates are installed, restart your PC and check if the problem with Dropbox sync icons still appears.

10. Disable OneDrive

Right-click the OneDrive icon in your sysbar and choose Settings from the menu.
Now navigate to the Account section and click Unlink this PC options. Now choose to Unlink this account.

OneDrive is built-in in Windows 10, and if you’re having problems with Dropbox sync icons, you might have to disable OneDrive.

This is quite simple, and you can do it by following the above steps. After doing that, the OneDrive will be disabled and the issue should be completely resolved.

11. Perform a System Restore

Press Windows Key + S and type system restore. Select Create a restore point.
When System Properties window opens, click the System Restore button.
System Restore window will now appear. Click Next to proceed.
If available, check to Show more restore points option. Select the desired restore point and click Next.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the restoration process.

If this problem started appearing recently, you might be able to fix it by performing a System Restore. To do that, follow these steps:

Once your system is restored, check if the problem is still there. If not, it’s possible that a recently installed application caused this issue.

As always, if you’ve found other workarounds, help the community and share your experience in the comments section below.

Do keep in mind that Dropbox remains a great cloud storage service. The sync icons missing are a big problem, and speaking of Dropbox issues, here are some similar issues that users reported:

Dropbox icon missing Windows 10 – This problem can appear on Windows 10, but other versions of Windows aren’t excluded. If you encounter this issue, be sure to try some of our solutions.
Dropbox icon not showing in system tray – There are times when the icons don’t show up in the system tray. If you encounter this problem, be sure to make a couple of changes to your registry and the issue should be resolved.
Dropbox green checkmark missing – Sometimes, this problem can occur with green checkmark icons. If this happens, restart Dropbox and check if the problem is still there. Alternatively, reinstall Dropbox and check if that makes any difference.

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Storage Access API lets you pause your Edge privacy settings

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Don Sharpe

Microsoft rolled out the Storage Access API in the Canary and Dev Channels. As such, developers can implement the feature to let site visitors temporarily suspend their Edge privacy settings.

The recently concluded Microsoft Build 2020 event came with plenty of productivity features and quality- of-life improvements for Edge. Many of them, for example, Pinterest-Collections integration and tracking prevention are already available in the browser.

Well, the new Storage Access API lets developers make a provision for temporarily suspending certain aspects of privacy features like tracking prevention.

The Storage Access API and your Edge privacy settings

Of course, tracking prevention is vital to the reinforcement of user privacy by blocking unwanted access by third parties or any untrusted parties.

But it can also have unfavorable effects, such as blocking access to content the user may wish to view. In such scenarios, developers can use the Storage Access API to create user opt-in provisions and let third-party sites access otherwise restricted first-party site data.

Microsoft explains the API:

This capability can be used to create graceful fallback experiences in cases when storage access may be restricted by features such as tracking prevention in Microsoft Edge. For users, this API provides greater transparency into and control over the sites that are requesting access to browser-based storage that could be used to track their behaviors across the web.

Say, you have prevention tracking enabled in Microsoft Edge. And you wish to view embedded videos or interact with social media widgets on a website in the browser.

Also, let’s assume that the first-party site has implemented the Storage Access API. In that case, you may encounter a prompt requiring permission to temporarily access its storage in the context of the third-party site you’re visiting.

Obviously, allowing access lets you view the content.

But you may choose not to allow. As a result, your Edge privacy settings will prevent you from viewing the embedded content on the third-party site.

Nonetheless, browser privacy remains a hot-button issue for users. Tells us what you think about the new Access Storage API for Edge and other Chromium browsers.

Looking for toddler games to play online? Check this guide

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

When it comes to playing games online with your toddler there are plenty of things to consider. You don’t want to stress or overwhelmed your toddler with games that may not be age-appropriate. Some of the age-appropriate activities for toddlers involve drawing, coloring, painting, and musical games. You can play games that will help develop your toddler’s memory, logic, and reasoning as well as emotional skills. If you are looking for some great recommendations, read further. We compiled a list with the best online games for your toddler. Additionally, we also recommend using Opera GX as the main browser. Opera GX brings a couple of amazingly useful features to enhance your online gaming experience. This great gaming-browser offers you access to a built-in panel to limit RAM and CPU usage for an increase in performance. Beyond this, Opera GX also contains a free ad blocker and a VPN service.

Editor's choice

Opera GX

Best gaming browser
Resource controller
Custom UI
Twitch integration
Free VPN included
Ad-blocker

Download Opera GX

If you’re not convinced yet, maybe the fact that Opera GX was awarded for its interface and user experience design will convince you. Scroll down to see our toddler game suggestions.

Where can I find some good online toddler games?

Memory Game

This game consists of several cards, flipped on the back. Each time your toddler clicks on the card, a picture will be displayed for a second.

Your toddler will have to memorize the card and click on the next one. Then try to pair all the cards.

A great game your toddler can play when you are driving in the car or your kids are restricted on moving around.

Such games will also teach your toddler strategy and improve their concentration.

⇒ Play Memory Game

Counting Pizza Party

With this game, toddlers learn in a fun and relaxed game how to count and how numerals relate to quantity.

In this game, toddlers have to count the correct number of toppings and add them to their pizza so that it matches the customer request.

Each time they are finished, they’ll have to ring the bell and hear how the toppings are being counted.

The game is very fun and engaging, especially for toddlers.

⇒ Play Counting Pizza Party

Letter Dance Party

This is a great game where toddlers can learn about letters and how they are pronounced. And as the title suggests it’s a party where all the letters are invited.

You can trace the letter, pronounce it out loud with them, and name different words that start with the same letter.

⇒ Play Letter Dance Party

Puzzle Games

Puzzle games very creative and educational, where each character is cheerfully animated. To play the game, your toddler will have to simply drag each part of the character in their matching slot. This game encourages basic manipulation skills, problem-solving, and imaginative play.

⇒ Play Puzzle Games

Seasons Spinner

This game is great for discussing with your toddler about what happens in nature during each season and the specific things they can do during Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.

The characters in the game are fun to play with and they will keep your toddler engaged.

⇒ Play Seasons Spinner

These are our recommendations about the best toddler games online. If you have other suggestions please share them in the comment section below.

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Email-Archiving Software: 4 Best to Use in 2026

Posted on July 9, 2020January 8, 2024 by Matthew Adams

Email-archiving software packages are primarily designed for the business domain. These are applications that archive emails to an off-site server, disk arrays, or cloud storage.

The applications index emails so users can then quickly retrieve and restore them if required. As emails can contain records that need to be preserved, keeping email archives might be an essential requirement in some industries.

Email-archiving applications provide a number of advantages compared with leaving emails on live servers. Archived email data takes up less space, which consequently speeds up restoration and retrieval.

This can also boost productivity as it’s quicker to search for specific archived emails than those left on a live server. So these are some of the best email-archiving software packages.

What’s the best email-archiving software to get?

Aid4Mail (recommended)

Aid4Mail is a top solution for archiving and securing your emails. It works both as a personal email archiver but you can also use it as a business solution.

It will archive over 40 email box formats and email programs, popular email services including Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook.

You can apply an archiving process to your mails even when you are disconnected from the email provider and the emails are stored on your PC or another storage device.

Here’s what this powerful tool can archive your emails to:

Outlook PST and MSG formats
Nonproprietary formats: mbox and EML
XML or PDF (formats that do not require a mailbox)
Alternative email accounts on the cloud
Aid4Mail ZIP archive format

Aid4Mail

Processing your email can’t get any easier. Try out Aid4Mail and you’ll never look for another email-archiving software!

Get it free Visit website

GFI Archiver

GFI Archiver is a highly rated email archiving application that offers great value. The software enables users to archive not only emails but calendar entries, SMS, files, and folders in a central store.

GFI Archiver’s single-instance storage and real-time compression store emails more efficiently.

The software also includes advanced search tools so that users can search for emails with numerous filters, exclusion parameters, and conditions.

GFI Archiver is compatible with most Windows platforms from XP to 10, and its supported mail servers include MS Exchange, Office 365, and Google Apps.

GFI Archiver

That’s your chance to archive important files, faxes, emails, and much more with GFI Archiver.

Free trial Visit website

MailStore Server

MailStore Server is another email-archiving application that has had glowing reviews.

The software has relatively minimal system requirements and supports email systems such as Office 365, MS Exchange, MS Outlook, Google Apps, and all IMAP and POP3 email servers.

This application also uses single-instance storage and compresses file attachments, which can potentially save 70% storage space.

There are various ways for users to access the archives via MailStore Web Access, MailStore IMAP Server, and MS Outlook, which includes a handy archive add-on.

J. Peter Bruzzese, a Microsoft Exchange MVP, stated:

There are a lot of things I like about the MailStore Server. I especially like how easy it is to get it up and running and set it and forget it (like a proper archive solution should be). I appreciate the additional bells and whistles for compliance and the effort made to offer a client add-on, as well as the ability to access the MailStore through Web Access and Mobile Web Access (and not just on iOS but on Android, Windows Phone or Blackberry).

⇒ Get MailStore Server now

Symantec Enterprise Vault

Symantec Enterprise Vault is one of the industry leaders for email archiving that provides both on-site and remote deployment.

With this application, users can archive emails from MS Exchange, IBM Domino, SharePoint, and other file systems.

One of the best things about Enterprise Vault is its PST (Personal Storage Table) migration that enables you to move PSTs to a separate archive, which can enhance IT operations.

The application makes the most of single-instance storage to compress archives. Enterprise Vault also incorporates plenty of wizards that make setup and administration of the archives a breeze.

Those are four of the more renowned email-archiving software packages for Windows. They are reliable applications that could have considerable cost benefits for most organizations.

⇒ Get Symantec Enterprise Vault now

Those are four of the more renowned email-archiving software packages for Windows. They are reliable applications that could have considerable cost benefits for most organizations.

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5 Best Free Email Template Builders to Create Stunning Mails

Posted on July 9, 2020January 22, 2024 by Madalina Dinita

While a regular email can do the mundane job of sending messages across, email templates can do a level-up.

Marketing software like the best email template builders can take your brand to the next level with their prewritten emails.

What are email templates? These are pre-written emails that are created to replace the existing content and help you write emails, quickly and effortlessly.

So, they’re basically HTML files that users can reuse to create email marketing campaigns.

It’s a powerful tool for email marketing, replacing the concept of sending plain emails with something appealing to the recipient.

So, for those who want to create faster marketing campaigns for their brand, using professional software can be the solution.

Here are some of the best email template builders that offer easy-to-use templates designed by experts.

What are the best free email template builders to get?

eM client

Do you try to find the very best template builder to break out of your email comfort zone? Does the limited budget make you feel less confident that you can even achieve your goal?

If the answer to the first question is yes, the answer to the second question is clearly positive too. Well, we want to remind you that price is never a concern when using the eM client.

This is a free email template builder that comes with a convenient user interface and covers professional communication needs for enterprises of all sizes.

However, it was designed to help both individuals and businesses design beautiful and high-quality emails.

eM Client is a great option if you want to start creating email marketing campaigns not only because it provides quick and easy solutions for templates, but also because it has tons of integrations.

This email client can easily double as a task manager as it has a built-in calendar and notes app. Connect your Google Workspace accounts, Office 365, and many more for a well-organized experience.

The tool is easy to use and offers solutions that can come in handy especially if you deal with lots of emails.

It has advanced and fast search options, automatic backup, attachment search options, and reply alerts, just to name a few.

eM client key features that you are about to enjoy:

Easy-to-use interface
Intuitive sidebar with communication history, calendar, and agenda
Unique Notes and Send later tools
Message encryption features
All-compatible with GSuite, Outlook, Exchange, and more
Completely free to use

Along with the free version, eM Client also has two paid plans for individual use and for companies. They are based on a monthly subscription and include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

eM Client

Adjust eM Client’s behavior to enhance your workspace and create stunning emails in no time!

Get it free Visit website

Stripo.email

Stripo.email is hands down one of the best email template builders in recent times. This new-generation email editor helps users make professional-looking email templates with ease.

Best of all, users can create intuitive email templates without any knowledge of HTML skills. This makes it suitable even for beginners.

It offers simple, yet responsive features that render powerful results. It’s a highly competitive software that’s compatible with all mobile platforms.

So, an email template, designed using Stripo automatically gets mobile intuitive. For advanced customization options, users can leverage their set of tools that help transform the look on the mobile device accurately.

It integrates easily with ESP (email service providers) which enables users to sync their ESP clients and create emails by default.

Additionally, the emails can also be downloaded in HTML format, archived, or in the form of OFT to be able to send emails via Outlook.

The software is integrated with all the popular email clients like Gmail, Constant Contact, MailChimp, SendGrid, and so on.

Other key features of Stripo.email include:

Modules library
Various export options
Custom fonts
Brand guidelines

The option to make its own new blocks, micro tools that allow making banners, looking for, and adding free stock photos, and automating the day-to-day emails, are some of its other major highlights.

Stripo.email

Design your consumable email with Stripo!

Free Trial Visit webstie

BEE Free

For those looking for a tool that can help them design sophisticated, professional, and mobile receptive emails, BEE Free is the answer.

This template builder offers one of the fastest and easiest ways to design emails for free.

From freelancers or marketing teams to email agencies or developers, it’s a useful tool for all.

It comes with a drag-and-drop editor that allows users to drag and drop the complete rows or content elements separately. Moreover, it can create a duplicate and realign everything much faster.

Best of all, it syncs with mobile phone/device platforms seamlessly offering peace of mind.

What’s more? Users can also pick professional designs from the template gallery without signing up for an account! This makes the entire process faster and easier.

Other key features of BEE Free include:

Multiple export options
Easily design emails on the go, on mobile devices
Integrates with Mailchimp, Gmail, HubSpot, and more

Whether it’s an email with a newsletter, declaration, or translation, the software helps to create attractive emails that work with most programs.

BEE Free

Save time by using drag-and-drop tools to create email templates that can be used immediately.

Free Download Visit website

TOPOL.io

TOPOL.io enables users to create elegant emails easily with its responsive layouts. It saves a major chunk of time that’s spent on producing emails.

The drag and drop feature is so easy to use and responsive, that even beginners can use it conveniently. Alternatively, users can also choose to use their templates.

The interface is attractive and intuitive making it effortless with its application on several clients including Outlook.

The software allows users to add their own HTML codes into the template, and save the content picked up from the templates using the drag and drop feature.

Users can merge tags that can be used in the editor, personalizing messages, selecting products through any e-shop via XML, and adding them to the product feed, are some of its major features.

This email template builder lets you easily create emails tha read well on any platform, be it mobile or desktop.

Topol also offers you the possibility to use it as a website plugin. It is easily embeddable, providing a time-saving solution to keep in contact with your audience.

If you are interested in managing emails and client communication on a higher scale, then you might benefit from the Topol Pro version.

The tool offers collaboration features as well as access to an unlimited library of predefined templates and free-to-use images.

Other key features of Topol.io include:

Fully customizable templates
Supports cloud storage
Multi-language support

You can get started with Topol for free and build beautiful email templates. If you are interested in the Pro or Plugin versions, you will have to pay a monthly subscription.

TOPOL.io

Elevate your emails within minutes with professional-looking and responsive layouts.

Try free Visit Website

Campaign Monitor

Used by 250,000 plus businesses across the world, Campaign Monitor is easily one of the best email editor software in the business.

It powers the email marketing campaigns offering an unforgettable experience.

It helps users create attractive and efficient email newsletters that fetch actual results for the business with their user-friendly layouts, automation tools, and personalization.

It offers some of the most eye-catching email templates that are mobile compatible. These professionally designed email templates echo the user requirements accurately.

The software has reached every sector including the smart divisions and the individual customers with its integrated features that improve the income from the emails.

Other key features of Campaign Monitor include:

Completely customizable templates
Mobile friendly
Team work solutions
Free image gallery

As a bonus, it offers 24/7 customer service, whenever anyone needs assistance.

⇒ Get Campaign Monitor

While there are so many email template builders available these days, these are among the best free options.

So, make these email editors a part of your business and save your time by using the pre-designed beautiful templates. They are useful when looking for:

Email template builder software – Many users want to find email template builder software for creating business emails. eM client is a top choice in that regard.
Online email template builder – You may easily create engaging emails using the best online email template builders too.
Free drag & drop email template builder – If you’re looking for drag and drop builders for unique email templates, you’ll surely find our above picks interesting.
Responsive email template builder – Responsive email templates help you grab your potential customer’s attention and encourage positive responses. That’s why choosing the best email template builder is mandatory.

We hope this rundown provided a good guide on what the best email builders on the market have to offer and can now make an informed decision on which one is best for you.

If you are interested in stepping up your email experience, we recommend you bookmark our Email Clients Hub.

Looking for train games online? Check out this guide

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Milan Stanojevic

If you’re passionate about mechanics or mapping and routing tracks, then train games may be for you. You can let your imagination run wild while you try to build your own network of railroads and get an exciting and fun experience while playing with your friends. Many players say that the best train games are among the very best board games released. There are various websites where you can play online games, from different categories. It is very important that you have a good browser software to play games online without any issues. For this, the best browser is by far the Opera GX browser, offering you an incredible set of gaming features, and fast loading speeds as well. The Opera GX browser is built from the ground-up with the idea of gaming in mind, thus offering an incredible set of features, online privacy protection, and fast internet browsing speeds as well.

Editor's choice

Opera GX

Best gaming browser
Resource controller
Custom UI
Twitch integration
Free VPN included
Ad-blocker

Download Opera GX

Check out the best online train games

Rail Nation

This is a great game of management and building your own network of trains and stations. you will start small and work your way up.

The games put a lot of emphasis on the economic solutions and all the power plays that come along with running your own railway.

You can choose from more than 150 trains from all over the world and railway eras: steam, diesel or electric.

⇒ Play Rail Nation

Train Fever

You are tasked here with building a transport company and the logistics of being its manager.

The game offers you 45 trains and vehicles to choose from and the time period goes from 1850 through 2020.

In addition to all that you will also be in charge of managing the transportation for mines, forests, farms and more. But make sure to build some city roads, to ensure your goods reach your stations.

⇒ Play Train Fever

Train Simulator

Ever wondered how it’s like to operate trains from the inside? Now you have the chance to sit in the cabin of the locomotive or you can pull levers and turn the knobs.

The cabin of the Train Stimulator offers some great and fun challenges by giving you full control of authentic locomotives and real-world routes.

⇒ Play Train Simulator

Railroad Tycoon II

The game puts you in charge of 51 train engines and 34 types of cargo. Make strategies of buying and selling stocks, schedule train routes, optimize operations, and take over companies. Build your own empire and if all this is too much you can anytime hire or fire your managers. Show them how legends are made!

⇒ Play Railroad Tycoon II

Mini Metro

Another great strategy simulation game that puts you in control of building a subway map for a growing city.

You will have to decide along the way, what lines to add between stations, which stations to keep open, and when and where are your resources best used?

The city is rapidly growing and you need to make sure things are running smoothly.

⇒ Play Mini Metro

This is our list of great train games online. Check out our recommendation and find out which one you like the most.

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Xbox execs explain why they’re keeping their hands off recently acquired game studios after acquiring Mojang

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft is a company that doesn’t have a great track record regarding acquisitions. In the past decade, the purchase of Nokia’s mobile division ended up as a disaster, while Skype lost a huge amount of mindshare in favor of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, as well as Microsoft Teams in recent years.

When it comes to video games, many studios have also disappeared after Microsoft acquired them, while many others have been unable to produce hit games for PC or Xbox consoles. Fable developer Lionhead Studios is a pretty good example of that, with Microsoft deciding to close the company after the development of Fable Legends had gone offtrack. The few Lionhead employees that have since spoken up complained about Microsoft interfering with the creative process, as well as Microsoft insisting on making the PC version exclusive to the Microsoft Store.

Fortunately, Microsoft appears to be done trying to dictate its game studios what they need to do. Speaking with Gameindustry.biz, several Xbox execs including Head of Xbox Game Studios and Mojang boss Helen Chiang explained that everything changed after Microsoft acquired the Minecraft developer back in 2014. Purchasing Mojang was a big bet for Microsoft, but the Redmond giant decided early on to keep the popular sandbox game on all platforms and not try to change the culture at Mojang.

“How Matt integrated Mojang really helped set the stage for how Xbox acquired and integrated all of the additional studios,” explained the Mojang studio head. “Before, Microsoft acquired companies in a specific way. And this not only set the foundation for additional game studios, but when you look at LinkedIn and GitHub, they also have this minimally integrated approach. That really was something that Mojang set the foundation for.”

Minecraft got a new spinoff this year with the dungeon-crawler Minecraft Dungeons.

Microsoft announced several new studios acquisitions two years ago, including some companies that have yet to release hit games. A good example is Compulsion Games, the Canadian studio behind We Happy Few, a survival horror game that launched in pretty rough shape back in 2018. We don’t know yet what Compulsion Games is currently working on, but Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty explained that Microsoft is giving the studio a lot of freedom to experiment.

Booty explains: “It’s kind-of a phased thing. Take Compulsion. They’re working on their next game and have spent the last year on early ideation. I try to keep us as far away from that as possible. And then, as it starts to get exposure within the organisation, feedback will come in and things will start to steer. But it’s important to leave them alone for as long as possible, until they’ve got something that can walk on its own. And then there’s no shortage of feedback within Xbox.”

The article also includes several enthusiastic comments from executives of studios recently acquired by Microsoft. In addition to the guaranteed creative freedom and financial security, Double Fine boss Tim Schafer emphasized how Xbox Game Pass should allow all of Microsoft’s game studios to offer different experiences for different types of gamers.

“With Game Pass, it wouldn’t make sense to acquire Double Fine and then assign us a bunch of Forza DLC. That’s not what you’d want from a studio like Double Fine. And Game Pass seems like a great opportunity to have a diversity of games, a plethora of unusual content… I can see how the type of games that Double Fine makes could fit into that,” explained Schafer.

With Microsoft holding its Xbox Games Showcase on July 23, we’re should finally get more information about what Microsoft’s new studios are currently working on. The much-anticipated event could also be a good opportunity for Microsoft to surprise everyone with some new studios acquisitions.

“We have really strong support from Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, and Amy Hood, the CFO. And there’s been no signal at all that we should be slowing down, but just to go at a pace that is maintainable for us as a leadership team. We’re always out there talking to people. But it has to be the right opportunity,” Xbox head Phil Spencer said.

FIX: Windows 8 Mail app not working or syncing [Quick Guide]

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Ivan Jenic

Having issues with the Mail application in Windows 8 is something a lot of users have complained about in their usage of the operating system.

The most common issue is that the Mail application will stop syncing with the accounts you have in Windows 8.

Therefore, we have decided to explain to you how you can fix your Mail app if it periodically fails to run.

The reasons as to why your Mail application fails to operate properly is due to the fact that the license you have for a specific application like the Mail app might be out of sync with the license you have in the Windows 8 operating system.

For you to fix this issue, you may run the SFC (System File Checker) in order to fix any registry errors you may have or apply other tips detailed below.

Also, do note that the above solutions may be applied whenever facing these issues:

Windows 8 Mail app not receiving emails – Users worldwide claim that they no longer receive new messages in their Mail app. Using the SFC tool for a quick scan is our recommendation.
Windows 8 Mail app not syncing Hotmail – Windows 8 Mail app users face a number of other issues with the mail app. This includes that it doesn’t sync with Hotmail. If that’s your case too, try to install the latest updates.
Mail app on Windows 8.1 not working – If the mail app simply refuses to work, trying out Mailbird may be a smarter choice. Ready for a change?

What can I do if the Windows 8 Mail app is not working?

Use a different email client
Install the latest updates
Update your Windows Store apps
Sync your licenses
Run SFC scan
Change your localization settings

1. Use a different mail client

Since you are here, you might consider switching to a full-dedicated email client that will make these syncing problems a thing of the past.

In that case, we would suggest taking into consideration Mailbird – winner of Most popular mail alternative of 2020. Of course, this is not the only email client that you can use on your Windows computer.

However, this one handles all the basic features expected of the best email apps and much more than that. When you open it, it’ll feel familiar.

Its uncluttered and intuitive interface is a joy and it comes with multi-language 24/7 customer support as well.

With all these on the table, its stand out feature still remains the ability to access all your different email accounts directly from Mailbird.

Mailbird

When the Windows 8 Mail app is not working or syncing, Mailbird is the best alternative you can find.

Get it free Visit website

2. Install the latest updates

Move the mouse cursor over to the lower right side of the screen.
From the menu that appears left click or tap on the Settings feature.
Now from the Settings menu left click or tap on the Change PC Settings option.
Find in this next window the Update and Recovery option and left click or tap on it.
Now find the Check Now button and left click or tap on it.
The checking process will last up to 10 minutes and then it will give you what updates you need to install.
If you have available updates left click or tap on the Install updates feature for all that are available.
After the updates have installed left click or tap on the Finish button.
Reboot your Windows 8 operating system.
After the device starts check again if your Mail app is working correctly.

Note: On Windows 10, the path to follow is a bit different. To install the latest updates, go to Settings > Update & Security > Update and hit the Check for updates button.

3. Update your Microsoft Store apps

From the Start screen, left click or tap on the Store icon.
Move the mouse cursor over to the lower right side of the screen.
Now left click or tap on the Settings feature from the menu that appears.
Find and left click or tap on the App Updates feature on the list.
Turn to Yes the Automatically update my apps feature.
Reboot your operating system after you are done.

4. Sync your licenses

From the Start screen of Windows 8, left click or tap on the Store icon.
Move the mouse cursor over to the lower right side of the screen.
From the menu that appears left click or tap on the Settings feature.
Left-click or tap on the App updates feature.
Left-click or tap on the Sync licenses feature.
Now close the windows and right-click or hold tap on the Mail application in the Start screen.
From the submenu left click or tap on the Uninstall feature.
Left-click or tap again on the Uninstall button.
After you finished the uninstall of the application left click or tap on the Store icon presented in the Start window.
In the Store window left click or tap on the Accounts option.
Now find and left click or tap on the My apps option.
Right-click or hold tap on the Mail app and then select to install it.
Reboot the operating system after the Mail app installed.
Check again to see if the application works.

5. Run SFC scan

While on the Start screen of your Windows 8.1 start writing the following: Command Prompt.
After the search has finished right-click or hold tap on the Command Prompt icon.
From the menu that appears left click or tap on the Run as Administrator feature.
Now you should have Command prompt window with administrative privileges in front of you.
Write in the command prompt window the following: sfc /scannow.
Press the Enter button on the keyboard.
Let the system file checker finish the process.
When the check is done write in the command prompt: Exit.
Press the Enter button on the keyboard.
Reboot your PC.
Check again to see if your Mail app is working properly.

Having problems using the SFC tool? Check this useful guide dedicated to sfc /scannow issues and set things right once again.

If you’re having trouble accessing Command Prompt as an admin, then you better take a closer look at this guide.

6. Change your localization settings

Open Control panel > Select Region.
Go to the Location tab > set the Home location to your country.
Go to the Administrative tab > Change system locale.
Select your country from the Current system locale menu > hit OK > Apply.

You are done, if you carefully followed the steps above your Mail application will start working again. You can also take a look at this quick guide to finding a solution if you can’t open Control Panel.

Some users managed to fix their Windows Mail app issues by changing their localization settings.

If you do have any other questions regarding this article you can always write to us in the comments section of the page below and we will help you further.

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Looking for a cooking game online? Here are the best

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Vlad Turiceanu

If you like to cook and play games online, then you must know that there are a lot of new things you can learn from playing online cooking games. Things such as dietary needs/restrictions, flavors, timing, ingredients are just a few to name. And there is a lot of fun you can have as well. There are a million places where you can go to gain more cooking knowledge however, we’ve compiled a list of the best cooking games and we recommend you give them a try.

Free cooking games online

World Chef

In the complex world of cooking, becoming a world-renowned chef is not easy. In this game, you will get to see what it takes to open up your own restaurant.

The more you work and the better your dishes will look, the greater your success will be.

You’ll have to hire chefs, cooks, manage your orders and your building and earn as many many possibilities that will allow you to decorate the restaurant the way you want.

You can buy new items and make improvements so that the place looks exactly as you want it to.

It’s a fun and extremely entertaining game to play, we definitely think you should give it a try.

⇒ Play World Chef

Overcooked 2

If you ever wondered how it would be to cook in a chaotic kitchen, then this is the game for you.

This is a 1-4 player game that you can play solo or team up with your friends. The quest: cooking the best dishes.

Sounds easy but there will be obstacles you have to overcome. Cook in the fire, through collapsing floors, overbearing waiters, or floating work surfaces.

⇒ Play Overcooked 2

Cooking Simulator

This game is one of the most realistic cooking games you can play. You have at your disposal all the ingredients and tools you need in order to cook over 60 real dishes.

Whatever you want to do, now it’s the time. Make a soup, boil vegetables, fillet a fish, and everything with real-life physics. The kitchen experience awaits

⇒ Play Cooking Simulator

Idle Cooking Emperor

Cooking is everything in this game. You start from not having a lot of strengths and work hard in order to become the best cook in the world.

In this game, you will make progress by challenging other chefs in cooking battles and taking control of their restaurants.

Afterward, you can hire the cooks you beat to work in your restaurant.

⇒ Play Idle Cooking Emperor

Star Chef: Cooking & Restaurant Game

This game helps you bring out that inner chef. You will have to create recipes, put together a cookbook, and grow your character from an amateur cook to a real master chef.

Run your team of chefs while customizing your restaurant kitchen with top of the line cooking appliances, making sure is the best in town.

⇒ Play Star Chef

We hope you enjoyed our recommendations. Please let us know in the comment section below which one you liked the most.

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How to check your Compliance Score in Microsoft 365 to ensure you keep your small business data safe

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Radu Tyrsina

In this article

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If you own a small business, you might not have an IT staff or someone to constantly check to see if your data and information floating around Microsoft 365 is safe and secure. Luckily, Microsoft has a new preview feature covered in your subscription called the Compliance Score which can help you out.

With Compliance Score, you get a simplified way to manage compliance standards. You get recommendations for security actions you can take to comply with industry regulations and standards that other companies often pay IT departments to think about and handle. Here’s how you can use it.

Key things to understand

Before diving into the Compliance Score, there’s a set of terms you’ll need to understand. You’ll see something called a control. Control is a requirement or regulation, standard, or policy. You’ll also see an action, which is an activity that helps you implement control. Finally, you’ll see an assessment which is a grouping of controls from a specific regulation, standard, or policy.

Additionally, Compliance Score is not to be confused with the Compliance Manager or Center. They share the same backend, but Compliance Score as a simplified version of Compliance Manager and gives you a more complete view of your organization’s current compliance situation, plus the steps you can take to improve it.

Please in mind that Microsoft will provide you with an initial numbered score based on some of the most common regulations and standards. As explained by Microsoft, this risk-based score “measures your progress in completing actions that help reduce risks around data protection and regulatory standards.”

You’ll be able to improve this score by creating and taking assessments that are relevant to your company. You’ll be able to select these assessments, modify them, or create your own to see things that are most important to you. Just be aware that having a high score doesn’t always mean you’re fully compliant. According to Microsoft, it “does not express an absolute measure of organizational compliance with any particular standard or regulation.”

Finally, you’ll want to understand that you’ll be able to see quick actions to improve your compliance. They’ll be detailed guidance with step by step instructions for the right solution. Completing these will improve your score.

How to use the home dashboard

Once you head to see your Compliance Score, by clicking Compliance from the Microsoft 365 App launcher, you’ll be taken to the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center. From here, you’ll see different sections. The first will show your compliance score, which is divided up into various actions like protecting information, controlling access, managing devices, and more.

From here, you’ll be able to navigate to the sections which we will describe below. You’ll also see things such as cloud app compliance, as well as users who are sharing files. In addition, there will be a section here for security alerts, a list of shared files that might be compromising your security, and high-risk apps. You can click each of these sections for more details and a look at how your data is moving.

How to see your compliance score

To dive deeper into your compliance score, you can click compliance score in the sidebar. From here, you’ll see your overall score. You can scroll up and down to see the data that went into the score, and some key improvement actions you can take.

Along the top, there will be some tabs, one of which has improvement suggestions. Clicking this will give you a step by step guide on how to take certain actions to bump your score.

Another tab will have solutions and assessments. These will show you how certain solutions can contribute to your score. They’ll also be assessments, too. Clicking these will help you implement data protection controls specified by certain types. These include compliance, security, privacy, and data protection standards, regulations, and laws.

How to check data classification

The third section in the Compliance Score will be data classification. From here you can build classifiers that can be used to protect and govern your sensitive data. You’ll then be able to explore what data is being labeled so you can fine-tune your classification strategies.

You’ll get a snapshot on an overview page. From here, you’ll get a quick look at where sensitive info and labels are being used across Microsoft 365 apps and some links to investigate them. You also can dive deeper into classified content with content explorer, which allows you to filter by sensitive info type or label to see how many items are classified inside your business. Finally, you can monitor and review activity with a detailed view into classification activities and trends across locations.

How to manage policies

From the policies section, you’ll be able to set up certain policies in Microsoft 365 which can help you improve your score. These policies will be listed by types, be it data, access, or security. Typically, these policies are meant for more experienced users and IT Admins, but clicking one will give you the basics and an explanation of how you can change the policy to improve your compliance score. In most cases, there is also a link that will take you to Microsoft’s documentation for said policy.

How to manage permissions

Next up, there is the permissions section. From here, you can assign Microsoft 365 permissions and roles in Office 365. You can add users as global administrators, data administrators, compliancy administrators, and more. Keep in mind, though, that Office 365 roles has a separate page, and you’ll need to go here for that. If you’re having trouble setting permissions, we invite you to check out our guide on the different administrative roles in Microsoft 365.

How to use the catalog

In the catalog section, you’ll find some solutions that you can take inside your organization to improve the overall compliance store This includes topics such as data loss prevention, information governance, information protection, records management, and more. You’ll also see topics on how you can identify, analyze, and remediate internal risks, as well as respond to audits, data investigations, and more. Each of these solutions come with step-by-step guides and even videos explaining how you can get started with them.

Customizing and more

These are the basics of checking the Compliance Score, but there is a bit more you can do. If you like to customize the look of the Compliance dashboard, you can do so by clicking Customize navigation on the side. This will show you a variety of things which we’ve discussed here already. Your changes are unique to you and won’t impact other admins.

Fell free to play around with your Compliance Score, and let us know how you’re liking this experience by dropping us a comment below. Also, feel free to check out our Microsoft 365 hub for more how-tos and other guides.

5 Ways to add links on Instagram photo

Posted on July 9, 2020September 11, 2025 by Vlad Turiceanu

The question of how to put links in Instagram photos is vital because Instagram is incredibly popular with marketers. It creates a visual way to showcase your products and services while engaging your audience.

However, after showing off your organization’s content, how do you convert your profile visitors to website visitors, buyers, or leads?

You have to learn how to put links in your Instagram photos and videos. Read this article to the end, as we’ll show you five ways to do this free of charge.

How do I put links on Instagram photos?

1. Add the link to your bio

The first place your profile visitors look is your bio. It is visible to everyone, even if your Instagram account is private. You can see the bio link as a base link where users should click to learn more about you or your organization.

Some users use links to their most recent content, hence change their bio links frequently. Others prefer to link to a specific page on their website or app and leave it at that.

There are benefits and disadvantages of both link strategies; hence, your choice depends on what outcome you desire.

If you want both, you can use a link service. They create a link for you to put in your bio, and clickers are directed to a page with various relevant links on your website.

Link services give you customization options to let the linked page match your brand design.

2. Insert the link in your Instagram stories

how-to-put-links-in-instagram-photo-story

Instagram shows your timeline posts to only a fraction of your followers. Whereas, the application delivers your stories to every one of your followers.

For this strategy to work, your story has to catch your followers’ interest. It should also include a clear call-to-action that instructs viewers to swipe up.

Stories on Instagram last for a max of 15 seconds and disappear after 24 hours, so you have only a small window to make an impression.

Alternatively, you can also pin your IG stories with evergreen links to the highlights of your profile permanently.

To insert links in your Instagram stories, you must have at least 10,000 followers or a verified account. When done correctly, IG story links can be massively beneficial to B2C brands.

3. Use short links in post captions

how-to-put-links-in-instagram-photo-caption

Links you insert in your captions are not clickable, and that’s why brands look for other ways to link to their website or app.

However, your timeline posts and their captions are still some of the most viewed content on your account.

Note that this strategy needs your followers to type the link into their browsers manually.

Therefore, pasting your content link in your image or video captions is effective only when the link is either short or memorable. If your link is long, you can use a link shortener.

If you notice that links you add in captions refuse to open or behave unexpectedly, check this detailed guide on Instagram links not working.

4. Use Instagram Shoppable stories and posts

how-to-put-links-in-instagram-photo-shoppable

Thanks to Instagram Shoppable posts, you can now embed links on your posts directly. If you’re not sure what Shoppable posts are, look out for posts with a shopping bag icon.

On tapping posts with this icon, you see a little popup saying Tap to view products. When you tap this message, it redirects you to the linked page or product.

You can add multiple product links to a single post. On the part of your customers, they’ll have a smooth transition from your post to the linked product.

Hence, with engaged audiences, this is a highly effective linking method.

5. Link using IG ads

While users search for how to put links in Instagram photos, Instagram already has a solution for this through. If you’ve used Facebook ads or other advertising services, you can use Instagram ads.

When you pay Instagram and publish an ad, you get to put your link directly below the photo you promote.

For this, your link has to be relevant to the promoted content. Instagram also lets you customize the button to match your design and the content.

If you have video content, IGTV allows you to insert clickable links directly in the video description. You’ve now learned how to put links in Instagram photos and videos. Is there any other method you use? Do let us know in the comments below.

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Fix: Your Computer is Currently Offline Dropbox Error

Posted on July 9, 2020September 28, 2025 by Madalina Dinita

Dropbox is one of the most popular cloud storage platforms in the world. However, it is not free from issues, with some users reporting Your computer is currently offline error on Dropbox.

Fortunately, this issue has a series of workarounds, as shown in the following sections of this guide.

What does the Dropbox No Internet connection message mean?

Listed below are some of the potential causes of the Dropbox Your computer is currently offline error:

Antivirus interference: Your antivirus and firewall can prevent Dropbox from syncing, leading to this error. In this case, you need to disable your firewall and antivirus software.
Wrong proxy settings: Sometimes, your Dropbox proxy setting might be set to auto-detect. This leads to problems if the app cannot detect your proxy. What you need to do in this case is to set it to no proxy.
Network issues: In some cases, this issue might be down to problems with your network. The solution to this is to flush your DNS and reset Winsock.

How can I fix Dropbox Your computer is currently offline error?

Below are some basic troubleshooting steps you need to perform before delving into the sophisticated fixes below:

Restart your computer
Use the offline installer from Dropbox’s official website

1. Disable your firewall and firewall

Press the Windows key, type windows defender, and select the Windows Defender Firewall option.
Find and click Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off on the left pane.
In the Customize Settings window, select the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) radio buttons for both the Private and Public network settings.
Click OK to disable Windows Firewall.
Now, press the Windows key, type virus, and select Virus & threat protection.
Click the Manage settings link.
Finally, toggle the switch under Real-time protection backward to disable it.

If you are getting your computer is currently offline on Dropbox, disable your antivirus and firewall. If you have a third-party antivirus, you can turn it off by right-clicking the icon on the taskbar and selecting Disable.

After syncing your Dropbox files, you should re-enable the security tools.

2. Use an alternative to Dropbox

While Dropbox is among the most popular cloud storage services in the world, that doesn’t mean you can’t use alternatives when it becomes unavailable.

In the case at hand, if all solutions fail and you can not use Dropbox in the foreseeable future, then a good alternative is Sync.

This cloud storage tool boasts incredible security features and immense flexibility regarding how easily you can access your cloud content.

Sync

An amazing cloud storage service that can easily replace Dropbox if it cannot be used.

Free Trial Visit Website

3. Disable proxy in Dropbox‘s settings

Launch Dropbox and click on the gear icon.
Select Preferences.
Now, choose Proxies.
Finally, change your proxy settings from Auto-detect to No Proxy option.

Another thing we’re going to try is disabling the proxy in Dropbox’s settings. This has fixed your computer is currently offline on Dropbox.

4. Flush DNS and reset Winsock

Press the Windows key, type cmd, and select Run as administrator under Command Prompt.
Type the following commands and hit Enter after each: ipconfig /flushdns ipconfig /registerdns ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew NETSH winsock reset catalog NETSH int ipv4 reset reset.log NETSH int ipv6 reset reset.log Exit
Finally, restart your computer.

Maybe Dropbox isn’t the problem after all. So, let’s leave it for a moment and restore the network protocols to default settings.

5. Use the Store app troubleshooter

Press the Windows key + I and select Updates & Security.
Click Troubleshoot in the left pane and select Additional troubleshooters.
Now, select Windows Store Apps and click Run the troubleshooter.
Finally, apply the recommended fixes and restart your PC.

If you’re using the UWP version of Dropbox, you can use the Windows Store app troubleshooter to check and resolve issues with the app. This should show you the cause of your computer’s currently offline Dropbox problem and recommend potential solutions.

That’s about it. We certainly hope one of these solutions helped you resolve your computer’s offline connection issue on Dropbox.

If Dropbox is not syncing on your PC, check our comprehensive guide for effective solutions to apply.

Feel free to let us know the solution that helped us solve the problem in the comments below.

How to fix HBO NOW error code 203 in a few steps

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Vlad Turiceanu

If you planned to watch a season premiere only to get into difficulties, know that you are not alone. For many users, HBO NOW crashed while they were in the middle of watching their favorite show.

There were no further indications only a message that HBO NOW could not play due to error code 203.

They tried to hit the home button and signed in again, but the same error code 203 appeared. Although these errors are annoying, in most cases, they are extremely easy to fix.

We provided some steps to deal with this in the list below, make sure to try them out in the given order.

How can I fix the HBO NOW error code 203?

1. Clear the app caches

For Android:

Go to Settings – Applications – Manage applications.
From the list select HBO NOW.
Find the Clear cache option and tap it.

For iPhone and iPad

Tap on the Menu button
Go to the settings page and tap Clear temporary files

2. Factory reset your device

All the data from your phone can be removed by resetting it to factory settings. This is also called formatting or a hard reset.

Open the Settings app.
Find Backup & reset.
Tap Factory data reset and Reset phone.

Note: If you can’t open your phone‘s Settings app, you can try factory resetting your phone using its power and volume buttons.

3. Update your software

To update your HBO NOW, open the Play Store on your Android device and search for HBO NOW to see if an app update is available.
Also, make sure your Android software is up to date. Go to Settings – Systems – Advanced – System Update.

4. Clear cache and data

Open your Android and go to Settings – Apps & notifications
Search HBO NOW in the list of apps
Tap storage – clear storage
Finally, tap clear cache
You can now reopen HBO NOW and sign in again

5. Reinstall HBO NOW

Go to Settings > Apps & notifications
Search and tap HBO NOW in the list of apps.
Tap Uninstall.
Open the Play Store and reinstall HBO NOW.

6. Check if not HBO NOW is actually down

Although it’s not common, it can happen that HBO NOW is not working because it’s down. In order to check this, you can use DownDetector to see where people are currently having trouble using HBO.

if the above tricks did not work, we suggest you try Disney+. This is an alternative streaming service that could meet many of your needs.

⇒ Get Disney+

That’s about it. We hope that the above solutions were helpful in solving your HBO NOW error code 203 problem. Let us know in the comments below if our suggestions helped you fix it.

How to use Vintage Ad Browser and view old advertisements

Posted on July 9, 2020October 3, 2025 by Milan Stanojevic

Advertisement is a part of our culture, and it has changed drastically over the years. Nowadays, most advertising is done through the Internet or via multimedia.

In the past, that wasn’t the case, and the most common form of advertising was printed advertising. In today’s article, we’re going to show you a way how to view those vintage ads in your web browser.

How can I view old ads in my browser?

What is Vintage Ad Browser?

Vintage Ad Browser is a special website that hosts a large variety of old printed advertisements. All content is organized into categories, so you can easily find the advertisement that you need or a particular category that you’re interested in.

How to use Vintage Ad Browser?

Visit the Vintage Ad Browser website.
Now select one of many available categories and choose the desired year.
You should now see all ads that match your criteria.

Although this website should work in any web browser, for the best experience we recommend using Opera.

The browser runs on the Chromium engine, and it can work with Chrome extensions. Unlike Chrome, Opera is light on your resources, so it should run smoothly at all times.

The software has built-in messengers for rapid sharing on the most popular social media platforms. There’s also the ability to organize tabs into workspaces as well as an advanced search feature that will help you find tabs with ease.

Opera comes with an integrated ad blocker and tracking protection that speed up webpage loading. For extra security, there’s a built-in VPN with unlimited bandwidth.

The browser is available on all major desktop and mobile platforms, and if you’re looking for a fast, reliable, and secure browser, be sure to give Opera a try.

”Opera”

”Try

”Free”

&aff_sub2=Native?utm_medium=native&ref=” current_url=”true” button_text=”Visit website” image=”https://windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Opera-1-210×160.png” ]

Vintage ads have a unique look that is distinct for the decade they are made, and thanks to modern technology, you can browse these ads right from your browser.

Feel free to leave a comment on this topic using the dedicated section below.

iTunes error 0xe8000015? Here’s how to fix it for good

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Milan Stanojevic

iTunes is a great multimedia app, but many users reported iTunes error 0xe8000015 while using it.

This issue usually occurs when trying to use iTunes with your phone, and in today’s article, we’re going to show you how to fix this issue once and for all.

How can I fix iTunes error 0xe8000015?

1. Disable restrictions on your phone

Navigate to Settings > General.
Head to the Restrictions and make sure that Disable Restrictions is enabled.

After doing that, check if the problem is still there.

In addition, make sure to select Trust this Computer notification when you connect your iPhone to the computer.

2. Update your macOS/iOS, try other USB ports

Make sure that you have the latest version of iOS and macOS installed.
Install the latest version of iTunes.
Make sure you have enough storage space on your iOS device.
Disconnect all other USB peripherals and use only your iOS device.
Try using a different USB port.

Although these are some of the most basic troubleshooting solutions, they might help you fix iTunes error 0xe8000015.

3. Delete Lockdown folder

Open Finder.
Select Go > Go to Folder.
Type /var/db/ lockdown and press Enter.
Select all files and move them to trash.

4. Put your phone in recovery mode

Make sure iTunes is closed.
Connect the USB cable to your Mac.
Now connect the cable to your iPhone.
Open iTunes.
Press and release the Volume Up Do the same for the Volume Down button.
Press and hold the Side button until the recovery mode screen appears.
Now restore your iPhone.

Bear in mind that older versions of iPhone require a different button combination to access the recovery mode.

Few users reported that they fixed the problem by updating the iOS instead of performing a restore, so you can try that as well.

5. Restore the phone in DFU mode

Start iTunes on your Mac.
Connect your iPhone to your Mac.
Quickly press and release Volume Up and Volume Down Now hold the Side button and wait for the screen to go black.
Without releasing the Side button, press and hold the Volume Down button.
After 5 seconds, release the Side button but keep holding the Volume Down button until iPhone shows up in iTunes or Finder.
Once it appears, release the Volume Down button.

Bear in mind that this process works for iPhone 8 and newer. For older models, accessing the DFU mode is slightly different.

iTunes error 0xe8000015 can be problematic and prevent you from connecting your iOS device with your computer, but we hope that our solutions helped you fix the problem.

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Windows 10/11 App RT News Russia Today [Review]

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

The official RT News English app, formerly known as Russia Today, has been made available for download in the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 users. Read the entire article below for more details and a video overview of the main features.

If you are interested in news regarding Russia and its oversea affairs, then you definitely need to check out the newly released ‘RT News English’ app in the Windows Store.

For those who don’t know, RT is funded by the federal budget of Russia through and presents round-the-clock news bulletins, documentaries, talk shows, and debates which are aimed at Russia but also on international happenings.

RT news app lands in the Microsoft Store

RT is a 24/7 English-language news channel. We are set to show you how any story can be another story altogether. Broadcasting over six continents and 100 countries, our coverage focuses on international headlines, giving an innovative angle set to challenge viewers worldwide.

Those who have watched Russia Today on the TV, or just RT, as it’s currently known, are already accustomed with the highly professional level of the shows and reporting, similar to other big outlets such as EuroNews or CNN.

I have tried out RT for Windows 10 for a few good minutes and you can see for yourself in the video from below that it looks pretty neat, indeed.

Everything inside the app is real snappy and what I particularly enjoyed was the live stream feature. I experienced no lags, whatsoever, even while using the highest quality of the stream.

Whenever you want, you can right-click or double tap and you will be able to choose from the news and on the air sections. In the Live area of the app, you will be able to follow news from Russia or from America.

RT also cared to mention on the official description that albeit the channel is government-fund, it shapes its editorial policy free from political and commercial influence. Having watched RT for more than a year now, I can attest to that.

According to the latest statistic, almost 650 million people watch the channel in more than 100 countries across the world.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are interested in Russia-oriented news, but they have become used with the professional reporting. To get the app on your Windows devices, follow the link below.

⇒ Download RRT News English for Windows 10

7digital Music Store Windows 10 App [Review]

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

7digital has just released its official app in the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 users.

With a quite ugly name 7digital Music Store recommended by HP, which I hope gets changed with a future update, the release of the app brings more than 25 million high-quality tracks that you can buy, download, synchronize with other devices, and listen to on the go.

If you already have a 7digital account, you can sign in to claim the songs you bought.

The official 7digital app has been available for Windows 10 users for more than one year ago, but it got pulled down. Now, the app has been officially launched once more, and it brings one of the most known music stores for Windows 10 users.

7digital’s Music Store now available for Windows 10 users

Shop for new music with 7digital. Choose from over 25 million high quality tracks in our store; buy, download, sync and listen to your music on the go. Managed by music lovers for music lovers. 7digital stores are available across 42 countries including the UK, Europe, the US and Canada. Sync your previously purchased 7digital music and have access to your 7digital collection across the web and all your mobile devices.

Of course, you could’ve used 7digital’s services even before on Windows 10, but the dedicated app now brings the service to touch-enabled devices, as well.

And what I’ve discovered after reviewing so many Windows 10 apps on a non-touch device is that they look better and feel better designed than a desktop app.

You can also have a look at the video below to see how the app looks like before you actually download it (link at the end of the article)

The app brings many useful features, such as high-quality 320kbps MP3s, 30-second previews of all songs, and full-length streaming of your purchased music.

As mentioned, you can synchronize your 7digital music from the cloud to your phone and Windows 10 tablet.

Inside the app there’s an integrated music player that keeps playing as you explore new music on 7digital’s music store. You can even pin the songs and tracks you like to the start screen.

A feature that international users will notice is that the 7digital app for Windows 10 is available worldwide. As you can see from the above video, this app moves incredibly fast, and everything is really smooth.

Of course, this can also depend on your internet connectivity. The app is divided into the following main sections

New releases
Charts
Sale
Genre
Recommended
Bestsellers
Classic albums

The ‘Your Music’ section becomes available once you log in with your existing account or sign up for a new one. You can access it anytime by right-clicking inside the app and going to downloads or your music.

The Sale section will contain songs and albums available at a discounted price. So, if you have been waiting for this app to launch for Windows 8 users for a while now, follow the link below and grab it from the Microsoft Store.

⇒ Download 7digital app for Windows 10

Kobo Books eReader App for Windows 10 [Review]

Posted on July 9, 2020February 10, 2025 by Radu Tyrsina

Kobo released their official e-Reader app in the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 users a while ago, but it had to pull it down because of some problems related to UX and performance. Now it’s back and available as a free download.

I don’t have a Kobo e-reader, but I know many who do and who also have Windows 10 on their devices, so they will be really happy to learn that the official Kobo Books ereader Windows 10 app has been made available for download.

Somewhat similar to the official Kno Textbooks app, Kobo’s ereader app lets you browse from over 3.5 million eBooks, free and paid, comics, and children’s books.

Of course, in order to use the service, you need to have an account with Kobo, but you can also sign up for a new one from inside the app itself.

Kobo Books app for Windows 10 available for download

With Kobo, you can read on your Windows device anywhere, anytime. Download the Kobo app and browse from over 3.5 million free and affordable eBooks, comics and children’s books.

Obviously, the app will run just as fine on your Windows 10 touch and desktop devices, and also on Windows RT.

Kobo Books for Windows 10 comes with many useful features, such as the ability to resume your reading and to have your bookmarks synchronized across all the devices where you have Kobo’s service installed.

Kobo Books will offer a ‘crisp, clear text,’ and of course, you will be able to choose the font size and style that you want. There’s also the Night Mode if you plan on doing some nighttime reading.

You can have your screen in portrait or landscape mode, so choose whatever suits you better and your reading positions. Before buying a certain book, Kobo will let you read the first chapter previews, and you will even be able to save them in your library.

The application also supports Live tiles, so by pinning it to the Start screen of your Windows devices, you can resume your reading easily. I have used the app for a few hours on my tablet, and I enjoy it.

Everything has a pristine quality and seems very fluid and robust. So, if you’re in need of a cool ereading app for your Windows 10 device, go ahead and download Kobo Books from below.

⇒ Download Kobo Books for Windows 10

Free BBC Good Food app for Windows 10 released

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

We certainly don’t lack cooking and recipe apps for Windows 10 users, but BBC has decided that there’s room for one more as it has just released its Good Food app in the Microsoft Store. Read below for more details on it.

Up until today, BBC had in the Microsoft Store only the paid version of BBC Good Food app for Windows 10, but now the free version has been made available, as well.

My guess is that the paid one will be removed, since the new version also lets you buy separate recipes, if you are interested. I’ve played with the app for a few minutes and you can see for yourself in the video from below that it looks gorgeous and everything moves really fast inside.

You can also have a look at the BBC Earth Wonders app, as well.

Cook in style from your Windows 10 tablet

Whether you’re looking for weekday inspiration, trying to cook the perfect steak or attempting your own homemade ice cream, get cooking with the new BBC Good Food app. This app lets you buy and store all the existing BBC Good Food cookbook apps, and organise your favourite recipes in one place. The app is free to download, and comes with 20 of our favourite recipes, like, Beef & beer pie, Summer vegetable curry and Chocolate & raspberry pots. It also includes a basic glossary of ingredients and techniques, to get you started.

There are enough free recipes to get you started and what’s really cool is that there is also a basic glossary of ingredients and techniques which will prove out to be really useful to those who’re just starting out in the world of cooking.

Every recipe also comes with nutritional information such as kcals, protein, carbs, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sugar, and salt per serving. This is a really great feature as it doesn’t teach only how to cook but also how to watch over your health.

The app looks just as great on desktop and on touch device, and it comes with plenty of recipes divided into the following categories:

Healthy with such options like salmon & ginger fish cakes, thai beef stir-fry, and Indian butternut squash curry;
Quick with Quick lamb biryani, Parmesan spring chicken and easy puds;
One-pot with Sausage casserole with garlic toasts to One-pot mushroom and many others.

Follow the link from below to download it and have a look at the above video for more insights.

⇒ Download BBC Good Food app for Windows 10

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Virtual Chemistry Lab is a cool Windows 10/11 app

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

The Virtual Chemistry Lab app has recently been launched in the Microsoft Store, so give it some time in case you’re not pleased with some of its features, as I’m sure the app will get better and better in time.

The idea behind this app is really nice as it wants to visualize and show in a 3D environment how chemical experiments take place.

But, as you will see from the video for yourself, there are still many areas where the app needs to be improved, so I’m reaching out to developers to make it even better.

We definitely have a thing for Windows 10 chemistry apps as in the past we have talked about two interesting periodic table apps and about TouchMol, an app that allowed for molecule drawing. And now we’re talking about Virtual Chemistry Lab because they deserve it.

See chemical experiments on your Windows 10 tablet

Chemistry lab project, perform the following experiment Magnesium Ribbon burning, preparation of Oxygen Gas, Preparation of Hydrogen Gas, Preparation of Carbon Dioxide Gas. Help the students to perform the chemistry experiment.

The app works like a chemistry lab project, allowing you to perform such experiments as Magnesium Ribbon burning, preparation of Oxygen Gas , and others.

It is apparently aimed at teachers who want to help students, and it does the job pretty well for an initial launch.

Another area where I’d love to seem some improvement is with the chemical equations as it’s clear that the images are either scanned papers or washed down pictures.

Another drawback of the app is that you can’t currently install it on Windows RT devices, which is a real pity, but I hope that this will also get solved in the future.

To know more about the app, have a look at the video from above or follow the link below to download it.

⇒ Download Virtual Chemistry Lab app for Windows 10

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iTunes error 0xe80000a? We got fixes [Windows & Mac]

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Milan Stanojevic

iTunes is a must-have tool if you have an iOS device, but unfortunately, many users reported iTunes error 0xe80000a on their computer.

This can be a big problem, and if you encounter it you won’t be able to connect your phone with your computer. However, there’s a way to fix that.

How can I fix iTunes error 0xe80000a?

1. Update your iOS and iTunes to the latest version

Download the latest version of iTunes and install it.
Update the system on your iOS device to the latest version.
Update your computer operating system to the latest version.

Few users reported that updating both the iTunes and iOS fixed this issue, so be sure to try that first.

2. Disable your antivirus

disable antivirus iTunes error 0xe80000a

Locate your antivirus icon in the systray and right-click it.
Choose the option to pause or disable the protection.
Now check if the problem with iTunes is still there.

This is just a general guide, and the actual process will vary depending on the antivirus that you’re using.

If disabling the antivirus helps, try adjusting your settings in order to allow iTunes to work properly.

3. Reset location and privacy settings on your iOS device

Go to the Settings app and go to General. Not select Reset.
Now select Reset Location & Privacy.
Tap on Reset Settings to confirm.

After resetting Location & Privacy settings, check if the iTunes error 0xe80000a is still there.

4. Reset the Lockdown folder

Press Windows Key + R and enter %ProgramData%. Press Enter or click OK.
Navigate to Apple directory.
Locate the Lockdown directory and rename it Lockdown.old.

For Mac users:

In Finder, select Go and choose Go to Folder.
Type /var/db/ lockdown
Once the lockdown folder is open, select all files and delete them.

After doing that, check if the error message is still there.

5. Stop iTunes processes and reconnect your iOS device

Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
Locate the following processes:
- PodService.exe
- AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
- iTunesHelper.exe
Right-click each process and choose End task.
Disconnect your phone from the PC and connect it again.

6. Reinstall iTunes

Go to the Settings app and navigate to Apps.
Locate iTunes and click Uninstall.
Follow the instructions on the screen.
Once the application is removed, download it and install it again.

For Mac users:

Open the Terminal.
Now enter cd /Applications/
Enter sudo rm -rf iTunes.app/ and press Enter.
Enter the administrator password to confirm.
Now visit the Mac App Store or Apple’s iTunes web page to download iTunes again.

After reinstalling iTunes, check if the iTunes error 0xe80000a is still there.

iTunes error 0xe80000a will prevent you from connecting your iOS device with your computer, but you should be able to fix this problem using our solutions.

Windows 10 app check: Al Jazeera

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

Al Jazeera is one of the best news channels in the Middle East, but it has slowly improved to become a global presence with millions of readers.

Along with EuroNews and the RT Russia Today’app, it represents one of the best news apps to be tried out on your Windows 10 device, be it a tablet or desktop unit

Al Jazeera has been available in the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 users for more than one year now, but we’ve decided to go through its main features only today, at the request of our readers.

A great app for all your international news needs

The Al Jazeera app for Windows 10 that we’re going to talk about here is the English version, but there’s one in Arabic language, as well.

We will be providing download links at the end of the article to both of them. The app can be downloaded completely for free from the Microsoft Store and comes with a size of fewer than two megabytes, so you won’t even feel it’s there.

Those who reside in the Middle East have definitely heard about Al Jazeera, but the TV channel has become quite popular across the entire globe thanks to its professional reporting and quality of news and programs.

I have had a look at the app for myself for a few good minutes and you can see in the video from below how it performs.

Al Jazeera English for Windows 8.1 brings you all the latest news and live broadcast of Al Jazeera English, free of charge. The 24-hour news and current affairs channel is the first international English-language news channel to broadcast across the globe from the Middle East. Al Jazeera’s global footprint continues to grow and now broadcasts to more than 260 million households on six continents in more than 100 countries.

Despite the fact that the Al Jazeera app for Windows 10 can be downloaded completely for free, I didn’t see any advertisement blocks inside the app, so this is really nice.

You get to follow your news and favorite channels and coverage without having to worry about ads, neat. Also, there are many news stories that come with videos that come with really good quality. Another awesome feature of this app.

What I didn’t like was the fact that while on a certain article, you couldn’t change its font, increase or decrease size and have access to other features, such as adding stories to a watch-it later column or to favorites.

Also, I couldn’t manage to get the live streaming to work, but maybe that’s a local problem. Al Jazeera says that they are the first international English-language news channel to broadcast across the globe from the Middle East, and in this profile, they are somewhat similar to the Windows 10 RT ‘Russia Today’ application.

The channel is said to broadcasts to more than 260 million households on six continents which span across more than 100 countries. Another cool feature of the app is the fact that it comes with Text to Speech feature for listening to news articles.

A pretty big downside, however, is the fact that the app isn’t currently available for Windows RT users, but I hope a future update will take care of that.

You can also have a look at some of the best Quran apps for Windows 10 devices. Follow the link below to download and install it on your Windows 10 touch and desktop devices.

⇒ Download Al Jazeera app for Windows 10

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Booking.com Windows 10/11 apps gets plenty of new features

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

Booking.com has released its official app for Windows 10 users in the Windows Store for quite a while now, but now it has received a really big update that we’re going to talk about below. It’s definitely one of the best Windows 10 travel apps around, so go ahead and download it.

A great app for those that love traveling

TripAdvisor and Booking.com are probably the most knowledgeable travel apps in the world. Naturally, Booking.com couldn’t have ignored the big amount of Windows 10 users and have released the official app in the Microsoft Store.

Just like expected, the app looks really great and moves pretty fast, you can judge for yourself in the video from below. There are no advertisements at all inside the app, as they make money through partnerships, naturally.

According to the official changelog of the Booking.com Windows 10 app, here’s what has been made new with the application:

The ability too securely store credit cards along with the previous ones
Resume recently viewed hotels in case you forgot to write it down
The rooms and locations have been enriched with more details and photos to make it easier for you to take the final decision
Touch-optimized semantic zoom feature to help you browse and navigate.

Also, the app has been updated and will now let you sign up for Booking.com deals newsletter straight from inside the app. Have a look at the video below for more inside details.

The Booking.com app for Windows 10 comes with more than 290,000 properties worldwide and over 18 million reviews from real guests to make it easier for you to pick the most convenient place for your stay.

To further help with that, there are more than 8 million hotel photos at your disposal. The booking process is really fast, and security is being given special attention. So, just go ahead and follow the download links to get the app.

⇒ Download Booking.com app for Windows 10

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Review of Amazon App for Windows 10/11

Posted on July 9, 2020October 4, 2023 by Milan Stanojevic

Alongside eBay, Amazon is the world’s most-known internet shopping website. You can find just about any item you want, both used and new, and at very good prices.

The online store is available for everyone worldwide, and it offers anyone the possibility to buy almost any item (depending on the seller’s shipping policy). And now there’s an Amazon app for Windows 10 and RT.

Furthermore, Amazon offers awesome deals on special occasions like Black Friday and Christmas. Also, buyers can compare prices and find the very cheapest ones.

Amazon is probably the best place to shoot this season, and be sure to look at their deals, where you will find great presents for every family member.

Amazon comes to Windows 10

Amazon has already delighted us with top-notch mobile applications for Android and iOS, and it has now come to Windows 10.

The app is free to download from the Windows Store, and it provides shoppers with lots of interesting features, but there is also room to improve. We’ll take you through the app and highlight its strengths and weaknesses.

Once you download and install the app, the main screen gives you some of the featured items on the store, which you can add to your wishlist or cart, your Sign-In and Card buttons are available on the upper right side of the screen as well as the search bar.

Also, by scrolling to the right, you can see your Recommended items and another item that might interest you, based on your wishlists. Also, on the same screen, there are the most popular items (books, cameras , and electronics) from the online store and the most searched.

One thing that is missing from this otherwise great user interface is the view more button, as you can only see a few from each category, and also, for you to add an item to your wishlist, you will have to open it before doing so.

These would be a great addition in future app versions, and I’m sure that Amazon is already working on them.

amazon-for-windows-8-review-product-details

By opening your account, you can see your details and your wishlist and also give feedback or sign out from the app. Although these links are very well placed, they will forward you to the Amazon website (apart from Sign Out and Give Feedback).

The option to view your wishlist from the app is not yet supported, and as far as account details and information, these are also only accessible from the website, but I think this is more of a security measure then a drawback of the app.

You can view at any time what items you want to buy by clicking on Card button. This will open an in-app window where a list of items and their prices can be viewed, as well as the total sum you will have to pay.

We also reviewed the eBay app for Windows 10, and if you’ve seen it, you know it does not support in-app purchasing.

Well, Amazon has this feature, and you can easily buy anything from within the app without having to visit the Amazon website.

amazon-for-windows-8-review-product-search-filters

Another issue the app has, and I’d say this is more of a design flaw, is the filtering for search results. Although it works pretty well, its design is not as good as you would expect.

If you have added a filter that you didn’t want, or if you change your mind, you have to remove all the filters, not just a particular one.

Amazon app evolution

Amazon made many changes to the app after its launch. After many tests, they launched a big update with improvements and bug fixes in 2014. During the spring of 2016, they announced a new app for Windows 10 devices, to boost customers’ experience.

In the summer of 2016, Amazon stopped the support for Windows phones, but they launched the new app for Windows 10 PCs. However, the app from our review can always be used despite its age and the fact that it is “not-so-popular”.

Update: Amazon app for Windows 10 is a web wrapper that makes it similar to native site browsing. Even if this app might be the last for PC users, we observed some clues showing to a future mobile app.

In the app description, there is an Amazon icon that seems to be designed for mobile. The most optimistic users take that as a sign.

However, the Amazon app is still great for shopping, especially if you do not want to use your browser while doing it. Let’s see its strong and weak points.

Amazon for Windows 10 – Pros and Cons

These are the areas that impressed us the most about the app:

Easy to use
Clean and responsive UI
In-app purchase

But as good as it is, there are a few aspects that should be improved in the app:

No “view more” for any category of items
Filtering is awkward and not very intuitive
No possibility to edit your account from the app (might be a security feature, but still, it would have been nice to have this feature)

Final Thoughts

Although not without its issues, Amazon for Windows 10 is a great app that has many features and a very clean UI. All of these make it a must-have app for Amazon users, and thanks to its in-app buying feature, users will be able to purchase items without needing to visit the online store.

From a performance point of view, the app is rock solid, having no connection issues and no crashes during the testing period. Also, its search and share options work flawlessly and very fast.

Amazon for Windows 10 has all the ingredients of a great app, and after the developers will iron out all the minor kinks in the design of the app, it will be without reproach.

⇒ Get Amazon

HBO GO activate is not working? Try these solutions

Posted on July 9, 2020October 1, 2025 by Vlad Turiceanu

Signing into HBO Go is pretty easy. However, many users are facing difficulties while activating it on any of their devices.

They access the HBO GO activation page and after entering the activation code that shows on the TV screen they get an error: Code not working or Code incorrect.

If you also face such issues, then look for the confirmed solutions we mention in the following article. Hopefully one of them will help you activate HBO GO and start enjoying those awesome programs.

What can I do if the HBO GO activate code is not working?

1. Try signing from different devices

Exit the HBO GO app on your TV.
From your computer go to HBOGO.com and from the right upper corner choose Sign In.
Select your TV provider from the drop-down list.
Log in using the username and password for your provider account. If you cannot remember the login credentials given by your TV provider, then reach out to them. HBO does not have access to that information.
Once signed in on your computer, reopen HBO GO on your TV and choose Sign In.
Open a new tab on your computer and go to HBOGO.com/tvsignin.
Copy the code that appears on your TV and choose Next.

2. Clear cookies and cache

If the code still does not work, clear your browser’s cookies and your browser’s cache.

Clear your browser cookies and then close and reopen it. Go to HBOGO.com and try signing in again. If you cannot sign in, also try clearing your browser’s cache.

3. Try to use a different browser

Try using a different browser than the one you are currently using.
Follow the same activation steps as on the previous browser: type the URL you see on your TV (HBOGO.com/tvsignin or HBOGO.com/activate) and enter the activation code you’re your TV app.

We recommend opting for a browser with powerful capabilities meant to help you access content error-free. Security-oriented features, tools that boost the loading speed, incorporated ad blocks. Plus, this browser also comes with a built-in AI.

Opera One

Pick tAccess your favorite movies and series on HBO GO with this fast and modern browser!

Free Download Visit website

4. Hard reload your HBOGO.com page

On Chrome, hold down Ctrl and click Reload
Hold down Ctrland press F5
Hold down Ctrl + Shift and press R
Press F12 to open the Chrome Dev Tools and click on the Reload button
Choose from the dropdown menu – Hard Reload

5. Update your browser

Check for any updates available for your browser. In order to do this, you can simply search on the Internet for updates and the name of your browser (i.e Chrome updates).

Some browsers update automatically in the background, but you can always perform this action manually. Either way, this is an important procedure that needs to be done in order for your browser to work properly.

An updated browser will benefit from the latest security measures, protecting your data while you navigate online.

6. Try a different streaming service

If you have tried all the steps above and the problem persists, we suggest you use Disney+. It is a streaming platform that has a generous library that includes Disney’s movies and shows for all ages.

For Disney’s legions of Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar fans who want to enjoy those movies, and their extra features, this streaming service is what they need. The same goes for parents who want their kids to enjoy Disney’s family movies and TV shows.

That’s about it. If you carefully follow the steps presented above, you should be able to fix your HBO GO activation problem in no time.

If you have any more questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below.

How to Use VPN to Access Blocked Sites & Apps

Posted on July 8, 2020November 12, 2025 by Vlad Constantinescu

A VPN reroutes your internet traffic to bypass web filters and blocks. It hides your browsing and app activity from your network, so restrictions can’t be enforced.

Below, we’ll explain more about this process and show you how you can quickly setup a VPN to bypass any type of web restriction.

How to use VPN to unblock websites?

Sign up for a VPN subscription and download it for your device. (We recommend ExpressVPN).
Install it on your device.
Launch it to log in to your ExpressVPN account and verify it through email.
Connect to an appropriate server. (*).
Open a browser and access the website you want.

(*) – if you want to access a service that’s restricted outside of a specific country (for instance USA), you should connect to a server located in that country.

Why are some sites blocked?

Some sites are blocked because of restricting website access based on geographical criteria.

If a website got taken down, there’s nothing much you can do to access it any longer, besides checking for a cached version of it online, maybe.

However, if the site is blocked to specific regions, this limitation can be easily circumvented. We refer to this situation as geoblocking since that’s exactly what it is.

Some examples include the US version of Netflix, CBC, Hulu, and HBO GO. However, most of these entertainment platforms aren’t blocked because of political-social factors, but because of economic purposes.

Other ways to access blocked sites

1. Use a Smart DNS service

Using a Smart DNS service might prove to be more effective than using a VPN most of the time. Smart DNS services lack encryption, so it shouldn’t slow down your connection even one bit.

However, you should understand that using a Smart DNS service also exposes your connection to whoever might feel like listening to it.

Long story short, your public IP address is still the same, so your identity should stay the same. The only thing that a Smart DNS service modifies is, as its name clearly indicates, your DNS address.

It then routes all of your traffic through its private servers, tricking websites into believing that you’re accessing them from somewhere else.

Naturally, you have to make the right choice when choosing a server (e.g. select a USA server if you want to access a US-only website).

2. Use a proxy server

The good thing about proxy servers is that you can find a lot of free ones online and you can fix website is not accesible easily.

The downside is that you’re likely not the only one to use them, so you’ll have to share the same server with several other users.

This might lead to bandwidth throttling, which means that your connection will be terribly slow.

There’s also minimal protection, so you won’t benefit from the same level of security that a trustworthy VPN service would offer you.

3. Use a browser

Another option is to use a dedicated web browser that can unlock blocked sites and apps.

These browser are extra privacy feauters and often include some sort of proxy or VPN feature within their software. Good options include Opera and Brave.

Best free VPN for blocked websites

ProtonVPN is one of the best free VPN options out there.

However, keep in mind that the free plan has some restrictions with P2P applications, so if you want to do something like torrenting, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan or consider using I2P.

Wrapping up

To wrap it up, you can safely use VPNs to access blocked websites, but you should be aware that there are other ways to unblock geo-restricted content such as Smart DNS or proxy servers.

For a step-by-step example, see our full guide on Mysterium VPN Download for PC, which shows how to install and use a VPN to unblock websites on Windows.

A VPN, however, will do much more than just circumvent geoblocking, including safekeeping your online privacy, boosting the security of your connection, curbing packet loss, and even improving ping while you’re playing games or streaming media.

Keep in mind that also your ISP can restrict you from accessing a website. But it’s no different than applying geo-restrictions. Not by much, anyway. Thus, using a VPN, Smart DNS, or proxy can easily circumvent ISP website restrictions.

For more tested methods to bypass online restrictions and access any blocked site, read our full guide on how to unblock restricted websites.

Check out our best VPNs that can help you unblock websites easily. You can also visit our Unblocking Hub to discover more guides on using VPNs to unblock specific services.

Hotfix for PowerToys memory leak and more bugs now available

Posted on July 8, 2020October 4, 2023 by Don Sharpe

Windows 10 utilities like Microsoft PowerToys let you take better care of your PC, customize your experience, or even enhance system performance.

Some perform mission-critical functions, such as damaged hard drive recovery, while others enable you to organize your schedule or plan your day, for example, weather apps.

So, if you’re a fan of PowerToys, then you’ll most probably take interest in the hotfix that Microsoft released recently for the utility.

Microsoft PowerToys v0.19.1 patches multiple bugs

Microsoft released PowerToys update 0.019.1 to fix a range of issues affecting the Windows 10 utility.

Remember the key remapping feature that PT got recently, enabling you to modify certain key roles or disable them altogether? Well, it had a bug that prevented the activation of remapped keyboard shortcuts. Now you shouldn’t experience that problem anymore.

Also, with the update, you should be able to deactivate FancyZones when the Hold Shift key command option is deactivated.

Similarly, the patch resolves a race condition bug in OS detection, on top of patching a PT Run memory leak.

Here’s the list of issues patched:

#4578 – WinKey for PT Run throws a lot of false positives

#4646 – FancyZones: When “Hold Shift key” is deactivated, Shift key should deactive FancyZones

#4625 – [Run] Search text not updating on up/down navigation

#4432 – Mitigated the race condition in os detection

#2047 – Memory leak in PT Run

#4647 – Fix remapped shortcuts not getting activated in succession

However, PT version 0.019.1 didn’t fix all previously spotted bugs. One of those is the inability to open settings after shutting down PT in minimized mode from the taskbar.

Moreover, that’s a recurring issue that Microsoft intends on fixing in the upcoming PowerToys v0.20 release.

In the meantime, if you’d like to improve your proficiency in PowerToys, check out our expertly-written guide.

How has Microsoft PT impacted your everyday PC experience? Feel free to let us know via the comments section below.

HBO GO Time Warner not working? Try these solutions

Posted on July 8, 2020October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

Since Charter Communications acquired Time Warner Cable, many of its subscribers are facing difficulties signing in to their HBO GO app.

There is not even an error that appears on the screen. Most users are complaining that Time Warner is just not showing in the provider list.

Below, you can find a list of confirmed reasons and solutions for why this is happening. Make sure to check them and hopefully, one of them will help you regain access to your HBO GO app.

How can I fix HBO GO Time Warner not working?

1. Check that your Time Warner subscription is active

Make sure to check that you have HBO as part of your TV service.
You are using the correct username and password to log in.
You’re in an area where the network or channel offers live streaming.

2. Try searching for Spectrum or Charter-Spectrum

Depending on the type of device you are using, you will find the name of your provider under Spectrum or Charter-Spectrum.

If you are trying to log in from your laptop, then you should see Spectrum in the provider list. When signing in from Android or Apple phones, you should see Charter-Spectrum in the list.

3. Most of the partner apps need to be activated from a computer

HBO GO is available on the following devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Playstation 3 & 4, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, TIVo, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Those need to be activated from a browser on a computer, not on a smartphone or tablet.

Chrome seems to be the browser that works the best. If Chrome does not work for you try using another browser. You may need to clear your cookies, cache, and history for this process.

4. Uninstall and reinstall the HBO Go app

On your Android TV, go to Settings > Apps.
Under Downloaded, find and select HBO GO.
Select Uninstall, and then select OK to confirm.
Go to the Google Play Store, find the HBO GO app, then choose Install.

5. Try a different streaming service

HBO Go isn’t the only streaming platform out there, with other giants having a big chunk of the market, such as Disney+, Netflix, amazon Prima, Hulu, and more.

So, if you tried all the solutions listed above and HBO Go Time Warner still not working, you should consider switching to a different streaming service.

Disney+ is a streaming service that has amazing movies and TV shows for all ages.

⇒ Get Disney+

That’s about it. If you carefully follow the steps presented above, you should be able to activate your HBO GO app in no time.

Let us know in the comments below if our suggestions fixed your HBO GO Time Warner activation problem.

Edge for Android now lets you activate developer settings

Posted on July 8, 2020October 4, 2023 by Don Sharpe

Microsoft Edge for Android now lets you turn on/off developer settings via the Edge://flags page.

The screen, which already exists in the desktop version of the browser, helps when you need to activate or deactivate experimental features. Edge insiders, for example, may use it to enable or disable localized devtools for the Chromium-based browser.

The Edge://flags page in Edge for Android

Edge://flags now on Microsoft Edge for Android pic.twitter.com/2CPwaVMPow

— Aggiornamenti Lumia (@ALumia_Italia) July 7, 2020

You can get the feature by updating to Microsoft Edge for Android beta v45.06.24.5042 or a more recent version.

Typically, regular Edge users (including on desktop) don’t have direct access to the Edge://flags page. But you can access it by typing Edge://flags in your browser’s address bar.

However, this settings page is usually meant for advanced users because it offers features that are a work in progress. As such, disabling or enabling any of the experimental updates available on the page may dramatically alter your browsing experience.

There’s even the risk of compromising your browser data security or privacy. So always be sure that you’re conversant with any experimental feature you wish to tweak in Microsoft Edge for Android.

Nonetheless, the developer settings flag is vital to the improvement of the overall Edge browser experience. Thus, as you experiment on the beta features, Microsoft gathers your feedback and uses it to fix any arising issues.

As you might imagine, using any experimental features in Edge may trigger different types of bugs, such as browser crashes. The good news is that Microsoft learns from any reported experiences and fixes insider concerns before releasing a new feature to general availability.

Despite the latest update to Edge for Android, the browser isn’t anywhere near as feature-rich as its desktop alternative. It’s currently based on Chromium 77, for starters.

On the other hand, Edge for Windows 10 is in Chrome 83 or above.

What are your views on the evolution of Microsoft Edge for Android? Kindly let us know in the comments section below.

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Fix: OneDrive not syncing on Mac

Posted on July 8, 2020October 4, 2023 by Milan Stanojevic

OneDrive is a great cloud storage service that is available on multiple platforms, including macOS.

However, many Mac users reported that OneDrive is not syncing on their Mac. This can be a problem, so in today’s article, we’re going to show you how to fix that.

What can I do if OneDrive is not syncing on Mac?

1. Make sure OneDrive is running

Open Finder and navigate to the Applications > Utilities.
Locate Activity Monitor and start it.
Select the CPU tab and look for OneDrive in Process Column.
If OneDrive isn’t running, be sure to start it.

To avoid this problem in the future, make sure that you set OneDrive to start automatically.

2. Restart OneDrive

Locate the OneDrive icon in the menu bar.
Select the Quit OneDrive option.
Start OneDrive again and check if the problem is still there.

3. Remove the .DS_Store files

Open the Terminal app.
Enter sudo ls command and press Return.
Navigate to the folder that isn’t syncing using the cd command.
Now run the rm -f DS_Store command and press Return.

After doing that, check if the problem with OneDrive syncing is still there.

4. Reset OneDrive

Close OneDrive completely.
Locate OneDrive in the Applications folder.
Right-click OneDrive and select Show Package Contents.
Navigate to Contents > Resources.
Locate the ResetOneDriveApp.command or ResetOneDriveAppStandalone.command file and run it.
After doing that, start OneDrive and complete the setup process.

5. Turn off Office Upload

Click the OneDrive icon in the Menu bar and select Preferences.
Select the Office tab and uncheck Use Office 2016 to sync Office files that I open.

In some instances, the Office Upload cache can interfere with OneDrive synchronization, so it’s advised that you disable it.

OneDrive is a great cloud storage service, but syncing issues with it can occur on your Mac.

In this article, we showed you several most common fixes for OneDrive sync issues, and if our fixes helped you, let us know in the comments below.

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Microsoft Project Freta boosts cloud malware discoverability

Posted on July 8, 2020October 4, 2023 by Don Sharpe

If you’re a commercial cloud user, Microsoft’s Project Freta may be what you need to optimize the security of your enterprise computing resources and data. The service, which is available for free, lets you perform extensive memory audits of Linux systems to capture and stop virtually undetectable malware.

Project Freta for cloud security at scale

With the cloud security solution, you can analyze Linux system memory snapshots for advanced malware activity, including OS interference or sensor sabotage.

Apart from that, Microsoft says that Freta will make it economically unviable for threat actors to build undetectable malware.

Project Freta intends to automate and democratize VM forensics to a point where every user and every enterprise can sweep volatile memory for unknown malware with the push of a button—no setup required. The goal of this democratization effort is to increase the development cost of undiscoverable cloud malware toward its theoretical maximum.

Moreover, while performing memory scans, the system can sniff out rootkits and other advanced threats without alerting the malware. That makes it a lot more difficult for threat actors to build tools capable of breaching Project Freta’s sensors.

Right now, the platform supports up to 4,000 Linux kernels. But that’s just the beginning of it all seeing as Windows support is also in the pipeline.

Microsoft project Freta may finally achieve what traditional antimalware protection couldn’t, especially in the cloud. You can access it here. Documentation for the project is also available.

Nonetheless, this is not the first time Microsoft is mulling or proposing a non-conventional or paradigm-shifting approach to the fight against cyber attacks. For example, you may have heard about the concept of hardware-backed security, which Microsoft considers vital to the detection and elimination of kernel-mode and firmware-level malware.

We’d love to know what you think about Microsoft Project Freta. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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How to confirm American Express card online

Posted on July 8, 2020October 4, 2023 by Vlad Turiceanu

If you are looking to get the best credit card then you probably applied for receiving an American Express. From ultra-elite business travel cards to everyday rewards, American Express has credit cards that are a good choice for many different types of cardholders.

Known as the best solution credit card in the US, more and more users have applied to get one. Once your Amex arrives in your mail, your next step is to activate it.

If you wonder how you can activate your American Express card online, please make sure to carefully follow the guidelines presented here. You will activate your credit card in no time.

How can I activate my American Express card online?

1. Gather your personal and credit card details

Your laptop or a smartphone.
A stable and secure internet/wi-fi connection.
If you are applying for the first time you will need an email address.
Your American Express Credit Card number (15 digits).
The security code of your Credit Card (4 digits).
Your first and last name.
Date of birth.
Zip code.
Your mother’s middle name.
And lastly, your home address and phone number.

2. Make sure you are eligible for Amex credit card

You are a US resident.
Your age is 18 or higher as this is the minimum age requirement for the Amex card application.
You have a very high or clean credit score.
No bankruptcy in the last 7 years.
No active law case regarding finance.

3. Confirm your American Express card online

Open your browser on your Smartphone or Laptop.
Go to the American Express confirm card webpage.
Enter your 15 digit- Credit Card details.
Next, enter the 4 Digit- Card ID.
After you entered these details, click Continue.
On the next page, you will be asked for a login to your account or register for Amex.
If you are an existing user of Amex – you can log in with your American Express account.
If you need to register, enter your email address and choose a password.
Provide your details, Full name, home address, card number, phone number, and zip code.
Click Finish to complete the registration.

Note: The location of your Card details may differ depending on your Card.

4. Activate your American Express with a mobile app

Download the Amex app from Google Play or the App Store
On the app Login screen – tap create your account
Next, you need to enter your credit card details
You can scan your Card by clicking Scan Card and your card details will automatically be filled in
Or, if you prefer, you can enter your Card Details manually
Tap Continue
Next, you will be asked to answer a security question. This could be your date of birth, the last 4 digits of your telephone number or your year of birth
Enter the answer and then tap Submit
Then choose your online services account user ID and the password.
Next, you will have to choose an additional security question. This could be your mother or father’s birthday or, another memorable date or a four-digit security key. You’ll need this to log in, so make sure you remember it.
Confirm the security answer
Tap Continue
If you haven’t already be asked for your phone number or email address then you will be asked to enter one or both
Finally, you can choose whether or not to receive marketing communication
Tap Continue and you are all done now.

Note: Remember to keep your online account details safe as you’ll need these each time you log in.

That’s about it. If you follow the presented indications precisely you should be able to confirm your American Express card online in no time. Let us know in the comments below if the solutions presented below were useful.

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Can’t Add Gmail Account to Windows 10/11 Mail [0x8000000b]

Posted on July 8, 2020September 24, 2024 by Ivan Jenic

Luckily, Microsoft’s Mail app for Windows 10 doesn’t support Outlook only, as you can add your Gmail account to it.

However, some users reported that when they tried to add a Google account to the Mail app, an unexpected 0x8000000b error prevented them to do so.

Therefore, in this article, we’re going to show you how to get rid of that error.

How can I fix Gmail error 0x8000000b?

Give a try to a different integrated email client
Connect your Google account to PC
Enable IMAP on your Google account
Create a new IMAP account
Stop Credential Manager Service
Use a restore point

1. Give a try to a different integrated email client

Email web apps, such as Gmail, are indeed known for their simplicity and convenience when it comes to accessing your email while on the go.

However, when you’re at your desk, an email client can prove to be a much better choice. If you’re not sure what solution to use, let us tell you more about Mailbird – winner of Most popular mail alternative of 2020.

This isn’t one of those email clients that can handle one or two personal accounts. Quite the opposite, it became popular thanks to its capability to turn into a unified inbox for multiple email accounts.

The list clearly includes Gmail, Yahoo, along with so many other webmail clients that you may enjoy using.

Therefore, instead of worrying that you can’t add your Gmail account to Windows 10 Mail, add it to Mailbird and enjoy speed and efficiency all the time.

Mailbird

You can access all your different email accounts directly from Mailbird. Try it out and you’ll forget all about the Windows 10 Mail app!

Free trial Visit website

2. Connect your Google account to PC

Go to the Security section of your Google account.
Under Connected apps and sites, go to Apps connected to your account.
Make sure that Windows is on the list.

To solve the problem, you have to make sure that your Google account is connected to your Windows 10 computer. Use the above steps in that regard.

3. Enable IMAP on your Google account

Sign in to Gmail.
Click the gear in the top right.
Select Settings.
Click Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
Select Enable IMAP.
Click Save Changes.

After you make sure that your Google account is connected with your computer, you need to create the new IMAP account, and hopefully, everything will work fine.

But, before you create a new IMAP account in your Mail app, you need to enable IMAP usage in your Google account.

Don’t know what to do if Gmail loads slow? You’d better take a closer look at this guide for quick solutions.

4. Create a new IMAP account

Open the Mail app.
Go to Settings (Cog icon), Accounts, Add Account, Advanced Setup, and then to Internet Email.
Fill in the details like this:
- Account Name: {any string like My Gmail}
- Your Name: {your name like Fred Bloggs}
- Incoming Mail Server: imap.gmail.com:993
- Account Type: IMAP4
- User name: {your gmail address}
- Password: {the one time password you just generated, otherwise just your gmail password}
- Outgoing SMTP email server: smtp.gmail.com:465
- All checkboxes checked
Now try to connect to your Google account with the new Account, and it should work.

After you enabled IMAP usage in your Google account, you can create the new IMAP account in your Mail app, and everything should work fine.

Just follow the above steps to create the new IMAP account.

5. Stop the Credential Manager Service

Navigate to your user folder which should be available at this location C:Users[Name]
Right-click on it > select Properties.
Click on the Security tab > go to Advanced.
Go to Owner > select Change.
Click Add > Entity > Advanced > Search.
Select All Application Packages > Accept > click on Full Control > Apply.
Should you encounter any errors when applying for permission, simply ignore them.
Go to Start > type services > right-click on the first result to launch Services as Administrator.
In the Services window locate the Credential Manager Service > right-click it > stop it.
Restart your computer
Return to Services > select the Credential Manager Service > Start it > Set it to Automatic.
Restart your computer again.

Some users confirmed that disabling the Credential Manager Service fixed this problem. Tou may try the above procedure as well.

6. Use a restore point

Go to Start > type control panel > launch Control Panel > go to Backup and Restore.
Go to Restore > select a Restore Point.

If this error occurs after you installed a particular program on your computer, try reverting your computer to its previous settings.

Of course, you can also try uninstalling the respective app or program. Using a restore point is a better solution as it allows you to undo all recent changes on your computer.

You can’t open Control Panel? Take a look at this step-by-step guide to find a solution.

Issues with Gmail and Mail app are not common, but if something like error 0x8000000b appears, you know what to do now.

The same goes for those of you who can’t add Gmail to Windows 10 mail. Users often try to click Google just to discover that this completely closes the window. Additionally, we can help you out if you can’t verify your Gmail account.

If you have any questions, comments, or maybe some other solutions for this problem, reach for the comment section below, because we would love to hear your thoughts.

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Fix: Be careful with this message on Gmail [Quick Guide]

Posted on July 8, 2020March 27, 2024 by Ivan Jenic

Some Windows users reported seeing the warning message Be careful with this message. It contains content that’s typically used to steal personal information in their Gmail account. If you want to know what this warning is about and how to fix it, read on.

Gmail is one of the most widely used webmail, globally. In order to access several Google products such as Google Drive, YouTube, Google Docs, and several Google Apps, an active Gmail account is required.

Meanwhile, Google is highly apprehensive when it comes to Gmail’s privacy and security; hence, Google implements extreme security measures to prevent malware and DDoS attacks which may arise from the cybersphere.

In addition, Google consistently notifies Gmail account owners whenever there is a login attempt from a strange location.

This is why, after accessing their emails and see the warning message mentioned above, some users got worried. There are several reasons for this warning message which include:

The email is sent from a fake email account
The email may contain malware and may redirect you to spammy sites
The spam filter may confuse the bulk mail with spam
Error from Google filters assuming the mail is from unverified sources
The email is sent from a compromised email account.

How to remove Gmail’s Be careful with this message warning

1. Check the IP address

The first step to take after receiving the warning message Be careful with this message. It contains content that’s typically used to steal personal information is to check the sender’s IP address to make sure it is from a reliable source.

Some emails are used to either scam or steal users’ information after they click on unknown links which lead to scam webpages. Hence, you need to verify the origin of the domain/IP of the server.

Some online web applications such as Mxtoolbox, IPLocation and WhatIsMyIPAddress, etc can be used to check if the IP address of the sender is probably on the banned list for sending spammy messages.

2. Report phishing attempt

In Gmail, open the suspicious message.
Now, click on the down arrow next to Reply.
Then, Reply drop-down arrow.
Select Report Phishing. Google will look forward to further actions to be taken.

Sometimes, Google Mail may not be able to verify the real sender of the mail giving you the warning message. Emails from genuine webmail platforms do not come with the mentioned warning message.

However, emails from fake domains, do come with this warning message. Hence, the appropriate thing to do is to report such email sources to Google. This will prevent the sender from sending spammy emails to your email in the future.

Alternatively, you may carry out a whois check on the domain of the email host. Sites such as whois lookup, whois.com, etc can be used to find out more information about the sender.

Meanwhile, if you trust the message isn’t a scam, click on Ignore, I trust this message.

3. Use an antivirus to scan download files

Some Windows users ignore the warning message and they click on available links in the email which contain malware.

We recommend you use a powerful antivirus with adware removal features.

Run a full PC scan and allow your antivirus to remove or quarantine all threats found.

We strongly encourage you to use an antivirus that offers real-time protection against all sorts of threats.

You can find good security tools that are able to block malicious attempts of installing PUPS, detect malicious links and scan files as they download, so make sure that yours checks these boxes.

Alternatively, you can also use Windows’ built-in antivirus, Windows Defender. Here’s how to run a full system scan using Windows Defender:

Go to Start, type defender and double click on Windows Security to launch the tool.
Go to Virus and Threat Protection
In the new window, click on Scan options.
Check the full scan option to launch a full system malware scan.

4. Run a full system scan

After removing the suspected malware from your Windows PC, we do recommend that you carry out a full system scan to see if the malicious app caused any damage.

We recommend you use a specialized PC repair utility that is able to detect Windows errors and what exactly causes them.

To conclude with, the Be careful with this message. It contains content that’s typically used to steal personal information warning message should not be taken lightly.

Hence, the steps mentioned above should be taken as a precaution against obtrusive threats that may appear from opening questionable emails.

Have you received this warning message on Gmail? Share your experience with other Windows users on this platform by commenting below.

Can VPN affect WiFi? Secure your WiFi with these solutions

Posted on July 8, 2020September 15, 2025 by Vlad Constantinescu

WiFi (short for Wireless Fidelity) is, perhaps, one of the most awesome perks of living in this era. Back in the day, cable was king, every connection was not only visible and immediately obvious, but also somewhat obnoxious.

Although wired connections are still alive and kicking, WiFi has already slithered its way into our daily lives so that we can’t seem to be able to live without it any longer.

Everywhere you go you hear the same questions over and over again:

Do you have WiFi?
Is the WiFi signal good here?
What’s the WiFi password?

You get the point. We’ve reached a time where wireless Internet is deemed as important as water. If not more.

How does WiFi work?

Wireless, WiFi, or WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), whatever you want to call it, sends radio frequency signals between devices. That’s what makes your friends’ photo load in real-time on your phone.

Each connection has a transmitter and a receiver, which need to be set to the same frequency in order to communicate effectively. WiFi uses 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies, which are slightly different, in the sense that each has its ups and downs.

But that’s not why we’re here for.

Is WiFi secure?

To put it shortly, not at all. Like many other connection types, WiFi has its own set of security policies. Most of all revolve on encryption and password-protection for the access points.

However, as opposed to wired networks, where you’d need physical access to the router/switch/modem or a VPN server to become a part of the network, wireless lets you get in on two conditions:

You must be in range
You must know the router’s password

Getting in range is quite easy, you just have to position yourself in range of the network. And roughly half the battle is won. Talented hackers have proved to us that cracking or social-engineering the password can be done in a matter of minutes.

So we can’t stress this enough: WiFi is not secure and requires your constant attention if you want to prevent surprise attacks.

How to secure WiFi?

If you’re the owner of the network, you could take these following steps to boost your connection’s security:

Turn WPS off
Change the password every once in a while
Check if there are any unwanted devices on your network
Turn your network invisible or toggle hidden wireless mode

If you’re a client on the network, it would be wise to take these cautionary steps:

Try to avoid public, passwordless WiFi networks (they provide easy targets for attackers)
Turn off auto-connect for insecure networks
Use a VPN such as PIA

How can VPN protect me on WiFi?

Download Private Internet Access
Install PIA on your computer
Launch it and log into your account
Connect to a server of your choice (pick a fast one)
Enjoy your secure WiFi connection

We’ve mentioned that using a VPN is one of the best ways to secure your device while using a wireless connection.

Your device has an assigned IP address, which, if identified, can be used to draw a straight line between your attacker and you. Provided that you’re on the same WiFi network, that is.

What a VPN does is it spoofs your IP address and replaces it with the address of the server you’re connected to. You’re now sharing an IP address with many other users, so singling you out becomes virtually impossible.

Private Internet Access

Want to secure your Wi-Fi connection? Why not try Private Internet Access?

$2.85/mo. Buy it now

Furthermore, consider this: wireless traffic is only encrypted for outsiders, so everyone who’s inside the network can use a packet sniffer and analyze your online whereabouts extremely easily.

Using a VPN encrypts your personal traffic so that even other devices on your network can’t access it.

Now it may all sound awesome, but using a VPN while on wireless can have some drawbacks. Spoiler alert: it’s actually one drawback.

Can VPN affect WiFi?

To put it shortly, yes, using a VPN can and probably will affect your WiFi connection. Let us elaborate. When you use a VPN, it adds a bunch of extra security layers on top of your insecure connection.

This, in turn, might make your connection act a bit slower since there’s suddenly encryption and decryption happening on it. Not to mention that using a VPN will increase the distance of your connection, depending on the location of the VPN server you chose.

However, you can choose a server that’s closer to you, if your only purpose is staying safe on WiFi. But we think that speed is a small price to pay for the array of security features a VPN reinforces your connection with.

Sometimes, your PC might lack proper configuration, which can make WiFi disconnect upon detecting a VPN connection. But even that can be easily fixed.

But sometimes using a VPN can have a beneficial effect while using WiFi. For instance, if your ISP throttles your bandwidth and you’re experiencing packet loss, using a VPN can help you improve packet loss on wireless.

VPN can affect WiFi, but it’s worth it

Considering that WiFi is generally less secure than its wired counterpart, using a VPN might not be the craziest idea. Your personal traffic will be encrypted and your IP will be masked.

Sure, it might be a bit slower than staying connected without any extra security layers, but the differences shouldn’t be huge. Just make sure you stick by a trustworthy VPN and choose a fast server that’s close to your actual geographical position.

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Microsoft dismantles COVID-19-themed phishing campaigns

Posted on July 8, 2020October 4, 2023 by Don Sharpe

We recently wrote an article on how malicious players have been increasingly carrying out COVID-19-themed phishing attacks. The bad actors recently made Office 365 users some of their favorite targets, but it appears that Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) has been closely tracking some of them.

Microsoft takes apart COVID-19-themed phishing infrastructure

Microsoft revealed that it got a court order allowing it to take over control of certain domains that cybercriminals used to execute COVID-19-themed phishing or other forms of cyber attacks. As such, the threat actors in question can no longer use the seized IT infrastructure to commit cybercrime.

Today, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia unsealed documents detailing Microsoft’s work to disrupt cybercriminals that were taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic in an attempt to defraud customers in 62 countries around the world. Our civil case has resulted in a court order allowing Microsoft to seize control of key domains in the criminals’ infrastructure so that it can no longer be used to execute cyberattacks.

How hackers executed the Office 365 phishing attacks

As with any other phishing campaign, the attackers sent malicious emails appearing to originate from a trusted source.

They took advantage of the fact that many companies around the world expect some form of COVID-19 financial bailout. So, they used that theme to trick their targets into harmful interactions with malicious web applications.

As you’d expect, the cybercriminals sent the victims malicious links.

This time around, the hackers don’t explicitly ask the victim to supply their O365 security credentials via a web-based form. Instead, clicking on a malicious link leads to a prompt requiring the target to give access rights to a malware-loaded web app.

Since they criminals control the malicious app, they may now compromise the victim’s O365 account.

Apparently, any O365 app or tool can be a target for such attacks, from Microsoft Teams to OneDrive. Users, therefore, have no option but to be on high alert and implement adequate cybersecurity measures.

Have you had any experience with COVID-19-themed cyber attacks? Kindly let us know via the comments section below.

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