modification Archives

Winsage

August 28, 2026

Microsoft “Resolves” Windows 11 Crashing Games with a Registry Hack

Late last week, reports emerged about gameplay disruptions linked to the Windows 11 August update, causing issues like forced crashes, unexpected freezing, and device restarts. Microsoft identified the interaction between gaming applications and RGB peripherals as the cause. They released a workaround involving a registry modification to prevent the inpoutx64 driver from loading, which resolved the issue temporarily. This workaround specifically targets devices with the inpoutx64 driver enabled and the game ARC Raiders installed. Users can disable the driver by modifying the registry key HKEYLOCALMACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesinpoutx64, changing the Start value to 4, and restarting the computer. Microsoft is also working to block RGB peripherals for the game MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls and has addressed similar issues for THE FINALS. The driver block will be included in the September 2026 Windows security updates and future releases.

Tech Optimizer

August 26, 2026

How to Protect Against Ransomware: 13 Steps [2026]

Global ransomware attacks increased by 0.8% quarter-over-quarter in Q2 2026. The group Qilin has 279 confirmed victims, maintaining its position as the leading threat actor for four consecutive quarters. The rival group The Gentlemen saw a 62% increase in victims, reaching 269. Checkpoint Research's report indicates a shift in the ransomware landscape, challenging the narrative of declining attacks. IBM's analysis shows breaches within supply chains and third-party vendors have quadrupled over the past five years. Effective ransomware protection requires administrative access to endpoints, firewalls, and backup systems, along with specific software versions and tools. The 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy is recommended, emphasizing offline, immutable backups. Organizations should implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all access points and actively patch known vulnerabilities. Network segmentation is crucial to limit ransomware spread, and canary files can provide early warnings of attacks. Regular phishing simulations and a well-documented incident response plan are essential for preparedness.

Winsage

August 24, 2026

Windows Defender’s own driver can leave systems defenseless

The configuration reveals a sequence of actions including file and directory deletions, relocations, and registry operations, such as deleting and modifying registry keys and values. The file-move primitive can transform into an arbitrary file-write capability when directed to the System32 directory. The automation of these actions is achieved through a tool called BTRCLI, which extracts a legitimate driver from Windows Defender, constructs an encrypted transaction, and loads the driver, using the target machine's version of BTR.sys to avoid external drivers.

AppWizard

August 24, 2026

I turned car friction off in GTA 5. Help

A modding enthusiast in Los Santos has transformed Grand Theft Auto V by setting all NPC vehicles to have constant, unstoppable momentum and disabling friction, resulting in vehicles floating through the air. The modder revived an older modification, the anti-air truck, to create a whimsical spectacle. Initially, all vehicles were set to maximum speed, making the game unplayable, but after adjustments, a speed of 15 was implemented, allowing for chaotic yet navigable gameplay. Players can witness this airborne vehicle display from Franklin's balcony, although they may occasionally be unexpectedly hit by fast-moving vehicles.

Tech Optimizer

August 22, 2026

Best Ransomware Protection 2026: Tested and Ranked

Ransomware protection is best approached as a layered strategy rather than relying on a single solution. The effectiveness of software is significantly enhanced by maintaining a well-managed backup that is disconnected during an attack. Five tools were evaluated based on their default settings, focusing on behavioral detection, protected folders, file rollback, and real-time protection. 1. Norton 360: Rated as the best overall ransomware protection, it offers comprehensive features including behavioral monitoring, protected folders with dual alert modes, and 50 GB of cloud backup within a single subscription. It has a perfect score in advanced threat assessments. 2. Bitdefender: Recognized for its file rollback and remediation capabilities, it provides an effective "undo" feature that restores files, although this feature is turned off by default. 3. Avast One Free: The best free ransomware protection option, it includes a dedicated shield on the free Windows tier and has achieved a perfect score in advanced threat assessments. 4. NordVPN Threat Protection Pro: Best for blocking the delivery route of ransomware, it prevents downloads before encryption starts but cannot stop the process once it has begun. 5. McAfee: Best for protecting multiple devices simultaneously, it offers unlimited device coverage on most plans with integrated ransomware defense in its scanning engine. Modern ransomware protection software has shifted from signature matching to focusing on monitoring the behavior of processes interacting with files. The four essential layers of protection include behavioral monitoring, protected folders, automatic file rollback, and backup. Most users do not need a separate anti-ransomware product, as these features are typically included in main antivirus suites, with the key consideration being whether these features are activated. The rankings of the tools were based on whether the ransomware protection layer is enabled by default, the extent of file recovery when intervention occurs, and the frequency of false positives during normal use. - Norton 360: Best overall, with protection enabled by default and a perfect score in advanced threat testing. - Bitdefender: Best for file rollback, but the rollback feature is disabled by default. - Avast One Free: Best free option, with a perfect score in advanced threat assessments but lacks rollback capabilities. - NordVPN Threat Protection Pro: Effective at blocking malware downloads but does not provide rollback or backup features. - McAfee: Suitable for families with multiple devices, offering automatic backup of flagged files but lacks user-configurable protected folder options. The effectiveness of ransomware protection tools is primarily assessed through behavioral responses rather than library matching. Backup remains a critical layer of defense, functioning even when other layers fail.

AppWizard

August 21, 2026

Don’t tell Nintendo, but I turned GTA 5 into Pokémon Go using a mod

In the modding community, there is an ongoing effort to transform Grand Theft Auto 5 into a version similar to GTA 6. Players have noted that vehicles traveling at supersonic speeds can severely impact anything in their path. The game's protagonists—Franklin, Michael, and Trevor—often appear to navigate Los Santos in solitude, prompting the desire to introduce companions into their adventures. A creative concept called Pokémon Go GTA Edition reimagines Los Santos as a hunting ground for Pokémon, featuring characters like Geodudes, Charmanders, and Pikachu. In this mod, only Trevor seems capable of hunting Pokémon, leading to encounters where he captures a Geodude and a Squirtle, while a Charmander escapes after a brief skirmish.

AppWizard

August 20, 2026

I modded GTA 5’s NPCs to be punishable for their crimes, and also much more polite

In Grand Theft Auto V, modding enthusiasts are enhancing realism through new modifications. Two notable mods are NPC Check On Player, which allows NPCs to check on players after accidents, and NPCs Get Wanted Stars, which enables players to provoke NPCs into committing crimes, leading to humorous police chases. The NPC Check On Player mod introduces polite interactions, while the NPCs Get Wanted Stars mod creates chaotic scenarios as NPCs react to player actions. These developments reflect a desire for more immersive gameplay in the Los Santos environment.

BetaBeacon

August 15, 2026

Competitive Shooters Like Counter-Strike 2 Can Reach New Popularity Heights On Android Smartphones, As Sustained Performance Mod Allows Game To Stay Above 100FPS

A dual-CPU cooling mod by Redditor "ntsow" allows the Nubia Z70 Ultra to run Counter-Strike 2 at over 100FPS, showcasing significant performance improvements.

Winsage

August 15, 2026

Devs blame Windows for VLC media player bug that causes 33-second delay when playing MP3 files — creators allege Microsoft Defender blocking plugin cache is to blame

VLC, an open-source media player, is experiencing delays of up to 33 seconds when playing MP3 files on Windows 11, attributed to a bug in Microsoft Defender from a recent update that affects VLC's plugin cache. The VLC development team suggests that reinstalling VLC or regenerating the plugin cache can resolve the issue.

Winsage

August 14, 2026

Mustang Panda Adds Signed Windows Rootkit to CoolClient Backdoor for Stealth

The threat actor known as HoneyMyte, also referred to as Mustang Panda, has been deploying an upgraded version of the CoolClient backdoor, which includes a signed Windows kernel-mode rootkit. This rootkit enhances the malware's ability to conceal malicious processes, files, registry objects, and command-and-control (C2) network information. Victims have been identified in Myanmar, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Russia, with confirmed targets including government entities. The CoolClient backdoor is deployed as a secondary access layer following an initial PlugX infection. The kernel component activates when CoolClient gains full access to the Service Control Manager (SCM) and the SeTcbPrivilege privilege. If these conditions are not met, the malware bypasses driver deployment and advances to the final-stage implant. Kaspersky has provided indicators of compromise (IoCs), including file hashes, paths, and C2 domains. In a campaign targeting Myanmar, HoneyMyte used PlugX as the initial implant to deploy CoolClient, which involved creating Microsoft Defender exclusions and renaming a legitimate executable for DLL sideloading. Persistence is achieved through a scheduled task that executes the binary with SYSTEM privileges at startup. Execution begins when a legitimate application loads a malicious DLL, which then manages persistence, registry modifications, UAC bypass, process injection, driver deployment, and C2 communications. When privileges are granted, the malware extracts a kernel driver, writes it to disk, and establishes a driver service. The driver is digitally signed with a certificate from Nanjing Ranyi Technology Co., Ltd. The driver receives configuration data from the CoolClient user-mode component and utilizes specific IOCTL requests to register trusted processes and protect filesystem and registry paths. The rootkit can limit access rights to protected processes, hide processes by unlinking them from the active process list, and deny access to protected files and directories. It also filters C2 IPv4 addresses from network information. The driver incorporates 33 IOCTL handlers, but only three were observed in use during standard execution. Kaspersky shared several file hashes related to the malware, including those for the kernel driver and malicious DLLs. This follows earlier disclosures regarding a newer CoolClient variant and a different HoneyMyte kernel-mode rootkit documented in December 2025.