Upgrade to latest operating system
Q: I have a relatively new HP desktop with Windows 10. I'm not terribly computer savvy and am leery about downloading the latest Windows 10 update. Can I safely download the new version of Windows 10 without it impacting me too severely?
A: My first rule of thumb when it comes to operating systems is that it is always best to run the latest, greatest version.
For the most part, this tends to be the most secure and stable version available and has the best chance of keeping your computer operating well and also preventing it from being exploited by any vulnerabilities that might have been discovered.
As your system is relatively new and this is a Windows 10 to Windows 10 update, I would say the risk is very low. Still, I recommend that you have backups of any important data just in case.
Q: Lately, every time I attempt to access some of my favorite websites I receive an error message that says 403 Forbidden. Request forbidden by administrative rules. Any idea what gives? The only change I have made recently is installing VPN software.
A: Thank you for noting the change you made. This is often a valuable clue when diagnosing and troubleshooting computer problems.
If you have rebooted your computer and reset your browser and are still having this problem I would bet it is the VPN software that is causing the problem.
If a website sees too much nefarious behavior coming from one or more of the IP addresses associated with a VPN service it is not uncommon for the website to block those IP addresses in bulk.
I would uninstall the VPN software and try the sites again. If you can then access them you know it’s an issue with your VPN provider and you may want to try a different service.