Everything You Need to Know About Disk Partitioning
Disk partitioning is a concept that’s been around for so long, but is still only familiar to few. If done right, it can help get your computer in perfect order.
Today we bring you a simple definition of disk partitioning, its pros and cons, and a quick tip on how to do it properly to reap its full benefit!
Definition and purpose
The simplest way to define disk partitioning would be: it’s exactly what it sounds like. It means taking a hard disk drive and separating it into different segments. These segments are called partitions. You can visualize it as cutting a cake into smaller pieces - not necessarily of the same size, though.
So what is the purpose of these pieces?
Well, when you first get a hard drive, it’s basically just a bunch of unallocated storage space. Until there’s at least one partition, this space is unusable to your operating system. Once you create a partition, your OS will recognize it as usable storage space.
You can choose to create a single partition and use it for all your files, from program files to personal data. A lot of off-the-shelf computers come with one primary partition like this and a small secondary one reserved for recovery purposes.
Whether or not you want to split your disk into more than one segment is up to you. We would generally recommend it, though. The whole point of partitioning is for each segment to have its own purpose.
So treating all your storage space as a single unit containing different file types would be like constructing an office building with only one massive room for everything - day-to-day work, conferences, interviews, etc. And all of this for different departments of the company. You can see how this might get a little messy.
Creating multiple partitions eliminates the task of running several different types of files from the same place. This takes a heavy load off the entire process of accessing data.
Disk partitioning also brings a ton of other benefits to the table. An important disclaimer, though: there are disadvantages too. We will walk you through both sides to help you get an objective idea and make an informed decision.
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What are the benefits of disk partitioning?
1. Better file organization
This is the most obvious and perhaps the biggest advantage of partitioning your hard drive.
As we already mentioned, partitioning allows you to create separate segments for different file and data types. You wouldn’t want to use the same partition for your system files and for games, would you?
If organization and time management are important to you, then multiple partitions are the right solution. Searching for specific files will be much easier overall. Say you have one hard drive, but three partitions: C for the system files alone, D for multimedia files and documents, and E for games and apps. Your computer loads the system from C without interference from the other two, and you know exactly where to look when searching for a file.
2. Easy reinstallation
File management isn’t the only thing made faster and simpler thanks to partitioning. If you opt for creating multiple segments on your drive, reinstalling Windows will be easy peasy.
That’s because all you need to do is format the partition your system is on. Then you reinstall the OS on it, and there you go. Now you have a clean installation, with all your files saved on other partitions intact. You can even make a copy of your system partition, so you can revisit the exact same installation in the future if you want. And the whole time your pictures, music, documents stay exactly where you left them.
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3. Possibility of using multiple file systems
By now you’ve understood that partitions function completely separately. This means that, if for some reason you need multiple file system capabilities, partitioning will allow that.
One segment could be used for, say, an NTFS file system, while another could run ext or APFS.
4. Running different OSes
You’re an avid Windows user but need to use Linux on the side? No problem. You don’t need to buy a separate computer or anything. The possibility of running different file systems also means you can use partitioning to run multiple operating systems.
Doesn’t that sound enticing? One machine for multiple totally different uses!
5. Backup and recovery made simple
Data loss can happen on any disk, partitioned or not. However, it’s much easier to get it back on a partitioned one. You know where you stored what, and each partition can be backed up exactly as it is. It’s also a lot faster to back up single partitions than entire hard drives.
Ultimately this also means a faster path to recovery. If you lose or accidentally delete important files and data, you might want to use a recovery tool like Recuva to scan for them and get them back. Recuva is even powerful enough to recover data from damaged hard drives. But no matter how powerful, scanning a whole drive is strenuous for any recovery tool. Scanning independent partitions is a lot more convenient than that, and will get you to your goal more efficiently.
6. Optimized performance
Now, let’s keep in mind that computer performance is influenced by a number of factors. Partitioning alone isn’t what makes it better or worse. However, it can contribute to optimization. It’s easier for your computer to scan, say, a 40 GB partition to fetch the system file it needs than scanning the entire capacity of your drive.
7. Improved security (possibly*)
Separate partitions can help make your system more secure. Firstly, they minimize file corruption. If one partition gets corrupted, the others should remain unaffected. And keeping in mind the previous point about backup and recovery, ‘fixing’ the damaged partition would be much easier than fixing the entire hard drive.
Partitioning also improves security in terms of malware protection. A malicious attack on one partition is easier to deal with than malware on the whole drive. If your system partition gets infected, you can simply reinstall your OS and that should do the trick.
*Do keep in mind that partitioning can’t defend you against more advanced attacks. So make sure not to give in to a false sense of security.
What are the disadvantages of partitioning?
1. Data is still vulnerable
Yes, it’s easier to back up and recover data from independent partitions. And yes, partitioning may help protect separated files and data to a higher degree. But remember: everything is still on a single physical drive. So while digital errors and issues may be easier to deal with on partitioned drives, physical damage obviously won’t be.
If your hard drive is destroyed in some way, all data on it will be gone. That’s why, if you have crucial files on your PC, it’s important to give them the proper backup treatment before it’s too late.
2. Disbalance of space
Allocating storage space on separate partitions may be a little more tricky than you think. You may fill up one partition a lot faster than another. So on one side you’re struggling with space, and on another you have too much of it to spare. Imagine nearly filling up your system partition and then it turns out you need a lot more space for its updates than you thought.
That’s why you really have to be sure you actually have enough files of different types that you need help managing efficiently. Otherwise you’ll just create a struggle and disbalance in terms of storage.
3. Increased risk of error
If done incorrectly, partitioning can lead to more harm than good. Aside from space disbalance, there is an increased risk of incorrect partition sizes and formatting. Plus, human error is also a factor: in a moment of distraction, you may erase one partition when you meant another. Undoing such mistakes will definitely be tedious and time-consuming.
4. SSDs eliminate the need of partitioning
SSDs (solid-state drives) don’t function in the same way that HDDs do. They have faster read times and can organize files on their own. This quite literally eliminates the need for organization on your part.
Partitioning: yes or no?
The bottom line is that multiple partitions might not be necessary for the average user. But if you’re planning on storing many file types or different file and operating systems on the same PC, then you should give it a shot. It’s also an excellent solution for businesses, of course.
And if our pros and cons list isn’t enough to help you decide, you can always send us a message and we’ll help you make the right choice.
Decided to partition your hard drive?
If you’ve decided to give it a go, you definitely should make sure to do it right.
The two most effective and reliable ways to partition are using the built-in options on Windows or investing in a dedicated partitioning tool, like the EaseUS Partition Master. Which one you'll opt for depends on your specific needs.
Option 1 may be more suitable for users with at least some level of experience. In this case, you’d have to know exactly which steps to take without making errors. This is done in Disk Management on Windows 10/11. From there, you can select the partitions you’d like to split into different volumes of selected sizes.
If this is your first time partitioning, we highly suggest you either consult professionals for this or move on to option 2. The EaseUS partitioning software is specifically designed for beginners, with an intuitive interface helping you succeed in the process. All you need to do is pick the Partition Master package tailored to your needs and follow their guide.
Each package offers technical support as well, and even free upgrades (to varying degrees based on your subscription). Plus, all of this is valid for not one, but two PCs.
It’s the perfect solution for a smooth and error-free partitioning process. If you want to organize your hard drives efficiently and make the most of all your space without doing irreparable damage, it’s definitely worth the investment.
Driver Verifier is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that monitors device drivers on your computer, if it detects issues with drivers, it will attempt to fix the issue. If you are encountering Blue Screen for a Driver and after running Driver Verifier you get another with message DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION ten follow this article step by step in order to solve it.
There is a chance that you will maybe even have to do this in safe mode, if that is your case, login into safe mode and proceed, otherwise proceed normally.
Update Device Drivers
the most common issue with the blue screen is old Drivers, in most cases, graphical drivers, update all Drivers with the latest versions and see if this will resolve the issue.
Stop or uninstall Virtualization software
Virtua machine software is a great way to have a safe environment and to experiment while preserving your Windows installation intact, however sometimes due to the nature of these applications they can be a case for blue screen errors. Stop virtualization software to see if it will remove the issue. If that is the case, try another virtualization application
Disable Driver Verifier
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the secret menu
Click on Command Prompt (admin)
Inside command prompt type: verifier and press ENTER
Select the Delete existing settings radio button
Click FinishReboot your computer
Reset Driver Verifier
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the secret menu
Click on Command Prompt (admin)
Inside command prompt type: verifier /reset and press ENTERReboot your computer
Use system restore
Rollback Windows to the previous state where everything was working fine.
The use of Biometrics is supported by Windows 10. Aside from that, it also supports PIN, password, picture password on all computers and if your computer has the proper hardware, Windows 10 also supports facial scanning, iris scanning, and even fingerprint scanning. You can see all these exciting features inside Settings > Accounts > Sign In Options.
On the other hand, you can’t really expect to make use of all the above-mentioned features since it depends if the hardware is available to support them. One of the most interesting features is the use of Biometrics which is really useful in workplaces and so this post will show you how you can enable or disable the Domain Users Sign In on Windows 10 using Biometrics via Registry Editor or Group Policy Editor. But before you go on, you need to create a System Restore Point first since the modifications you’re about to do might affect the functioning of your computer. So in case something went wrong, you can always undo the changes you’ve made.
Option 1 – via Registry Editor
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
After that, navigate to the following registry path:
From there, right-click on the right-side panel and click on New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
And then set the name of the newly created DWORD as “Domain Accounts”.
Afterward, click on “Domain Accounts” and set its value to “1”. This will allow the domain users to sign in to Windows 10 using Biometrics. While the value of 0 will disable the domain users sign in to Windows 10 using Biometrics.
Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Option 2 – via Group Policy Editor
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “gpedit.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
After that, navigate to the following setting:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Biometrics
Then double click on the following entries located on the right-side panel and set the radio button to Enabled on all of them.
Allow the use of Biometrics.
Allow users to log on using Biometrics.
Allow domain users to log on using biometrics.
Now exit the Group Policy Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made properly.
This post will guide you in fixing yet another annoying Blue Screen of Death error, “BUGCODE_USB_DRIVER”. This particular BSOD error occurs due to some issue with usbhub.sys, winusb.sys, or usbport.sys system driver file. When you encounter this kind of Stop error on your Windows 10 PC, it indicates that an error has occurred in the Universal Serial Bus or USB driver. The USB driver is issued by Microsoft themselves and it comes along with the Windows 10 system which is why it is difficult to download its latest version using a web browser. Thus, you need to take some basic steps to resolve the problem.
Carefully follow the given fixes below to fix the BUGCODE_USB_DRIVER Blue Screen error and before you proceed, you need to create a System Restore Point, this way you have some backup in case something goes out of hand.
Option 1 – Update the USB Controller Drivers
First, click the Start button and type “device manager”.
Then click on the “Device Manager” from the search results to open it.
From there, look for the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” option and then right-click on each one of the USB drivers and select the Update Driver from the menu.
Restart your PC and then click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.
You also have the option to update the motherboard and the USB driver from the manufacturer’s official website.
Option 2 – Check for any available Windows Updates
Another you can try is to check if there are any Windows Updates available to make sure that your Windows 10 PC has all the latest updates installed. All you have to do is go to Settings > Update &security. From there, just click on the Check for updates button.
Option 3 – Uninstall conflicting programs and services
There are certain programs like VMWare, Virtual Box, Hyper-V Virtualization services that might be in conflict with the USB port drivers on the parent operating system. Thus, you can try uninstalling the aforementioned programs and other similar ones to see if it fixes the BSOD error.
In the search box, type in “control” and then click on Control Panel (desktop app) among the search results.
After that, select Programs and Features from the list which will give you a list of all the programs installed on your computer.
From there, look for the concerned program and select it and then uninstall it.
Note: If you have downloaded the app from the Windows Store, you can simply right-click on it from the application list and then uninstall it.
If uninstalling the programs mentioned above didn’t help, you might want to try putting your PC in a Clean Boot State to help you find the faulty program.
Log onto your PC as an administrator.
Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
Click Disable all.
Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
Option 4 – Modify the Power Settings
In the Cortana Search box, type “power options” and then select Power Options from the search results.
After opening Power Options, click on Change plan settings for your selected power plan.
Next, click on Change advanced power settings.
Then look for USB Settings and click on it to expand it.
Now expand the USB selective suspend setting and then disable it.
After that, click on the Apply and then OK buttons to save the changes made.
Option 5 – Check for any hard disk errors
On your desktop, right-click on the “This PC” or computer icon and then select Manage to open the Disk Management. Here you get to check your drive’s health.
Next, click on Disk Management on the left side panel.
From there, check the state of your drives. If it shows that all your partitions are healthy then it means all is good and that the problem may have something to do with some physical issues with your hard drive.
You might also want to run the CHKDSK utility to help you fix any issues with your hard disk. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the CHKDSK utility comes in. The CHKDSK utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After opening Command Prompt, execute the following command and hit Enter:
chkdsk /f /r
Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.
Manually cleaning your PC registry may be the worst or best thing you ever decide to do. Registry keys that lie around on your computer, unused, can cause your computer to lag. This can end up in your computer not being able to load the easiest of programs and being slow at loading anything, let alone something that would take up a decent amount of memory.
If your computer has slowed to almost an absolute stop, it is most probably the registry’s fault and the only option then is to clean it. You can get programs to do this for you, but they can be riddled with inaccuracies and viruses that could harm your computer even more.
This is why some people choose to manually edit their computer. However, this is not without its flaws.
Registry Keys
Registry keys tend to have really long names.
These names will be full of numbers and hyphens and will most likely give you no indication of what they do. Even some computer experts find it hard to understand what every computer’s registry keys do.
This can make it very hard to see which ones are causing the problem; and if you don’t know what’s causing the problem, then there is no way you will be able to fix it.
Some registry keys will be completely menial in what they do but some could be vital to even allow Windows to work on your computer.
Manual Registry Repair
Registry keys can also cause huge problems if you manually delete the wrong one.
A lot of registry cleaners have the option to revive a key that they have deleted on you, which means that fixing an error that they made would be easy enough to do. However, when you manually delete registry keys, it will be an awful lot harder to get them back to work again afterward.
This can cause your computer many problems and if you delete even one wrong key it is possible your computer will not even start. With the horrid naming system they have as well, it makes it very hard to determine what is important and what is not, which means it is all too likely that you will delete something important.
However, those are the risks you have to take when you are cleaning out your registry. A registry cleaner has the same likelihood of messing with your computer and deleting something wrong that you have, so it is the same either way however a registry cleaner will do it with less hassle.
But, some people say that if you do it yourself, it’s more likely to be right; that is why they prefer to do it manually and that is alright.
Conclusion
So, if you are manually deleting your registry keys that are unused, you’ll have to use a program that comes with Windows known as ‘regedit.exe’ which is incredibly difficult to use but may just be worth the hassle in the end.
So, you don’t really need to put up with a slow computer, but be careful when messing with your registry manually!
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In this post, you will be guided on how you can set up the USB tethering feature on your Windows 10 computer and share your mobile device’s mobile data so other devices can also access the internet. Tethering is usually known as Wi-Fi tethering which allows users to share mobile data to any device with Wi-Fi, laptops included. This is really useful especially when you have no other way to access the internet. For instance, if you are using a desktop computer and there is no way for you to connect to the Ethernet, and you have no Wi-Fi adapter that you can use to connect to a router as well, you can use USB tethering instead to access the internet. It is almost similar to Wi-Fi tethering except that it works over a USB connection instead of a Wi-Fi adapter.
USB tethering is almost quite the same as an Ethernet connection except that it’s faster compared to Wi-Fi tethering as well as Bluetooth tethering. Just like Wi-Fi tethering, USB tethering is free unless your network carrier has blocked it. Thus, it’s better if you make that clear with your operator. Once you have that covered,
Follow the instructions provided below to set up USB tethering on your Windows 10 computer.
Step 1: First, connect your mobile device to your Windows 10 computer using a USB cable.
Step 2: If it asks you to enable the file transfer feature, just cancel it. A prompt that says, “Tethering or Hotspot active—Tap to setup” should be available as soon as you get connected – tap on it.
Note: If there is no prompt, just go to Settings > Network and Internet > Hotspot and Tethering and from there, toggle on the USB tethering option.
Step 3: Afterwards, the setup will create a new network adapter in Windows 10 automatically and your computer should now be connected to the internet using USB tethering.
Note: You have to make sure that the Wi-Fi connection in your mobile device is turned off and if it is connected to an existing network, the USB tethering will be disabled but if you see its status as enabled, then the USB tethering setup is successfully done. In addition, keep in mind that the location of tethering can be different for every phone, especially on a customized operating system such as RealMe, Redmi, Samsung, and any other mobile device although they are clubbed in the section of Mobile and Data Network.
In case you encounter some problems when using USB tethering in your Windows 10 computer, there are troubleshooting tips you should follow. The NDIS-based Internet Sharing Device network adapter is what Windows 10 uses to make USB tethering possible so if it stops working, follow the options provided below.
Option 1 – Perform basic check
The first thing you can do if you encounter problems in USB tethering is to do a basic check like checking if Wi-Fi is enabled automatically as well as check if the USB cable is disconnected or if you’ve turned off USB tethering accidentally.
Option 2 – Try installing or updating the USB RNDIS adapter
RNDIS or Remote Network Driver Interface Specification can also help you resolve any USB tethering problem. If the pre-installed driver does not help you in connecting to the internet, then you can try installing the USB RNDIS driver that is, if it’s not installed yet. If it is already installed, you can try to update it instead.
Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.
Next, expand the Network adapters section and look for the Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device. But if you are using a Samsung smartphone, you might see “Samsung” instead of under Network adapters.
Right-click on it and then select the “Update driver” option.
Then select the “Browse my computer for driver software” option.
After that, select the “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer” option.
Now uncheck the checkbox for “Show compatible hardware”.
From the given list on your left-hand side, look for Microsoft and then select the Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device on your right-hand side.
Click on Next. A new popup will appear where you have to click on Yes. This will install the driver.
Now click on the Close button and restart your computer.
When Windows 11 update is available but you do not wish to restart right away because you are in the middle of using a computer, you can schedule a restart for up to 7 days. It is very easy and we will show you how to do it.
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
Click on Windows Update
At the top, under the Restart required to click on Schedule the Restart
Click the switch under Schedule a Time to turn it ON
Use the Pick a Time and Pick a Day menu to set time and day when you want to update
Go back to one screen and visually confirm that the date is set
Close the settings
The scheduled restart will be confirmed in a message on the Windows Update page.
Error code 0x80070057 occurs when Windows users are having problems installing updates on their machines. The error code may result due to issues affecting Windows Update, for instance, problems with system files or settings that can be accessed or modified using the registry in Windows. Error code 0x80070057affects multiple versions of the Windows operating system including Windows 10. Common symptoms manifested when this error code and other update error codes occur include the following:
Inability to complete the installation of updates via Windows Update
Presence of error code message box
Error Causes
Update error codes like error code 0x80070057 occur when there are issues related to system files, programs or malicious software is present on one’s machine. To combat these issues, users may need to implement manual repair procedures, depending on the specific error code present on their device.
Solution
Further Information and Manual Repair
Windows users can fix error code 0x80070057 by manually repairing or deleting subkeys and values within the Windows registry. This enables Windows Update to function as the proper modification of settings and other information present in the registry can fix problems associated with certain error codes.
The manual repair procedures also enable users to address specific problems on the devices that may not be fixed through the use of other methods.
Method One: Back-Up Registry in Windows
The Windows registry contains information regarding applications installed on the version of Windows you use on your device. This information as well as settings related to hardware are all accessible to users and can be useful when combating problems like error code 0x80070057.
However, users will need to be very careful when making modifications within the registry in Windows. This is due to the fact that errors made while accessing the registry can lead to serious issues on your PC. Backing up your registry before you modify it is crucial since it will provide protection against any problems that may arise if you make an error. This is the first step in resolving error code 0x80070057. Follow the steps below to back up your registry properly.
Step one: Type regedit.exe in the search box near the Start button.
Step two: Type the appropriate password or provide confirmation if you are prompted to do so
Step three: Locate Registry Editor
Step four: Select registry key or subkey that you want to back up
Step five: Click File > Export
Step six: In the Export Registry File dialog box, choose a location where you will save the backup copy
Step seven: Name the backup file then select Save.
In the case of fixing error code 0x80070057, the registry file or subkey you will need to back up relates to this: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. This contains configuration details or information related to your machine regardless of the user. Also note that the registry, once you have created a backup file, will be protected, thus enabling you to move to the manual method mentioned below.
Method Two: Make Changes to the Windows Registry
The execution of modifications to the registry can be a complex procedure, especially if you are an average Windows 10 user who lacks technical knowledge. Thankfully, even non-technical users can access the solutions they need by simply following the instructions provided in this article.
You may also contact a Windows repair technician as well, in case you have trouble implementing the steps mentioned for modifying your Windows registry or if other problems arise while you are proceeding with these instructions.
Step one: Access the Windows Registry Editor by typing regedit.exe in the search box near the Start button.
Step two: Type the appropriate password or provide confirmation if you are prompted to do so
After making these modifications in the Windows registry, restart your machine. You can then check Windows Update to see if the problem has been resolved. If the modifications to the registry have proven successful, you will no longer see the error code 0x80070057 message box. You will also be able to complete all updates via Windows Update.
Method Three: Download an Automated Tool
If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 8 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.
The Control Panel is one of the most important tools in Windows which allows users to control and change various settings. However, there are cases when it experiences some problems like when users aren’t able to open it. Recently, a lot of users complained about not being able to open the Control Panel. To be more specific, users were able to open it but only lasted for a second, and then it’s gone. This is not just some issue you can ignore as this will prevent you from accessing some major settings in your computer and you won’t be able to perform some important task without it.
According to security experts, this issue is most likely caused by a bug in the Windows Update. If you have installed an update recently, then it’s most likely the culprit. Aside from the Windows Update, there are also other things that can cause this issue. Some of them are the IDT audio panel and a control panel file that causes conflicting issues with the control panel that leads to this problem. Aside from these aforementioned cases, the Windows Error reporting services could also be one of the causes of this issue. As you can see, since there are a lot of possible causes for this problem, this post prepared a lot of options as well which you have to check out. Follow each one of them and see which one worked best for you.
Option 1 – Try updating your Windows 10 PC
If you haven’t updated your PC to the latest version of Windows 10, then you should. A lot of users found that the issue with the Control Panel was fixed right after they updated their Windows 10 PCs. This is probably because Microsoft has probably released a fix on one of the latest updates.
Option 2 – Try uninstalling the IDT Audio Panel
For some users, uninstalling the IDT Audio Panel from their PCs did the trick. You can also try doing the same thing to fix the vanishing Control Panel. According to these users. The IDT audio panel was the one that’s causing the issue. To uninstall the IDT audio panel, here’s what you have to do:
Tap the Win + R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.
Then type in “appwiz.cpl” in the field and tap Enter to open the “Uninstall or change a program” screen of the Control Panel.
From there, look for the IDT audio panel, select it and then select the Uninstall option and follow the next on-screen instructions that appear.
Note: If you are unable to locate the IDT audio panel or you simply can’t access the Uninstall or change program screen or you can’t keep Control Panel open for a long time, here’s what you can do:
Tap the Win + R keys at the same time once again to open the Run dialog box.
And in the field, type in “devmgmt.msc” and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.
After opening the Device Manager, look for the “Sound, video and game controllers” option and double-click on it.
From there, locate the IDT audio panel or “IDT High Definition CODEC” and select Uninstall and follow the next instructions that appear.
Option 3 – Try deleting or renaming IDTNC64.cpl
IDTNC64.cpl is a control file in the control panel. However, it might be the one that’s causing the problem as it could be conflicting with the control panel. As a result, the control panel crashes after a second or more. Many users have fixed the problem by either renaming or deleting this file – the safer option would be is renaming it.
Tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
In the address bar located at the top, type in “C:\Windows\System32” and tap Enter to open this folder.
From there, look for the IDTNC64.cpl file, right-click on it and select the Rename option.
You can name the file anything you want but it’s better if you rename it to “oldcpl”.
After you rename the file, try opening the Control Panel again. It should work fine now.
Option 4 – Try to disable the Windows Error Reporting Service
As mentioned earlier, the Windows Error Reporting Service is also known to cause the issue so some users disable it and got the issue fixed.
Tap the Win + R keys.
In the field, type in “MSConfig” and hit Enter to open System Configuration.
After opening System Configuration, go to the Services tab and look for the Windows Error Reporting Service and uncheck its checkbox.
Click the Apply button and click OK. You should now see a date in the Disable Date column. Then check if the Control Panel is now working properly if not, restart your computer and check once more. That should fix the problem.
Option 5 – Try opening Control Panel via Run
This option is more of a workaround than a solution as it does not really fix the issue with the Control Panel but rather helps you in accessing the controls at the very least.
Tap the Win + R keys to open Run.
Type in “appwiz.cpl” in the field and tap Enter to open the Uninstall or change program screen of the Control Panel.
Next, copy and paste “Control panel all control panel items” on the address bar located at the top-mid part of your screen. You must not type the given address and simply copy and paste it. After that, you will see a list of control panel controls you can use.
One of the preferred ways to upgrade Windows 10 is by creating a bootable USB drive. However, you might change your mind when you encounter an error during the Windows 10 Setup that says, “We can’t find a USB flash drive”. Worry not for this error can be fixed using some suggestions that will be provided in this post.
The funning thing about this error in Windows setup is that the computer says it’s not there when it’s clearly there. To fix this problem, you need to check if the USB device is accessible on your computer or you can also try a different USB device. In addition, you could check if there are any issues with both the USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports as it could be the reason why you’re getting the error or fix the bad sectors in the USB drive as well as see if the USB drive is set as the primary drive.
Option 1 – Try to check if the USB is accessible on your PC
The first thing you can do to resolve the problem is to check if you can access your USB device from your computer. All you have to do is open File Explorer and check if the USB device is listed there or not.
Option 2 – Try to connect a different USB device
The next thing you can do to fix the error is to try connecting a different USB device, specifically the one that has more significant storage space. You also have to make sure that it’s working on a different PC.
Option 3 – Fix any issues with the USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports
Although the USB 3.0 ports are compatible with the USB 2.0 ports, it does not necessarily mean that there wouldn’t be any problem when you use them which is why it’s best to fix any issues in them or better yet, use a compatible drive.
Option 4 – Try to fix the bad sectors in the USB drive via CHKDSK
When it comes to some issues concerning the hard drive or removable devices, there is a utility in Windows that might help which is called “chkdsk”. To use it, follow the steps below.
Tap the Win + S keys to open the Search box.
Then type “command prompt” in the field and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
After opening an elevated command prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter:
Note: In the command given above, “[/F]” will try to fix the system errors while “[/R]” will be the one to fix the bad sectors.
Now if you are prompted to run CHKDSK after your reboot your PC, just tap Y and reboot your PC.
If CHKDSK is not able to find any errors, tap the Win + E keys and navigate the access window. From there, right-click on the concerned drive and click on Properties.
After opening Properties, click on the tab Tools and then click on the “Check” button under the Error-checking section.
Wait until the process is completed and then restart your computer.
Option 5 – Try checking if the USB is set as the primary drive
You might also want to check if the USB drive is set as the primary drive because if it is, then it won’t appear on the list. It could also be that the USB drive has a primary disk in it. To undo it, you need to use the DISKPART utility.
In the Start Search, type “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results, and then select the “Run as administrator” option.
Next, execute the “diskpart” command to initiate the DISKPART utility.
After that, type the “list disk” command and tap Enter to display the list of disks on the computer. You have to take note of the drive number or letter of the concerned USB drive.
Once done, type the “select disk <X>” command where X is the drive letter or number and tap Enter.
Then execute the “list partition” command to see the list of all the partitions in your computer. It should be listed as 0, 1, or 2. 0 is the primary partition.
Now type the “select partition 0” command and tap Enter and then type “delete partition” to delete the selected partition.
You can do the same to the other partitions as well and when you’re done, execute the format command to turn the USB drive into a standard one.
If you suddenly encountered an error that says, “No Audio Output Device is installed” on your Windows 10 computer, worry not for this post will guide you on how exactly you can fix the problem. There are several possible reasons why this error pops up. It could be due to a recent Windows 10 update you’ve installed, or it could be due to a corrupted or outdated audio driver, and so on.
There are several potential solutions to this error. You can try running the built-in Audio Playing troubleshooter or update or uninstall the Audio driver. You could also try to update the Intel Smart Sound Technology Audio Control driver, as well as contact support for your laptop or computer. For more details, refer to each one of the provided options below.
Option 1 – Try to run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter
Since the Windows 10 operating system has the Playing Audio Troubleshooter, you can use this troubleshooter to try and fix the problem with the “No Audio Output Device is installed” error. You can access this tool in the Control Panel or in the Taskbar Search and even on the Troubleshooters page of Windows 10.
Run this troubleshooter and see if it can fix the issue or not.
Option 2 – Try to update the Audio driver
If the error has something to do with software, chances are it might be related to the audio driver – it could be that the newest version of your Windows 10 does not work well with the old version of the driver. This is why you have to update your audio driver to the newest available version.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and then type in MSC and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
Expand the section of the Sound, video, and Game Controllers.
And then from the drop-down menu, select the Update Driver option and follow the on-screen instructions to install the latest version of the driver.
Then also click on the option, “Search automatically for updated driver software.
Restart your PC after the installation.
Note: If updating the Audio driver didn’t work, you can go to the website of your PC manufacturer and look for the support section where you can download the drivers for your computer. You just need to take note of your PC’s correct model and model number so you can find the appropriate driver.
Option 3 – Try removing and reinstalling the sound card
If option 1 didn’t work, you can also try to remove and reinstall the sound card of your computer to fix the high-pitched sound coming from your computer’s speakers.
To get started, tap on the Windows key + R to pull up the Run box.
Next, type in “MSC” in the box to open the Device Manager.
After opening the Device Manager, go to the “Sound, video, and game controllers” option then right-click on the sound card.
Finally, click on Uninstall and tick the box with a label that says, “Delete the driver software for this device” and close the Device Manager.
Restart your computer and check if the problem’s fixed or not.
Note: After you restart your computer, the system should reinstall the speaker automatically. But if it does not reinstall, you can follow the aforementioned steps again to go to the Device Manager. From there, go back to “Sound, video, and Game Controllers” and right-click on the sound card. After that, enabling the sound card and restart your computer once more. That should fix the problem.
Option 4 – Try updating the Intel Smart Sound Technology Audio Control driver
If the three options given above didn’t fix the error, you might want to try updating the Intel Smart Sound Technology Audio Control driver. To do so, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + X keys and select the Device Manager option from the menu.
Next, scroll down and click on the System Devices option and select the “Intel Smart Sound Technology Audio Control” option.
Then right-click on it and select the “Update driver” option.
After a couple of seconds, the wizard will look for an available driver and will automatically update it.
Restart your computer and see if the error is now fixed.
When Windows 11 update is available but you do not wish to restart right away because you are in the middle of using a computer, you can schedule a restart for up to 7 days. It is very easy and we will show you how to do it.
