Code 42 Error is referred to as a Device Manager Error code. Before we explain what this code indicates, it is important to understand what ‘Device Manager’ is and its functions.
Device Manager is basically a Windows tool that helps manage devices attached to the system such as the Printer, Scanner and the USB Device. The Device Manager Error code 42 occurs when a duplicate device is detected.
Error Code 42 is displayed in the following format:
“Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because there is a duplicate device already running in the system. Code 42”
Solution
Error Causes
Narrowing down to one particular cause for error code 42 is not virtually possible because it may be triggered due to many underlying reasons. These include:
When a bus driver incorrectly generates and creates 2 identically named devices
When a device with a serial number is found in a new location without being removed from its original location
Mis-configured drivers
No matter what the reason for this error code,, to avoid inconvenience and to ensure proper hardware performance, it is advisable to fix it right away without any delay.
Further Information and Manual Repair
If you’re not technically sound, the code 42 message display can panic you. But don’t worry, the error message sounds complex but it is quite easy to fix.
To resolve code 42 in a few minutes, simply try the methods given below. These methods are easy-to-perform, effective and more importantly require no technical expertise.
Method 1 - Restart Your System
Code 42 can pop up due to some temporary glitch in the Device Manager. By simply restarting your PC, you can resolve this problem.
Therefore, first things first, restart your system. However, in case it doesn’t work out, try other methods.
Method 2 - Launch the Troubleshooting Wizard
Launch the troubleshooting wizard to find the underlying problem and resolve it accordingly. To do this, proceed with the following steps:
Go to the start menu
Type Device Manager in the search bar and press enter
Now click on the ‘General Tab’
Then click on ‘Trouble Shoot’ to launch the Troubleshooting Wizard
After that follow the instructions in this Wizard to diagnose the problem and resolve it.
Method 3 - Restore Your PC to its Previous State
Another method to fix code 42 is to use the System Restore tool to restore your PC to its previous working state before the error popped up. To do this,
Go to the start menu
Type System Restore in the search bar and press enter
Now click on ‘Restore my computer to an earlier time’ and then click ‘Next’
After that select the restore point on the restore point list and confirm settings
Restart your PC to activate changes
Before restoring your PC to its previous state, create a backup. By creating data backup you can avoid data loss issues, which are likely to occur during this process.
Creating backup manually can be time-consuming and a painstaking task. The best way to create backup and restore your PC to its normal state is to download DriverFIX.
It is a user-friendly device driver management software that helps create data backup automatically and simultaneously restores your PC back to its normal working state in a few seconds.
This software is compatible with all Windows versions.
Click here to download DriverFIX on your system to resolve error code 42.
Fatal error C0000034 happens during the installation of the Windows update and if you are one of the unlucky users who sadly run into this, keep reading as we will provide solutions to this error and how to get around it.
Start from point 1 to the bottom and hopefully you will have your PC back into working order in no time.
Run Windows Update troubleshooter
Usually, a built-in Windows troubleshooter can solve issues painlessly and fast, my advice is to try this as the first option, it is a simple and clean solution worth trying and in 90% it solves the issue all by itself.
Do a clean boot
Using task manager, remove all nonessential applications and services from starting up, reboot your computer, and once it is cleanly booted try re-running the update process again, if the issue was running the application this time everything will work since the problematic application is not running.
Reset Windows update components to the default
This solution requires you to use the Reset Windows Update Agent Tool to reset Windows Update components to default or use this PowerShell script to reset Windows Update Client. You can also manually reset each Windows Update component to default and then re-run the update.
Disable firewall and antivirus
Altho not likely it is still a possibility that some firewalls and antivirus can detect windows updates as malicious software and cut them off. If everything else failed, disable the firewall and your PC protection and when it is fully disabled try updating.
Do automatic startup repair
This should be the last thing to do but if everything else failed, do it. Perform Windows 10 Startup Repair. Once the startup repair completes successfully, you can re-run the update. The update should install without errors.
Finally upgraded to Microsoft’s newest OS, but the performance is a bit sluggish? Here are a few useful tips you may not have thought about that could significantly transform your experience!
How to speed up Windows 11?
1. Disable startup programs
There are many programs that launch right on startup that really aren’t essential. This, in turn, causes your PC to launch and run more slowly.
To check which programs are enabled on startup, go into the Task Manager and select the Startup tab. Find every program that doesn’t need to launch immediately, right-click on it and press ‘Disable’.
This will not shut down the program in that instant. It’ll just prevent it from running automatically as you turn on your PC. You can always launch it manually when you need it.
2. Expand your memory and storage
If you want your PC to run super smoothly, you need to have enough memory to support that. This is especially significant for those of you who love to multitask. Upgrading your RAM gives your PC more space to store the temporary data it needs to complete processing tasks. In other words, processing takes a lot less time.
Your long-term storage is equally important. Hopefully at this point you’re already using SSD over HDD, since this type of storage offers a faster boot time.
Credit: Marc Pezin on Unsplash
In any case, we recommend expanding your storage capacity. The more files and data you store, the more there is to load, significantly influencing your PC’s speed. Larger storage capacity means new data and essential updates can be stored comfortably, preventing any strain on your PC’s performance.
3. Clean up disk space
If you aren’t willing to upgrade your storage just yet, the least you can do is clean up your storage right now.
Aside from manually deleting stuff you no longer need, you can also get rid of temporary files that clutter up your storage and eat up performance for no reason. To get to them, click Windows + X and select ‘Run’ (or just type it in the search bar).
A small window will pop up, where you need to type %temp%. This will take you to a whole folder full of all the temporary files you can remove without thinking twice.
For those who upgraded from Windows 10, there’s a neat trick to get rid of potential leftover files you don’t need on your brand new iteration. Only do this if you’re 100% sticking with Windows 11, though. Go to System > Storage > Temporary files. Make sure to only leave ‘Previous Windows Installation’ and ‘Windows Update Clean-up’ checked and click on ‘Remove files’.
Lastly, make use of Windows 11’s fantastic Storage Sense feature. Turning it on will enable your PC to constantly watch out for junk or unused files to optimize your PC’s performance to the maximum.
4. Install pending updates
This one should go without saying, but pending updates can be detrimental to your Windows 11 performance. The longer you leave them untouched, the more bugs the outdated programs and patches can cause. So, make sure to regularly check for updates and install them as soon as they’re available.
5. Disable visual effects
As cool as visual effects, animations, shadows and transparency are, they can also put quite a toll on your computer’s speed. On a newer setup this generally shouldn’t be a problem, but if you do notice a drop in performance, definitely consider turning off some of these settings.
To do this you can go to the Control Panel, System Properties and click the ‘Advanced’ tab. In the Performance section, choose Settings. If you’d like a quicker way to get to the dialog (Performance Options) with Visual Effects, you can also type sysdm.cpl in the search bar.
Once there, you can either have your PC choose what’s best, choose the best appearance or the best performance. The other option is to manually toggle the effects off and on. The biggest obstacles to speed are taskbar animations, window shadows, control/element animations and animations upon minimizing/maximizing.
Credit: Windows on Unsplash
In the same vein, you should go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and disable Transparency, to prevent your computer from doing overtime just to hit the aesthetic appeal.
6. Get rid of bloatware
Bloatware is one of the biggest culprits of slow computer speed.
Pre-installed software that’s pretty much useless but takes up valuable system resources has been around since day one. No matter which device or platform you’re talking about. Luckily, a lot of it is removable, making it easy to lighten the load on your device.
To boost your Windows 11 computer, go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps.You’ll probably see a bunch of apps you don’t want or need. Click on the three dots next to each one you want to remove and press ‘Uninstall’.
Aside from helping optimize performance, removing bloatware has another great benefit. Unfortunately, often this pre-installed software is quite vulnerable, exposing you to great risk of cyberattacks. So, removing it definitely improves your device’s security and gives you at least some peace of mind.
Summary
These are a few of our fastest tips for boosting performance. There are other, more complex and time-consuming ways, of course. If you’ve tried these quick ones and still need advice on how to improve your PC’s speed, feel free to reach out!
Why Can’t drag and drop files or folders happens? In case you don’t know, there is a feature in Windows 10 called drag and drop that can help you move or copy files or even folders from one location to another. This feature is useful and can help you move or copy folders and files easier and quicker. However, if you encounter some problem while using this feature, worry not for this post will guide you on what you can do to resolve the problem.
There are several suggestions you can check out to fix the problem. You can try to simply tap the Esc key or you could also troubleshoot the problem in a Clean Boot State. Aside from that, changing the drag height and width or disabling the User Account Control via Registry Editor might also help. For more details, refer to the instructions laid out below.
Option 1 – Try to tap the Esc key
According to some users who experienced the same dilemma, by simply tapping the Esc key, they were able to resolve the problem. All they did was tap the Esc key before they drag and drop the folder or files. Thus, you can try doing the same thing as it might also work for you. After you tap the Esc key, you have to check all the background applications and if you see some that could be related to the hotkeys or keyboard, you might have to disable or remove them. Once done, check if the problem is fixed or not.
Option 2 – Try troubleshooting the problem in a Clean Boot State
There are some instances that some conflicting programs installed in your computer might be the reason why you’re having trouble using the drag and drop feature in Windows 10. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.
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” checkbox 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 to configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.
Option 3 – Try changing the drag height and width
The next thing you can do to resolve the issue is to try changing drag height and width by following these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Next, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop
From there, choose to modify both the “DragHeight” and “DragWidth” located on the right pane.
After that, change the value to a very high number. Note that these values are nothing but pixel size to drag and drop folders or files.
Option 4 – Try disabling the User Account Control or UAC via Registry Editor
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
After that, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem
From this path, modify the value of “EnableLUA” from 1 to 0. This should disable the UAC in your Windows 10 computer.
0x800ccc7d is an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) error message code that occurs in applications like Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. The error message is displayed as: ‘ unknown error 0x800ccc7d- secure sockets layer ’.
Many offices use Microsoft Outlook for email communication and sending instant messages within the office. This is a highly functional application that enables users to interact with peers efficiently, manage contacts, journals, and reminders.
However, the error 0x800ccc7d may hamper your ability to send and receive emails efficiently. Therefore it is advisable to repair it right away.
Solution
Error Causes
The error 0x800ccc7d is triggered by the following causes:
Damaged profile in Outlook
Incorrect email account settings
The Outlook installation is corrupt and damaged. This usually happens due to issues in hard disk storage.
The outgoing SMTP server does not support secure connections
Further Information and Manual Repair
If you come across 0800ccc7d error code while using Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express, then don’t you worry! This problem can be easily resolved. In fact, it is so easy to repair that you can do it by yourself even if you are not a technical expert.
Here are some ways to fix the 0800ccc7d SSL Outlook error:
Solution 1: Use Scanpst.exe
You may not know this but Microsoft offers an inbuilt Outlook Repair tool. This tool is technically known as Scanpst.exe. This tool is useful when you need to repair Basic header corruption. However, it may not be the best choice if the problem is big and complex.
Solution 2: Reset Your Outlook Settings
Sometimes this error message may occur when the STMP server requires authentication or does not recognize the senders' email addresses. In this scenario, you should check your Outlook settings to make sure that your STMP username and server are correct. For this follow this procedure:
Go to the Tools menu and then click on Accounts
Now click on your email account then check its properties
Click general and make sure that your email address is created in your account’s control panel. If not, then edit and create.
Next, click servers and see if the box next to the option that says My server requires authentication is checked or not. If not, then check it to resolve the error.
Solution 3: Disable any Anti-Virus
Another alternative to resolve this error is to disable any Anti-virus or Firewall you have installed on your PC. Once you disable it then try sending or receiving the email again. This usually works.
Solution 4: Download 0x800ccc7d Repair Tool
The fourth solution available to resolve this issue is by downloading the 0x800ccc7d repair tool. Though it is similar to Microsoft Outlook built-in scanpst.exe tool, but as compared to it the 0x800ccc7d repair tool is a highly functional tool.
There are many 0x800ccc7d repair tools available but we recommend you to Restoro.
This tool is a third-party tool that can deal, scan, and fix 0x800cc7d error in no time. What makes this repair tool an excellent choice is that it can repair all broken PST files and emails, recover Outlook items, retrieve deleted files, recover password-protected data, split files to recover oversize PST files, and more.
To access and install the 0x800ccc7d repair tool all you need to do is download it here and install it on your PC. Now run it to scan errors. Once the errors are scanned, hit the repair tab to resolve.
So, next time when you experience the error 0x800ccc7d, try using these solutions to fix the problem right away!
As you know, Windows 10 supports a variety of peripherals which includes a long list of printers. However, a number of users reported that they encountered a glitch on their Windows 10 computers where they receive Can’t print a file and a prompt to save the Word, PDF file, and so on each time they try to print the file. This kind of issue is not common and could be due to various reasons like the malfunctioning of device drivers, misconfiguration of the printer’s settings, and so on.
There are several options you can check out to resolve the problem. You can try to run the built-in troubleshooter or check the configuration of the printer, as well as update or reinstall the driver for printers or reset the printer. For more details, refer to each one of the options provided below and make sure to follow them carefully.
Option 1 – Run the Printer Troubleshooter
One of the first basic troubleshooting you can perform to resolve the printer issue is running the Printer Troubleshooter. This built-in troubleshooter can detect and automatically fix the problem for you. To use it, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “exe /id PrinterDiagnostic” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the Printer Troubleshooter.
Then click the Next button and follow the next on-screen instructions to fix the issue with the printer.
Option 2 – Try checking the printer’s configuration
The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to check the configuration of the printer since there are instances when there could be some misconfiguration with the settings of the printer that may result in several issues like this one.
First, you need to open Control Panel and from there, look for the option Devices and printers and open it.
After that, right-click on the entry of your printer that you want to use in printing documents and select the Set as a default printer option.
You could also try to open PDF and then go to the Print dialog box and uncheck the Print to file option.
Option 3 – Try to update or reinstall the printer driver
The problem with your printer might also be caused by corrupted or outdated drivers. Thus, you can try to either update or reinstall it. How? Follow the steps below.
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 USB Composite Device option and right-click on it, and select the Update Driver from the options.
Restart your PC and then click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.
Now uninstall and remove the printer driver software and reinstall it then refresh.
Option 4 – Try to reset the settings of the Printer or reinstall it
If none of the three options given above worked, you can try to either reset the printer settings or reinstall the printer so that it can go back to its default state. However, if it doesn’t work, you can try to uninstall the printer as well as its related drivers. To do so, follow these steps:
First, go to Settings > Devices > Printer and Scanners.
After that, select the printer and select the Remove Device option.
Once done, restart your computer and check again and see if the error is now fixed.
Driver state power failure error can be linked to three things happening in your computer. Incorrect power settings, driver issues, or incompatible hardware. Sadly when this error happens you only receive a blue screen of death with this message:
Sadly receiving this blue screen does not really explain which of the three cases is the correct one and causing the unwanted issue.
That being said, this article will not offer you a direct solution this time, it will be more like a guide on what to check and to do in order to remove this error, reason for this is the nature of the error itself.
If your computer is booting properly and you can enter Windows without issues the first thing you can try is going into power options and set it to high performance, if you are on a laptop set high performance both ways, when plugged and when on battery. Power performance settings can reflect on some hardware and can cause mayhem. After setting reboot the computer and see if the error repeats itself.
If the error persists go to the device manager and see if there is hardware that has any kind of warning beside it. If there is, update the driver or remove the driver of the device to see if this fixes the issue.
If all of the previous two things fail there is another thing you could try. Turn off your computer and disconnect all hardware except the most basic one. Now, this may take a long period of time but boot your computer and then repeat this process but each time add a new piece of hardware to eliminate and find which one is causing the issue. When found try to see if it is repairable through driver updates or get a new device.
Libcurl.dll is a Dynamic Link Library file; a component of Google Earth. Google Earth is a 3D software tool.
Libcurl.dll file is visible within a 3D application with the help of which software users can see satellite images, maps, and other geography-related information from their computers.
The Libcurl.dll file enables users to map the earth using superimposing images received via satellite imagery and also aerial photography. However, Libcurl.dll error messages may occur while using or installing this program.
The libcurl.dll error message is displayed in either of the following formats:
"Cannot find [PATH]libcurl.dll"
"The file libcurl.dll is missing."
"Libcurl.dll Not Found"
"This application failed to start because libcurl.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem."
Solution
Error Causes
Libcurl.dll may occur due to several reasons. These include:
Bugged program
Viral infection may add malicious codes to Libcurl.dll file and generate error messages
Registry issues
Missing libcurl.dll file
Hard disk failure
Misconfigured system files
If you experience difficulty in using Google Earth and come across libcurl.dll error message, it is advisable to resolve the error immediately typically because this error has severe consequences.
If not fixed timely, it can lead to the blue screen of death errors, system hang-ups and freezes, sluggish PC performance, PC crashes and browser crashes, slow internet speed, and other system errors.
Further Information and Manual Repair
This error is crucial but the good news is that it is easy to fix. To resolve it, you don’t have to hire a technical expert and pay hundreds of dollars.
You can repair the issue with ease by yourself regardless of whether or not you are technically sound. Continue reading to find out the best solutions to fix libcurl.dll error code on your system without any hassle.
Here are some of the easiest and the best methods to resolve libcurl.dll error:
1. Check your recycle bin
Since .dll files are shared by multiple programs, there is a possibility that you might have accidentally deleted libcurl.dll file when uninstalling a certain program on your system which was also sharing this file.
And because of this, you may experience the missing libcurl.dll error message. To resolve it, all you have to do is to check your recycle bin. If you find the file here, restore it. Once restored, try running the program again! If the error code does not appear, then this means it is resolved.
However, if it continues to persist, then try other solutions given below.
2. Scan for Malicious Software on your System
While downloading files and checking unknown emails malicious software like viruses, malware and spyware can also enter your PC.
Such software can damage and corrupt dll files. This could be the underlying cause of libcurl.dll error on your PC too. So, to resolve the issue, scan and remove malicious viruses and spyware from your system by using a powerful anti-virus.
However, please note, anti-viruses are notorious for slowing PC performance and also sometimes you may also have to stop all other activities on your PC.
3. Clean the Cluttered Disk, Repair dll files and Restore the Registry
Libcurl.dll file error may also occur due to hard disk failure. This triggers registry issues. If you don’t clean the registry every now and then, it overloads the hard disk with files.
These include both important and unnecessary files like internet history, temporary files, cookies, junk files, invalid registry entries, and bad keys. These clutter the disk, damaged dll files, and the registry.
Therefore first you need to clean the cluttered disk, repair libcurl.dll files and restore the registry. Executing it manually can take a lot of time as you may find it complex if you are not a computer programmer. However, the best, easiest, and quickest way to clean, repair, and restore the registry is to download Restoro
Why Restoro?
Restoro is an innovative, advanced, and multi-functional PC repair tool loaded with powerful and PC performance boosting utilities including an intuitive registry cleaner, an antivirus, Active X controls, and class module, and a system optimizer.
So, whether the libcurl.dll error message is triggered by a viral infection, hard disk failure, or registry issues, this tool takes care of all!
The registry cleaning feature scans all registry issues, cleans the hard disk by removing unnecessary and obsolete files, repairs damaged and corrupt dll files, and restores the registry thereby resolving libcurl.dll error in seconds.
Simultaneously, the antivirus utility removes viruses and malware if found. And the system optimizer feature ensures optimum PC performance.
Restoro is easy to navigate and operate. It is user-friendly, safe, bug-free, and efficient. Furthermore, it is compatible with all Windows versions.
Click here to download Restoro and repair your PC and resolve libcurl.dll error today!
There are times when the WMI Repository gets corrupted which results in the Provider Load Failure. To resolve this issue, you need to repair or rebuild the WMI Repository in your Windows 10 computer. In this post, you will be guided on how exactly you can do that.
In case you don’t know, the WMI which stands for Windows Management Instrumentation is a set of specifications from Microsoft to consolidate the management of devices and applications in a network. The WMI is a database that stores meta-information and definitions for WMI classes. Using only these, the conditions of the systems can be known.
You can find the WMI Repository in %windir%System32WbemRepository. It provides end-users with the status of the local or remote computer system. Keep in mind that you must not use this on the Server 2012 Cluster machine.
Although there are command-line tools that can fix or restore the Windows Management Instrumentation repository. However, Microsoft suggests that it’s better if you verify if there is corruption. Here are a list of errors as well as permission issues you might encounter:
Unable to connect to root default or rootcimv2 namespaces. It fails with the error code “0x80041002” pointing to “WBEM_E_NOT_FOUND.”
0x80041010 WBEM_E_INVALID_CLASS
When you open Computer Management and Right Click on Computer Management (Local) and select Properties, you get the following error: “ WMI: Not Found” or it hangs trying to connect
Trying to use wbemtest , and it hangs
Schemas/Objects missing
Strange connection/operation errors (0x8007054e)
To verify if there is corruption, you can try running the following command in an elevated Command Prompt:
winmgmt /verifyrepository
After you enter the command, if there is a response saying, “repository is not consistent”, then the repository has an issue. If not, then something else is causing the problem. Since you are certain that corruption exists in the WMI repository, then here are some suggestions you need to check out to repair or rebuild the WMI repository.
Option 1 – Try to reset WMI Repository
Type “command prompt” in the Start Search and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and then select “Run as administrator”.
After opening Command Prompt with admin privileges, type and enter this command: winmmgmt /salvagerepository
The command you entered is used when the winmmgmt command performs a consistency check. So if an inconsistency is detected, it will rebuild the repository.
Next, execute this command to see if the WMI repository now comes back as consistent: winmgmt /verifyrepository
This command will perform a consistency check on the WMI repository.
If it states that the WMI repository is not consistent, then you need to type and enter this command: winmgmt /resetrepository
This command is used to reset the repository to its initial state when the operating system was first installed.
Option 2 – Try to force recover the WMI Repository
The WMI Repository comes with a built-in self-recovery process so when the WMI service restarts or detects any corruption, it will automatically trigger the self-recovery procedure. This can happen in two ways:
AutoRestore: This will use the backup images if the Volume Shadow copy or VSS backup is turned on.
AutoRecovery: The rebuilding process will generate fresh images of the WMI repository based on the registered MOFs. The MOFs are available in the registry located at HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWBEMCIMOM: Autorecover MOFs
Note: Autorecover MOFs is a key so double click on it to check its value.
On the other hand, if the self-recovery procedure does not work, you can try to use the force-recovery process instead. How? Refer to these steps:
First, you need to check the reg key value is empty or not under this registry path: HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWBEMCIMOMAutorecover MOFs
If the reg key value is empty, you have to copy-paste the reg key value from another computer. Just make sure that it’s from the System which is equivalent to the computer in question.
Next, type and enter this command: Winmgmt /resetrepository
After you enter the command, if you get an error that says, “WMI repository reset failed. Error code:0x8007041B. Facility: Win32”, then you have to stop all the Dependency Services on the WMI service by running the following commands:
In Windows 11 if you do not own a mouse or it has suddenly malfunctioned you can still move your arrow on-screen using the numeric pad.
In this guide, we will guide you on how to turn this option ON, follow this easy guide step by step.
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open Windows settings
Click on Accessibility on left
Scroll down to reach the interaction section on the right and click on Mouse
Click on Switch beside Mouse keys under accessibility options
If you are trying to update your Windows 10 computer but are not able to do so since your computer is running low on storage then this obviously indicates that there is not enough disk space available on your drive where Windows 10 has been installed. As you know, when Windows 10 downloads the update packages, it extracts them in a separate folder which means that there should be enough space on that particular folder for the update to begin with. Windows do not really check systems for any adequate space requirements before it even initializes the update or upgrades and you only get to know about it right when the update process starts.
On Windows 10 thin clients or the ones with embedded systems that have limited storage space, when Windows Update runs, the update initialization may fail because as pointed out, Windows does not check systems for adequate space requirements so you may have to do the work for them by making sure that your disk has enough space available. Here are some suggestions you can follow to resolve Windows 10 update issues on computers with low storage space.
Option 1 – Delete the files from the Download folder
Since you are going to delete everything manually, you need to create a backup for all your important files which you may have placed in the Download folder. After you create backup copies of important files, delete the files from this folder or you could simply tap the Shift + Del keys to remove the files permanently after you selected them all.
Option 2 – Change the Windows Update Folder location
You might have to change the Windows Update folder location where Windows download all the files need to update the operating system if you cannot really create some space on your primary driver. So all you have to do is set the drive with enough space available for the update to be completed.
Option 3 – Uninstall apps and programs you no longer use
In some cases, apps and programs take up a lot of space on your drive. So if there are programs or apps that you no longer use, you can uninstall them to save storage space. To do so, follow these steps:
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 apps and programs that you no longer use and right-click on each one of them and click on Uninstall.
Option 4 – Move files to another drive
This is another thing you can try. You can move files, especially the ones with large sizes, to another drive to make up space on your drive. After that, install the updates once again.
Option 5 – Reduce on-drive files from Cloud services
If you are using tons of cloud backup services such as OneDrive and Dropbox, you might want to consider reducing the number of files you have on those cloud backup services. You can do what you’ve done on option number three and have those files moved to another drive to free up storage space.
Option 6 – Empty the contents in Recycle Bin
As you know, the files that are deleted from your computer goes to the Recycle Bin first. So if you have not emptied Recycle Bin for a long time now, the files you delete are still actually taking up space on your drive. Thus, you need to empty the contents in the Recycle Bin to save storage space.
Option 7 – Clean up temporary files
You can use the Windows 10 Storage Sense feature which can clean all the temporary files from your computer. To use Storage Sense, follow the steps below.
Open Setting > System > Storage from the WinX Menu.
From there, you will see a list of all the local and connected storage devices along with the details on the free space.
Now make sure that the Storage Sense feature is turned On then go find a link that says “Free Up Space” and click it to open.
After that, a screen which is the built-in program in Windows 10 will appear and will scan your computer for the following junk files so you can free up disk space:
Windows Upgrade Log Files
System created Windows Error Reporting Files
Thumbnails
Temporary Internet Files
Previous Windows Installation Files
Delivery Optimisation Files
DirectX Shader Cache
Choose the files you want to get rid of and then click on the remove files option. Note that you’ll have an idea of the total size as you select any of the junk files listed above.