Windows 7 was an operating system that had one thing which no other Windows had, even today. Official Microsoft desktop widgets.
With an attractive design, users loved to exploit the adequacy and neatness of these gadgets. However, Microsoft had to discontinue these gadgets as they posed a serious security threat to the Operating System. It was believed that a potential attacker could even use a gadget to take complete control of your PC.
With Windows 10, things have changed big time. You have all the fantastic apps and live tiles at your disposal providing a more native experience.
Despite all this, if you still have a fondness for fancy gadgets, we have just the right tool for you to get started with similar “Widgets” on Windows 10. Win10 Widgets is a tool that places the most important information right in front of you, on your desktop.
Win10 Widgets
Win10 Widgets is a desktop app package provided by Rainmeter which is an effective system customization engine for Windows. It brings some informative widgets to Windows 10 which look almost native with their intuitive and sleek design. You can pin them on your desktop to keep an eye on various system figures like CPU usage, data storage, battery usage, detailed computer performance, etc.
Native looking Widgets for Windows 10
These widgets are designed in such a way that it looks totally indigenous to the Windows 10 UI. With a similar design language, visual style, accent color, and even font settings, these widgets almost look like an inseparable system component.
You can choose between different size variants to pin on your desktop and arrange them in an orderly fashion to make the most of it.
Highly customizable desktop gadgets
Apart from the default size variants, you can configure several other parameters pertaining to the look and appearance of any widget. As Rainmeter is an open-source program, you are provided with the .ini configuration files which you can customize as per your wish. You can make adjustments to the widget coordinates, position and transparency as well. You can even create your own skins (.rmskin package) using the built-in Skin Packager and publish them for general usage through Rainmeter.
Illustro Skins
Over and above the cool widgets, Rainmeter also contains Illustro, a simple collection of skins that shows the range of Rainmeter’s capabilities. You can load the skins on your desktop for a brief look at your system internals. You can also start editing these skins to make them yours by taking advantage of the Rainmeter manual and forum link provided on the Welcome screen.
Win10 Widgets is a great tool if you like widgets or gadgets on your Desktop. It blends into the background and puts the important piece of information right on your desktop without you having to look somewhere else. If you already have the Rainmeter application, you can download the Win10 Widgets .rmskin file from here, else you can download the combined bundle for both Rainmeter and Win10 Widgets from here.
If you are trying to upgrade your computer but encounter the Windows Update Error 0x800F081F – 0x20003 instead, then read on as this post will guide you in fixing this Windows Update error. This kind of error is commonly encountered when upgrading your copy of Windows 10 and is caused by errors with various developer-related settings that are being enabled in the system.
When you encounter Windows Update Error 0x800F081F – 0x20003, you will see either of these error messages:
“We couldn’t install Windows 10. The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during INSTALL_UPDATES operation: Error 0x800F081F”“The installation failed in the Safe_OS phase with an error during apply_image operation: Error: 0x800f081f – 0x20003”
To fix this kind of Windows Update error, you need not use external programs but you can try to disable the Developer Mode, run the Windows Update troubleshooter or restart all the Windows Update-related services and components. For more details, refer to the options provided below.
Option 1 – Try to disable Developer Mode
You might have to disable Developer Mode to fix the Windows Update Error 0x800F081F – 0x20003. How? Refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + I keys on your keyboard to open the Settings app.
Next, go to Update & Security > For Developers.
From there, select the toggle for Sideload apps or Microsoft Store apps located on the right-side panel.
If you get any prompt, just click on Yes.
After that, navigate to Apps > Apps & features and then click on Optional features on the right-side panel.
Then scroll down to locate the Windows Developer Mode entry and select it and click on Uninstall.
Once you’re done uninstalling the Windows Developer Mode component, close the Settings app and restart your computer to apply the changes made.
Option 2 – Try to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
You should also try to run the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter as it could help you resolve the Windows Update Error 0x800F081F – 0x20003. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.
Option 3 – Try restarting various Windows Update-related services and components
Tap the Win + X key combination and select Command Prompt (Admin) to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After opening Command Prompt, copy and paste each one of the commands listed below one by one and tap Enter right after you enter each command.
Once you’ve entered all the commands given above, they will stop all the Windows Update services that are running on your computer as well as clear the SoftwareDistribution folder, and reset the Catroot2 folder. Now you have to start all these Windows Update services you’ve just stopped by executing the following commands:
net start wuauserv
net start bits
net start appidsvc
net start cryptsvc
After that, restart your computer and try to run the setup again, and see if the error is now fixed.
So far we probably all know what are good new and exciting features that W11 is bringing to the table, let’s talk now about features that will be removed and are not there but we had them in W10
Taskbar, do not worry, it is still there but it will be locked hard only to the bottom, people is removed, applications cannot customize areas and some icons will not appear in the system tray.
Start Menu, No more named groups, cannot be resized, live tiles are history and pinned apps and sites will not migrate
Tablet mode is completely removed
Touch keyboard will not dock or undock on screen sizes bigger than 18 inches
The timeline feature is no more
The wallet is also removed
Cortana is not active on first boot experience and it is no longer pinned to the taskbar
Desktop wallpapers are not synched anymore when using an MS account
IE is disabled, IE mode in edge here to fill the gap
Math panel is removed with math recognizer as separate install on demand
News and interests are now Windows Widgets
Quick status is no longer on the lock screen nor in the settings
S Mode exclusive only to Windows 11 home edition
Snipping Tool continues to be available but functionality has been replaced with the Snip & Sketch tool functionality.3D Viewer, OneNote for Windows 10, Paint 3D, and Skype won't be installed anymore on new systems. They remain available when systems are upgraded.
Error code 1309 is an error code that occurs when installing either Microsoft Office 2003 or Microsoft Office Project 2003.
This error code may hamper your ability to run and use applications associated with Microsoft Office. To ensure installation is successful, it is first advisable to fix this error code. Error 1309 is displayed in any one of the two formats illustrated below.
When installing Microsoft Office Project 2003, the error message may pop up as:
Error 1309. Error reading from file: pathfilename.cab. Verify that the file exists and that you can access it.
When installing Microsoft Office 2003, the error message may appear in the following format:
Fatal Error During Installation
Solution
Error Causes
Error code 1309 message may appear during Microsoft Office installation due to several reasons. These include:
Problems in the Oclncore.opc file. Project 2003 uses this version of the file for program installation.
Lack of adequate use permission
The requested file was not found
Setup registry entries are modified in an unacceptable manner
To avoid inconvenience and access Microsoft Office 2003 or Microsoft Office Project 2003, it is recommended to fix the error immediately.
Further Information and Manual Repair
To resolve this error you don’t need to be a technical whiz. Here are some of the best, easiest, and proven do-it-yourself methods to resolve error 1309 on your computer screen instantly.
Method 1 - Change CacheLevel Settings
If the problem is related to Oclncore.opc file then try changing CacheLevel settings.
Follow these steps to work around this method.
First, locate the PRJPRO*.XML file in the FILESSETUP folder of the Project 2003 installation source and then open this file in the Notepad.
Also, make sure that you do not open the file as read-only and make sure that a checkmark is not displayed next to Word Wrap on the Format menu.
The next step is to search the file for the following text string: OCLNCORE.OPC_1033.
Now on the line where this string is located, change the CacheLevel=’1’ setting to the following CacheLevel=’3’ save the file back to the original location, and then quit Notepad.
After the changes are activated, try installing the software again on your system. If it installs successfully, then this means error 1309 is resolved. If the error still persists then try other given methods.
Method 2 - Configure security settings to get full permission
When the cause of error 1309 on your PC is related to lack of adequate permission issues, then configure security settings to resolve.
To do this, simply locate the folder on your installation drive.
Then right-click the folder and click Properties. On the Security tab, click edit and now make sure your user name is added to the list.
Grant required security permissions and then click OK to save changes.
After this, try installing Microsoft Office 2003 again on your system.
Method 3 - Copy the requested file from another source
If the error 1309 pops up because the requested file was not found, then try this method. Simply copy the file specified in the error to the destination directory.
For example, if the error shows data1.cab was not found, then copy this file from another source and paste it into the directory specified in the error description.
Method 4- Remove bad registry entries
Bad registry entries are responsible for registry setup modification. If this is the reason for error code 1309, then download Restoro.
This is a user-friendly PC Repair Tool embedded with a powerful registry cleaner. It scans and removes all bad and invalid entries accumulated in the registry. It cleans and repairs the registry resuming it back to its normal function.
Click here to download Restoro and repair error 1309 today.
In this post, you will be guided on how you can fix error 0x80070013 while executing various operations in your Windows 10 computer like System Restore, Windows Backup, or Windows Updates. When you encounter error 0x80070013, you will see the following error messages.
For System Restore, it states:
“System Restore did not complete successfully. Your computer’s system files and settings were not changed.Details: System Restore failed while scanning the file system on the drive <Partition Letter>The drive might be corrupt. You might want to retry System Restore after running chkdsk /R on this disk.An unspecified error occurred during System Restore. (0x80070013)You can try System Restore again and choose a different restore point. If you continue to see this error, you can try an advanced recovery method.”
Whereas in Windows Backup, it states:
“Check your backup, Windows Backup failed while trying to read from this shadow copy on one of the volumes being backed up. Please check in the event logs for any relevant errors.The backup failed, The media is write protected (0x80070013).”
On the other hand, you will see the following error message in Windows Update:
“There were some problems installing updates, but we’ll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search the web or contact the support for information, this may help: (0x80070013).”
There are several suggestions you can check out to fix the error depending on where you encountered it. If you encountered it while running Windows Updates, then you can try to reset the Windows Update components or run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. And if you got the error when running System Restore, you can try to run a System File Checker scan or the DISM tool as well as the CHKDSK utility. Lastly, if you got this error when running the Windows Backup service, you can try to check its status in the Services Manager.
Error 0x80070013 in Windows Updates:
Option 1 – Try to reset the Windows Update components
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptsvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS, and MSI Installer.
After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
net start wuauserv
net start cryptsvc
net start bits
net start msiserver
Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.
Option 2 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
You might also want to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing error 0x80070013. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.
Error 0x80070013 in System Restore:
Option 3 – Try to run both Systems File Checker scan and DISM tool
Running the System File Checker scan as well as the DISM tool can help you resolve error 0x80070013 while performing System Restore. Refer to these steps to do so.
Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After opening Command Prompt, execute this command to run a System File Checker scan: sfc /scannow
Once the scan is completed, restart your computer and then see if the error is now fixed. If not, you can run the DISM tool.
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges again.
Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them in order to properly run the DISM tool:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.
Option 4 – Run the CHKDSK utility
In the Windows Search box, type “command prompt” and from the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
After opening Command Prompt, type this command and tap Enter: chkdsk <Partition Letter>: /f /r /x /b
The command you entered will start to check for errors and fix them automatically. Else, it will throw an error message saying, “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like the schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)”.
Tap the Y key to schedule Disk Check the next time your computer restarts.
Error 0x80070013 in Windows Backup:
Option 5 – Try checking the status of the Windows Backup Service
First, you need to tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “services.msc” in the field and click OK or tap Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
After that, you will see a list of services and from there, look for the Windows Backup Service and double click on it to open its Properties.
Then check if its Startup type is set to Disabled. If it is, then change it to “Manual”. Note that this service is essential as it provides backup and restores capabilities.
Now click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made and then restart your computer. Check if the error is now gone.
Windows 11 is a good-looking operating system but people love to make things personal and to their liking so we decided to help you in this mission with small customization of changing default system fonts inside Windows 11.
Since there is no really easy way to just switch the font windows is using for itself we will have to tweak a registry a little so before we start please do make a backup of the registry file and follow the steps as they are presented in order to avoid any errors and break the system.
So, if all precautions are made and you are ready to change your Windows appearance let's dive right into it:
Find and/or install the font that you wish to use
There are vast free font sites on the internet where you can find fonts that you like and wish to use but be very careful with your desired font selection. The font that you choose needs to be a complete typeface, meaning that it has to contain all glyphs, large and small font sizes, all special characters, etc or you will experience that in certain areas nothing will be displayed.
Once you have found the font that you like and made sure it is a complete font, install it on your system (you can skip this step if you just want to change the system font with one already installed on your system)
Create REG file
Open notepad or a similar plain text editor in order to create a file that will apply changes directly into the registry and create a new file. Inside the file paste this text:
All the way to the bottom where it says: "Segoe UI"="NEW-FONT", change NEW-FONT with the font name that you have chosen or installed in the previous step. For example: "Segoe UI"="Ubuntu".
Now go to File > Save As and name your file however you want but give it REG extension so it looks like: my_new_windows_font.REG
Apply changes
Now that you have your registry entry saved, locate it and double-click on it, at this stage Windows warning will probably pop up, you can just ignore it and click on YES since you wrote the file and know what it is. After registry entry is applied reboot your PC in order for changes to take effect.
Rolling back
If you want to change the font to another one, just repeat this procedure again. If you want to roll back to using the default Windows font, repeat the process but with this code instead of the one provided in the REG file:
MSASCui.exe is a digitally signed file from Microsoft located in folder C:\Program Files\Windows Defender.
It is a component of Microsoft Windows Defender Antispyware. This file is responsible for performing spyware scans. It is already installed in Windows Vista operating system. MSASCui.exe becomes an error code when it is found in another path. It is categorized as a Windows runtime error.
Solution
Error Causes
The cause of MSASCui.exe error is triggered by:
Corrupt or damaged registry entries
Virus Infection
The potential risks of MSASCui.exe error are:
Slow PC performance
Data loss
When this file becomes an error, it will display messages like:
“This application has failed to start to run on Windows because MSASCUI.exe cannot be found.”“Windows Defender cannot work properly and protect the Windows system effectively”
The message will keep popping up on your computer screen time and again.
Further Information and Manual Repair
When you experience an MSASCui.exe error on your PC, it is advisable to fix and repair it immediately before it causes serious damages to your system.
Here are some DIY quick solutions to repair MSASCui.exe error:
Solution 1:
If the speed of your PC reduces significantly and you also see MSASCui.exe error message pop on your screen, then in this case it is advisable to uninstall the Windows Defender program from your PC.
To do so, follow these instructions:
First, open the Windows Task Manager by pressing the “Ctrl, “Alt” and “Delete” keys on the keyboard.
Now click the ‘Processes’ tab. This will show the currently running processes on your system.
Scroll down and click on “MSASCui.exe” and then end the process. This will stop the program from running on your PC.
After this go to the start menu and double click on ‘My Computer’ and click on the C drive.
Choose the option ‘Program Files’ and then click on the ‘Windows Defender’ folder.
Now to delete this folder, right-click and select ‘delete’. This will uninstall the program, fix the MSASCui.exe error, and also improve the performance of your PC.
Solution 2:
If you find the MSASCui.exe file located in some other path, then this is an indication of a virus.
In this case, it is recommended to run an antivirus program on your PC to scan and delete all viruses.
If you don’t have an antivirus program already installed on your system, then you should download it. Once antivirus software is downloaded, simply run it to scan viruses and then click on delete to remove all the viruses on your system.
This will help you resolve the MSASCui.exe error caused by malware on your PC right away.
OneXPlayer is a direct competitor to Valve’s upcoming steam deck. This device is clearly inspired by Valve’s offering and it shows all over the place, from its looks to its purpose and aims to PC gamers as a handheld device.
Hardware under the hood
This device is packing a 7-inch 1080p display, 11th generation Intel Core i7-1195G7 CPU, stunning 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD drive with the option to purchase 1TB or 2TB model. GPU of choice is Intel iris Xe Graphics that is in our opinion a bottleneck in the whole system and for more demanding games, we believe switching them to 720p would be a better option. Everything here is powered with a 10455 mAh lithium-ion battery.
OneXPlayer inputs and other stuff
Handheld is equipped with dual bumpers and dual linear triggers. The console comes with dual speakers on both sides of it. Inside the console, there is an aluminum heat sink with copper heat pipes and a fan in order to cool internal hardware. On the outside, we have two USB-C ports and one USB-A port for connections, and of course, a headphone jack for headphones. The console comes with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connectivity.
Price
The base entry model will cost you a whopping $1.259, 1TB model $1.399 and 2TB one will go as far as $1,599. With this kind of price, I am not sure it can come up as a winner against Valve. Sure it is packing fully licensed Windows 11 that will for sure offer more options than Stem’s OS based on Linux but even with that advantage I do not think it justifies such a big price difference.
Conclusion
Of course, this kind of console or handheld PC will still find its customer base, many users will probably like it since it comes Windows ready out of the box. Sure, you can place Windows on Steam deck as well but you will need to know how, where everything is ready and you can run beside steam other launchers without issues like origin, uplay, gog, etc.
How this will be accepted by community time will tell but it is good to see that there is variety and competition in handheld PC space.
As you know, one of the most highlighted features of Windows 10 is Windows Updates. It was offered to the customers as a service rather than a product with the release of Windows 10 under the scenario of Software as a Service which led to Windows Updates being set by default on Windows 10 and without an option for any users to disable it. Although not all users are happy with what Microsoft did, this is an ultimate step towards the greater good of all its customers since Windows Updates helps users in keeping their computers secured against all kinds of threats as well as provide them with the greatest and latest updates from Microsoft. So if you are one of those users who approved of the Windows Updates service, then read on as this post will guide you in running Windows Updates from Command Line either via Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell. For the complete set of instructions, refer to the options given below.
Option 1 – Run Windows Update via Command Prompt
Command Prompt in the Windows operating system exists for a very long time now compared to the comparatively new Windows PowerShell. That’s why it has similar capabilities to run Windows Updates. However, the highlighting point here is that you don’t have to download any module for Windows Updates. To get started running Windows Updates using Command Prompt, refer to the steps below.
First, type “cmd” in the Cortana search box, and from the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select the Run as Administrator option to open it with Administrator privileges.
If a User Account or UAC prompt appears, just click on Yes to proceed.
Next, type in the commands listed below, and don’t forget to tap Enter right after you type each one of them.
UsoClient StartScan – use this command to start checking for updates.
UsoClient StartDownload – use this command to start downloading updates.
UsoClient StartInstall – use this command to start installing the downloaded updates.
UsoClient RestartDevice – use this command to restart your computer after you install.
UsoClient ScanInstallWait – use this command to check, download and install updates.
Note: Keep in mind that the commands in Command Prompt listed above are only meant for Windows 10. On the other hand, if you are using an older Windows version, you can try using the following commands instead:
wuauclt /detectnow – use this command to start checking for updates.
wuauclt /updatenow – use this command to start installing the updates detected.
wuauclt /detectnow /updatenow – use this command to check, download and install updates.
Option 2 – Run Windows Updates via Windows PowerShell
If you run Windows Updates in the Windows PowerShell, it will require you to install the Windows Update module manually. Hence, you have to get the Windows Updates downloaded and install Windows Updates.
Search for PowerShell in the Cortana search box and then run it with administrator privileges.
Once you’ve opened the Windows PowerShell, type the following command and hit Enter.
Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate – use this command to install the Windows Update module for Windows PowerShell.
Get-WindowsUpdate – use this command to connect to the servers of Windows Update and download the updates if found.
Install-WindowsUpdate – use this command to install the Windows Updates you’ve downloaded to your computer.
Error code 0x8024402f is a Windows Update error indicating some sort of connectivity issue. Windows may show you theError 0x8024402f in Windows 10 whenever you try to download and install new updates. This error is caused by small interruptions in communications between the computer to be updated and the update to be downloaded. These issues usually resolve themselves. Windows Firewall settings may also be blamed for this problem.
Common symptoms
Error code 0x8024402f prevents you from installing the latest version of Windows 10
This Error prevents you from downloading new and latest updates from Microsoft
Solution
Error Causes
This error is caused by a problem with the Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile.
This error can occur even if no changes are made to network settings.
Your Firewall settings may cause this problem.
A high number of update requests on the Windows Update server may cause this problem.
More Information and Manual Repair
Method 1:
Exit Windows Update. Wait for 10 to 15 minutes, and then restart Windows Update to check for updates. OR
Turn on Windows Automatic Update so that updates are installed automatically every 24 hours.
Method 2:
Uninstall the Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile:
Click Start>Control Panel>Programs and Features
Locate the Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile
Right-click and then select Uninstall/Change
Confirm that you want this component to be uninstalled. This may take a few minutes.
Reboot your computer
When the system has restarted, re-run Windows Update as you normally would.
Method 3:
Check your internet connection:
As mentioned earlier the error code 0x8024402f is related to connection problems with Windows Update. It means that your computer isn’t able to connect with the Microsoft Update server; therefore you’re unable to receive any new updates. So, you either have a problem with the internet connection or the Microsoft Update server is corrupted. If the problem is caused by the Microsoft Update server, you just need to wait a while because Microsoft staff will most probably solve the problem quickly.
Method 4:
But, if the issue isn’t related to your internet connection, you should perform the following method:
Got to Search and enter Identify and Repair
Open Identify and repair network problems
Click on the Search Result.
It should automatically Start the identifying process
If your network has any issue then it will show you and ask you to fix it.
Now, establish your internet connection. The problem 0x8024402 should be solved by now and you’ll be able to update your Windows 10 Technical Preview to the latest 10049 builds.
Method 5:
Turn on Windows Firewall:
If you have some anti-malware or antivirus on your Windows 10 PC, then it might turn off Windows Firewall on its own or create its own Firewall as default. If this is the case, you will need to turn on Windows Firewall.
Search for "Firewall" OR
Click on Windows Firewall from Control Panel.
On the left pane, Click on Turn Windows Firewall ON or OFF.
Click on Turn on Windows Firewall then Click Ok.
That is it. Now, try again and see if you are still getting Windows Update Error 0x8024402f in your Windows 10.
Method 6:
This is an advanced method:
If the above steps fail, then you might surely want to try this advanced method, which is Enabling ActiveX in your Router Firewall settings.
If you had turned off ActiveX in your Router Firewall settings then this must be the culprit and so Error 0x8024402f is shown whenever you try to get Windows Update.
All you need to do is Enable ActiveX by going to your Router Firewall settings and that should do it. The Error should be gone for good now and you will be easily able to install the Updates in your Windows 10.
If you do not possess the technical expertise required to accomplish this yourself or do not feel comfortable doing so, download and install a powerful automated tool to get the job done.
External hard drives have become essentials as they store data. However, they are also prone to issues and one of them is the “The device is not ready”. You could encounter this error when you try to access your connected hard drive. This error won’t allow you to access the contents of your hard drive so unless you fix it, you won’t be able to access any of the files on your hard drive.
One of the most likely causes of this error is a hardware defect. Aside from that, it could also be due to loose connections, obsolete device drivers, as well as compatibility issues between the operating system and the hard drive. Before you start troubleshooting the problem, you need to determine if you were able to access your hard drive before you encountered the error or not. If not, you need to check the compatibility of the device with your operating system as it could be the reason why you’re getting the error.
There are several potential fixes you can check out to fix this error. You can try to check the hardware connections, run the built-in Hardware and Devices troubleshooter, as well as the USB troubleshooter. You could also run the CHKDSK utility or update the drivers of the device or the USB drivers.
Option 1 – Try checking the hardware connections
The first thing you have to do before you further troubleshoot the problem is to check the hardware connections of your computer and see if there are damaged ones, just like with USB ports, it would also affect the overall connectivity of the device with the computer. So if you notice some irregularities in the connecting cable physically, you might have to buy another one and replace it and then see if it fixes the problem or not.
Option 2 – Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooters
The first thing you need to do is click on Start and then on the gear-like icon to pull up the window for Settings.
After opening Settings, look for the Update and Security option and select it.
From there, go to the Troubleshoot option located on the left-hand side of the list.
Next, select Hardware and Devices from the list and open the Troubleshooter and run it. Once it is doing its job, wait for it to complete the process and then restart the system.
After the system restarts, check if the problem’s now fixed. If not, refer to the next option given below.
Note: You could also try to run the USB troubleshooter as it could also resolve the problem.
Option 3 – Run the CHKDSK utility
As you know, the CHKDSK utility can help you in identifying the bad sectors in a drive and fix them automatically. Thus, you can run it to fix the “The device is not ready” error when you connect your USB drive to your computer.
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Next, type and enter this command to execute it: chkdsk /f <drive>
Now, wait until the process is completed and exit Command Prompt.
Restart your computer and try connecting the USB drive again and see if the error is fixed.
Option 4 – Try to update the drivers of the device
Although you can always update the device drivers using the Device Manager, you might want to try downloading the latest set of drivers directly from the manufacturer’s website. Once you’ve downloaded them, install them right away and then correct the external hard drive.
Option 5 – Update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller driver
If updating the drivers of the device did not fix the “The device is not ready” error, you can try to update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller drivers instead of using the Device Manager. Refer to the following steps:
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.
Note: If it is a regular USB drive, then it will be listed as a USB Mass Storage Device but if you have a USB 3.0 device, then look for a USB 3.0 Extensible Host Controller.
Restart your PC and then click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.
Note: If updating the USB Controller drivers didn’t work, you can try to reinstall them instead.
Option 6 – Restart your computer in a Clean Boot State
If the first three given options didn’t work and you still see the error when you connect external devices, you can try putting your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try connecting them again.
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.)
Now try to connect the external devices and check if the error is now gone.