Since Windows 10 introduced the concept of notifications, almost any application installed on your computer sends you one. However, there are times when too many notifications can be quite annoying. Although some of them are important, most of them are not and are only getting in the way of your tasks. So if you don’t like to be flooded with tons of notifications on your Windows 10 computer, say no more as this post will help you out in disabling notifications for any apps installed.
And now with the new feature in Windows 10 called Focus Assist, you will be able to manage the level of notifications that you receive. This new feature also allows you to disable all notifications except for the ones from important or priority apps. You will just have to maintain a list of priority applications or you could also disable all the notifications except for the important ones like alarms. In addition, you could also set up some automatic rules such as the Focus Assist timings which means that you can make Focus Assist enabled for a certain period of time during the day or when you are duplicating your display or playing a game and whatnot. So if there is an application that keeps on spamming you with notifications, you can just disable the notifications for that application.
To get started on disabling notifications, refer to the steps given below.
Step 1: Go to Settings > System.
Step 2: From there, open Notifications and actions and then scroll down to the “Get notifications from these apps” section.
Step 3: After that, look for the application that you want to disable notifications for and click on the toggle button that corresponds to disabling notifications for that application. You could also click open to explore additional settings for that particular application.
Note: You can disable notifications or just the notification banners, your choice. Aside from that, you can also control the notification sound as well as its behavior when the computer screen is locked. What’s more, is that you can also adjust the number of notifications displayed in the Action Center or select the priority applications. As stated earlier, Windows 10 gives you control that allows you to customize every nook and cranny of the notification on your Windows 10 computer. Apart from applications, there are also other notifications-related settings that you can control including disabling notifications about tips, tricks, and suggestions as well as summary notifications from Windows Defender that you get every time you use or scan your computer.
Windows 11 is released and its adoption goes slower than Microsoft would like but nevertheless, it is slowly getting adopted, especially among new computers. Windows 11 has brought us a new modern look of OS but if you would like to personalize it a little more you can. Follow the guide on various things that you can change inside Windows 11.
Personalize list of recently added apps, opened items, folders
The recommended section that shows recently added apps and recently open items can be turned off and hidden now to be shown. In order to do this follow these steps:
Open Windows Settings by pressing WINDOWS + I
Click on personalization in the sidebar
Click on START and go through the options
Turn OFF switch beside recently accessed files
Additionally, you can also change which folders appear on the Start menu.
Remove apps or change app order on the Start Menu
To remove application not to be shown in the Start menu at all follow this simple guide:
Right-click on app
Choose unpin
To place the application on Start click on All Apps, right-click on the app and choose Pin to Start
To drag and rearrange apps, simply click on them and drag them to the new place.
Change the Start Menu location
When Windows 11 was first released Start Menu could only be located in the middle of the screen but thanks to plenty of backlash from users now it is possible to move it on a more traditional left side.
Press WINDOWS + I to open the settings app
Click on Personalization
Look for taskbar behaviors
Inside taskbar behaviors look for Taskbar alignment
Change alignment to left
Change the Start Menu color
In order to change the color of the Start Menu follow the next steps:
Open Settings app
Go to personalization settings
Go to Colors
Switch to custom
Under accent color pick a color you like or make your custom one.
One of the most useful utilities for advanced users in Windows is the Windows command line or Command Prompt. It is efficient in fixing system files, checking the disk for errors as well as other intensive tasks that are made convenient using this.
One of the tasks you can carry out using Command Prompt is repairing the Windows bootup process if it encounters any issues. However, if you tried running the “bootrec/fixboot” command and you receive an error message saying, “Element not found”, read on as this post will guide you in fixing this error. This kind of error in the command line could be due to a damaged BCD or MBE, inactive system partition, or it could also be that there is no drive letter being assigned to the EFI partition. Whichever the case is, here are some possible fixes that should help you resolve the problem.
Option 1 – Try to repair BCD
As mentioned the error could be caused by a damaged BCD and so to fix the problem, you need to repair BCD by following these steps:
First, make sure that you have a bootable Windows 10 USB drive with you and use it to boot your computer.
Once you’re on the Welcome Screen, click on Next.
After that, click on Repair your computer located at the bottom-left portion of the window.
Then select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
After you open the Command Prompt window, execute the following command:
bootrec /fixboot
Afterward, enter the next command below to rename the BCD file:
ren BCD BCD.bak
Next, type the following command and make sure to replace “b:” with the letter of your bootable drive attached to your computer.
bcdboot c:Windows /l en-us /s b: /f ALL
Now, wait until the process is completed and restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 2 – Try assigning the drive letter to the EFI partition
Tap the Win + X keys or right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (Admin) to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Then type the following command to start the Diskpart utility:
diskpart
After that, if you receive a UAC prompt, just click on Yes to proceed.
Next, type the following command to list all the volumes created on your PC including both types of partitions that are visible to a normal user in the File Explorer as well as the ones created by Windows 10 by default which helps it in storing the boot files and other important system files:
list volume
Now type the following command to select the desired volume:
select volume number
Then type the following command to assign a letter to the selected volume:
assign letter=<LETTER>
Note: Make sure to replace “<LETTER>” with the letter you want to allocate to that partition. Afterward, it will assign a letter to the selected volume.
Reboot your PC to apply the changes made.
Option 3 – Try setting the System Partition to Active
Like the first given option, you also have to make sure that you have a bootable Windows 10 USB drive before you proceed to set the System Partition to Active. Once you have it covered, refer to these steps:
Boot your computer using the bootable Windows 10 USB drive.
Next, click Next when you get to the Welcome Screen.
Then click on Repair your computer located at the bottom left part of the window and select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
After opening Command Prompt, type the following command and hit Enter to start the Diskpart utility. It is a command line-based utility just like Command Prompt but has a UAC prompt once you provoke it. So if you encounter a UAC prompt, just click on Yes to proceed.
diskpart
Now type the following command:
list disk
From there, select your primary disk by typing the following command:
select disk number
After that, list all the partitions on the selected disk by entering the following command:
list partition
The command you just entered will list all the partitions created on your PC including both types of partitions that are visible to a normal user in the File Explorer as well as the ones created by Windows 10 by default which helps it in storing the boot files and other important system files.
Now type the following command to select the partition that is usually around 100 MB in size:
select partition number
Finally, type the following command to mark the partition active:
active
Then type the “exit” command to exit the disk part utility.
If you are browsing the web but suddenly encountered the ERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENT error on your Chrome browser in Windows 10, read on as this post will guide you in fixing this problem. This kind of error has already been reported by a number of Chrome users and it seems that the problem has something to do with a plugin or extension. Here’s the exact content of the error:
“This webpage was blocked by an extension (ERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENT)”
This kind of error, as pointed out, could be caused by an extension or plugin on Chrome that is blocking the web page. It is also possible that the version of Chrome is obsolete or that there could be more than 100 bookmarks in the Bookmark Manager. Before you troubleshoot the problem, make sure that you download the latest version of Google Chrome and see if it fixes the error. If it didn’t, then you can try opening a web page in Incognito Mode or disable and remove the extension that’s causing the problem. You could also try to remove any surplus bookmarks.
Option 1 – Try to open the web page in Incognito Mode
The first thing you can do to fix the problem is to try opening the web page in Incognito Mode. When your browser is in this mode, it will work without extensions. This would help in fixing the problem especially if it was caused by some extension or toolbar in your browser. All you have to do is open any web page in Chrome and tap the Ctrl + Shift + N key combination to open a window in Incognito Mode.
Option 2 – Try to disable and get rid of the problematic extension
After you’ve isolated the problem and have determined that an extension is the one that’s causing it, then the next thing you have to do is to disable or get rid of that extension.
Open Chrome and press Alt + F keys.
Go to More tools and click Extensions to look for any suspicious browser extensions or toolbars.
Click the Recycle bin and select Remove.
Restart Chrome and press Alt + F keys again.
Proceed to On Startup and mark Open a specific page or set of pages.
To check if the browser hijacker is still active, click Set pages, if it is active, overwrite the URL.
Note: If removing the browser extensions or toolbars didn’t work, you can also try to reset your Google Chrome browser.
Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
After that, click on Settings.
Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
Now restart Google Chrome.
Option 3 – Try removing surplus bookmarks
If your Chrome browser is already supporting more than 100 bookmarks, you might want to consider deleting them as it could also be one of the reasons why you’re getting the ERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENT error. To remove these bookmarks, just open the bookmark library by typing this address “chrome://bookmarks/” in the address bar of Chrome and tap Enter and press Shift and then select the surplus bookmarks by using the arrow keys. After that, click Delete to get rid of them.
Option 4 – Try clearing browser data
There are times when some data in the browser is conflicting with the loading of the website and triggers errors like ERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENT. And so you can try to clear your browser’s data. This might be a very basic solution but oftentimes it works in fixing this kind of error in Google Chrome. Follow the steps below to clear the data in your browser.
Open your Google Chrome browser.
After that, tap the Ctrl + H keys. Doing so will open a new panel that allows you to delete the browsing history and other data in your browser.
Now select every checkbox that you see and click on the Clear browsing data button.
Then restart your Chrome browser and check if you can now open any website or not.
If you are facing a missing sechost.dll error in your Windows 10, welcome, you have come to the right place to solve it and get back your computer in working order. Sechost.dll is a file that allows other programs to function and complete their tasks as well as control and change the behavior of other programs.
The file is found in Windows subfolder System32, it is a completely safe file and should not be deleted. Sometimes however various other reasons can corrupt it or delete it. This guide will lead you to common solutions on how to get file back up and running.
Update device driver
Have you installed a new device and all of a sudden you get the error message that Sechost is missing? Update device driver, it is possible that the file has been corrupted or replaced with an older version and therefore reported as missing. Update device driver to lastest version and issue should run away.
Re-register file via command prompt
If Sechost got corrupted re-registering will solve the issue, press ⊞ WINDOWS + X and choose Command prompt (administrator), click on it.
type regsvr32 sechost.dll and press ENTER
Reboot your PC
Reinstall application
Usually, Sechost gone bad or missing is due to the installation of another application that corrupts the file. Reinstall the application to try to solve errors. In order to properly reinstall the application first use the control panel to remove it completely from the system and then install it again, hopefully, this time correct version of Sechost.dll will be installed in the system.
Check your hard drive
In some cases, a hard drive malfunction can cause several files to be corrupted or gone missing. To eliminate hard drive malfunction run check disk from Windows on C drive to check it and find if there are any errors.
Uninstall Windows update
Same as with some application, even Windows update could corrupt some files due to update not being properly downloaded. Try uninstalling the latest update and revert to the previous Windows state, then update it again.
This post will walk you through fixing the rtwlane.sys Blue Screen error. This kind of BSOD error belongs under the category of the “DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL” Stop errors. If you encounter this kind of Stop error then it means that a kernel-mode driver tried to access pageable memory at a process IRQL that was too high.
The main issue with the rtwlane.sys Blue Screen error has something to do with the Realtek PCI-E Wireless LAN PCI-E NIC driver. In other words, it has some issues with the wireless card of your computer which is built by Realtek. And since it this error concerns your wireless card, you might also experience some connectivity problems with your computer as the wireless card refuses to find any network connections and even randomly disconnects. To resolve this problem, you need to refer to the given options below.
Option 1 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter
The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like rtwlane.sys Blue Screen error. It can be found on the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.
Option 2 – Try to update or rollback your Network driver
If you have updated the driver software as of late and you suddenly got this BSOD error, you might have to roll back the device driver – in other words, switch back to the previous working version. To do that, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “MSC” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the Network Adapters and expand it.
From the list of Network Drivers, look for “Realtek <Model> Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC” and then right-click on it and select Update Driver.
Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the BSOD error.
Note: If you see any of the following entries under the Network drivers, you might want to download their latest available versions from each one of their manufacturer’s websites.
Realtek High-Definition (HD) Audio Driver
Realtek Card Reader Driver
Realtek Local Area Network (LAN) Driver
On the other hand, if updating the Network driver didn’t help, you can also try to roll back to its previous version.
Open the Device Manager again and then look for Network Drivers.
Next, select Realtek <Model> Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC from the list of Network Drivers and then double click to open a new mini window.
After that, make sure that you’re on the Driver tab and if you are not, just navigate to it then click the Roll Back Driver button to switch back to the previous version of the Realtek driver.
Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 3 – Try running the System File Checker Scan
The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the Netwtw04.sys failed BSOD error. SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.
Tap Win + R to launch Run.
Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow
The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
System restore is usually the go-to tool when something goes bad in Windows, we fire it up and roll back Windows in the state when everything was working fine. But what if Windows does not want to boot? Can we use system restore in that case?
The answer to that question would be yes, yes we can.
Boot interrupt Windows 10 by starting your PC and as soon as you see the Windows logo; press and hold the power button to force a shutdown.
Repeat this 2-4 times and Windows will open up the Advanced Startup Options menu for you.
At the Advanced Startup Options screen, select Advanced Options.
Select Troubleshoot.
Under the Advanced options screen, select System Restore.
or if you prefer, use Windows USB installation.
Boot the faulty PC using the Windows 10 installation media.
The Windows Setup dialog box will appear.
Set the Time and currency format, Keyboard or input method, and the language to install.
Click Next.
Click on Repair your computer from the lower-left corner.
From the Choose an option screen, click on Troubleshoot.
Click Advanced Options in the Troubleshoot screen.
In the Advanced Options screen, click System Restore.
Windows will take some time to prepare System Restore. It may even restart your computer or device.
When System Restore is ready, you will be prompted to choose a user account to continue.
Select an account that is set as administrator on your Windows 10 computer or device.
At the next screen, change the keyboard layout if you want and then input the password for that account.
HWiNFO (Hardware Information) is a professional hardware information and diagnostic tool supporting the latest components, industry technologies, and standards. It's targeted to recognize and extract the most possible amount of information about computer hardware which makes it suitable for users searching for driver updates, computer manufactures, system integrators, and technical experts too. Retrieved information is presented in a logical and easily understandable form and can be exported into various types of reports. System health monitoring and basic benchmarking available too.
If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.
When we get ourselves a new USB stick, new hard drive, or any storage device not including optical drives they are usually preformatted and ready to be used out of the box. However, reformating them has several benefits and while we are reformatting we can choose in which file system format we want the memory to be formatted.
In this article, we will compare and explore 3 typical and standard format options you can get while formating a new media in Windows 10.
FAT32
The oldest one on the list, coming all the way from DOS days. Great for devices that need to be plugged in different operating systems and for USB flash drives. Its advantages are compatibility with all major operating systems and little memory usage comparing to other ones. However, the file system is limited to file sizes of the maximum capacity of 4GB and partitions can not exceed more than 32GB.
NTFS
First introduced in Windows NT this file system offered slower performance than FAT32 and somewhat limited usability but the main advantages were more stability and fewer errors. Its main advantages are support for files larger than 4GB and partitions larger than 32GB along with the ability for on the file encryption, main disadvantage would be limited operating system usage, NTFS can not be used on systems that work on FAT32 like MS-DOS for example or older versions of Windows. The best usage for this file system is in internal hard disk drives and system drives.
exFAT
New kid on the block, well at least from the perspective of the previous 2. exFAT offers unlimited file sizes and unlimited partition sizes but at a price that is even more limiting than NTFS. Some Linux distributions will require a driver to be installed in order to see the exFAT partition. The best use is in storage, in external hard drives.
That's it, 3 major file systems, we hope that you have managed to learn something new today, and remember to drop by tomorrow for more articles about advice, tips, tricks, and troubleshooting.
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.
Source: Kina on Unsplash
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.
Source: Andrew M on Unsplash
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.
USB storage devices are used to store small and even big files, depending on their sizes. Usually, the sizes of the USB vary from 2GB up to 16GB. And as time passes, they have advanced quite a bit and now it’s common to find USB sticks with a capacity of 32GB, 64GB, or even 128GB. And since they now have large capacities, USB storage devices are often used for storing backups of system data as well as creating an image. However, there are times when you might encounter an error message while trying to create a backup or image on your USB device. The error message states:
“The drive is not a valid backup location.”
One of the causes of this problem is that Windows was not able to recognize the USB drives as a valid backup location since USB storage devices weren’t previously large enough to store system images. To fix this error, here are some possible solutions that might help.
Option 1 – Try creating a sub-folder in the USB drive and backup all the images there
The first thing you can try to do is to create a sub-folder on your USB device. This is one good way you can bypass the USB drive limitation. How? Refer to the steps below.
First, right-click on the USB storage device and select Format.
Next, select NTFS as the File System and check the box next to Quick Format.
After that, click on Start to initiate the formatting process.
Once the formatting process is completed, open the USB drive and right-click anywhere inside its main drive window, and then select New > Folder.
Then name the folder to be created as “Image (or anything you please)”.
Afterward, right-click on the folder and select Properties.
From there, go to the Sharing tab and click on Share.
Now check if the Permission level on the System owner which should be your username is labeled as “Owner”.
Then try to back up your files again using your USB drive while keeping the sub-folder as the backup location.
Option 2 – 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 3 – Run CHKDSK utility to check the drive for errors
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.