The system found unauthorized changes

Windows 11 has brought some bad reviews for its inability to change the taskbar location to the screen. Luckily we can still hide it if needed. In order to hide the taskbar from the screen follow these simple instructions:

1. Right-click the taskbar itself and select “Taskbar Settings” in the tiny menu that pops up or open Windows Settings and navigate to Personalization > Taskbar
2. Click on Taskbar Behaviors
3. Check the box next to Automatically hide the Taskbar
4. Close settings

As soon as you click on the box to hide the taskbar Windows 11 will apply your settings and hide the taskbar, you will get one line at the very bottom of the screen indicating that the taskbar is still present, just hidden. When you reach the bottom of your screen with the mouse it will pop up and be visible again, just like in all Windows so far.

If you suddenly encounter the DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL Blue Screen of Death error when using your computer, then there might be some issues with the device drivers on your Windows 10 computer. This kind of BSOD error can occur at any point while you are using your PC. Its main cause is due to some error in the System Pool where a driver becomes incompatible with the operating system or when the configuration files get corrupted for some reason. If you are one of the users who are currently inconvenienced by the DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL error, worry not, as this post will give you some potential fixes that might help resolve the problem.

Option 1 – Perform a System Restore

Performing System Restore might help you in fixing the DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL Blue Screen error. You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 2 – 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 DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL 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 3 – Update the Device drivers

The device driver installed in your computer might be incompatible with your operating system which is the reason why the DRIVER_CORRUPTED_EXPOOL Blue Screen error occurs. To fix that, you have to update your device drivers.

• Tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type “msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After opening the Device Manager, update all the outdated Device drivers on your computer.
• Next, right-click on all the driver entries that are appropriately labeled, and then click the Update driver option.
• Now restart your PC and check if the BSOD error is fixed or not.

Option 4 – Uninstall any faulty device drivers

• Tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type “msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• From there, look for any device driver which has a yellow exclamation mark which indicates that something is wrong with them.
• And then right-click on each one of them and click on Uninstall.
• Once you’re done uninstalling the faulty drivers, restart your computer and allow your computer to reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled.

Option 5 – Try running the System File Checker

System File Checker or 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 that might be causing the Machine Check Exception BSOD error. 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:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

Option 6 – Try updating the BIOS

As you know, the BIOS is a sensitive part of a computer. Even though it is a software component, the functioning of the hardware depends on it largely. Thus, you must be careful when modifying something in the BIOS. So if you don’t know much about it, it’s best if you skip on this option and try the other ones instead. However, if you are well-versed in navigating the BIOS, then follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “msinfo32” in the field and press Enter to open System Information.
• From there, you should find a search field on the bottom where you have to search for the BIOS version and then press Enter.
• After that, you should see the developer and version of the BIOS installed on your PC.
• Go to your manufacturer’s website and then download the latest version of BIOS on your computer.
• If you are using a laptop, make sure that you keep it plugged in until you have updated the BIOS.
• Now double click on the downloaded file and install the new BIOS version in your computer.
• Now restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 7 – Try resetting Windows 10

To fix this BSOD error, you can try resetting Windows 10. Doing so won’t get rid of any file in your system – instead of erasing all your media files and documents, this reset option resets all the system settings and files.

Bad or good news, depending on your view comes from RIOT for their game Valorant. It seems that Riot has decided to enforce Windows 11 TPM 2.0 feature into Valorant running on Windows 11 and there is a rumor that it will be de facto standard and that it will move to Valorant in general no matter on which system it runs. Furthermore, there is a rumor circling around that other developers are also talking about implementing TPM 2.0 requirements so they can harvest advanced security features of Windows 11 in order to prevent hacks and other cheats in their games. This is an interesting point to stand on, on one side, sure, advanced features that will prevent cheating and hacking is a great thing. On other hand denying access to many computers that do not support TPM 2.0 and removing them from the game can be a permanent loss of customers and therefore loss of money. It is a risk to be sure and I am not really sure that alienating gamers is a good choice for long-term income, especially when you will be able to install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC as stated by Microsoft. We will all see how this Riot decision will reflect on their business, as not a big Valorant player myself I am not impacted too much with this decision, but it will be interesting to see if others will indeed go with this trend or they will decide to wait a while until much more PC’s are upgraded.

Steam Autumn sale is still raging and other storefronts like EPIC and GOG have also had their go, and as the year slowly closes we reflect on the best games released this year.

The games presented are not in any particular order and as sales are still raging pick one for you for a good time.

F1 Manager 22

If you are into formula racing this new manager is something we will wholeheartedly recommend. How it has been a very long time since a good F1 manager has been released this one is breath of fresh air. Masterfully done and fun to play, also licensed with real teams and cars get it here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1708520/F1_Manager_2022/

Stray

I like cats, but this game is on another level from its competitors. Unique approach, great storyline, and of course orange cat as the main character! Set in a cyberpunk environment following the story of some unfortunate androids you can do most cat things like playing in boxes, etc but essentially the game is a puzzle platformer which in my opinion is a great thing. Meow your things and get the game while it is discounted: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1332010/Stray/

Neon White

Mirror's Edge was the very unique game when it was released introducing parkour into the gaming world, and Neon white brings it one level up. With competitive parkour FPS gameplay this game is great for killing some time and competing with your friends but most of all it is fun to play experience. Get it here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1533420/Neon_White/

Teenage mutant ninja turtles: Shredder's revenge

Shredder's revenge is a love letter to classic beat-them-up games found in old dusty arcades back in old times. Fast frenzy action, pixel art graphics, and tons of fun!!! Get it now and start partying like it was 1980: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1361510/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles_Shredders_Revenge/

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands

This game needs to be experienced in order to fully grasp its magnitude and quirkiness. From the creators of borderlands comes a new IP fusion of fantasy, guns, and crazy ideas all wrapped into an action RPG looter shooter with a recognizable borderlands style of graphics. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1286680/Tiny_Tinas_Wonderlands/

Norco

Winner of multiple awards, Norco is a classic point-and-click adventure game with a great sci-fi story with a lot of environmental focus. Story and atmosphere are the main selling points for the game and if you enjoy good stories with interesting characters give this one a go: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1221250/NORCO/

Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker

Expansion for Massive multiplayer online roleplaying game brings so much to the table that we just could not oversee it and place it aside. Technically not full standing game since it is the expansion it still delivers on many fronts and since it is supposedly the last expansion now is the best time to pick it up and give a final fantasy 14 a go: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1592500/FINAL_FANTASY_XIV_Endwalker/

Elden Ring

Of course, the list would not be complete if we did not include Elden ring, a great example of how a difficult but well-executed game can go over and beyond. With a story on par with great epics and compact as in dark souls, this title will provide you with many hours of gameplay and content. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1245620/ELDEN_RING/

To function properly and as intended, Windows 10 depends on a number of resources and software components. Even with a simple task as powering the machine, there are already several smaller software components supporting it. However, if any of these resources or components experience issues, it will affect the overall function of the computer. One of the errors reported is the Kernel Power Blue Screen error which is triggered by the Windows Kernel that mostly comes with a Windows Kernel Event ID 41 error. This kind of error can turn off and reboot the computer randomly. Here’s an example of a Bugcheck code entry with the same event:

 “EventData BugcheckCode 159 BugcheckParameter1 0x3 BugcheckParameter2 0xfffffa80029c5060 BugcheckParameter3 0xfffff8000403d518 BugcheckParameter4 0xfffffa800208c010 SleepInProgress false PowerButtonTimestamp 0Converts to 0x9f (0x3, 0xfffffa80029c5060, 0xfffff8000403d518, 0xfffffa800208c010)”

This kind of BSOD error is caused by an issue with the Power Supply components in both the software and hardware parts of your computer. In such cases, if your computer is stuck in a reboot loop, you need to troubleshoot the problem via Safe Mode or in the Advanced Startup options screen.

Option 1 – Try disabling Overclocking

If you have enabled Overclocking, you might have to disable it as some users reported that the Kernel-Power Blue Screen error started to appear right after overclocking. To disable it, follow the steps below.

• Go to the Start Menu and open Settings.
• Next, select Update and Security and go to the Recover tab.
• From there, click on Restart now in Advanced startup. This will restart your computer.
• Once you’re in the Advanced startup, go to Troubleshoot and then select Advanced Options.
• From there, select the UEFU Firmware Settings.
• Now click on Restart. Once your computer has restarted, it will automatically open BIOS.
• From the BIOS, go to the Advanced tab and navigate to Performance and then look for Overclocking.
• Once you’ve found Overclocking, make sure that it is disabled. If it’s not, then disable it and then save the changes made by tapping the F10 key.
• Start your computer normally and check if the Kernel-Power Blue Screen error is now fixed.

Option 2 – Try to run the Power troubleshooter

The next thing you can do is to run the Power troubleshooter. To do so, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings and navigate to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• After that, look for the “Power” option from the given list of built-in troubleshooters and click on it.
• Next, click on the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Power troubleshooter.
• Once the troubleshooter is done identifying the problems, follow the next on-screen instructions to resolve the problem.

Note: You could also try to run the Blue Screen troubleshooter to fix the Kernel-Power BSOD error. You can find it under the same page as the Power troubleshooter.

Option 3 – Try to replace the Power Supply Unit

You could also try to consider physically replacing the Power Supply Unit or PSU of your computer and see if that helps or not.

Option 4 – Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool

Since this error could be caused by some issues in the memory, you can try running the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool and see if it helps.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type exe and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
• After that, it will give two options such as:
  • Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)
  • Check for problems the next time I start my computer
• Once your computer has restarted, perform a basic scan or you could also go for the “Advanced” options such as “Test mix” or “Pass count”. Simply tap the F10 key to start the test.

Note: After you select the option, your PC will restart and check for memory-based issues. If it finds any issues, it will automatically fix them and if there’s no issue found, then it’s most likely not a memory-based issue so you should try the other options given below.

Option 5 – Try to check physically check your RAM

In this option, you have to check your RAM physically especially if you tend to use multiple physical RAMs on your computer so it can be quite tricky and technical. You have to check first if they are of the same frequency and then verify if the chip is compatible or not. You also have to check if the sockets are attached using some adapter or non-recommended apparatus as it can cause some problems while giving performance hit to your computer.

Option 6 – Try to update the BIOS

Updating the BIOS can help you fix the Kernel-Power BSOD error but as you know, BIOS is a sensitive part of a computer. Even though it is a software component, the functioning of the hardware depends on it largely. Thus, you must be careful when modifying something in the BIOS. So if you don’t know much about it, it’s best if you skip on this option and try the other ones instead. However, if you are well-versed in navigating the BIOS, then follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “msinfo32” in the field and press Enter to open System Information.
• From there, you should find a search field on the bottom where you have to search for the BIOS version and then press Enter.
• After that, you should see the developer and version of the BIOS installed on your PC.
• Go to your manufacturer’s website and then download the latest version of BIOS on your computer.
• If you are using a laptop, make sure that you keep it plugged in until you have updated the BIOS.
• Now double click on the downloaded file and install the new BIOS version on your computer.
• Now restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Note: If updating the BIOS didn’t help, you might want to consider resetting it instead.

Option 7 – Disable Fast Start-up

If you want your computer to boot faster, then you might have enabled Fast Start-up. This feature is ideal for computers that are using a hard disk drive. However, turning on this feature also means that when the computer boots, it might lag some drivers that are loaded when it initially boots up. Thus, it might be the potential cause of the Kernel-Power BSOD error. Thus, you need to disable Fast Start-up. To do that, follow these steps:

• Boot your PC into Safe Mode.
• Then tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type in “control” to open Control Panel.
• After that, select Hardware and Sound and click on Power Options.
• Select “Choose what the power buttons do” from the left side menu pane and click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
• Afterward, uncheck the “Turn on fast startup (Recommended)” entry and click on Save Changes.
• Now restart your PC for the changes to take effect and then check if the problem’s fixed afterward.

If you encounter an error while trying to burn files to a CD or disk on your Windows 10 computer, stating, “Windows Media Player cannot burn some of the files”, read on as this post will guide you in fixing the error. Here’s the complete error message:

“Windows Media Player cannot burn some of the files. To investigate the problem, click the icon next to the files in the burn list.”

As you know, the Windows Media Player helps you burn songs or audio files to CD or disk but it does not always end up successfully as you could encounter some setbacks such as this particular error. Usually, this kind of issue occurs if an audio file does not comply with some restrictions so the Windows Media Player pops up this error instead. You can encounter this error message if:

• You include a file that’s not an audio file.
• If the total time limit exceeds 80 minutes (even though a CD has 700 MB storage capacity, you can’t burn audio of more than 80 minutes long)

To resolve the error, you have to remove the unsupported files from the burning list, change the burning speed or execute some tweaks in the Privacy settings. For more details, refer to the instructions provided below.

Option 1 – Get rid of the unsupported files from the burning list

You must get rid of the unsupported files from the list of files to burn. This list can be found on the right-hand side of the Windows Media Player. One of the indications that a file is causing problems is when there is a white cross in a red circle next to the file. You can simply click on that icon to remove the file from the burning list. Once you’ve gotten rid of all the unsupported files, try to burn your files to the CD or disk once more.

Option 2 – Try to modify the Privacy settings

In case you don’t know, the Windows Media Player comes with privacy settings that help you in various situations. However, on rare occasions, those settings could also trigger errors and this might be the one that’s causing the “Windows Media Player cannot burn some of the files” to pop up. Thus, you can try disabling these options to resolve the error. How? Refer to these steps:

• Open the Windows Media Player.
• Then go to Tools > Options. If you aren’t able to find the Tools menu, just tap the Ctrl + M keys. On the other hand, you can also tap the Alt key to display the menu options.
• Once you’ve opened the Options window, go to the Privacy tab where you can the “Enhanced Playback and Device Experience” section.
• In this section, you can find the following options. Make sure to disable them all.
  • Display media information from the Internet
  • Update music files by retrieving media info from the Internet
  • Download usage rights automatically when I play or sync a file
  • Automatically check if protected files need to be refreshed
  • Set clock on devices automatically

• After you disable the options listed above, click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made and then try to burn the files again.

Option 3 – Try to change the burning speed

Since the burning speed is set to fastest by default, you can try to change the burning speed to resolve the problem. All you have to do is open the Options window and then go to the Burn tab. From there, select either Medium or Slow burning speed and save the changes made. Now try to burn your files to the CD or disk once again.

Spying via some malicious app on the target phone is not a new thing but it can be very uncomfortable and even against the law in some countries.

Infecting the target phone can be done in various ways, another person can intentionally download and install applications on it, and you can install them via some phishing attacks or by an online scam. Once installed this piece of software presents a very serious invasion of privacy since it can track text messages, track phone location in real-time, record calls in real-time, eavesdrop on calls, take control of the camera and microphone, and many other applications.

Here are some common symptoms of mobile phones infected with spyware.

Symptoms of spyware

Random reboots
Slow performance
Strange text messages
Overheating
Unusual high data usage
Non-familiar apps in the app list
The fast drain of the battery
Long shutdown time
Strange interference and sounds during calls
Signs of activity during standby mode

If your phone exhibits any of these symptoms you might have a spyware app installed and running on it.

Common spy apps

There are many apps that have been designed to spy on people that can be downloaded in the app store or on Google Play today. Most of these spyware apps are aimed at parents wanting to keep an eye on and protect their children. However, these can be used by anyone in order to spy on a target person via their phone.

Below is a list of common apps that can be used to spy on you. Many spyware apps require a phone to be ‘jailbroken’ or ‘rooted’ before being installed, this is when the phone’s operating system is changed to allow the phone to become unlocked and customizable.

mSpy : An undetectable spying app for iOS devices. It can be used to read your chats, see your location, view your email, check your call history, record your keystrokes, and more.

Spyera : This app requires rooted and jail-broken iPhones to work. It can go undetected and monitors phone calls and your call history. It even allows call recording and eavesdropping on live calls.

Flexispy : Flexispy prides itself as the #1 phone monitor for parents and can monitor everything from calls to social texts.

Umobix : This powerful spyware app has a dashboard that allows users to easily monitor someone’s location, calls, texts, keystrokes, all major social media, and more. You can detect Umobix because it heats up the infected phone and greatly affects the battery life of the infected device.

Ikey Monitor : Although it requires the device to be rooted for Android or jailbroken for iPhones, this spy app captures keystrokes, passwords, and screenshots, allows for call recording and supports multiple languages.

Clevguard : Available for both iOS and Android, Clevguard allows users to track GPS and Wi-Fi locations, capture screenshots remotely, and more. Due to a recent update, the spy app drains the target phone’s battery significantly.

Remove spyware from your phone

If any of the beforementioned apps are present on your phone you need to remove them right away.

Go to your phone settings and remove the malicious applications, then download some protection suite and scan the whole phone for any other trace of software remains or other malware apps.

Next-generation of RAM, DDR5 supposed to hit shelves around late summer or fall in 2021if everything goes as planned. Its goal is to increase speed and efficiency, wants to pack more memory in a single stick, and have better power management.

Hardware requirements for DDR5

Using the latest memory technology will require other hardware to follow certain standards and the first ones that will need to follow are CPUs and Motherboards. Intel is already prepared with its Alder Lake CPUs that suppose to come out also later this year. AMD on other hand has not stated anything at the time of this writing but it is a bet that their next generation that will come in 2022 will have full support. It is speculated that bot companies and their respective CPUs will have both support for DDR4 and DDR5. A story about motherboards is a little different. Motherboards will support DDR4 or DDR5 memory banks, not both, so make sure that your motherboard will support the memory you plan on getting.

Capacity of memory

The goal and aim for the DDR5 memory stick are to reach a whopping 126GB per stack. This will be done by using a dual in-line module or DIMM enabling larger capacity. That being said, the first modules that we will see are more likely to be 16GB as standard and 8GB as low entry ones.

Power consumption of DDR5 memory

The standard voltage that DDR4 operates under is 1.2V. DDR5 wants to lower this to 1.1V without sacrificing speed. Voltage regulation on modules themselves will be now integrated on memory banks instead of leaving that to motherboards which will help to detect memory errors directly on the memory bank.

Speed of memory

The most common speed of DD4 memory banks is 2,666MHz, more expansive ones go from 3,600 to 4,000MHz. DD5 aims to raise this bar to 4,800MHz and offers greater speed.

Should you get it right away?

Hardware is ever-evolving, we have PCIe 3.0 to PCIe 4.0, and taking into account that sometimes the newest tech can cause some unexpected behavior it is always the best strategy to wait for a little. Price for the newest tech has also been in its heist just when it is released and seeing how DDR5 will benefit mostly servers mostly since even today memory, processors, and other available equipment can tackle all daily tasks.

Recently, a number of Windows 10 users reported that they were not able to use Cortana properly because it wasn’t able to connect to the internet. According to these users, Cortana won’t connect to the internet even when their internet connection is stable. According to security experts, this issue is confirmed to occur only with Microsoft accounts. This problem might have something to do with a proxy server that interferes with Cortana. There were reports that this issue was caused by a proxy that was filtering the network connection which also happens to interfere with Cortana’s ability to adapt search results and queries based on the user’s location. It could also be caused by some glitch in the home network or your Microsoft account information is inconsistent or your Microsoft account has to be verified. Here are some suggestions that could help fix the connection issue in Cortana, just start with the first one and work your way down until you encounter an option that fixes the problem.

Option 1 – Restart or reset your modem or router

The first thing you can try is restarting or resetting your modem or router. All you have to do is unplug the power cable of the modem and then plug it back in after a few seconds. You could also use the reset button of the modem at the back if it is one. But before you press the reset button, keep in mind that it will erase all the connection credentials and it will be set back to its default settings. After rebooting the network, you can restart your computer to force your modem or router to reassign an IP address to your computer.

Option 2 – Restart Cortana

Restarting Cortana can help you resolve the issue.

• To restart Cortana, open the Task Manager, right-click on Cortana and select the “End process” option.
• Then go to the File tab and select “Run new task”.
• After that, type in “cortana.exe” and press Enter to restart the process.

Option 3 – Try to remove Proxy

Removing the Proxy might also help you in fixing the connection issue in Cortana. Here’s how you can do it:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “inetcpl.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to pull up the Internet Properties.
• After that, go to the Connections tab and select the LAN settings.
• From there. Uncheck the “Use a Proxy Server” option for your LAN and then make sure that the “Automatically detect settings” option is checked.
• Now click the OK and the Apply buttons.
• Restart your PC.

Note: If you are using a third-party proxy service, you have to disable it.

Option 4 – Open another app that uses a Microsoft account

This might seem like an odd fix, however, a couple of users tried doing this and it worked for them as it allowed Cortana to connect to the internet again. In this option, you just have to launch another app that uses your Microsoft account information in the same way as Cortana, for instance, the Store app. Once you open the app, a prompt should appear along with a dialog box that allows you to update your Microsoft account with the information required. After that, restart your computer and check if Cortana is now able to connect to the internet or not.

Option 5 – Verify your Microsoft account

In some cases, Cortana might not be able to connect to the internet because your Microsoft account is no longer verified. This usually happens when you use a two-step authentication system with your Microsoft account. To verify it, just open Settings and click on Accounts. After that, check if you have a Verify hyperlink under your Microsoft account or not then click on Verify. Afterward, follow the next on-screen prompts to verify your Microsoft account. Once your account is verified, restart your computer.

Option 6 – Reset Cortana settings

• Open Cortana and go to the Settings section where you’ll see the “Turning off Cortana clears what Cortana knows on this device, but won’t delete anything from the Notebook. After Cortana is off, you can decide what you’d like to do with anything still stored in the cloud” option. Turn this option off.
• Restart your PC.
• After your computer boots, launch Cortana again and check.

So you just have turned your computer ON only to find out that your device which was working perfectly yesterday is not working anymore. This situation can be very stressful and disappointing but do not despair, before you toss your device through the window know that this kind of behavior can be traced back to a software issue. In this article, we will give you hints on what to do and where to pay attention when something like this happens so you get the device back in working order.

1. Check if it not a hardware malfunction

   To save yourself time and unnecessary frustration with juggling through Windows first inspect the device to be sure that indeed it is working properly, check all led lamps which could indicate that the device is working and receiving power, and if it is an internal device try opening the case and visually check if there are signs of working like rotating fans or led lamps on it.

2. Check Cables

   If it is an external device that has stopped working try checking power cables and cables which go to your computer, see if they are tightly connected. If it is an internal device also check cables, nudge them and if possible disconnect and clean them.

3. Disconnect and reconnect the device

   Try this solution to see will Windows register the device again and start it.

4. Update Windows

   If there is a Windows update not installed, install it and see if the device will start working.

5. Update device drivers

   Go to device manager and update the device driver to its latest version or go to the manufacturer's site and download the latest driver version.

6. Reinstall the device

   In the device manager, uninstall the device driver and reboot Windows. When Windows boots it will recognize the device and install the necessary drivers for it.

7. Disable antivirus and firewall

   Sometimes antivirus can prevent certain devices from working properly, especially if they rely on some system files to which antivirus or firewall has cut access. Try disabling your PC protection to see if this will resolve the issue.

8. Use dedicated error software

   Use DRIVERFIX to automatically search and fix driver issues.