Recently, a number of users reported an error when they tried to open graphic-intensive apps like video games. According to users, when they tried to open an app, they get the “Display driver failed to start” error instead. Thus, if you encounter the same error, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how exactly you can fix it.
Here’s the full content of the error message:
“Display driver failed to start; using Microsoft Basic Display Driver instead. Check Windows Update for a newer display driver.”
This kind of error could be due to several factors. It is possible that it could be a result of a corrupted or outdated graphics driver. Aside from that, it could also be due to some issues with the system settings. Worry not though for there are potential fixes that can help you fix the problem. But before you troubleshoot the problem, you need to update your Windows 10 computer first and if it didn’t help fix the problem, then here are the potential fixes that should help resolve the “Display driver failed to start” error.
Option 1 – Try to restart the Graphics driver
Although Windows 10 can recover the graphics driver on its own when it crashes, there are times when it fails to do its job. To restart the graphics driver in your computer, simply tap the Win + Ctrl + Shift + B key combination. After that, the graphics driver will be back in less than a second.
Option 2 – Try running the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter
Running the built-in hardware and devices troubleshooter can also help you in fixing the “Display driver failed to start” error.
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 Keyboard 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.
Option 3 – Try to update or rollback the Graphics driver
You can try to update your Graphics card driver using the Device Manager in your computer to resolve the “Display driver failed to start” error or you can also go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturers like NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it.
To update your Graphics driver via Device Manager, refer to these steps:
First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. From there, look for the Display Adapters and click on them.
After that, right-click on each entry under the Display Adapters and select the “Uninstall Device” option from the menu.
Now restart your computer.
After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.
Option 4 – Try setting your system for maximum performance
If the first three options didn’t fix the error, you can try setting your computer for maximum performance since Windows 10 allows you to choose the effects you want to activate your system and you can do this by adjusting the performance ratio. Adjusting the performance ratio can be done via a certain setting in your computer – and this setting should be set to “Maximum Performance” to resolve the error.
In the Windows Search bar, type in “performance” and from the search results that appear, select the “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows” option.
Next, a mini window will appear and from there, click on the radio button that says, “Adjust for best performance”.
Once done, click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made. This should resolve the problem.
Microsoft office has set itself as one of the most used and best suites for business use and MS Word as the most widely used word processor. But how even best are not immune to some small bugs and unexpected behaviors so is not Word. Word has stopped working is probably know to a wide audience of its users, I think I could safely say that each Word user has experienced this error at least once, luckily the error is not anything to worry about since it is an easily fixable issue.
Try automated solutions
There are some fully automated solutions that could fix any PC issues, some are available in free versions. If you prefer to do things manually however keep on reading and follow the instructions below.
Manual FIXES:
Update MS Word
Make sure that you are running the latest build of Word in order to eliminate all bugs and to have a smooth running experience. Go to File > Account > Product Information > Update Options and click Enable Update and then select Update Now.
Check the file
Corrupted files can cause this crash and this error, try opening another text file inside the Word to eliminate file corruption.
Run Word in safe mode and disable add-ins
Did you know that MS Word has a safe mode like Windows? In this safe mode, Word will boot up just the application without any add-ins installed and in this environment, you can start one add-in by one to see which one is causing the issue.
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog
Inside run dialog type in winword /safe followed by ENTER to run Word in safe mode
If MS Word works fine in Safe mode, disable all COM Add-ins (while being in safe mode) and restart Word. Re-enable the add-ins one at a time to identify the problematic one.
Click on File and then on Options
Click on Add-Ins from the options list
Select COM Add-ins from the drop-down menu and click on Go
Uncheck all the add-ins and click OK to confirm
Close the Dialog Box and MS Word. Now try running MS Word normally and see if it works
Repeat steps to enable the add-ins, one at a time, and check which add-in is causing this error
Repair Word installation
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog
In run dialog type in control panel and press ENTER
Inside Control Panel click on Programs and Features
Locate and click on Microsoft Office to select it
Once selected click on change located on top of the application list
Once Office Windows loads click on Repair
Wait for the process to finish
Reinstall MS office
If all the previous solutions failed next step would be to completely uninstall MS Office and install it again once the old one has been completely removed from the system.
Go to the control panel as explained in the previous step and select Office
Instead of Change this time click on uninstall and follow on-screen instructions
Once uninstall is finished, install a new copy of MS Office.
Ever gotten an e-mail offer that seemed just a little bit too good to be true? Might’ve been a phishing attempt! These are everywhere and can come in many different forms.
So what’s phishing exactly, how can you detect it and how can you keep safe?
What is phishing?
Phishing (pronounced like fishing) is a type of cyberattack that tricks the user into trusting the source and revealing sensitive information. Fishing being the perfect analogy, the bait is a legitimate-looking site, e-mail or file and when you take a bite, your identity, banking information and much more can be revealed and stolen.
Credit: Anne Nygård on Unsplash
Some phishing attempts are incredibly obvious, others are super elaborate. Like with most types of malware, cybercriminals have become extremely well-versed in phishing and anyone can fall for it. To help you recognize and avoid it, we’ll take you through a couple of phishing types and give you tips on what to do if faced with them.
Phishing techniques
E-mail phishing
This is actually the most common type of phishing. A cybercriminal creates an e-mail containing stuff like attractive offers, legitimate-looking attachments or links and makes it appear as though it’s coming from a trusted source.
Credit: Justin Morgan on Unsplash
For example, it looks like it’s coming from your bank or your favorite retailer. The logo looks legit and the structure of the e-mail seems familiar, so you might get tricked into clicking on whatever clickable content is in it.
Unfortunately this exposes your device to malware that hands your data off to the hacker, who can decide what to do with it further.
SMS and social media phishing
Like the above example, you could be approached with lucrative offers or links via text messages or social media messages. Typically, the messages seem relevant to the user as they will be made to look like they’re related to apps or services you’re using.
Voice phishing
Voice phishing attacks are schemes that appear as though they’re coming from a credible number. Normally, you’ll get a call about something related to credit cards or taxes to get you into a state of worry, leading you to disclose personal information on the phone.
Spear phishing, whaling and BEC
Spear phishing normally targets specific individuals within a company who are likely to have access to sensitive data. Spear phishers spend time collecting information they can use to reach out to the individual looking as trustworthy as possible. They’ll typically lead with something relevant, for example mentioning an upcoming company event, and make a seemingly legitimate request.
Whaling is a more elaborate form of spear phishing, which targets people in even stronger positions such as executives or high-value individuals. The ultimate goal is to get them to transfer financial or other sensitive information that can be used to compromise the entire business.
Credit: Azamat E on Unsplash
BEC, or Business e-mail compromise, is a specific spear phishing technique carried out via e-mail. While there are many ways this is done, most commonly you’ll see instances where the phisher poses as a CEO or similar executive, or as a lower-level employee in specific positions (e.g. sales managers or financial controllers).
In the first situation, the impersonator reaches out to employees requesting them to transfer certain files or pay invoices. In the second situation, the phisher takes control of the employee’s e-mail account and sends false instructions to other employees in order to obtain data and information from them.
What can you do?
There are many ways you can be aware and spot a phishing attempt. Here are some tips:
Always check the sender’s address in your e-mails, even when they seem to come from a familiar source.
In any instance where payment information is requested, be very, very careful.
If you are receiving attachments you never asked for and definitely didn’t expect, better not click on them.
Beware of content that transmits a sense of urgency (sales deals, urgent updates to login credentials, etc.).
Bad spelling and grammar are usually a telltale sign of phishing.
Links that look shortened (e.g. Bit.ly) or just suspicious in general - if you have a bad feeling, do not click on them.
If you are receiving threats, you probably shouldn’t be clicking on anything in that message.
Always examine first-time senders in detail.
Block suspicious e-mail addresses, numbers and social media accounts.
If you are receiving a coupon for free stuff… You aren’t.
If you’re being asked to update your payment details by a service you use, such as Netflix, chances are it’s an impersonator.
Those are some of the ways to identify and prevent phishing attacks. However, sometimes phishers disguise themselves a little too well or a misclick happens and there you go - you’ve been exposed to malware.
Credit: FLY:D on Unsplash
This won’t happen if you invest in powerful protection software from the get-go, though. A good antivirus program like Bitdefender will keep you safe from becoming a victim of phishing scams. In fact, it will protect you from malicious attacks overall.
Be it your household or your business you’re concerned about, there are a bunch of different packages and options available, providing different kinds of cybersecurity services. That’s the only way you can ever really be sure you aren’t at risk of a digital attack.
Summary
Have you ever been targeted by phishers and didn’t know that’s what it was until you read this article? Many can relate. Protect yourself before it’s too late!
There are a lot of reasons to ban or block different websites in your Windows. From wanting to limit yourself from distraction to block certain sites for sake of kids not going into them. Whatever your reason might be, keep reading in order to find out how you can block any website inside Windows for all browsers.
The technique I am going to share with you is universal and not tied to Windows versions, they will work in any Windows from XP onward. Also, the technique will block desired websites on any browser, already installed or even ones that will be installed after doing the trick. And we will also be looking at applications that can help you in this task if you do not wish to do it manually.
Block websites using dedicated software
A small free application called Focal Filter which can be found here: https://www.focalfilter.com/ is a software solution for your needs. It is a pretty straightforward and easy-to-understand application and not really much can be said here about it. You simply download and install it, set your websites, and you are done, the app does rest.
Blocking manually via host file
Another method besides mentioned one using the dedicating application is to manually set site addresses inside the Windows host file.
The first thing, of course, is to open the host file, run a notepad with administrator privileges, go to file open, and navigate to c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.
Once the file is opened go all the way down and add:
127.0.0.1 SITENAME
For example: 127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com or 127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com
This way each time user on a PC tries to access a listed website computer will reroute it to the given address which is your PC's local address and asked website will not be able to load.
22H2 update for Windows 11 will arrive later this year and although Microsoft is not releasing anything big there will be some interesting improvements and fixes. We take a look at some that caught our attention.
Phishing protection
One of the most interesting upcoming features is enhanced phishing protection. Microsoft Defender SmartScreen will be upgraded to alert users when they try to store passwords in plain text files and also if they accidentally type in a Microsoft account password on phishing sites.
"These enhancements will make Windows the world's first operating system with phishing safeguards built directly into the platform and shipped out of the box to help users stay productive and secure without having to learn to be their own IT department,"
Microsoft
File Explorer gets tabs, a modern sidebar, and contextual suggestions
Finally, Windows File explorer is getting tabs that will allow much easier management of folders and files inside it.
It is confirmed that Microsoft is also working on a new 'HOME' sidebar that should be modern in design and in features including OneDrive so you can find everything in one place.
Pinning of favorite files was also mentioned so you can easily pin favorites for quick access.
Full-screen widgets
Windows 11 has brought back widgets in a new way and from all the feedback users are loving them. Currently, you have a widget sidebar on the left part of the screen where you have your chosen store widgets but from the Microsoft teaser, we will have soon the option to have them in full screen.
If you are using a widget for reading news, blogs, etc. this feature will be very good since you will be able to use your whole screen for information and not just a part of it.
Suggested actions
Another new feature is 'suggested actions' which is going to be particularly useful in apps like Microsoft Teams. With this new feature, you can highlight a date in a Teams message and Windows will suggest actions.
For example, if you highlight a date, you'll see a recommendation to create an event in Microsoft Calendar for that day.
In case you don’t know, Windows 10 supports installation and use of a number of removable devices which includes plug and plays mouse, keyboard, and other USB-based devices. But this could actually pose a threat to the integrity of a computer system and thus, some organizations pose a restriction in using these kinds of devices.
the restriction on these devices is also useful especially if you keep on leaving your computer idle and someone tries to mess it up by plugging in a removable device. In such situations, the restriction will defend the user against data theft. Thus, in this post, you will be guided on how you can prevent the installation of removable devices on your Windows 10 computer.
There are two options that can help you in preventing the installation of any removable devices on your computer – you can either try to use the Registry Editor or use the Group Policy Editor instead. Follow whichever option you want to use the instructions given below but before you start, don’t forget to create a System Restore Point first.
Option 1 – Prevent installation of Removable Devices via Registry Editor
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsDeviceInstallRestrictions
From there, look for a DWORD named “DenyRemovableDevices” and set its value to “0”. On the other hand, if you can’t find this DWORD, just simply create it and set its value to 0.
Once done, exit the Registry Editor and reboot your PC to apply the changes made.
Option 2 – Prevent installation of Removable Devices via Group Policy Editor
Keep in mind that the Group Policy Editor is not available in the Home Edition of the Windows operating systems. Thus, if you are using one, just stick to the first option, otherwise, proceed to the following steps.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “gpedit.msc” and click OK or tap Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
After that, go to this policy setting: Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystemDevice InstallationDevice Installation Restrictions
Next, look for the “Prevent installation of removable devices” entry and once you find it, set it as “Enabled”. From this window, you should see the following description of this policy setting:
“This policy setting allows you to prevent Windows from installing removable devices. A device is considered removable when the driver for the device to which it is connected indicates that the device is removable. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device is reported to be removable by the drivers for the USB hub to which the device is connected. This policy setting takes precedence over any other policy setting that allows Windows to install a device. If you enable this policy setting, Windows is prevented from installing removable devices and existing removable devices cannot have their drivers updated. If you enable this policy setting on a remote desktop server, the policy setting affects redirection of removable devices from a remote desktop client to the remote desktop server. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Windows can install and update device drivers for removable devices as allowed or prevented by other policy settings.”
Then click the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
Now restart your computer to save the changes made. This should prevent the installation of any removable devices in your Windows 10 computer.
The Volsnap.sys is a Windows operating system file that is related to the Volume Shadow Copy Service or VSS. It is known to cause a Blue Screen of Death error. The main cause of the Volsnap.sys Blue Screen errors include conflicts with the RAM, issues with the hard disk, incompatible firmware, corrupted drivers, malware infection, and many more. Despite its many possible causes, its fixes are quite straightforward so won’t have any problem following them.
The Blue Screen errors that are related to the Volsnap.sys file are:
KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
PAGE FAULT IN A NONPAGED AREA
SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL
You might want to try performing System Restore as it could resolve Blue Screen errors like the ones related to the Volsnap.sys before you proceed with the troubleshooting tips given below. To run System Restore, follow these steps:
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.
If System Restore didn’t help in fixing the Blue Screen error, now’s the time for you to resort to the troubleshooting tips provided below but before you get started, make sure that you create a System Restore point first.
Option 1 – Check if the Volume Shadow Copy service is running and restart it
The first thing you need to do is check if the Volume Shadow Copy service. To do that, refer to the following steps:
Click on Start and type “cmd” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
Then select the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After that, type “net stop sdrsvc” and hit Enter to execute the command in stopping the Volume Shadow Copy service.
Next, type the “net start sdrsvc” command and hit Enter to start the service again.
Note: You can also restart the service using the Windows Services Manager.
In the Cortana search box, type “services” and click on the Services icon to open the Services Manager. Alternatively, you can also tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run prompt and then type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
From there, look for the Volume Shadow Service (sdrsv) from the list of services. Its Startup type should be set to Manual by default.
Restart the service and if you don’t encounter any error while you turn it on, re-run the backup service and see if the backup process runs successfully.
Option 2 – Try checking the Memory for the Errors using Memory Diagnostic Tool
The Memory Diagnostic tool in windows can help resolve the Volsnap.sys Blue Screen error by checking and automatically fixing any memory-based issues. To run it, refer to these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type mdsched.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 your preferred option, your computer 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 3 – Try to update or rollback your device drivers
If the first option didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or rollback the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.
Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
Then go to the section of IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers as well as Storage Controllers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.
Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.
Option 4 – Try to run the CHKDSK utility
Running the CHKDSK utility might also help you resolve the Volsnap.sys Blue Screen error. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the CHKDSK utility comes in. The CHKDSK utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After opening Command Prompt, execute the following command and hit Enter:
chkdsk /f /r
Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.
Option 5 – Run the System File Checker Scan
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. 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.
Restart your computer.
Option 6 – 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 Volsnap.sys. 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.
Error 0x80004005 is a typical Outlook error. This error code occurs either when sending emails or receiving them. The error message may be displayed in either of the following formats:
‘Sending and receiving reported error "0x80004005": The operation failed.’‘This message could not be sent. Try sending the message again or contact your network administrator. The client operation failed. Error is [OX80004005- 0X0004B9-OXOO501].’
Error Causes
There are several causes for the error 0x80004005 such as:
The Script Blocking Feature Enabled While Using Norton Antivirus
Spyware
Viruses
Registry problems-Missing or corrupt registry keys
It is advisable to repair and resolve error 0x80004005 immediately as it may cause a great deal of inconvenience to you.
This error may hamper your ability to receive and send emails from your Outlook account and lower your productivity too as you may be unable to communicate with your peers.
Further Information and Manual Repair
To fix error 0x80004005, you don’t have to wait for the network personnel or be a technical expert yourself. This may be a critical error but the good news is that it is easy to resolve.
Here are some effective methods and quick fixes to resolve the error 0x80004005 instantly.
Method 1: Disable Script Blocking Feature in Norton Antivirus
After installing Norton Antivirus on your PC, if you start experiencing the Outlook error 0x80004005, then the best way to resolve it is to simply disable the script blocking feature.
However, the downside of this is that by disabling this feature your PC will become vulnerable to viruses and malware.
Method 2: Disable the New-Mail Notification Feature in MS Outlook
If you don’t have Norton Antivirus downloaded on your PC, then try method 2. This method involves disabling the new-mail notification feature in MS Outlook. The error code 0x80004005 is often resolved by switching off this feature. Try it to see if it works.
To disable the new-mail feature all you have to do is open your Outlook account and then go to the Tools menu, then go to Options and then select the ‘Preferences’ tab.
After that click on the ‘Emails Options’ tab and then simply uncheck the check-box against ‘Display a notification message when new mail arrives’.
To confirm changes press OK.
Method 3: Scan for Viruses
The error 0x80004005 may also be triggered due to viral infection or spyware. Such malicious software enters your PC through phishing emails and while downloading files and attachments. You may not be aware of this but your PC may be infected by viruses.
It is important you remove them immediately as they can expose you to serious risks including privacy issues, identity thefts, data breaches, and more.
One of the preferred ways to upgrade Windows 10 is by creating a bootable USB drive. However, you might change your mind when you encounter an error during the Windows 10 Setup that says, “We can’t find a USB flash drive”. Worry not for this error can be fixed using some suggestions that will be provided in this post.
The funning thing about this error in Windows setup is that the computer says it’s not there when it’s clearly there. To fix this problem, you need to check if the USB device is accessible on your computer or you can also try a different USB device. In addition, you could check if there are any issues with both the USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports as it could be the reason why you’re getting the error or fix the bad sectors in the USB drive as well as see if the USB drive is set as the primary drive.
Option 1 – Try to check if the USB is accessible on your PC
The first thing you can do to resolve the problem is to check if you can access your USB device from your computer. All you have to do is open File Explorer and check if the USB device is listed there or not.
Option 2 – Try to connect a different USB device
The next thing you can do to fix the error is to try connecting a different USB device, specifically the one that has more significant storage space. You also have to make sure that it’s working on a different PC.
Option 3 – Fix any issues with the USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports
Although the USB 3.0 ports are compatible with the USB 2.0 ports, it does not necessarily mean that there wouldn’t be any problem when you use them which is why it’s best to fix any issues in them or better yet, use a compatible drive.
Option 4 – Try to fix the bad sectors in the USB drive via CHKDSK
When it comes to some issues concerning the hard drive or removable devices, there is a utility in Windows that might help which is called “chkdsk”. To use it, follow the steps below.
Tap the Win + S keys to open the Search box.
Then type “command prompt” in the field and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
After opening an elevated command prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter:
Note: In the command given above, “[/F]” will try to fix the system errors while “[/R]” will be the one to fix the bad sectors.
Now if you are prompted to run CHKDSK after your reboot your PC, just tap Y and reboot your PC.
If CHKDSK is not able to find any errors, tap the Win + E keys and navigate the access window. From there, right-click on the concerned drive and click on Properties.
After opening Properties, click on the tab Tools and then click on the “Check” button under the Error-checking section.
Wait until the process is completed and then restart your computer.
Option 5 – Try checking if the USB is set as the primary drive
You might also want to check if the USB drive is set as the primary drive because if it is, then it won’t appear on the list. It could also be that the USB drive has a primary disk in it. To undo it, you need to use the DISKPART utility.
In the Start Search, type “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results, and then select the “Run as administrator” option.
Next, execute the “diskpart” command to initiate the DISKPART utility.
After that, type the “list disk” command and tap Enter to display the list of disks on the computer. You have to take note of the drive number or letter of the concerned USB drive.
Once done, type the “select disk <X>” command where X is the drive letter or number and tap Enter.
Then execute the “list partition” command to see the list of all the partitions in your computer. It should be listed as 0, 1, or 2. 0 is the primary partition.
Now type the “select partition 0” command and tap Enter and then type “delete partition” to delete the selected partition.
You can do the same to the other partitions as well and when you’re done, execute the format command to turn the USB drive into a standard one.
As you know, the Taskbar is one of the integral parts of the Windows desktop and it has been there since the release of Windows 1.0 and up until now with Windows 10. Since then, Microsoft has been modifying the Taskbar with a new design which makes it a home for new features such as Windows Search, Task View, and many more. However, there are times when you may that the Taskbar has disappeared or has stopped responding. If you experience either one of these scenarios, read on as this post will walk you through what you can do to resolve the problem.
Here are some suggestions you can check out to resolve the issue with the Taskbar in Windows 10 but before you proceed, make sure that you create a System Restore point first. To do that, follow these steps:
In the Start search, type in “create a restore point” and click the entry “System Properties”.
Next, select the main system drive under Protection Settings and click on the Configure button.
After that, select the “Turn on system protection” option and then click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
Once you’ve created a System Restore point, refer to the troubleshooting steps below to fix the Taskbar in Windows 10.
Option 1 – Try to restart the Explorer process
This may sound really basic but it actually is a proven method to fix the Taskbar issue. So if anything gets stuck on the system tray or the Taskbar, you can always fix it by restarting the explorer.exe. How? Refer to these steps:
First, right-click on the Taskbar and select the Task Manager.
After opening the Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for the process named “Windows Explorer”.
Then right-click on that process and select the option to Restart. Afterward, you should now be seeing the Taskbar as this will reload the whole Windows Shell.
Option 2 – Unhide the Taskbar using the Settings app
It is possible that the Taskbar could be hidden so you can try to unhide it using the Settings app.
Tap the Win + I keys to open Settings.
After that, go to Personalization > Taskbar.
From the main section, make sure that the “Automatically hide the task in desktop mode” is toggled to the off position. However, if it’s already off then proceed to the next options below.
Option 3 – Make sure that you are not in Tablet Mode
Since Windows 10 is designed to work on both desktop and mobile devices, it could be that your computer has slipped into Tablet Mode which explains why you’re not seeing the Taskbar. To check if your computer is really in Tablet Mode, follow these steps:
Go to the Start menu and select Settings.
Next, select the System setting and from the left pane select the Tablet Mode.
From there, make sure that the buttons next to the options given below are set to the off position:
Hide app icons on the taskbar in tablet mode
Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode
Option 4 – Try to check the Projection Settings
You might also want to check the Projection settings as it could be the reason why Taskbar has disappeared.
Tap the Win + P keys to open the Windows Projection settings.
Next, make sure that you select the “PC screen only” option and then check if your Taskbar has now appeared or not.
One of the most common Blue Screen of Death errors you can encounter on your Windows 10 computer is the Tcpip.sys Blue Screen error. The Tcpip.sys file is a driver file that is associated with the Transmission Control Protocol over Internet Protocol. When you see this kind of BSOD error, you may see any of the following error descriptions:
IRQL_NOT_LESS_EQUAL
KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
Whichever error description you got, you need to do use the following instructions below as a reference to obliterate the Tcpip.sys Blue Screen error.
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 Tcpip.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 resetting TCP/IP
In case you didn’t notice, the Tcpip.sys file is associated with the TCP/IP protocols in your computer system which is why resetting TCP/IP can help in resolving the Tcpip.sys Blue Screen of Death error especially when the TCP/IP has been modified.
First, you need to type “command prompt” in the Windows Search bar and then right-click on the related search result and select the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt.
After that, type the following command in the elevated cmd window and hit Enter:
netsh int ip reset
Now reboot your computer after the command has been executed and check if it helped to fix the Blue Screen error.
Option 3 – Try to 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 “devmgmt.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.
Next, select the driver entries that are labeled appropriately other than anything in the context of the WAN Miniport.
Then select each one of them and 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 your Network adapters.
Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 4 – Try to update the Network drivers
You might also want to try updating all your network drivers in order to fix the Tcpip.sys Blue Screen error. To do so, here’s what you have to do:
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.
Then right-click on each one of the Network drivers and update them all.
Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the BSOD error.
Note: If updating the network drivers didn’t help in fixing the problem, you can also try to uninstall the very same drivers and restart your Windows 10 PC. After that, the system itself will reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled. Alternatively, you can also download and install the drivers from the manufacturer’s website directly.
Option 5 – Try to disable both the Antivirus program and Firewall temporarily
There are times when antivirus programs and the firewall blocks a website that they consider to be malicious or even because of false-positive effects which is why you have to disable these programs temporarily as it might be the reason why you’ve encountered the error when trying to browse the internet.