Windows 10 is stuck on Checking for updates

Over the years, the Windows 10 updates have smoothened but that does not mean that it no longer encounter some issues. One of these issues is when it gets stuck. As you know, Windows automatically checking for updates regularly or when you click the “Check for updates” button. However, if the Windows 10 update is taking forever and seems to be stuck, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on what you can do to resolve the problem.

This kind of scenario in Windows Updates can be quite confusing especially since there is no response or any indication of what is really happening since you don’t know if the update is still downloading or if it’s already getting installed. To resolve this problem, there are several options you can check out. You can try to exit settings and restart your computer. You could also try to restart the services related to Windows Update or clear both the Software Distribution and Catroot2 folders, as well as run a System File Checker scan. For more details follow each one of the given steps below.

Option 1 – Restart your computer

The most basic thing you can do to fix the problem is to restart your computer. It usually works in fixing common issues like the Windows Update getting stuck at the “Checking for updates” screen. However, if it didn’t work, proceed to the next given options below.

Option 2 – Reset Windows Update components

If the first two options did not work then you might want to reset the Windows Update components manually. Follow the steps below to reset them.

  • Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
    • net stop wuauserv
    • net stop cryptsvc
    • net stop bits
    • net stop msiserver

Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS, and MSI Installer.

  • After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
    • ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
    • ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 Catroot2.old
  • Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
    • net start wuauserv
    • net start cryptsvc
    • net start bits
    • net start msiserver
  • Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.

Option 3 – Try checking Services Dependencies

Dependencies of a Windows Service in Windows 10 are when windows services depend on other services. Such is the case with the Windows Update service – it also depends on three different services such as the Remote Procedure Call or RPC service, DCOM Server Process Launcher, and the RPC Endpoint Mapper. Meaning to say, if two of these services are not working as expected, then the dependent service will also be affected. This could be the reason why the Windows Update service could not start.

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open Windows Services.
  • From the list of Services, look for the following services:
    • Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Service
    • DCOM Server Process Launcher
    • RPC Endpoint Mapper
  • After you find these services, double click on each one of them and check whether the Startup type for all is set to Automatic and the Service status is set to Running or not.
  • If the service status is not running, then click the Start button. Afterward, check if you can now run the Windows Update service.

Option 4 – Check the Background Intelligent Service and the Cryptographic Service

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open Services.
  • From the list of Services, look for the following services and make sure that their Startup type is as follows:
    • Background Intelligent Transfer Service – Manual
    • Cryptographic Service ­– Automatic
  • After that, check if the Service status of the listed services above is set to Running. If they’re not, click on the Start button to start these services and then check if you can now enable the Windows Update service or not.

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 to good system files that might be the cause why your screen is stuck at “Checking for updates”. 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.
  • Restart your computer.

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SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED CMUSBDAC.sys
If you encounter a Blue Screen error that points out to the CMUDA.sys, read on as this post will guide you in fixing it. The CMUDA.sys file is a Windows operating system driver file that is related to the USB Device Audio capabilities of a computer. There are times when this file causes Blue Screen error due to some conflicts in RAM or some incompatible firmware or hard disk issues, corrupted drivers or malware infection, and so on. There are various Blue Screen errors that are related to the CMUDA.sys file such as:
  • KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
  • PAGE FAULT IN A NONPAGED AREA
  • IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL
  • SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED (CMUSBDAC.sys)
In most cases, the CMUDA.sys file usually triggers the SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED Blue Screen error. Although this Blue Screen error may seem complicated, its workarounds are straightforward so you won’t have any problems in following them.

Option 1 – 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 roll back 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.
  • After opening the Device Manager, locate the device drivers that are marked with a small yellow exclamation mark icon and right-click on each one to open their Properties. On the other hand, you can also look for sub-entries under Sound, video, and game controllers like the C-Media USB Audio Class
  • 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. You can download the as C-Media USB Audio Class driver from the cmedia.com website.

Option 2 – Try to recreate the CMUDA.sys file

The first thing you can try is to recreate the CMUDA.sys file. Every time your Windows 10 PC boots up, it looks for all the system drivers in place and if it is unable to find them, it tries to create them. Which is why if you remove your corrupt driver file, chances are, you might get a fixed file recreated just for you. How? Refer to the steps below.
  • Boot your Windows 10 PC in Safe Mode.
  • Then open File Explorer and navigate to this location: C:/Windows/System32/drivers
  • From there, look for the file named sys and rename it to CMUDA.old.
Note: As you can see, the file’s extension has changed from .sys to .old.
  • Now restart your computer and check if the CMUDA.sys Blue Screen error is now fixed.

Option 3 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter

The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors. 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.
  • After that, 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.
On the other hand, you can also try running the online Windows 10 Blue Screen troubleshooter from Microsoft. It is a wizard that could help you fix any Stop errors related to the CMUDA.sys file and will offer you helpful links as you use it.

Option 4 – Try running the DISM tool

You can try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the Wdf01000.sys Blue Screen error. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.
  • Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
    • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
    • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
    • exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
  • Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Option 5 – Run System Restore

Running System Restore might also help in fixing Blue Screen errors related to the CMUDA.sys file.
  • 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.
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PDF text disappears when editing or saving
If you are trying to save a file in a PDF format on your Windows 10 computer but then the PDF text content in an Adobe file suddenly disappears, then read on. This post will give you more insight into this issue. This kind of issue is rare and mostly occurs in forms that you can fill upon. In such a case, the text you enter in the form vanishes right after you click the Save button. One of the benefits of working with PDF files is that it has the ability to compress high-quality files to relatively small file sizes. This is really useful especially when you are saving hard drive space and you’re working with limited storage resources. However, these files can contain layered content if they are created from layered documents using applications like Adobe InDesign. Consequently, a single page of the PDF file can contain different layers with different content. So if you try to save or print a PDF file that contains layered content, the elements will disappear from the PDF. To resolve this issue, you can try to merge or flatten the file since it will help keep the changes in the PDF file. On the other hand, you can no longer make any alterations or form data once you flatten the file. Another thing to keep in mind is that merging or flattening the file can’t be undone so you might want to save another copy of the file before you proceed.

Option 1 – Print to PDF

  • First, you have to open the desired PDF file and tap the Ctrl + P keys to open the Print dialog box.
  • After that, select the “Microsoft Print to PDF” option as the printer.
  • Once the action is confirmed, it will regenerate another version of the PDF file with the default settings and merge all the existing layers into a single layer.
  • On the other hand, you can also click on the “File” menu of the PDF file and select Print.
  • From there, click on the Print button and select “PostScript (*.ps)” as the “Save as” type to save a PostScript copy of the original PDF file.
  • Once you’re done, double click on the .ps file to open the file in the Adobe Distiller which will flatten the file automatically and convert it to a PDF file with only one visible layer.

Option 2 – Save the PDF file as an Optimized PDF file

If you are using the Acrobat Reader Pro version such as the Acrobat Pro, Foxit, and so on, you can try to flatten the layers by saving the PDF file as an Optimized PDF file. Refer to these steps to do so:
  • Select File > Save as > Optimized PDF.
  • Next, select the Transparency checkbox from the Settings window that opens.
  • Then click on the Save button to apply and save the changes made. After that, the PDF text content should not disappear when you try to save a file on your Windows 10 computer.
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What to do if you cannot switch between Programs on Taskbar in Windows 10
It is common to run multiple programs and applications at the same time and it’s important to be able to switch between them using their Taskbar icons or using the usual Alt + Tab shortcut. However, there are times when you might suddenly find that neither of the aforementioned methods worked and you will no longer be able to switch between programs in the Windows Taskbar. To fix this issue, refer to the options given in this post. For instance, when you have multiple instances of Microsoft Edge running and every time you press the Alt + Tab combo nothing happens so you are left with no choice but to minimize everything and then hover your mouse on the icon and switch between the instances of Edge. You will also notice that the right-click on the taskbar won’t respond back and will only keep on showing the loading circle icon. Here are a few tips you can follow to fix the issue with the Windows 10 Taskbar.

Option 1 – Try to restart the Windows Explorer

This is one of the basic things you can try as restarting Windows Explorer helps in refreshing the user interface and makes most of the things work in relation to the user interface.
  • To get started, tap the Alt + Ctrl + Del keys to pull up the Windows Task Manager.
  • After opening Task Manager, look for “explorer.exe” under the list of programs.
  • Once you find the explorer.exe, right-click on it and click Restart.

Option 2 – Try changing the Foreground Lock Time

Aside from restarting Windows Explorer, you could also try changing the Foreground Lock Time to fix the issue with the Taskbar.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Then type in regedit in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  • Next, go to this registry key – HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop
  • Next, change the ForegroundLockTimeout value from200000 to 0. After that, it will make sure that no other application will take away the focus from your current program or application. It could be that some other application has taken away the focus and even when you try to actually switch, the focus gets back to the old one. Anyhow, since you already changed the value of ForegroundLockTimeout, it will ensure that the focus is not switched.
Note: If you are running some Full-Screen applications there are some devices especially the gaming ones, disable the Windows key to make sure that you won’t be able to switch. If this is the case, you need to make some modifications to the Full-Screen games.
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MS Store keeps updating the same apps
As you know, the Microsoft store is a built-in tool in Windows 10 where you can find a variety of applications. It helps users in downloading or updating apps in the system. However, there are instances when you could encounter issues while using it. One of the issues that you could face when using the Microsoft Store app is when it keeps on offering apps you have just updated or when you are not able to update any apps at all. This kind of issue in the Microsoft Store app might be caused by other issues like a damaged Windows Store cache. There are several options you can check out to resolve the problem. You can try to check the registry setting or run the Windows Store apps troubleshooter or clear the Windows Store cache manually or reset its settings. You could also try to re-register the Microsoft Store app. For more details, refer to each one of the options provided below but before you troubleshoot the problem, make sure that you create a System Restore point.

Option 1 – Run the Windows Store App troubleshooter

The Windows 10 Store Apps Troubleshooter will help you in fixing the problem in Microsoft Store. This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any app issues. To use the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.
  • Tap Win + I keys again to open the Windows Settings panel.
  • Go to Update & Security and then go to Troubleshoot.
  • Under the Troubleshoot section, on your left-hand side, scroll down to find Window Store Apps.
  • Then click on the Run the troubleshooter option and follow the on-screen instructions and then see if it fixes the problem.

Option 2 – Try checking the settings in the Windows Registry

The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to check the Registry settings for the Windows Store.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  • Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionCurrentVersion
  • From there, look for the DWORD named “CurrentVersion” and make sure that its value data is set to 6.3, but if it’s not then change its value data to 6.3
  • Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer and then see if it fixed the problem with the Microsoft Store app.

Option 3 – Try to reset the Microsoft Store cache

Just like browsers, Microsoft Store also caches as you view apps and games so it is most likely that the cache is no longer valid and must be removed. To do so, follow the steps below.
  • Right-click on the start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator).
  • Next, type in the command, “exe” and tap Enter. Once you do, the command will clear the cache for the Windows Store app.
  • Now restart your PC and afterward, try opening Microsoft Store again and then try to install your app or update your computer again.

Option 4 – Try to re-register the Microsoft Store app via Windows PowerShell

  • Tap the Win + X key combination or right-click on the Start button and click on the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option.
  • If a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click on Yes to proceed and open the Windows PowerShell window.
  • Next, type in or copy-paste the following command to re-register the Microsoft Store app and tap Enter:
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRootWinStoreAppxManifest.xml
  • Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.
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Quick Fix Guide for Error 0xe06d7363

What is Error 0xe06d7363?

Error 0xe06d7363 is displayed when a process or an operation is not launched, or completed by an application.

This error can prevent the user from performing some operations. It might close the application unconditionally. Sometimes a ‘GetLastError()’, a ‘GetExceptionCode()’, or a ‘GetExceptionInformation()’ is displayed with this error.

Error Causes

Error 0xe06d7363 can occur for a number of reasons. Damaged, corrupted, or missing files in the registry database are the main reasons why the error might occur. Another reason is when the system files are not configured correctly, thus they corrupt system files in applications. They can also affect the hardware devices.

All code-generated exceptions in the Microsoft Visual C + + compiler will contain this error. As this error is compiler-generated, the code will not be listed in Win32 API header files. This code is a cryptic device, with ‘e’ for exception while the final 3 bytes represent ‘msc’ ASCII values.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve this error, you will have to debug an application. While using Microsoft Visual Studio, you can stop the program when the error 0xe06d7363 occurs. To start debugging, follow these steps:

  • Start debugging application
  • From Debug menu, click on Exceptions
  • In the Exceptions window, select error 0xe06d7363
  • In Action, Change to Stop always from Stop if not handled

Another fix for this issue is reverting back to an earlier copy or the last update of the same Windows. Error 0xe06d7363 can occur is when you try running a client application using Microsoft.SqlServer.Types.dll component on your computer that has Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Server Pack 2 installed. With the error, the following text can be seen:

“unable to load DLL ‘SqlServerSpatial.dll’ Exception from HRESULT 0xe06d7363".

A Cumulative Update 7 was initially released for SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 2 in order to fix this issue. Since the builds are cumulative, every new fix released contains hotfixes and all security fixes which were also included in the previous SQL Server 2008 fix release. This error can be found in all Microsoft products that are listed in the Applies to Category.

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 hotfixes are created to resolve errors like 0xe06d7363 on specific SQL Server service packs. This error is by design and has commonly occurred in the previous versions of Windows before Windows 7.

Congratulations, you have just fixed Error 0xe06d7363 in Windows 10 all by yourself. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily. Now that’s how you fix Error 0xe06d7363 in Windows 10 on a computer. On the other hand, if your computer is going through some system-related issues that have to get fixed, there is a one-click solution known as Restoro you could check out to resolve them. This program is a useful tool that could repair corrupted registries and optimize your PC’s overall performance. Aside from that, it also cleans out your computer for any junk or corrupted files that help you eliminate any unwanted files from your system. This is basically a solution that’s within your grasp with just a click. It’s easy to use as it is user-friendly. For a complete set of instructions in downloading and using it, refer to the steps below Perform a full system scan using Restoro. To do so, follow the instructions below.
      1. Download and install Restoro from the official site.
      2. Once the installation process is completed, run Restoro to perform a full system scan. restoro application screen
      3. After the scan is completed click the “Start Repair” button. restoro application screen
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The new Windows 11 dev build will be buggy
windows 11 dev build channelMicrosoft sent an email to users on the Dev build channel saying that the company intends to push some builds that don’t represent what consumers will receive with Windows 11 when it officially releases. In other words, these are going to be some rather buggy builds that won’t be too enjoyable to use. The company recommends users switch from the Dev to the beta channel if they aren’t prepared to deal with the instability. We’ll have to wait and see just how buggy these builds are, but if Microsoft is actually sending out a warning about them it is very likely that builds will be plagued with issues and maybe even stability problems.

Back to Windows 10

How we can expect some buggy build of Windows 11 if you prefer a stable system over new features maybe best decision would be to switch back to Windows 10 until the new OS hits official release.

Switching from dev build channel to beta channel

Another solution, if you do not want to deal with too many issues, is to switch from Dev build channel to beta where things will be more stable. Follow the guide below in order to quickly switch to the beta channel. Following instructions only apply to Windows 11 installations that are linked up to the Windows Insider program, not clean installation of OS.
  1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
  2. Inside settings click on Windows update
  3. In Windows Update click on Windows Insider Program
  4. Inside click on Choose your Insider Settings
  5. Click on the button next to Beta Channel to select it (you can switch back to the Dev channel here if you change your mind)
The setting will be saved automatically and from now on you will only receive beta channel updates.
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DISM Error 14098, component store corrupted
As you know, one of the useful and efficient utilities in Windows 10 is the DISM tool. It can be used with the Command Prompt command line which allows users to carry out various tasks. However, there are instances when the DISM tool could encounter some errors when you try to execute a command. One of these errors is the one that states, “The component store has been corrupted”. This kind of DISM error is due to an error in the image file. When you encounter the DISM Error 14098 when running the DISM tool, you will see the following content in the command line:
“C:>Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:testmountwindows /LimitAccess Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 10.0.10586.0 Image Version: 10.0.10586.0 [==========================100.0% Error: 14098 The component store has been corrupted. The DISM log file can be found at C:WINDOWSLogsDISMdism.log C:>”
There are several fixes you can check out to fix the DISM Error 14098, “The component store has been corrupted”. You can try to run the Restore Health command or reset the Windows Update components, or whitelist the dism.exe in your antivirus program, as well as try to uninstall any recently installed updates. Follow the options provided below for more details.

Option 1 – Run the Restore Health command in a Clean Boot State

  • First, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State.
  • Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
  • From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
  • Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
  • Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
  • Click Disable all.
  • Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
  • Now open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • Then type and enter this command to execute it: Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  • Wait until the process is completed and restart your computer.
Note: If the Restore Health command fails, you can use the “/StartComponentCleanup parameter” by executing this command: Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

Option 2 – Try to reset the Windows Update components

If by any chance that the second option didn’t work, resetting the Windows Update components could also help you resolve the problem. How? Refer to the following steps:
  • Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
    • net stop wuauserv
    • net stop cryptsvc
    • net stop bits
    • net stop msiserver
Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS, and MSI Installer.
  • After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
    • ren C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution/SoftwareDistribution.old
    • ren C:/Windows/System32/catroot2/Catroot2.old
  • Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
    • net start wuauserv
    • net start cryptsvc
    • net start bits
    • net start msiserver
  • Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.

Option 3 – Whitelist the “dism.exe” in your antivirus program

The DISM error 14098 might also be caused by your antivirus program which could be interfering it from running. To fix this, you have to whitelist dism.exe. How? Refer to these steps:
  • Open the Windows Defender Security Center from the system tray area.
  • Next, click the “Virus & threat protection” option and then open the “Virus and threat protection settings”.
  • After that, scroll down until you find the “Exclusions” and click on the “Add or remove exclusions” option.
  • Then click the plus button and select the type of exclusion you want to add and from the drop-down list, select Folder.
  • Next, navigate to this path and select the WinSxS folder: C:/Windows/WinSxS
  • When a User Account Control or UAC prompt, just click on Yes to proceed.

Option 4 – Try to uninstall recently installed updates

There are times when some Windows Updates affect some mechanism internally when you update your Windows 10 computer. As a result, it causes issues with other components of the operating system which could be the reason why you’re getting the DISM error 14098.
  • Go to Settings and select Update and Security > Windows Update.
  • From there, click on the “View update history” option and then click on the “Uninstall Updates” option.
  • This will open a new window that contains the list of installed Windows Updates.
  • Now right click on the Windows Update you wish to uninstall and click Uninstall.
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The device is not ready trying to connect USB
External hard drives have become essentials as they store data. However, they are also prone to issues and one of them is the “The device is not ready”. You could encounter this error when you try to access your connected hard drive. This error won’t allow you to access the contents of your hard drive so unless you fix it, you won’t be able to access any of the files on your hard drive. One of the most likely causes of this error is a hardware defect. Aside from that, it could also be due to loose connections, obsolete device drivers, as well as compatibility issues between the operating system and the hard drive. Before you start troubleshooting the problem, you need to determine if you were able to access your hard drive before you encountered the error or not. If not, you need to check the compatibility of the device with your operating system as it could be the reason why you’re getting the error. There are several potential fixes you can check out to fix this error. You can try to check the hardware connections, run the built-in Hardware and Devices troubleshooter, as well as the USB troubleshooter. You could also run the CHKDSK utility or update the drivers of the device or the USB drivers.

Option 1 – Try checking the hardware connections

The first thing you have to do before you further troubleshoot the problem is to check the hardware connections of your computer and see if there are damaged ones, just like with USB ports, it would also affect the overall connectivity of the device with the computer. So if you notice some irregularities in the connecting cable physically, you might have to buy another one and replace it and then see if it fixes the problem or not.

Option 2 – Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooters

  • The first thing you need to do is click on Start and then on the gear-like icon to pull up the window for Settings.
  • After opening Settings, look for the Update and Security option and select it.
  • From there, go to the Troubleshoot option located on the left-hand side of the list.
  • Next, select Hardware and Devices from the list and open the Troubleshooter and run it. Once it is doing its job, wait for it to complete the process and then restart the system.
  • After the system restarts, check if the problem’s now fixed. If not, refer to the next option given below.
Note: You could also try to run the USB troubleshooter as it could also resolve the problem.

Option 3 – Run the CHKDSK utility

As you know, the CHKDSK utility can help you in identifying the bad sectors in a drive and fix them automatically. Thus, you can run it to fix the “The device is not ready” error when you connect your USB drive to your computer.
  • Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • Next, type and enter this command to execute it: chkdsk /f <drive>
  • Now, wait until the process is completed and exit Command Prompt.
  • Restart your computer and try connecting the USB drive again and see if the error is fixed.

Option 4 – Try to update the drivers of the device

Although you can always update the device drivers using the Device Manager, you might want to try downloading the latest set of drivers directly from the manufacturer’s website. Once you’ve downloaded them, install them right away and then correct the external hard drive.

Option 5 – Update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller driver

If updating the drivers of the device did not fix the “The device is not ready” error, you can try to update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller drivers instead of using the Device Manager. Refer to the following steps:
  • First, click the Start button and type “device manager”.
  • Then click on the “Device Manager” from the search results to open it.
  • From there, look for the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” option and then right-click on each one of the USB drivers and select the Update Driver from the menu.
Note: If it is a regular USB drive, then it will be listed as a USB Mass Storage Device but if you have a USB 3.0 device, then look for a USB 3.0 Extensible Host Controller.
  • Restart your PC and then click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.
Note: If updating the USB Controller drivers didn’t work, you can try to reinstall them instead.

Option 6 – Restart your computer in a Clean Boot State

If the first three given options didn’t work and you still see the error when you connect external devices, you can try putting your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try connecting them again.
  • Log onto your PC as an administrator.
  • Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
  • From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
  • Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
  • Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
  • Click Disable all.
  • Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
  • Now try to connect the external devices and check if the error is now gone.
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Fix missing files in Recycle bin
Have you ever deleted a file by mistake? Do not feel bad, we all have, but what if you deleted the file by mistake and then you went to Recycle bin to restore it only to find out that the bin is empty? If you experienced this kind of issue then you know how unpleasant and frustrating it is but do not worry, we are here to help and provide you with solutions to this problem and hopefully get your file back. Follow the next steps from first to last since they are organized in a way to minimalize the permanent deletion of lost files.
  1. Refresh Recycle bin view

    If you spend any amount of time on this site reading through articles, you know I am a big fan of simple and effective solutions and there is nothing simpler than a single press of a button. Open your recycle bin and press F5 to refresh view or right-click anywhere inside and choose refresh. If your file does not appear with this method go to the next step.
  2. Set Windows to show hidden system files

    In order for this to work first, you will need to open File Explorer by pressing ⊞ WINDOWS + E Keyboard with windows and e markedWhen File Explorer opens go to VIEW > OPTIONS. Inside options select “Show hidden files, folders, and drives”, uncheck “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)”, and click APPLY > OK Go to the recycle bin and check to see if files have managed to show up.
  3. Check if Don't move the file to the recycle bin is enabled

    Right-click on recycle bin and choose properties, under properties, there is the option that says Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin, Remove files immediately when deleted. This option is not selected by default, but it could be turned on by someone else or by mistake. If you see that this option is enabled sadly your file is gone and you will have to get the file back by using some third-party undelete application, uncheck this option to prevent future deletion of files by mistake.
  4. Increase recycle bin size

    This will not help you to get your file back sadly but it will help you in storing more files in recycle bin. This is helpful since if you reach your recycle bin limit all further files will be permanently deleted and not been able to get them back. So by increasing bin size you will have more space for deleted files to be saved. To do that, right-click on Recycle Bin, select Properties. Now, increase the Maximum size from the Custom size option, and click Apply and OK.
  5. Reset recycle bin

    To reset and fix corrupted recycle bin do the following: Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the secret Windows menu and click on command prompt (admin) keyboard with windows and x markedIn the command prompt type in the following: rd /s /q C:\$Recycle.bin Reboot your system
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Change Keyboard Repeat Rate and Repeat Delay
In case you don’t know, Windows 10 actually allows users to set the Keyboard Repeat Rate and Repeat Delay. Both of these terms are interrelated and when you make active, any text field or an editor and then press and hold a single character key, it will quickly type the character for the first time and will show delay until the second and later characters appear. This is what you call the Keyboard Repeat Delay. On the other hand, the rate at which the later character appears is known as Keyboard Repeat Rate. There are two ways you can set the Keyboard Repeat Rate and the Keyboard Repeat Delay on Windows 10. The first one is using the Keyboard Properties while the second one is using the Registry Editor.

Option 1 – Set up Keyboard Repeat Rate and Repeat Delay via Keyboard Properties

  • First, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type in “control keyboard” in the field, and hit Enter to open the Keyboard Properties.
  • From there, you can use the slider to make the respective options for both Keyboard Repeat Delay and Repeat Rate shorter or whatever you prefer them to be.
  • You should also see a text field in the mini window where you can test out your preferences. Once done, click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.

Option 2 – Keyboard Repeat Rate and Repeat Delay via Registry Editor

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  • Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelAccessibilityKeyboard Response
  • From there, you can set your own value for both the AutoRepeatDelay and AutoRepeatRate registry keys so that you can set the Keyboard Repeat Rate and Repeat Delay in Windows 10.
  • Once you’re done, exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to save the changes made.
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