Windows Update Keeps Turning Off in Windows

If you’re having some problem browsing multiple websites on the Firefox browser on your Windows 10 computer, then this post might be of help. One of the most common problems you could encounter in Firefox is mostly related to HTTPS and one of them is the MOZILLA PKIX ERROR MITM DETECTED or ERROR SELF SIGNED CERT or SEC ERROR UNKNOWN ISSUER error which means that Firefox was unable to trust certificates issued on secured websites. If you encounter the MOZILLA_PKIX_ERROR_MITM_DETECTED error in Firefox, this indicates that something in your network or system is interrupting your connection and injecting certificates and when that happens, Firefox won’t trust it. In such cases, one of the culprits is malware. Malware will try to replace a legitimate certificate with its certificate. Another cause is security software where it keeps a tab on a secure connection and creates a false positive, for instance:

“In Microsoft Windows accounts protected by Family Safety settings, secure connections on popular websites like Google, Facebook and YouTube might be intercepted and their certificates replaced by a certificate issued by Microsoft in order to filter and record search activity.”

And if you are connected to a corporate network, there might be a monitoring/filtering product that could be replacing certificates. Moreover, there are also users who reported getting this issue when they use the Nightly version of Firefox. And if that’s the case, you have to try accessing secure websites using only the stable build especially when it comes to payments. However, if you are not doing that, then here are some options you need to check out.

Option 1 – Try turning off HTTPS Scanning on your security and antivirus programs

Each security-based software has a security option that allows you to turn off the HTTPS scanning functionality. They may be available under different names such as HTTPS Scanning, Scan SSL, Show safe result, Do not scan encrypted connections, etc. Find what is applicable for your security or antivirus software and then try turning it off temporarily and see if it helps in fixing the MOZILLA_PKIX_ERROR_MITM_DETECTED error in Firefox.

Option 2 – Try to disable security.enterprise_roots.enabled

The next thing you can do if the first option didn’t work is to disable security.enterprise_roots.enabled which is an HTTPS certificate check on Firefox. Note that this is not recommended but you have to at least try in order to fix the error.

• Open Firefox and then type “about: config” in the Firefox address bar and hit Enter.
• After that, if an info message appears, confirm it.
• Next, search for the security.enterprise_roots.enabled preference and once you found it, double click on it.
• Then change its value to true and restart the Firefox browser once. This will import all the custom certificates from the other security software into Firefox. As a result, it will make sure to mark those sources as trusted and you won’t get the MOZILLA_PKIX_ERROR_MITM_DETECTED error.

The new razer modular table looks like something that came out from Star Trek. Project Sophia is a desk but, it is a special kind of desk. It comes with modules that attach themselves underneath the table itself for customization purposes so each user can somewhat create a layout on the table itself as he or she desires. The table itself comes packed with intel CPU and Nvidia GPU but it is said that this component and PC parts will overall be easily upgraded to different ones as users desires. The table itself looks very basic and it comes with a very large OLED screen between two different sizes depending on your table choice. You can choose between 65” or 77” screen sizes and OLED is mounted on the table itself so you cannot move it or adjust the angle of it that I somewhat find annoying but that comes from th4e fact I am used to adjusting my screens, but for this large screen maybe you do not need to adjust its rotation in order to get best viewing angle. Modules themselves will offer some on-the-fly information and quick settings for the PC itself while being modular in a sense they could be mounted in different positions on the table itself providing some customization and order to suit users needs. Modules, for now, are: THX Spatial Surround Sound Controls, system monitoring, programmable hotkey module, Thunderbolt™ Powered eGPU, RAID Controller, Network Performance Module, 15W Wireless Charger, Thunderbolt™ 4 Hub, Media Controls. Of course table, itself will have Razer chroma RGB on its surface and Razer says it will have a total of 13 different modules available on launch for a true level of personalization.

Conclusion

Is this Razer table something that you really need or just another expensive toy? Personally, I would not mind this table at all but I would choose modules for work, not gaming. Having some things like media controls or RAID controllers all the time at your fingertips is a great time saver and productivity asset. Razer also advertises some modules and setup already for streamers, creators, or team members and has some according modules like touch screen digitizer with stylus and similar.

Stop C00002lA Fatal System Error- What is it?

C00002lA Fatal System Error is a blue screen of death error that may occur when you start your Windows NT 4.0 based computer. This error causes the screen to turn blue and the system also shuts down. The stop C000021A error message is displayed in the following format:

Stop c000021a {Fatal System Error} The session manager initialization system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000017 (0x00000000, 0x0000000) The system has been shut down.

Error Causes

The stop C000021A error occurs when either Crsrss.exe or Winlogon.exe fails. When the Windows NT kernel identifies that either of these processes has failed, it stops and the error code stop C000021A appears on the computer screen. Here are some of the underlying causes for the stop C0000021A error:

• The incompatible third-party program
• Hard disk issues
• Service pack installation has failed
• Mismatched system files have been installed
• Bad and invalid registry keys

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve the stop C000021A Fatal System Error on your PC try the following solutions:

• Remove Incompatible Third Party Programs

If the error occurred after you recently installed a new program, then it is advisable to remove that program. The error occurs due to the incompatibility of the program. To remove the program go to the start menu and click on the control panel. Now click on Add/Remove Program tab and double click on the program name that you recently installed and remove it from the list. Once removed, not reboot your PC. Reinstall a compatible program and run it. It is most likely to resolve the issue. However, if the stop C000021A error still occurs, then it means the problem is critical. It is related to the registry.

• Repair and Restore the Registry

This procedure is slightly long and tricky. To try it, you need to be technically sound. Here’s what you have to do: first create a parallel installation of Windows NT. Start your PC to the parallel installation and then open the Registry Editor. On the Registry Editor’s Windows menu click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine and then click Load Hive. Now type the path %systemroot%system32configsystem into the System hive of the prior installation. Then click open. Here you will be prompted to enter the name of the key, type TEST. Note the setting for the current DWord value in the preceding registry key. This is 0x1 and is denoted by CURRENT:Reg_Dword: 0x1. This value indicated that the Current Control Set for your original Windows NT installation corresponds to ControlSet001 in this window. Now if the value is 2, it indicated that the Current Control Set corresponds to ControlSet002. Now locate the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETESTControlSetXXXControlSession Manager. XXX is the Current Control Set Value. And delete any pending file rename operation entries. Then click TEST hive and then click Unload Hive. After that again repeat the process, open the registry menu and click load hive, here type the path %systemroot%system32configSoftware to the Software hive of the prior installation and then click open. Now you type TEST 2 when you are prompted for the name of the key. Remove any pending file rename operations entries in the following registry keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETEST2MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETEST2MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnceEx Now click TEST2 hive and then click unload hive. Quit the Registry Editor and then restart your original installation. This will resolve the stop C000021A error.

A recent update in Windows 10 has caused a couple of glitches. One of these glitches is having trouble signing into Windows 10. Some users reported that they were not able to sign in to their computers using a PIN and they weren’t also able to reset it either. If you are one of these users, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will help you resolve issues that you are having in signing in to your computer using your PIN or fingerprint with Windows Hello. When you encounter this issue, you will get an error message on your screen stating:

“Your PIN is no longer available due to a change in the security setting on this device on this device.”

To resolve this problem, you need to follow the steps laid out below carefully.

• Step 1: The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you are using an administrator account. After signing in as admin, tap the Win + E keys to open the File Explorer.
• Step 2: After that, under the View menu, enable Hidden items.
• Step 3: Next, navigate to the following path:

C:\Windows\Service\Profiles\Local\Service\AppData\Local\Microsoft

Note: From there, you should see a folder named “Ngc”. This folder might be the one that’s causing the problem so you are going to fix it by making some changes. This folder contains all the files responsible for any PIN-related settings. So if you are not able to access the Ngc folder, or it has gotten corrupted for some reason during an update here’s how to fix it.

• Step 4: Try opening the Ngc folder. If you are able to open it, just skip to step 11 but if you can’t open it and you got the “Permission Denied” error message, proceed to the next few steps.
• Step 5: Right-click on the Ngc folder and select Properties.
• Step 6: Under Properties, go to the Security tab and click on the Advanced button.
• Step 7: Next, click on the Change link which corresponds to the Owner field.
• Step 8: Then click on Object Types and ensure that everything is selected.
• Step 9: After that, enter your username in the field. You can just use the email that corresponds to your Microsoft account or you can also use the Check Names button to verify it. Now click OK.
• Step 10: You should now see a change in the owner's name. Just make sure that you enable the checkbox below it which is labeled, “Replace owner on subcontainers and objects” and then click Apply and close everything.
• Step 11: Next, try opening the Ngc folder again. You should now be able to access it. After opening the folder, delete all of its contents and make sure that it’s empty.
• Step 12: Restart your PC. After your computer has booted, go to the Account Settings and try setting up a new PIN. You should now be able to set up a new PIN and use it to sign in to your PC.

There is one service in the Windows operating system that is responsible for managing all the print jobs as well as handles the interaction with the printer. This service is known as the Print Spooler service. However, if it stops running, then you won’t be able to print anything on your computer. In such a case, you can try to restart the Print Spooler service, and to do that, you have to open the Windows Services Manager and look for the Print Spooler Service. Once you found it, right-click on it and select Restart. If it isn’t running, select Start and if the Service starts working again, then good but if not and you got an error message instead that says, “Windows could not start the Print Spooler service on Local Computer, Error 1068, The dependency service or group failed to start”, then read on as this post will give you a couple of suggestions you can try to resolve the issue. The reason why you could not start the service is most likely because the Print Spooler service is dependent on other services which might not be properly running. If the following services are not running then it’s no wonder why you’re getting the error.

• HTTP Service
• Remote Procedure Control (RPC) Service

You might not see the RPC service which means that the Print Spooler Service does not recognize its dependency on the RPC service. In such a case, you have to manually configure the dependency by following the options given below.

Option 1 – Try configuring the dependency via CMD

The first thing you have to do is to configure the dependency using CMD. Refer to the steps below to do so:

• Open an elevated Command Prompt.
• Then type in “sc config spooler depend= RPCSS” and hit Enter.
• After the command has been executed, restart your computer and then check if it fixed the problem. If not, proceed to the next given option below.

Option 2 – Fix dependency via the Registry Editor

You can also resolve dependency using the Registry Editor. How? Refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• After that, navigate to this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesSpooler
• Next, right-click on the “DependOnService” entry located on the right pane and select Modify.
• Now change its value data to “RPCSS” and click OK to save the changes made and then exit the Registry Editor.
• Reboot your computer and see if the issue is resolved.

Option 3 – Try running the Printer Troubleshooter

Another option you can check out is the Printer Troubleshooter. This built-in troubleshooter in Windows 10 can help you fix most print issues. It checks if you have the latest printer drivers and then tries to fix and update them automatically. Aside from that, it also checks if you have connectivity issues or if the Print Spooler and the required Services are running fine. To run it, follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “exe /id PrinterDiagnostic” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the Printer Troubleshooter.
• Then click the Next button and follow the next on-screen instructions to fix the issue with the printer.

PC Optimizer Pro is a PC optimizer utility developed by Xportsoft Technologies. It is classified as a potentially unwanted program, due to its aggressive scan and registration reminders, and that it is often distributed bundled with other programs in a manner that leads many users to not know how it got on their computer. While not inherently malicious, PC Optimizer Pro adds numerous registry keys, startup entries and while running consumes a relatively high amount of system resources, especially during its scans. The software installs from a .exe file that is around 5.20 MB or 5.453.240 Bytes (depending on the version). As of the publication of these videos, the current version of PC Optimizer Pro was detected as malicious or potentially unwanted by at least 21 AntiViruses.

About Potentially Unwanted Applications

If you have ever installed freeware or shareware, chances are high that your computer can get installed with a bunch of unwanted applications. A Potentially Unwanted Program, also called PUP, in short, is actually software that contains adware, installs toolbars, or has other hidden goals. These kinds of programs are almost always bundled up with free software which you download from the net or are also bundled within the custom installers on many download sites. PUPs did not really constitute pure “malware” in the strict sense of the term. Just like malicious software, PUPs cause problems when downloaded and installed on your PC, but what makes a PUP different is that you give consent to download it – although the truth is vastly different – the software installation package actually tricks you into accepting the installation. Irrespective of whether it is regarded as malware or not, PUPs are nearly always harmful to the user as they might bring on adware, spyware, keystroke logging, and also other bad crapware features on your computer.

What do PUPs do on your computer, exactly?

Potentially Unwanted Programs come in many forms and varieties, but in most instances, these are adware programs that show annoying pop-up adverts and advertisements on websites you check out. The PUPs also get installed into your computer in the form of web browser add-ons and toolbars. Not only they needlessly take up space on your computer screen, but toolbars may also manipulate search engine results, watch your web browsing activities, decrease your web browser’s efficiency, and decelerate your internet connection to a crawl. Potentially Unwanted Programs at times act quite similarly to viruses or spyware. Some PUPs include keyloggers, dialers, along with other software to gather your private details that may result in identity theft. These are programs that don’t do anything good for you; in addition to taking over space on your hard drive, they also slow down your computer, often modify settings without your approval, the list of bothersome features goes on.

Ways to avoid PUPs

• Always study the EULA and privacy statement. Don’t agree until you know precisely what you are acknowledging. • Choose the “custom” install whenever installing a software program. In particular, look closely at those small boxes that have been checked as default, where you may ‘agree’ to receive promotions or install software bundlers. • Use good antivirus software, like Safebytes Anti-Malware that offers real-time protection against PUPs. • Avoid adding a freeware program you do not use. Turn off or remove toolbars and web browser extensions you don’t really need. • Always download software from reliable sources like official sites as opposed to untrustworthy sharing space. Avoid file-hosting sites where/when possible.

What you can do if Malware Prevents You From Downloading Or Installing Antivirus?

Practically all malware is bad, but certain types of malware do much more damage to your computer than others. Certain malware goes to great lengths to stop you from downloading or installing anything on your personal computer, particularly antivirus applications. If you are reading this right now, you have probably recognized that a malware infection is the real cause of your blocked web connectivity. So what to do if you need to install an antivirus program like Safebytes? There are a few steps you can take to circumvent this problem.

Install in Safe Mode

The Windows OS has a special mode known as “Safe Mode” in which just the bare minimum required programs and services are loaded. In the event the malware is blocking the internet connection and affecting the computer, running it in Safe Mode will let you download antivirus and run a diagnostic scan while limiting possible damage. To start the computer into Safe Mode, press the “F8” key on your keyboard right before the Windows boot screen comes up; Or right after normal Windows boot up, run MSConfig, look over “Safe Boot” under Boot tab, and click Apply. After you reboot into Safe Mode with Networking, you can download, install, and update anti-malware software from there. Right after installation, run the malware scanner to remove standard infections.

Switch to an alternate browser

Some malware may target vulnerabilities of a specific browser that block the downloading process. If you seem to have malware attached to Internet Explorer, then switch over to an alternate web browser with built-in safety features, such as Firefox or Chrome, to download your favorite antivirus program – Safebytes.

Install and run anti-virus from the USB drive

Another solution is to create a portable anti-malware program on your USB stick. Adopt these measures to employ a thumb drive to clean your infected computer system. 1) Download Safebytes Anti-Malware or MS Windows Defender Offline onto a clean PC. 2) Plug the Thumb drive into the clean computer. 3) Run the setup program by double-clicking the executable file of the downloaded software, with a .exe file format. 4) Choose the flash drive as the location for saving the file. Do as instructed on the screen to complete the installation process. 5) Now, plug the pen drive into the corrupted computer. 6) Double-click the anti-malware software EXE file on the USB flash drive. 7) Press the “Scan” button to run a full system scan and remove viruses automatically.

SafeBytes Anti-Malware: Lightweight Malware Protection for Windows PC

These days, an anti-malware tool can protect your computer from different types of online threats. But how to choose the best one amongst numerous malware protection application that’s available out there? You may be aware, there are numerous anti-malware companies and tools for you to consider. A few are well worth your money, but many aren’t. You have to be very careful not to choose the wrong application, especially if you buy a paid application. In terms of commercial anti-malware application options, many people select well-known brands, such as SafeBytes, and are quite happy with it. SafeBytes anti-malware is a powerful, highly effective protection tool created to help end-users of all levels of IT literacy in detecting and eliminating malicious threats from their computer. Using its cutting-edge technology, this software can assist you to eliminate several types of malware such as computer viruses, trojans, PUPs, worms, ransomware, adware, and browser hijackers. SafeBytes has excellent features when compared to other anti-malware programs. Let’s have a look at a few of them below: Robust, Anti-malware Protection: Safebytes is made on the best virus engine within the industry. These engines will find and get rid of threats even during the initial phases of a malware outbreak. Active Protection: Malware programs aiming to enter the system are discovered and stopped as and when detected by the SafeBytes active protection shields. It’ll check your PC for suspicious activity at all times and safeguards your personal computer from unauthorized access. High-Speed Malware Scanning Engine: SafeBytes’s high-speed malware scanning engine minimizes scan times and extends the life of the battery. Simultaneously, it will effectively detect and eliminate infected computer files or any online threat. Website Filtering: SafeBytes checks the hyperlinks present on a webpage for possible threats and informs you whether the site is safe to explore or not, through its unique safety rating system. Lowest CPU/Memory Usage: SafeBytes is a lightweight and user-friendly antivirus and antimalware solution. Since it utilizes negligible computer resources, this tool leaves the computer’s power exactly where it belongs to: with you. Premium Support: You may get high levels of support round the clock if you’re using their paid software.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you wish to manually remove PCOptimizerPro without the use of an automated tool, it may be possible to do so by removing the program from the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser extensions, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. You will likely also want to reset your browser. To ensure the complete removal, manually check your hard drive and registry for all of the following and remove or reset the values accordingly. Please note that this is for advanced users only and may be difficult, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. In addition, some malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. Doing this in Safe Mode is advised.

The following files, folders, and registry entries are created or modified by PCOptimizerPro

Recently, several Windows 10 users have reported an issue with the Windows folder sizes in their PCs. If you are one of these affected users, read on as this post will walk you through fixing this issue. For instance, if you have a folder with 100 GB worth of data and when checking its size using its properties, you see the wrong size instead of 100GB. The size displayed will most likely be a random number which can either be bigger or smaller than the real size of the folder. This incorrect folder size issue does not happen to any specific drive or certain kinds of folders as any folder can be affected by this incorrect folder size issue. When you try to rename the affected folder, the size will change but its size still remains to be incorrect. The root cause of this particular issue is in Windows 10 itself. It is a known bug that came along with one of the latest Windows Updates which prevents the File Explorer to accurately read the metadata of a certain folder or file and leads to displaying incorrect and unexpected file sizes and the reason why you might also notice that your drive is also not correct. Since this is brought upon by one of the recent or latest Windows Updates the good thing is that Microsoft will most likely release a fix on its next upcoming updates but until then, you will be left with no choice but to deal with an incorrect folder or file size. To remedy that, here are some suggestions you can try that might fix the problem.

Option 1 – Try using the System File Checker

The 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 causing the incorrect folder or file size in Windows 10. 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 2 – Try resetting Windows 10

To fix the folder and file size issue, 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. That way, you won’t have to deal with inaccurate folders or file sizes as you browse and use your files.

Option 3 – Wait for the Windows Update

As mentioned, this is already a known issue and a lot of Windows 10 users have already complained about it to Microsoft so a bug fix will be soon released in the latest Windows Updates.

If you encounter the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT Blue Screen of Death error while using your Windows 10 computer then it is most likely caused by a specified processor which is not processing interrupts. This occurs when the processor is deadlocked or nonresponsive. Specifically, this kind of Stop error occurs when the processor is having a hard time with the cooperation of its threads and cores. The threads are the tasks performed by cores and some cores can have many threads at the same time. And this is where the problem begins – one thread is waiting for an adequate response from another thread or one kernel is waiting for a response from another kernel and those responses are not coming. In other words, when the processor is unable to continue the processing of tasks since its resources are occupied and are interdependent to get free, such a state is called Deadlock. The CLOCK WATCHDOG TIMEOUT bug check has a value of 0x00000101 which means that an expected clock interrupt on a secondary processor, in a multiprocessor system, was not received within the allocated interval. To troubleshoot the problem, you can check out the possible fixes provided below but before you proceed, make sure that you boot your computer into Safe Mode with Networking only.

Option 1 – Undo or disable overclocking if you have overclocked your system

• 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 the 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 CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT 0x00000101 error is now fixed.

Option 2 – Try running the Memory Diagnostic Tool

The Memory Diagnostic tool in windows can help resolve the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT 0x00000101 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.

Option 3 – Try to rollback, update or disable drivers

The next thing you can do to fix the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT 0x00000101 Stop error is to roll back, or update, or disable 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 locate the device drivers 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 running the Blue Screen Troubleshooter

The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT 0x00000101. 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 5 – Try to disconnect or disable newly installed hardware

In this option, you will have to disable or remove the hardware you’ve just installed recently since external devices could be the one that’s causing the Blue Screen of Death error to appear. To do that, just disconnect any external device that’s connected to your computer physically and then check if it fixes the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT Blue Screen error.

Option 6 – Troubleshoot the BSOD error in Clean Boot State

You can also troubleshoot the Blue Screen error in a Clean Boot state. There are times when third-party applications cause BSOD errors. Putting your computer in this state can help you identify which program is the culprit and thus isolates the problem. In a Clean Boot state, your computer will start using only the pre-selected minimal set of drivers and startup programs. Note that you have to disable and enable one process at a time.

• 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 to configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.

Option 7 – Try to update the BIOS

Updating the BIOS can help you fix the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT 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.

USB ports, just like any other ports, also comes with a power rating. The default power output of a standard USB port is 0.5 amperes and if you notice, mobile phones charge slowly on USB ports which explains why. There are times when Windows may throw an error or warning that says, “Power surge on the USB port”. This kind of error occurs when a connected device tried to draw more power and the error comes as a part of that notification so when you select it, it will say,

“A USB device has malfunctioned and exceeded the power limits of its hub port. You should disconnect the device”.

To easily fix the problem, you can try to disconnect the device and click on Reset and if you click on Close, the port will not work until you unplug it and then restart your computer. On the other hand, if disconnecting the device did not resolve the problem, you can try running the Hardware & USB troubleshooter or use a USB hub. You can also try to reinstall, uninstall or roll back the USB drivers or run the OEM diagnostics. For more information, refer to each one of the potential fixes provided below.

Option 1 – Try to run the Hardware & USB troubleshooter

• 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 2 – Try to use a USB hub

If you’ve encountered the error on a specific device, then it is possible that the device requires more voltage. To fix this error, you can try to use the same device on another computer and if you still got the same error, you might want to use a USB hub that comes with its power source. USB hubs come with high-speed charging ports that should be able to supply the power needed for the device.

Option 3 – Update, rollback 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, rollback, 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 4 – Try running OEM Diagnostics if you have any

If the laptop or desktop computer you are using is a branded one, OEMs usually include software to diagnose issues in the computer like the USB port error. So if you have this software, try to run it for diagnosis and use any given suggestions to fix the error.

When we get ourselves a new USB stick, new hard drive, or any storage device not including optical drives they are usually preformatted and ready to be used out of the box. However, reformating them has several benefits and while we are reformatting we can choose in which file system format we want the memory to be formatted. In this article, we will compare and explore 3 typical and standard format options you can get while formating a new media in Windows 10.

FAT32

The oldest one on the list, coming all the way from DOS days. Great for devices that need to be plugged in different operating systems and for USB flash drives. Its advantages are compatibility with all major operating systems and little memory usage comparing to other ones. However, the file system is limited to file sizes of the maximum capacity of 4GB and partitions can not exceed more than 32GB.

NTFS

First introduced in Windows NT this file system offered slower performance than FAT32 and somewhat limited usability but the main advantages were more stability and fewer errors. Its main advantages are support for files larger than 4GB and partitions larger than 32GB along with the ability for on the file encryption, main disadvantage would be limited operating system usage, NTFS can not be used on systems that work on FAT32 like MS-DOS for example or older versions of Windows. The best usage for this file system is in internal hard disk drives and system drives.

exFAT

New kid on the block, well at least from the perspective of the previous 2. exFAT offers unlimited file sizes and unlimited partition sizes but at a price that is even more limiting than NTFS. Some Linux distributions will require a driver to be installed in order to see the exFAT partition. The best use is in storage, in external hard drives. That's it, 3 major file systems, we hope that you have managed to learn something new today, and remember to drop by tomorrow for more articles about advice, tips, tricks, and troubleshooting.