“No device drivers were found” when installing Windows using a USB

When attempting to installing Windows using a USB, you may receive an error message “No device drivers were found”. To fix the “No device drivers were found” error, we offer several methods to resolve it:

Method 1: Check USB Connection

  1. Reinsert the USB Drive: Remove the USB drive and insert it into a different USB port (preferably a USB 2.0 port instead of a USB 3.0 port).
  2. Try Another USB Drive: Sometimes the USB drive itself might be the issue. Try using a different USB drive.

Method 2: Correct USB Drive Formatting

  1. Format the USB Drive: Make sure your USB drive is formatted correctly using the FAT32 file system.
  2. Recreate the Bootable USB: Use tools like Rufus or the Windows Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB drive. Ensure you select the correct options for your system (UEFI or Legacy BIOS).

Method 3: Update BIOS Settings

  1. Enter BIOS/UEFI: Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing a key like F2, F12, DEL, or ESC during startup).
  2. Check Boot Mode: Ensure the boot mode is set correctly. If your USB drive was created for UEFI, the BIOS should be set to UEFI mode. For Legacy, set it to Legacy mode.
  3. Disable Secure Boot: In some cases, Secure Boot can interfere with the installation process. Disable Secure Boot in the BIOS settings.

Method 4: Load Drivers Manually

  1. Download Drivers: Go to your motherboard or laptop manufacturer’s website and download the SATA/RAID/USB drivers.
  2. Copy Drivers to USB: Copy these drivers to a separate USB drive.
  3. Load Drivers During Installation:
    • During the Windows installation process, when you see the “No device drivers were found” error, click on the “Browse” button.
    • Insert the USB drive with the drivers, and navigate to the folder containing the drivers.
    • Select the appropriate driver and click “Next” to continue with the installation.

Method 5: Adjust Disk Mode in BIOS

  1. Enter BIOS/UEFI: Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings.
  2. Change SATA Mode: Change the SATA mode from AHCI to IDE, or vice versa, depending on the current setting. Save changes and try the installation again.

Method 6: Use a Different ISO File

  1. Download a Fresh ISO: Sometimes, the ISO file used to create the bootable USB might be corrupted. Download a fresh Windows ISO from the official Microsoft website.
  2. Create Bootable USB Again: Use the newly downloaded ISO to recreate the bootable USB drive.

Method 7: Ensure USB Drivers are Present

  1. Extract USB Drivers: Sometimes, the Windows installation media lacks necessary USB drivers. Extract the drivers from another source (such as the Windows 10 ISO) and place them on the USB drive.
  2. Load Drivers During Installation: During the installation process, manually load the extracted USB drivers when prompted.

Method 8: Try a Different USB Port/Hub

  1. Use a Direct Connection: Avoid using USB hubs. Connect the USB drive directly to the computer.
  2. Switch Ports: Try different USB ports, especially those on the back of a desktop computer, which might have more reliable connections.

Method 9: Check and Update Motherboard Firmware

  1. Update BIOS/UEFI Firmware: Ensure that your motherboard’s BIOS/UEFI firmware is up to date. Visit the manufacturer’s website for updates and instructions.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the “No device drivers were found” error and proceed with the Windows installation.

Can’t start PC with Blue Screen of Death

When your PC starts with a blue screen (often referred to as the “Blue Screen of Death” or BSOD), it typically indicates a critical system error. Here are some solutions you can take to troubleshoot and potentially fix the issue:

Solution 1: Restart Your Computer

Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve temporary issues.

Solution 2: Unplug all external devices and then start the PC.

The PC gets BSOD because of an external device.

Solution 3: Boot into Safe Mode:

Restart your computer.

  • Press F8 (or Shift + F8) repeatedly before the Windows logo appears.
  • Select Safe Mode from the menu.
  • If your computer boots into Safe Mode, it indicates a software issue. You can then troubleshoot further from within Safe Mode.

Note: If Windows 11 boots too quickly for you to access Safe Mode using traditional methods, you can use solution 4, 5, 6.

Solution 4: Use the Power Button to interrupt the Boot Process

  1. Interrupt the Normal Boot Process:
  • Turn on your computer.
  • As soon as Windows starts to load, press and hold the power button for 10 seconds to force a shutdown.
  • Repeat this process 2-3 times. On the third attempt, Windows should enter the Recovery Environment automatically.

2. Access Advanced Startup Options:

  • Once in the Recovery Environment, you will see a screen with several options. Choose Troubleshoot.

3. Navigate to Safe Mode:

  • From the Troubleshoot menu, go to Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
  • After your PC restarts, you’ll see a list of options. Press 4 or F4 to start in Safe Mode. If you need to use the Internet, press 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

Solution 5: Use a Windows Installation Media

  1. Create Windows Installation Media:
    • Use another computer to create a Windows 11 installation USB drive using the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft’s website.
  2. Boot from USB:
    • Insert the USB drive into your problematic PC.
    • Restart the computer and boot from the USB drive. You may need to change the boot order in BIOS/UEFI to boot from the USB drive.
  3. Repair Your Computer:
    • Select your language preferences, then click Next.
    • Click Repair your computer at the bottom left.
  4. Access Advanced Startup Options:
    • From the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
  5. Enable Safe Mode:
    • After the restart, press 4 or F4 to start in Safe Mode. Press 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking if needed.

Solution 6: Use Command Prompt in Windows Recovery Environment

  1. Enter the Recovery Environment:
    • Use the steps from Method 1 to force your PC into the Recovery Environment using the power button.
  2. Open Command Prompt:
    • From the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
  3. Enable Safe Mode:
    • In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter: bcdedit /set {default} safeboot minimal
    • For Safe Mode with Networking, use: bcdedit /set {default} safeboot network
    • Close the Command Prompt and select Continue to restart your PC. It will boot into Safe Mode.

Once your computer boots into Safe Mode, you can perform various troubleshooting steps to identify and resolve software issues. Here are some steps you can take:

1. Check for Malware

  1. Run Antivirus Software:
    • Use your installed antivirus program to run a full system scan. If you don’t have one, you can use free tools like Malwarebytes.
    • Download and install Malwarebytes, run a full scan, and remove any detected threats.

2. Update Drivers

  1. Open Device Manager:
    • Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
  2. Update Outdated Drivers:
    • Look for any devices with a yellow triangle, indicating a problem.
    • Right-click the device and select Update driver.
    • Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.

3. Uninstall Recently Installed Software

  1. Open Control Panel:
    • Press Windows + R, type control, and press Enter.
  2. Uninstall Programs:
    • Go to Programs > Programs and Features.
    • Uninstall any recently installed software that might be causing issues.

4. Run System File Checker (SFC) and DISM

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
    • Press Windows + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
  2. Run SFC:
    • In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter: sfc /scannow
    • Wait for the scan to complete and follow any prompts to fix issues.
  3. Run DISM:
    • If SFC finds errors but cannot fix them, run the Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool (DISM) with the following command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

5. Disable Startup Programs

  1. Open Task Manager:
    • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Disable Unnecessary Startup Programs:
    • Go to the Startup tab.
    • Right-click on any unnecessary programs and select Disable.

6. Check Event Viewer for Errors

  1. Open Event Viewer:
    • Press Windows + X and select Event Viewer.
  2. Look for Critical Errors:
    • In the Event Viewer, navigate to Windows Logs > System.
    • Look for any critical errors or warnings that might indicate the cause of the issue.

7. Use System Restore

  1. Open System Restore:
    • Press Windows + R, type rstrui, and press Enter.
  2. Choose a Restore Point:
    • Follow the prompts to choose a restore point before the issue started.
    • Complete the restore process and restart your computer.

8. Reinstall Problematic Software

  1. Uninstall and Reinstall Software:
    • If a specific software is causing the issue, uninstall it from Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
    • Restart your computer and reinstall the software.

9. Update Windows

  1. Check for Updates:
    • Open Settings (Windows + I), go to Update & Security > Windows Update.
    • Click Check for updates and install any available updates.

10. Check Disk for Errors

  1. Run Check Disk Utility:
    • Open Command Prompt as Administrator (as described in step 4).
    • Type the following command and press Enter: chkdsk /f /r
    • You might need to restart your computer to complete the scan.

Additional Tips

  • Backup Data: Always make sure your important data is backed up before performing major troubleshooting steps.
  • Note Changes: Keep track of any changes you make during troubleshooting to easily revert if needed.

If you encounter specific issues or error messages while performing these steps, feel free to ask for more detailed assistance.

Bring WordPad back on Windows 11 24H2

Microsoft Windows 11 24H2 has removed WordPad and suggests using alternatives like Notepad for .txt files and Microsoft Word for .rtf files.

To bring WordPad back on Windows 11 24H2, you can follow a workaround despite Microsoft’s decision to remove it. Here are the steps:

  1. Copy WordPad Files from an Older Windows Version:
    • Before upgrading to Windows 11 24H2, locate the wordpad.exe and wordpadfilter.dll files in the Accessories folder. This is typically found at C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories.
    • Copy these files to a secure location on your disk or an external drive.
  2. Reinstall WordPad After Upgrade:
    • After upgrading to Windows 11 24H2, copy the saved wordpad.exe and wordpadfilter.dll files back to the Accessories folder on your upgraded system. This should allow you to run WordPad as before.
  3. Alternative Approach:
    • Some users have created packages that can restore WordPad functionality. You might find these on trusted forums or tech blogs. However, ensure you download software only from reputable sources to avoid security risks.

While Microsoft has removed WordPad and suggests using alternatives like Notepad for .txt files and Microsoft Word for .rtf files, these steps can help maintain your preferred workflow without additional cost​ (BleepingComputer)​​ (Winaero)​​ (TweakTown)​​ (Berrall)​.

For more detailed instructions and to stay updated with the latest changes, you can check sites like Winaero and Bleeping Computer.

System configuration utility keep popping up

Situation: The user keeps receiving System Configuration Utility popups whenever they start their PC.

Here are some solutions to fix it:

Solution 1: Disable “Startup”

  1. Open the System Configuration tool by typing msconfig in the Start menu search bar and pressing Enter.
  1. In the System Configuration window, go to the “General” tab.

2. Select “Normal startup” if it’s not already selected.

3. Go to the “Startup” tab and ensure msconfig.exe is disabled.

4. Click “OK.” to save the settings.

5. Restart your computer.

Solution 2: Remove Startup from the Registry

  1. In the Search bar type regedit

2. Click on Registry Editor.

3. Navigate to the following keys:

  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Shared Tools \ MSConfig \ startupreg
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Shared Tools \ MSConfig \ startupfolder

4. Carefully remove the keys under these paths. This will remove items that are unchecked within MSConfig.

Warning: Editing the registry can have significant impacts on your system. Be sure to back up the registry before making any changes.

Solution 3: Uncheck Load Startup Item

Repeat Solution 1 and uncheck Load Startup Item

Please view this step by step video:

How to remove virus alerts

Situation: You’re browsing online, and suddenly a pop-up appears on your screen, indicating your device has a virus and prompts you to download a software to remove it. Unfortunately, this could be a fake virus alert.

If you’re dealing with virus alerts that keep popping up, here are some steps you can take to get rid of them:

  1. Restart your computer: in a case you have clicked the alert download or scan link, the first step is to restart your computer. This should help you get rid of installing the virus.

  1. Scan Your Computer: Even if you believe your system is clean, it’s a good idea to run a deep antivirus scan. To run Windows defense, please follow these steps: 1) Type Windows security in the search bar, open Windows security

2) Click on Virus & protection.

 

3) Click Scan options, select the option you prefer, for example Full scan. Then Scan now.

4) Follow the instruction to complete the scan.

 

  1. Reset Browser Settings: If the pop-ups persist, consider resetting your browser settings to their default state. This can help remove any suspicious extensions or settings that might be causing the alerts.

Fr Microsoft Edge

Go into your browser settings, I use EDGE, go to >>>>>Cookies and site permissions

Manage and delete cookies and site data

Top of page: Cookies and data stored

(Manage and delete cookies and site data)

Next down same page: Site permissions

(All sites)

Next down same page: Recent activity

THIS IS WHERE YOU NEED TO BE!

The latest changes made to site permissions

You should see a list of recent sites, and you should open each one in turn and RESET Permissions, at th etop of the page, on each and every recent sites since they started popping up, I did them all.

The reason these aren’t detected as malware is because they aren’t, they’re simply browser notifications that you allowed by doing exactly that, clicking the ‘Allow’ button displayed on some web page, possibly not even named the same, that displayed as a popup while you were browsing in the past.

The other option for these more annoying advertisers is other not the obvious ‘Block’, but something you might not recognize like ‘Maybe next time’, ‘Not right now’, or other longer phrases that are also often displayed in light gray, which are difficult to see. So, pay attention when clicking any popup displayed, since they’re often tricks by advertisers trying to get you to accept their less reputable garbage.

All major browsers like Edge and Chrome also have these, but the methods to manage them are different and so you’ll need to look elsewhere for how to deal with them on 3rd-party browers.

Here’s how to disable pop-ups on Windows 11:

  1. Open Settings

  2. Select System

  3. Select Notifications

  4. Select Notifications from apps and other senders

  5. Toggle off Get notifications from apps and other senders

  6. Scroll down and select Additional settings

  7. Uncheck everything

Or refer to this lnk:

Manage website notifications in Microsoft Edge – Microsoft Support

How do i get rid of popup false virus alerts in Windows 11? – Microsoft Community

  1. Manage Website Notifications: Some of these fake alerts might be browser notifications that you inadvertently allowed. To manage website notifications in Microsoft Edge, follow these steps:
  2. Block the popup:

Why GV-Edge Recording Manager is empty

Situation: The client has GV-VMS Camera system. They just install GV-Edge Recording Manager in one PC. When they open the GV-Edge Recording Manager, he Live View is empty.

Troubleshooting: It is because they login as guest.

Please login administrator to see all cameras.

The default administrator login is username: admin and password: admin.

Now, you should see all cameras.

Keep connecting to a shared folder

Situation: The client has a camera security software Geovision connecting to a PC as shared storage. it works in initial configuration. However, it loses the connection after Windows update and restarting computers.

Resolution 1: Mapping to the storage using Reconnect feature.

Resolution 2: Create the same credentials on both computers so that the Geovision software access storage without re-entering credentials.

 

Why WeChat notification doesn’t work?

If you are not receiving WeChat notifications, you can try the following12:

  • Log in to WeChat > Me > Settings > Message Notification to check if it is open normally.
  • Clear individual Cached Data – Settings > Apps > Wechat> Storage > Clear Cache.
  • Check on app update – Tap on Play Store> Tap on 3 lines (top left)> Tap on my apps and games> Tap on update all.
  • Check on phone notification settings.

Troubleshooting authenticator app loop

First, try to uninstall and reinstall the Microsoft Authenticator app on your device.

If that doesn’t work, try to clear the cache and data of the Microsoft Authenticator app. You can do this by going to Settings > Apps > Microsoft Authenticator > Storage > Clear Cache and Clear Data.

If the issue persists, try to reset your Microsoft Authenticator app. You can do this by going to Settings > Accounts > Microsoft Account > Security > More security options > Identity verification apps > Microsoft Authenticator > Remove. After removing the app, you can add it again by following the instructions on the screen.

If none of the above steps work, you can try to verify your identity using a different method. Check if you have the option to choose to receive a verification code via text message or email instead of using the Microsoft Authenticator app.

Or disable MSA for a test.