7 Common Issues With Windows 8.1 That Can Be Fixed

With Windows 8.1, Microsoft has tried to introduce a next generation operating system (OS) with modern interface that will impeccably support both the touch and non-touch devices. Windows 8.1 is a productive OS in various aspects like now it has increased boot speed, better file copying features, improved multiple monitor support, etc. Windows 8.1 also features a better Task Manager, security arrangements, battery life, improvement in storage spaces and File Explorer.

In spite of all these significant improvements, there are some issues which are commonly being faced by different users. No operating system can be 100% error-free, so is Windows 8.1. But the good thing is that there are easy fixes available to the common issues of Windows 8.1. Read bellow to learn how to fix Windows 8.1 issues.

1. Blue screen of death

Windows is never free of Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors. Although, in the new Windows OS, these blue screen errors are not as frequent as it used to be in earlier versions of Windows, yet sometimes these errors do surface up. Blue screen errors are accompanied by a frowning emotion and read the message "DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL." This message refers to some presetting problem with a driver of your computer.

According to Microsoft, issues with driver occur commonly because of the AvastSvc.exe, which is related to the free Avast AV software. To fix this issue, uninstall Avast application and try using some other antivirus program. Otherwise, you must check if update for your Avast application is available - if it is then get it updated. However, this application is not the only cause of blue screen errors but most of the time it is. You can check the minidump folder to get clues regarding offending apps.

2. Sudden crashes and restarts of Explorer

If you are experiencing sudden crashes and restarts of Windows Explorer that worsen your OS performance, then you must learn this quick fix. This problem usually occurs because of some bug that regulates the Windows dealing with installed software and hardware drives. You can fix this problem by using the ‘Refresh My PC’ options.

• Tap on ‘Settings’
• Next tap on ‘Change PC Settings’
• Now tap on ‘Update and Recovery’
• In the ‘recovery’ window, select ‘Get Started and Refresh Your PC Without Affecting Your Files.’

This will reinstall the Windows but without altering or trashing your data in any way.

Yet as a step of precaution, always ensure that you have created back up for your data before you take up any step for fixing the issues.

3. Backup makes multiple copies of unchanged data

As we all know that Windows 8.1 has an inbuilt backup function that automatically creates copies of files whenever you make changes to them. This is indeed a very helpful feature because in this way you will always have the earlier version of the file to refer back in case you end up making some unwanted changes. But some users are facing the problem that their Backup is making multiple copies of even those files to which they haven’t made any kind of changes or alteration.

Again this is happening because of some bug. The unnecessary creation of multiple backup files is not entertained because it unnecessarily eats up the storage space on your hard drive. There is no as such official fix available to rectify this problem. Hence many users have started using third party backup service after disabling the inbuilt default backup feature.

4. USB drives freeze

Windows 8.1 has a feature owing to which it freezes long time idle external hard drives and USB flash drives in order to conserve power. These drives are supposed to get back to the active mode once you try to access them after pause time. However, some users are confronting the problem where some of the drives fail to automatically switch themselves on, after a long period of idle phase.

Microsoft has provided a list of devices or drives that are most likely to confront this error and has also recommended that a firmware upgrade for that drive or device can fix this problem.

If the problem prevails even after the firmware upgrade, perform the following steps:

• Go to Device Manager
• Locate the drive details
• Note down the 4 digits occurring after "VID_" and "PID_"
• Go into the registry editor
• Find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\usbstor
• Right-click on ‘usbstor’ and make a key
• Name it with VID and PID strings
• Then right-click the new key
• Create a DWORD entry named DeviceHackFlags
• Set the value to 400 hexadecimal
• Now, disconnect and reconnect the device

This workaround is likely to fix the drivers freezing issue with Windows 8.1.

5. Dropping of Wi-Fi connectivity

Many Windows 8.1 users have reported that they are facing issues with Wi-Fi that drops off the connection quite often or shows that your device has limited connectivity.

For this issue also, there is no as such official fix but there is an effective tip to overcome this problem. You can try downloading the latest driver of your wireless adapter from the manufacturer’s website. This you may do using a different computer. Import the downloaded driver to your computer using a removable drive and then perform the following steps:

• Go to Network and Sharing Centre
• Tap on ‘Change Adapter Settings’
• Now, right-click on the troublesome adaptor then continue tapping as per the following loop
• Network Connections> Properties> Configure> Driver> Select Update Driver> Browse My Computer> Let Me Pick
• You will have two drivers to pick from: the Windows 8.1 version and the new ODM drivers (the one you had downloaded)
• Install the ODM drivers

This should fix the Wi-Fi connectivity problem.

6. Windows 8.1 fail to wake up from Sleep mode

Windows 8.1 suffers from a sleep problem. In some devices, the OS refuse to wake up after entering the sleep mode. To get it back to live state, the user is forced to perform the hard reset. Why this problem evolves is not yet clear with exact reasons in hand. However, two suspects that can be the most relevant cause of this problem are:

• Recently installed third party apps
• Outdated chipset drivers

If your 8.1 OS is also suffering from the same problem, fix it by updating the chipset drivers of your system. You can get the updates from the driver’s manufacturer’s website or from Windows Update.

You can also try adjusting the power management options in your computer. Perform the following steps to do this:

• Press "Windows + X"
• Select Device Manager from the list
• Locate Network Adapter
• Right-click on it and click ‘Properties’
• Now, click on ‘Power management’
• Then uncheck the option "Allow this device to wake the computer"
• Click ‘Apply’ and then ‘Ok.’

If after doing this also, the problem prevails then it means that third party app is causing the issue. To resolve the issue, start your Windows 8.1 in a clean boot state. This will allow you to identify the potential suspect apps. After entering the clean boot state perform the following steps:

• Press "Windows Key + R," this will open ‘Run’ dialog box
• Type ‘msconfig’ and hit ‘Enter’
• This will launch the System Configuration tool
• Under the ‘General’ tab, uncheck the Load Startup Items
• Next, move to ‘Services’ tab
• Click on ‘Hide All Microsoft Services’
• Click ‘Disable All’
• Apply the settings
• Reboot the PC

7. Fuzzy, blurring text

In some of the Windows 8.1 supported systems, certain programs like Photoshop look very horrible because of fuzzy and blurring text. This usually happens because these programs are designed for low resolution displays. Windows scale them up to a higher resolution which makes the applications look blur. The fix to this issue is to stop Windows from scaling the program to higher resolution. You can do this performing the following steps:

• Right-click the executable file of the application
• Go to the ‘Compatibility’ tab
• Check the box marked "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings"
• Restart the program.

As you have read that the fixes to the seven very common issues with Windows 8.1 can be easily fixed by you even if you don’t have much of technical knowledge. You don’t require any as such professional help either. With a few simple steps you can fix blue screen errors, dropping Wi-Fi connectivity, drivers freezing, Windows explorer crashes and others. By applying these fixes you can be able to use your OS more effectively.

About the Author: Brooke M. Perry is an ardent technician associated with Qresolve online pc support with wide experience of fixing issues with PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphone. With a strong track record of devising effective ways of online tech support and system security, she has so far helped thousands of users across the globe. Her writings on tech issues are the reflection of her in-depth interest and command she carries as a pc security support technician. Her blogs and articles have been rated high for their lucid style and easy to understand language.

Brooke M. Perry is an ardent technician associated with Qresolve computer security, with wide experience of fixing issues with PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.