This page is a collection of various issues I have observed with particular hardware/software and/or combinations. Please understand that the normal expectation is this: unless you have the exact hardware combination(s) listed, my given solution will NOT help. However, if you do have good luck with trying something anyway, please let me know! (You can leave a comment, or contact me directly.)
COMMON FIX: A common theme amongst many driver issues listed here – particularly for old Win7/8-era systems running on Win10 – is to install the original Windows 7/8 drivers for your system, whether it’s for the GPU, chipset, or even your USB controller. Prior to diagnosing any system with a failing motherboard, please try original drivers first!
Software issues
Windows 10 installer error 0xC1900101 – 0x20017 §
Solution: Create a different user profile, even if temporary, for performing the installation/in-place upgrade.
Comments: Also known as “The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during BOOT operation”
Windows 7 Updates Extremely Slow/Broken §
Solution: Download these update packages from the Microsoft Update Catalog, disconnect from the Internet, then install them in this order: KB3020369, KB3102810, KB3125574, KB3172605.
OpenGL apps (e.g. Minecraft) not working on Windows 10 1709+ with old graphics cards / Windows transparency effects causing graphical artifacts §
In short: If there are no newer graphics drivers that you can try, then unfortunately, there is no solution for this problem. The best thing you can do is run an older Windows 10 version, which at least has better app support than running Windows 7 or 8.
In my testing on an HP Pavilion dv9000 with GeForce Go 7600, Windows 10 1507 thru 1703 has working OpenGL and doesn’t have graphical artifacting with transparency enabled. Windows 10 1709 on this hardware has broken OpenGL, and the same goes all the way to 22H2.
A common formation of this problem is Minecraft not able to run at all in Windows 10 on Intel HD 3000 onboard graphics – there are many posts about this online, dating back to 2018 – right in line with the 1709 update.
The Windows 10 1709 “Fall Creators Update” made significant changes to OS internals which, in turn, broke full compatibility with drivers from the Windows 7 era & prior. The only way to use such systems without issues, is with an older Windows version, or using Linux.
The best workaround is to install Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016 from here. This version of Windows not only isn’t affected with the bug, but it also has extended support until 2026! The checksum of that ISO looks to be authentic, but please remember to do your own research on that! Don’t just take someone’s word for it.
Windows Update KB5034441 0x80070643 §
Since January, this Windows update – which updates the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) – has been very annoying! Just about every single Windows installation I work with runs into the same problem, even if installed fresh.
The issue is this: by default, Windows creates a 350MB partition for WinRE to reside in. Now that Microsoft updated WinRE, that’s too small, so now everyone’s updates are failing!
On paper, the solution is simple: extend the partition. Microsoft published an article on how to do this. But, it’s annoying and clunky to do manually.
Solution: On GitHub, there’s a script that makes this easier. Thank goodness!
To use that script: Just run it via powershell -executionpolicy bypass -file .\fix_0x80070643-icrease_WinRE_partition_size.ps1, and when it asks, type a backup directory – can just be \winre.bak (or even \MicrosoftSucksAtSoftware), doesn’t matter.
But, there’s a weird issue I had with one particular Windows install. Every time reagentc/enable is run, it complains with this error: REAGENTC.EXE: Operation failed: b7
For whatever absurd reason, the way I was able to get around this was by:
- Assign a drive letter to the WinRE partition via diskpart (hereinafter
X) - Create this folder path in that partition: “X:\Recovery\WindowsRE”
- Extract a
WinRE.wimfrom a Windowsinstall.esdfile (it is located inC:\Windows\System32\Recovery, and 7-Zip can be used to open the image) - Place that WinRE.wim in both your local
C:\Windows\System32\Recovery, andX:\Recovery\WindowsRE - Run
reagentc/enableagain
For whatever reason, doing this awkward procedure actually allowed WinRE to be enabled again.
May Update:
Microsoft has admitted that they cannot fix the issue! Of ALL the times that Microsoft has broken their own product and abused their user base, now they cannot fix it!? When in fact, this issue can simply be fixed by rescaling the partitions! And to fix the Windows install media, all that’s needed is to tweak the Windows install scripts so that it creates a larger WinRE partition. But Microsoft can’t do it! They’re waving the white flag now.
But hey, they’ve only had almost four decades to develop operating systems, right? Gotta give ’em some slack! That’s not nearly enough time.
HP MediaSmart EX470/EX475 SMI USB Flash Recovery Files §
Have you too nuked your HP MediaSmart’s integrated SMI USB flash recovery files? And are you too concerned about a piece of hardware from 2008? (Probably nobody.) Well, have I got some news for you!
Here is a link! This was dumped from my own HP MediaSmart EX475 bought new in December 2008, and should be the same for EX470 (they’re the same unit with different hard drive capacities). Probably won’t work with the newer units as those are Intel chipsets – BUT, this should work on those, however I didn’t test it!
I’ve also uploaded this plus my original recovery discs on The Internet Archive here. The Archive has other versions as well, so if that one doesn’t work for you, don’t forget to search their site!
WinMagic SecureDoc Encryption Recovery Image §
There’s a special ISO image for recovering a drive encrypted with WinMagic SecureDoc encryption, often associated with HP computers. Unfortunately I cannot vouch for whether this works as the one time I encountered this, the image didn’t work. But I saw mentions of it and it seems to be rare, so I wanted to preserve the file. Download it here: SDWinPEx64.iso
Driver/Firmware Issues
Intel Iris Xe/HD Graphics – Screen artifacts when moving mouse/watching videos §
Solution: For whatever stupid reason, Windows Update keeps installing a garbage driver from 2/25/2020, which makes the issue come back. First, you MUST go to Device Manager, right-click your Intel graphics, Properties, and ‘Roll Back Driver.’ Put some choice words in the feedback box, click Yes, then go install the latest graphics drivers straight from Intel’s website! You can use their Driver Support Assistant tool to automatically install them, or you can do it the good old fashioned way. It doesn’t matter. You just need a non-garbage display driver.
Comments: This has happened to me particularly on Intel Core 10th/11th gen graphics in HP laptops, whether it’s the HP Pavilion 15-cs series, or my HP Spectre 13-aw200.
Acer Spin 1 (SP111-32N) – Screen does not rotate §
Solution: Install this Bosch accelerometer driver. Many others do not work properly on this system.
Comments: I encountered this when trying to fresh-install Windows 10 on an Acer Spin 1 SP111-32N. I tried several drivers, and since Acer’s support is awful, I couldn’t find the driver on their website. This was the only one that worked for me. This may work for other similar Acer models.
Dell Latitude E6410 on Windows 10 – 0% screen brightness keeps turning off the backlight entirely §
Solution #1: Install Dell OEM Intel graphics driver – do not use Windows’ inbox driver.
Solution #2: Should Windows Update keep reverting the driver, use wushowhide.diagcab to block the broken driver. To do this, disconnect from the Internet, install the good driver, turn on your Internet connection, have Windows check for updates and then quickly press “Pause Updates” to stop the installation. Then, use wushowhide to hide the Intel driver update.
Comments: Unknown if the Nvidia model suffers the same issue. If you have an Nvidia GPU model and it is doing this, give this a shot, just replace all instances of “Intel” above with “Nvidia”.
Systems on AMD A4/A6/A9/etc. “Stoney Ridge” APUs – Screen artifacting while starting Windows 10 Installer / SAFE_OS REPLICATE_OC error during Windows 10 Repair Install §
Solution: Update your system’s BIOS via Windows 10 1909 or older. You can download previous Windows 10 ISO versions with Heidoc.net’s Microsoft Windows and Office ISO Download Tool, or alternatively this Archive.org link.
Comments: I have observed this issue largely in 2021 with the Dell Inspiron 3565, some Lenovo IdeaPads, and HP laptops all with the above AMD Stoney Ridge CPU architecture. BIOS updates resolved each case and I have never seen the systems come back with problems for Windows updates or otherwise.
Toshiba Satellite (Win7-era) Hotkeys Non-functional on Windows 10 §
Problem: Hotkeys don’t work (often the mute key)
Solution #1: Disable “dynabook Function Key Control Service” under msconfig.
Solution #2: Failing this, replace ALL dynabook hotkey/system function drivers via Device Manager with older Toshiba versions from MS Update Catalog. You may afterwards also need to play with enabling/disabling services as above, especially if this is an upgrade and not a clean Windows 10 install.
Comments: Has worked on Satellite A505/L505 and L775 for me. Quite likely affects many other Windows 7-era Toshiba laptops – potentially all.
HP Compaq 6005 Pro – DRIVER_STATE_POWER_FAILURE on Windows 10 when resuming from sleep §
Solution: Change your disk controller mode from AHCI to IDE/RAID. To be strictly accurate, this is actually a workaround – but apparently, the AHCI mode is broken on these systems.
Comments: At least in my testing case, updating the BIOS or AMD drivers did not make any difference.
Dell Inspiron 15R 5520/SE 7520 (Radeon 7730M GPU) – Random BSODs on Windows 10 §
Solution: Install OEM Dell Intel & AMD video drivers – Windows’ own do not work properly on this system.
Comments: Other similar-era Dell models may also be affected. I personally have repaired at least two 7520s this way, and never saw them come back. If this does not work for you, your system’s GPU has likely failed. This does not apply to systems using exclusively Intel HD Graphics. However, this is a good practice for any switchable graphics system before diagnosing it with a failed GPU.
Intel 82855GM Graphics – Windows 7 §
Solution: Download and extract (do not install yet) this driver (855gm_vista_driver.zip, SHA1: B86C0D4EAF9ED022E848A1A4D591234A) and reboot into Safe Mode. Prior to installation, hijack the stock VGA driver:
- takeown /f c:\windows\system32\drivers\vgapnp.sys
- cacls c:\windows\system32\drivers\vgapnp.sys /g :F
- notepad c:\windows\system32\drivers\vgapnp.sys
- Type literally anything into there and save the file. Yes – anything.
- Uninstall the Standard VGA driver from Device Manager. Ignore any possible errors.
- Update the driver of “Video Controller (VGA Compatible)” to the INF file of the above Intel driver
- Pray and reboot. Should work!
If you are experiencing a 7E BSOD on bootup caused by ialmnt5.sys:
Windows 7’s splash screen forces a video mode which can cause this driver to crash.
To disable the splash screen: open msconfig in Safe Mode and check off Boot > OS Boot Information. Reboot.
I had to do this on a Motion Computing M1400 tablet PC before it could work.
Intel ICH10R AHCI Driver §
Years ago I remember having a big struggle trying to get AHCI working on an old Acer Aspire M5620, in order to get full performance out of an SSD. It required a driver that was difficult to find. Maybe I can make such a job easier for someone, if anyone’s still got such an old system left.
The driver you need is called f6flpy-x86_11.2.0.1006.zip / f6flpy-x64_11.2.0.1006.zip depending on architecture. As of April 2023, Intel still has this available for download here.
SHA1 checksums for these files for x86 and x64 respectively are 31ED12CB5472845B6ED40821D29909745D7B4A4B / 45744822454B5CFAD5A027A61807665451A71A34.
Reading SDHC Cards on Texas Instruments PCIxx12 Card Readers §
The newest driver I’ve used is PCIxx12 2.0.0.19, which you can download straight from my site here. It works on Windows XP, Vista, and 7 in 32-bit or 64-bit architecture. Using this driver gives you SDHC support!
It’s normally packaged by Sony (TIDMSC-14215300-1041.EXE, if I am not mistaken), and as such has to annoyingly be extracted from their proprietary VAIO installer. I used Universal Extractor to do this, and you can too if you’d rather not download it from me.
I see a newer PCIxx12 2.0.0.20 driver out in the wild, but I haven’t tested it. It’s probably good too, but until I can test that one, I’m vouching for this one as I know it works for me.
HP dv9000 ACPI DSDT Modding §
Over at Burt’s Developers Blog – How I Fixed My Overheating HP DV9000 Computer, there’s a detailed walkthrough for modifying the ACPI DSDT, allowing for more aggressive fan control for these laptops that love toasting themselves (or, loved back in the day). But, equus.exe is difficult to find! Well, here you go – your search is over. SHA1 checksum: 4CE523651906C025FD8BC46D0C59A9CC67321111
Renesas USB 3.0 Code 43 errors on Windows 10 §
Renesas USB 3.0 controllers are common on computers from right around 2011-2012 – also known as the late Windows 7 era, or Intel Core second-generation era.
On an HP EliteBook 8460p running Windows 10, after a few plugs & unplugs of a USB 3.0 flash drive, I’d have the USB 3.0 ports give out altogether and show a Code 43 error in Device Manager until a reboot. Installing HP’s original Windows 7 driver for the Renesas USB 3.0 controller (sp54511) fixed it.
I have also had this occur on a Dell Inspiron N7110 after upgrading to Windows 10. Likewise, I found installing the original Windows 7 driver from Dell (R292684) fixed that.
Dell QuickSet Driver for Inspiron 1420/1520/1720 & Latitude D630 / XPS M1730 etc. (R180759) §
Dell’s download for this driver is corrupted, for some reason. When launching, you get this error:
Invalid self-extractor configuration. This file may be corrupted.
Thanks to Archive.org, it’s still possible to get a working version! SHA1: C8412B9B2B3E3F499A43094A0504FAD9C584BC15
Curiously, Dell’s current broken file is 10,140 KB, while the good one is 9,984 KB. Even trying to open the archive like a ZIP file though, it doesn’t work at all, so I guess some garbage data got thrown in there.
Additionally, though Dell only lists the Inspiron 1520 for compatibility, I’ve confirmed it to work on my Inspiron 1720, which is missing a QuickSet download link on Dell’s website. I assume that by extent, the 1420 should also work with this driver.
Toshiba driver downloads are broken! §
Here in the year 2024, when downloading Toshiba laptop drivers, I’ve encountered this error:
The requested URL <file> was not found on this server.
Use the wonderful Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. Every time I’ve tried, they had the driver still. If your luck isn’t as good, simply try and search the EXE filename online and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of mirrors. This is still better than Sony’s support for old laptops!
Sony Fn Hotkey Drivers §
Speaking of Sony… You know what’s annoying? Many things – but for one, it’s when you fresh-install Windows on your Sony VAIO, and can’t get the damn brightness and volume keys to work! They depend on proprietary drivers – and like I said above, their driver support sucks for their older laptops. Good luck even finding them!
Well, someone on YouTube had something to say about that! He was so kind as to provide a ZIP archive with all the drivers you’ll need! It depends on what VAIO you have, but personally I’ve done it across several different models and it has always worked. Try it out!
I’ve also mirrored his archive here, in case something happens to it. SHA1: 8CEBF3DC93367C530E104E72F946794E
Hardware issues
Windows XP freezing when plugging in USB flash drive §
Solution: Use an older flash drive. At this time, I lack a firm determination of what characteristics make it more or less likely to work. Anything pre-2010, and/or smaller than 8GB should work, as far as I’ve seen. USB 2.0 is more likely to work, 3.0 are less likely albeit possible.
Comments: The immensely-popular Sandisk Cruzer drives work great in my testing, including (but not limited to) the SDCZ36-004G and SDCZ60-032G, as should most any generic flash drive made prior to 2013 or so. I never recall having this problem back in 2015 when most of my flash drives were older ones like this. USB 3.0/3.1 drives of 64GB+ always seem to fail on XP for me.
Windows 98 keeps crashing with BSOD 0028:C0005338 IN VXD VMM(01)+00004338 §
Solution: Your processor is overheating! Check your heatsink & fans. Either that, or you need to try disabling your CPU’s cache. For me, cables had gotten stuck in the fan and I didn’t realize it until I opened the case.
Nvidia GeForce 7150M on Windows 7 – When logging in, screen stays black for awhile before the desktop shows
Solution: Install your laptop OEM’s graphics driver, rather than the Windows Update driver.
Comments: Happens on every HP dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 with this chipset that I’ve worked with. Despite the graphics troubles with many of these, this particular symptom is a driver issue. May apply to Windows Vista, as well as other laptop brands/models.
