Most Common Windows 8 Problems with Solutions

Have you installed the latest OS version – Windows 8, but are facing problems with this new Microsoft launch? We, at Techspirited, have addressed some of the most commonly encountered problems of Windows 8.

The launch of Windows 8 was the most-awaited event in the computing arena, but with the new user interface and advanced features, users are facing problems. These errors may be system-related or hardware issues. However, before we make any changes to the system’s settings, it is advisable to check the machine’s hardware. Check the connectivity of all the peripherals and also the power connections of the machine.

Also, before playing with the settings, it is advisable to become comfortable with the OS. This is especially necessary in the case of Windows 8 because many of the regularly used settings and launch programs are tucked away or are placed in tiled locations. So, it is important to know the location of all the important settings. Fixing the Windows 8 problems will become easy by following the steps outlined below.

12 Problems with Windows 8

Windows Shutting Down Automatically

If your system is shutting down or rebooting itself automatically, our general solution will be to check the hardware. However, the problem lies with the Hybrid feature of the system.

Solution

✒ Go to Start and type Power.
✒ Then, go to Settings. A Power Options window will open.
✒ Choose the What the power button does option.
✒ Now click on the Change settings that are currently unavailableoption.
✒ Now, uncheck the Turn On Fast Startup (Recommended) option and click on Save.

Metro Apps Freezes

The Metro Apps may freeze as soon as you start your system. This problem is due to the user account control (UAC) feature.

Solution

✒ Go to Start and click on the UAC feature. Also, you can type User in the start menu.
✒ Click on Settings, and change the UAC settings to Default settings.

Printer Not Responding

For printer glitches or printer-not-responding problems, first check the hardware connections. Check if the printer cable is properly plugged in and if the printer driver is properly installed. Even after checking and rectifying these settings, if the printer still doesn’t respond, then the problem may lie with the drivers.

Solution

✒ Uninstall the Printer.
✒ Go to the Start Menu and type Drivers & Printers.
✒ In this menu, check the Add New Device option.
✒ Select your driver and install it.
✒ Now restart your computer.

Upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 8 Issues

Due to the many features of Windows 8, it is advisable to upgrade to this version of OS. However, you may encounter the 0xc00000e9 errorduring the upgradation. This problem will occur if you have disconnected a removable storage device while it was still in use.

Solution

✒ Go to Start and type cmd.
✒ Now in the command prompt, type C: or cd.. until you reach the C drive by coming out of the directories.
✒ Type chkdsk/r which will detect the bad sectors and recover information. Restart your system and then try to upgrade the OS.

You can also try the following solution.

✒ Go to My Computer where all the drives will appear.
✒ Right click on the drive where the OS is installed (generally C:) and go to Properties.
✒ Now, click on Tools and in the Error Checking Option click on Check Now.
✒ Check both the options in the window that appears.
✒ Now, restart your system and try to upgrade the OS.

✒ If this doesn’t work out, then go to the manufacturer’s website and update your BIOS. Now, try the upgradation; this should solve the problem.

Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

The 0xc0000001 error may occur due to no particular reason. This error may pop up in case of software as well as hardware issues. Also, this error will appear every now and then, so know how to solve this.

Solution

✒ First, turn off the system and restart it.
✒ While the system is restarting, immediately press Shift+F8. The Recovery window will appear.
✒ Click on the See advanced repair options.
✒ In the window that appears, click on Troubleshoot option.
✒ Now, click on Windows Startup Settings option in the Advanced Options window.
✒ Click on Restart on the new window that appears. The system will automatically complete the setup, and upon restart, the system will be fully functional.

Outlook.com Account is Blocked

Microsoft temporarily blocks the user account if there is a spam detected. So, when you log in to your account, you may find an error.

Solution

✒ Go to https://account.live.com and sign in.
✒ Then, follow the instructions on the page to unblock your account.

Internet Explorer has Crashed

While you are browsing the Internet, there are chances that due to some network problems, the browser may crash or stop working completely. You can try a few solutions to restart it.

Solution

✒ Swipe from the right edge and tap the Search option or press Window+W.
✒ Enter Windows Update in the search box, and in the results, click onCheck for Updates option.
✒ If there are any updates available, install them and restart your system.

If this doesn’t work, restore the original IE settings.

✒ Go to the Tools option in the IE page.
✒ Click on Internet Options and open Advanced Tab.
✒ Click the Reset option.
✒ Now, close the browser and restart the system so that the new settings will take effect.

Unable to Install or Play Games

Some games are not Windows 8-compatible, like NFS ProStreet, etc. So, in such cases, it is advisable to install these in Windows 7 Compatibility mode.

Solution

✒ First, download the latest version of the game from the manufacturer’s website.
✒ Then, press Window+W on the keyboard or go to the Search box by swiping from the right edge.
✒ Type Compatibility in the search box that appears or simply type Compatibility on the start screen to open the search box.
✒ In the list that appears to the left of the screen, look for Run programs made for previous versions of Windows and click on it.
✒ Select the game of your choice and install it.

Older Programs Do Not Run

Not all the old programs run smoothly on the new platform of Windows 8. So, you may change the compatibility settings to run these programs.

Solution

✒ Go to the Start screen and type Compatibility.
✒ Now, click on the Compatibility tab and select the Compatibility mode option. This will run the programs that are not designed for Windows 8. If your program is still unable to run, you can select the Run in reduced color mode option.

Unable to Run .exe Files

If you are facing problems in opening executable files, then the problem is with the compatibility of these files with v8.

Solution

✒ Locate the .exe file that you wish to open and right click on it.
✒ In the options that appear, select Run in compatibility mode option.
✒ Save the setting, and now, try to open the file. This setting should do the trick.

Wi-Fi or Wired Connections Not Working Properly

The broadband connections that are needed to connect to the Internet may need some troubleshooting, if they are not working fine. First, disconnect the modem/router and wait till the LED lights are off. Now, reconnect them and restart the system. If you are using wireless router, reconnect power to the router.

Solution

✒ Go to Start Menu and type Connect.
✒ Click on Settings option, and in the options that appear, click on theConnect to a Network option. This should solve the problem.

Alternately, you can also attempt the following solution.

✒ Move your mouse to the lower left corner of the home screen, right click, and select the Device Manager option.
✒ In the window that appears, double click on the Network Adaptersoption.
✒ Right click on the network option you are using and select Uninstall.
✒ Now, restart your system, reinstall the device driver, and try connecting to the Internet.

.NET Framework Installation Error

All of you who have tried installing .Net Framework on your Windows 8-enabled system would have encountered the 0x800F0906 error. The most common reason for this error is the Firewall or proxy settings.

Solution

✒ Go to Control Panel and select Programs and Features option.
✒ Here, select the Turn Windows features on or off.
✒ In the window that appears, tick the Microsoft .NET Framework version and click on OK.
✒ If the system prompts you to download some files, then you need to go to Windows Update (See solution for Internet Explorer has crashed).
✒ If updates are available, install them and then restart your system for the changes to take effect.

Similarly, if your problem still persists, follow the steps given below to use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) method:

✒ Go to Start and type cmd (make sure you are logged in as administrator).
✒ In the Command Prompt, if your installation media is in D: then, type the following command – Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /All /Source:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess.
✒ You can install .NET from this location.