Troubleshooting

Encountering “System Error 5 has occurred. Access is denied.” when trying to access a Windows network share can be frustrating. This error typically indicates that while the client can reach the server, the server is rejecting the connection for security reasons. This often happens when trying to connect as a non-domain user or when guest access is not properly configured. This guide will walk you through the common causes of “Access Denied” (Error 5) and provide clear, step-by-step solutions to fix it. ...

“System Error 53 has occurred. The network path was not found.” is a common and frustrating error when trying to access a Windows network share. Unlike “Access Denied” (Error 5), which means you’ve reached the server but were rejected, Error 53 means your computer cannot even find a route to the server. This error almost always points to a problem with network connectivity or name resolution. This guide will walk you through the steps to diagnose and resolve this issue. ...

When diagnosing network connectivity issues, one of the most fundamental steps is to determine if a specific TCP port is open and listening on a remote host. A closed, blocked, or unresponsive port is often the root cause of application failures, and knowing how to test it is a critical skill for any IT professional. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the most common and reliable methods to test port connectivity on Windows, from modern PowerShell cmdlets to classic command-line tools. ...

The dsregcmd command-line tool is an indispensable utility for any administrator managing Windows devices in a modern, hybrid environment. It provides a wealth of information about a device’s identity and its join state with both on-premises Active Directory (AD) and cloud-based Azure AD (Entra ID). However, the output can sometimes be confusing. A common scenario is running dsregcmd /status and seeing that AzureAdJoined, EnterpriseJoined, and DomainJoined are all set to NO. While this might look like an error, it simply means the computer is in a standalone workgroup state. ...

Have you ever removed a computer from an Active Directory (AD) domain, only to find that you can still ping it and connect to it via RDP? This confusing behavior is a common source of frustration for system administrators and is often a symptom of a larger issue: stale computer identities. In a modern, hybrid environment, a single computer can have multiple identities across different systems. Understanding these identities is the key to resolving these conflicts and properly managing your devices. ...

Leaving and rejoining a Windows computer to an Active Directory (AD) domain is a common troubleshooting step, but it can lead to major headaches if not done correctly, especially in a modern hybrid environment. A common pitfall is being locked out of the machine, unable to log in with a local account because the device is still partially tied to a cloud identity like Azure AD (Microsoft Entra ID). This guide will walk you through the proper way to leave and rejoin a domain, and how to recover if you find yourself locked out. ...

When installing Windows 11 on a VMware virtual machine (Workstation, Player, or ESXi), it’s common to run into a frustrating roadblock: “This PC can’t run Windows 11” or “TPM 2.0 requirement not met.” This error occurs because Windows 11 has stricter security requirements than its predecessors, mandating features that are not enabled by default on most virtual machines. Fortunately, this is easy to fix. This guide will walk you through the best ways to resolve the TPM error, from the official VMware method to simple bypasses. ...

If you’re a user of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), you might have noticed that when you plug in a USB flash drive, it doesn’t automatically appear in your Linux environment. Unlike your C: drive, which is typically mounted at /mnt/c, WSL does not automatically mount removable drives. Fortunately, accessing your USB drive from within WSL is a straightforward process. This guide will walk you through the two primary methods for mounting a USB drive in WSL2, from a simple drive letter mount to accessing the raw physical disk. ...