Error 0x80070079: The semaphore timeout period has expired On a Windows 10 machine

Hi all, I am getting thefollowing error, when trying to copy files from my PC running windows 10 to an external USB hard drive,

Error 0x80070079: The semaphore timeout period has expired 

I have searched online and tried some of the so called fixes, such as disabling antivirus, and updating network drivers, swapping USB ports etc, but nothing seems to work.  The drive works perfectly on another machine.

It was working OK untile recently, probably since a recent windows update.

Thanks


Russ

Answer
Answer

Hi Russ,

Thank you for sharing this to the Microsoft Community. One of the possible reasons why you're experiencing this issue might be due to outdated drivers. We suggest that you run the Hardware troubleshooter. Windows comes with this built-in troubleshooter. If you recently installed a new driver or plugged-in a hardware and face some things that are not working as you’d like them to, use this troubleshooter. Please follow the steps below:

  1. On Cortana or search, type in Control Panel
  2. Type Troubleshooting in the search box on the upper right corner and hit enter.
  3. Click on Troubleshooting tab.
  4. Click on View all option on the upper left corner.
  5. Select the Hardware and Devices options from the list.
  6. Click Next to run the Hardware and Device Troubleshooter.

Let us know how it goes.

If you think this was useful, feel free to "mark it as an answer" to help those who are facing the same problem.

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Question Info

Last updated January 22, 2021 Views 14,176 Applies to: