How to resolve the "Semaphore timeout period has expired" issue

This article provides three resolutions for the issue, "Semaphore timeout period has expired." The following table summarizes these methods. Read on for details.

Please provide the English content you would like translated, and I'll promptly translate it into Chinese for you.

The "Semaphore timeout period has expired" error typically occurs in computer programming or operating systems, particularly in scenarios involving multi-threading and synchronization operations. This error indicates that a process or thread attempting to acquire a semaphore has exceeded the predefined waiting time limit without successfully obtaining the resource, thus resulting in a timeout. A semaphore is a mechanism used for controlling access to shared resources, facilitating coordination among multiple threads or processes. When a thread tries to access a resource already held by another thread, it is placed in a waiting state with a specified wait time. If the resource remains unavailable within this wait time, this error message is generated. In essence, this error means that a program has waited too long for a specific operation to complete, reaching the timeout limit set for that wait. It could be due to intense competition for system resources, deadlocks, resource leaks, or other performance issues. Developers need to examine the code to identify the cause of the timeout and make the necessary optimizations or corrections.

The “Semaphore timeout has expired” error appears in various forms in many situations on Windows 10, 8, or 7, the most common being the following.

[1] You receive the complete error message, “Error 0x80070079: The semaphore timeout period has expired,” when you try to transfer or copy large files over a network.

[2] You are trying to open a portable drive, such as an external USB hard drive correctly connected to your computer, but you can't access it due to the “Location is not available, semaphore timeout period has expired” error.

This system error typically occurs when attempting to transfer files, especially large ones, between Windows systems and external devices, or when trying to access a specific driver connected to the computer. The error prevents users from accessing the current drive or completing the transfer process. In a nutshell, semaphore-related issues can arise within local networks, between computers and external drives, or with file transfers limitations on your portable drive.

Resolving the "Semaphore timeout period has expired" issue

Given that the issue could relate to your network driver, external drive, or file transfer limitations, the corresponding solutions would likely fall into one of these four categories. Here they are, in order from simplest to most complex:

• Temporarily disable firewall and antivirus software
• Perform a clean boot
• Convert FAT32 to NTFS
• Update the network adapter driver

Solution 1: Disable the firewall and antivirus software

Cause: Windows Firewall or an antivirus program might block specific file transfers without any notification. Disabling the security protection can restore your operation.

Step 1: On Windows 10/8.1/8/7, press “Win + R” keys simultaneously to open the “Run” dialog box, then type control to open Control Panel.

Step 2: In Control Panel, search for firewall, and then click Windows Firewall in the results.

Step 3: In the left panel, click Turn Windows Firewall on or off.

Step 4: Under both Private network settings and Public network settings, click Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended). Then click OK.

This is a general guide for all Windows users on how to disable the Windows Firewall, which might be blocking file transfers and causing semaphore errors. Try copying the files again after disabling the firewall. If the error disappears, you can re-enable the firewall.

With antivirus software, you may not all be using the same product, but the path is similar: go into the settings, and there will be an option to disable protection.

Fix 2: Perform a clean boot

Cause: Resolves file or program conflicts that cause the "Semaphore timeout period has expired" error.

Step 1: On your Windows 10/8.1/8/7 PC, simultaneously press the "Win + R" keys to open the "Run" dialog box, then type msconfig to launch System Configuration.

Step 2: Click on the “Services” tab, check “Hide all Microsoft services,” and then click “OK.”

You need to restart your computer in a clean boot state and then try to transfer the files again. Hopefully, it will work this time.

Fix 3: Convert FAT32 to NTFS

Reason: The FAT32 file system has limitations on file transfers, and it doesn't allow individual files larger than 4 GB. In contrast, the NTFS file system doesn't have such issues when transferring large files.

To get rid of the file size limit, you'll need to convert from FAT32 to NTFS. Reformatted drives will have their file system changed in Windows, but all data will be lost in the process.

We recommend using a third-party free partition manager to convert FAT32 to NTFS without losing data in a safe way.

Fix 4: Update your network adapter driver

Cause: Outdated network adapter drivers are usually to blame for most network file transfer issues, with “Semaphore timeout period has expired” being the most common problem.

Step 1: On your Windows 10/8.1/8/7 PC, press “Win + R” keys together to open the “Run” dialog box, then type devmgmt.msc and hit Enter.

Step 2: In Device Manager, expand the Network adapters section, right-click your network driver, and select Update Driver Software.

Step 3: When prompted, select Search automatically for updated driver software, and then click OK.

After installing the latest drivers, restart your system.

How to protect data from a “Semaphore timeout period has expired” error

Data is often affected in the midst of various hard drive/network drive issues, and while there are remedies, do not underestimate semaphore errors.

Backup hard drive

Backups play an important role in both operating systems and data protection, but they should not be your first line of defense. Relying on them is like relying on a fire extinguisher after the house has already burned down. Windows offers free backup of hard-disk data with Backup and Restore in Windows 7 and File History in Windows 10. Use it.

A third-party free backup software like Todo Backup is also a great option, popular worldwide for its versatility in various backup purposes, including system backup, disk/partition backup, file backup, and more. Plus, you can set up daily, weekly, or monthly backup schedules.

"Free Hard Drive Data Recovery"

If the data loss or inaccessibility is caused by semaphore errors, you can still try to recover your data. Tools like Data Recovery Wizard can retrieve data from inaccessible hard drives reporting all sorts of errors, including “Semaphore timeout period has expired,” “RAW file system is invalid,” “Hard drive needs formatting,” and so on, so you can use it again.

Step 1: Scan the hard drive partition

Select the drive on your hard disk where you lost or deleted the file. Click “Scan” to have the data recovery tool scan all lost data and files on the selected drive.

Step 2: Check the results

Once the scan is complete, you can use the “Filter” feature or click on the “Search for a file or folder” option to look for the lost files on your hard drive.

Step 3. Recover Lost Hard Drive Data

Select the files you need from the drive and click “Recover” to save them to another location.