Error 0x80070141: everything you need to know

There are many users of Windows who have ever had to do with him 0x80070141 error, which is accompanied by a rather worrying message: The device is not available (Device unreachable in English).

Most of the time, this error appears when we try to perform certain actions. For example, when we try to open, copy or move a JPEG file from the camera of the mobile phone to the computer, although it can also appear in other circumstances.

Actually, the error 0x80070141 is a system error that occurs more frequently when we connect our equipment to some specific devices. The iPhones 6/7/8 / X / XS and XR are some of them. But it wouldn't be fair to point to iPhones this way, at least not exclusively. Sometimes we can run into the same problem in some Android smartphones like the brands Samsung Galaxy or Lenovo. Whenever a major obstacle arises when transferring files to the PC, the well-known "The device is not available" message will appear on our screens.

And although this is the most common, the annoying error code 0x80070141 can also appear for other motives. For example, when there is a damaged device or the drivers have been installed incorrectly. Or when our equipment is affected by some type of virus.

It must be added that this problem is not unique to a certain version of WindowsIt has been registered in versions 7, 81 and 10. Fortunately, there are many ways to solve it.

Why does the error 0x80070141 occur?

Summarizing a bit everything that has been exposed so far, we can say that the error 0x80070141 can occur for various reasons and for various reasons. Broadly speaking, it is a compatibility problem, although it can also be caused by a fault, generally of little importance, that we have been able to ignore.

This is a small list of the possible causes of this error:

• Archive Too big. Windows cannot process files with a name or path that exceeds 256 characters.
• File Explorer error. In many of the reported cases there is a failure in the file explorer that prevents it from maintaining a stable connection with any kind of external storage device, such as a mobile phone.
• Microsoft Hotfix needs to be installed. The error 0x80070141 has been detected with greater incidence in Windows 10, so Microsoft decided to release a hotfix (or patch) to solve this problem.
• Faulty USB port.
• Transfer protocol other than MTP. If we are trying to copy files from an Android device, it may be that the error occurs because the transfer protocol is not configured as MTP.

These are only the most common and common reasons that explain the presence of the irritating error 0x80070141 on our computers, although there are many more. Next we are going to address what are the most useful methods to solve it.

Fix error 0x80070141

All the methods that we are going to list below are equally useful to achieve the objective of solving the error that this post deals with. However, its effectiveness will be higher or lower depending on the origin of the problem. A good way to approach this question is to try each of them in the order in which we present them:

Install all Windows updates

Before trying any other solution, it is worth checking that Windows already offers a solution to your problem, since it has surely already received numerous reports from other users. This is true not only for this particular error, but for almost all errors that may occur.

The solution comes in the form of patch (hotfix) and it is implemented directly on our computer after installing the latest updates from Microsoft. Remember to restart your computer after the update so that everything works normally and thus say goodbye to this annoying error.

Hardware and Device Troubleshooter

One of the most common causes of this error is the one we have cited in the previous list: a File Explorer crash which makes it impossible for the operating system to establish a stable connection with an external storage device. Luckily, on many occasions Windows you can solve the problem with your own methods.

The method simply consists of run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter. In this way, the system will investigate the connected device, assess the situation and finally recommend a possible solution. Here's how to proceed, in four easy steps:

1. We press the Windows + R keys to open a "run" window. In the text box we write  "Ms-settings: troubleshoot" and press Enter. With this it will open the "Troubleshoot" window.
2. In it, we will look at the bottom for the option "Find and fix other problems" (the one illustrated with the icon of a wrench) and click on "Hardware and devices".
3. Then we click "Run the troubleshooter" in the context menu that appears. The process can take a few seconds and even minutes.
4. Finally, Windows will offer us a solution. In principle, one appropriate to the type of problem we are facing. To accept it and start it, we must press "Apply".

For the solution to be implemented, it will be necessary Restart your computer. If the problem persists and the error 0x80070141 continues to appear on the screen, we will have to try the following method.

Use a different USB port

There are times when we go crazy looking for the origin of a problem, trying the most complex solutions. And then we realize that the way to solve it is simpler than we had thought. In the case of error 0x80070141 it may be in the USB port.

This incidence is much more frequent than people imagine. Often, some of the connection ports are not connected correctly (and that generates the error). It can also happen that the port of our computer to which we have connected the external device does not have enough power to support the transmission.

But beware, sometimes the failure can occur just the opposite: a USB 3.0 port may be unsuitable for connections with devices that do not have the necessary drivers to work on such a USB connection.

The solution in these cases is simple logic: you just have to disconnect the device from the USB port and connect it to a different port. Surely after doing it and verifying that it has worked we will think "how could it not have occurred to me before?"

Shorten the file name

It can be a good solution to the problem. And it is that on certain occasions the reason why this error occurs is that Windows is trying to manage a file with too long a name. If we look closely, many times we work with files with an endless succession of letters and numbers in their name.

If that's the problem, there is nothing to worry about, as the solution is as quick as it is easy. It is sufficient to change the name of the file in question. The goal is not to exceed the 256 character limit. So how to abbreviate the file name? We will click on it with the right button of the mouse and choose the option of "Rename".

If this was the reason for the error, abbreviating the name would be resolved.

Connect as a media device (MTP)

There is a fairly frequent case in which the error 0x80070141 appears. It happens when you try copy files from an Android device to a Windows computer. In these particular cases, the transfer protocol misinterprets that a camera is connected. This is the case at the end of the list that we presented above about the most common error reasons. To overcome this obstacle we have to act on the media transfer protocol (Media Transfer Protocol or MTP).

Explained in a very basic way, the MTP It is the one in charge of turning the mobile into a multimedia device for a computer. Its function is important, as it allows us to access the music files, audio recordings, video and photographs of the mobile from the PC.

Once the error is located, we already have the solution. This consists of changing the transfer protocol and thus "opening" our eyes to our computer. To carry out this operation we have to move the cursor over the downloads at the top of the screen, in order to have in view the details of our current USB connection. In the menu that appears, we simply have to select Media Device (MTP). This will resolve the error.