Best Project Management Software for Freelance Designers 2026

The best project management software for freelance designers depends on one thing: do you mostly need to track your own tasks, or do you need to run the whole client side too? I read the official pricing pages for four popular tools on November 3, 2026. Here is how I would choose. Quick answer Trello if you think in boards and want a simple free start. Asana if you juggle many deadlines and want list, board, and calendar views for free. Notion if you want tasks, briefs, and notes in one flexible workspace. HoneyBook if your real pain is proposals, contracts, and getting paid, not task lists. Many freelancers do well with one free task tool plus one client tool. You rarely need more. What freelance designers actually need from a project tool Most roundups list ten tools built for big teams. A solo designer has different problems. You are the designer, the account manager, and the bookkeeper. These are the criteria I used: Visual layout. Designers tend to like boa...
Post a Comment

DISM Error 23 Data Error, How to Fix It

Quick answer
  • DISM Error 23 means “Data error (cyclic redundancy check).” Windows could not read some data reliably, which often points to a failing drive, bad sectors, or a damaged image.
  • Back up your files first. Then run chkdsk, check the drive’s health with the maker’s tool, and try DISM and sfc /scannow.
  • If the drive fails a long diagnostic test, replace it. If the drive is healthy, reinstalling Windows from bootable media usually fixes the system files.

You tried to reset your PC, or ran DISM or the System File Checker, and the process stopped with Error 23. The message “Data error (cyclic redundancy check)” is more serious than a simple setting problem, so the first step is protecting your data. This guide explains what the error means and gives a safe order of fixes, from checks that change nothing to reinstalling Windows.

1. What Error 23 Means

What DISM Error 23 and a cyclic redundancy check mean
  • A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is how Windows verifies that data it reads matches what was written.
  • Error 23 means the check failed, so some data could not be read correctly.
  • Common causes are bad sectors on the drive, a failing SSD or hard disk, a loose cable, or damaged system files.
  • People report it when DISM scans stop partway, for example around 85 percent, or when sfc /scannow stalls.
Back up first. An external drive is the simplest safety net before any repair.
See backup drives on Amazon →
My take (20 years in IT): Treat this error as a drive problem until you have proof otherwise. Back up your files before anything else, because a failing disk can get worse every time you run a repair tool.

2. Step 1: Back Up Your Files

Back up important files before repairing Windows
  • Copy important files to an external drive or cloud storage right away.
  • If Windows will not start, boot from a bootable USB and copy files from another PC or recovery environment.
  • Do not run repeated repairs on a drive that is failing before you have a backup.

3. Step 2: Check the Drive

Check the drive with chkdsk and the manufacturer diagnostic tool
  • Open Command Prompt as administrator and run chkdsk C: /f /r. Allow a restart if asked. It can take a long time.
  • Run the drive maker’s diagnostic tool, such as a long or extended test. In Microsoft’s forum, an independent advisor suggested a long generic test and replacing the drive if it fails.
  • Reseat SATA or power cables on a desktop and test another port.
  • Look at the drive’s SMART status in the manufacturer’s tool.
Narrowing it down? Prices and availability change often, so check the current listing.
USB flash drives for install media →

4. Step 3: Run DISM and SFC in the Right Order

Run DISM then sfc scannow in the right order
  • Open Command Prompt as administrator.
  • Run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and wait for the success message.
  • Then run sfc /scannow and wait until verification reaches 100 percent.
  • Restart. If DISM cannot reach Windows Update, Microsoft documents using /Source with a repair source and /LimitAccess.

5. Step 4: Reset or Reinstall Windows

Reset this PC or reinstall Windows when repair fails
  • Try Settings, System, Recovery, Reset this PC with Keep my files.
  • If Reset fails, create bootable Windows 11 media with the Microsoft tool and choose a clean install.
  • A clean install erases the drive, so make sure your backup is complete.
  • If a new install fails or the error returns, the drive is likely failing and should be replaced.
Ready to compare options? Prices and availability change often, so check the current listing.
NVMe SSD replacements →
My take (20 years in IT): Run the checks that change nothing first, then DISM and SFC, and only then reset or reinstall. If a long diagnostic test fails, replacing the drive is cheaper than losing more data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does DISM Error 23 mean my hard drive is dead?

Not always, but it is a warning sign. Test the drive with the manufacturer’s tool before you trust it again.

Will I lose my files when I reset?

Reset this PC has a Keep my files option, but you should back up first anyway, since errors can interrupt the process.

Is it safe to run sfc /scannow?

Yes. It is a Microsoft tool. Do not close the window until the scan reaches 100 percent.

What if chkdsk loops or stops?

That can mean serious disk problems. Back up what you can and test or replace the drive.

Related Guides

Resources

Last updated: October 22, 2026.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Core Ultra 9 285K vs Core i9-14900K for Gaming in 2026

Image
Quick answer In 2026 the better Intel buy is usually the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, not the 285K or the 14900K. Back2Gaming found it essentially matches the 285K in productivity for about $290 less. For pure gaming, AMD’s X3D chips still lead. Back2Gaming reports the Ryzen 7 9800X3D wins by 20 to 50 percent in some titles. At 4K, the graphics card is usually the limit and CPU differences shrink to about 5 to 10 percent . When Intel’s Core Ultra 200S launched in 2024, early tests showed it trailing the Core i9-14900K in many games, and a comparison between them was popular. Two years later the situation has changed. Intel released the Core Ultra 200S Plus refresh in March 2026, the 14900K sits on a dead-end socket, and AMD’s X3D chips set the gaming bar. This guide explains where each chip fits now. Helpful to have from this guide: DDR5 memory See DDR5 memory on Amazon → As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 1. What Changed in 2026 Intel unveiled the Core Ultra 20...
Read more

How to Connect Two or More Monitors to an M1 MacBook

Image
Quick answer A standard M1 or M2 MacBook (and the MacBook Neo) natively supports only one external monitor. M1 Pro supports two, and M1 Max supports four. To add more screens on a base M1, you need a DisplayLink or InstantView dock plus a free driver. A simple HDMI splitter will not give you separate screens. The trade-offs are a 60Hz refresh cap, a small amount of latency, and no HDCP-protected streaming on those extra screens. You bought an M1 MacBook, plugged in a second monitor, and found that macOS will not let you extend to both. That is not a setting you missed. It is a hardware limit of the base chip. The good news is that a USB graphics dock can work around it. This guide explains which MacBooks have the limit, how the workaround works, which docks Macworld tested, and what you give up. 1. How Many Monitors Your MacBook Supports Macworld explains that Apple’s lower-end MacBooks with a standard M1 or M2 chip cannot natively connect more than one external monitor. The Mac...
Read more

How to Format an External SSD, exFAT vs NTFS vs APFS

Image
Quick answer Use the default allocation unit size. How-To Geek notes you probably will not notice a difference in speed with a modern drive, and the default is tuned to the drive size. Pick the file system by where you use the drive: exFAT for Windows and Mac, NTFS for Windows only, APFS for Mac only. Formatting erases everything on the drive. Back up first. You may have seen advice to set an exact allocation unit size, such as 4KB for small files or 32KB for media, to speed up an external SSD. In practice, the file system you choose matters much more than the cluster size, and for most people the default is right. This guide explains what allocation unit size is, when changing it makes sense, and how to format an external SSD in Windows 11 or on a Mac. 1. What Allocation Unit Size Means Allocation unit size, also called cluster size, is the smallest chunk of space the file system uses to store a file. A bigger unit wastes more space on small files, but needs fewer lookups for ver...
Read more