Computers are rife with potential errors and, of all of them, socket error 10054 is one of the easier ones to fix. This error is usually caused accidentally when the user shuts down the software or closes the connection while the computer is attempting to connect with a server. More serious causes of this error are the Internet connection suddenly dropping or a proxy server disabling server connections. As with all errors, the firewall also could be acting up and causing the connection to break.
The overall reason why this socket error occurs is because the server connection has been broken by something outside the server. Most of the time, this is an action caused, either purposefully or accidentally, by the user. When 10054 manifests, as with other errors, the first thing that the user should do is to temporarily disable the firewall, because firewalls sometimes break good connections, thinking they are bad.
If the problem occurred because of an accidental or manual shutdown of the program, then this will be even easier to fix than the firewall method. Sometimes, when a user is attempting to connect to a server, he or she will close the program. This may be because he no longer needs to connect to the server or because the program was closed mistakenly. In this instance, he can just start the program again and the connection should work.
A break in the Internet connection also can cause a socket error 10054. As with the program, this can occur manually. If the user is not at fault for breaking the Internet connection, he should check the modem, router, and any internal device connecting to the Internet to ensure they are working. Manually resetting the device and calling the Internet service provider (ISP) can help get the Internet back online. In more serious cases, the device may have to be repaired or replaced.
Another reason for this error is that the user is using a proxy server to mask his computer address. This happens if the server is attempting to connect to the computer’s inherent address, and not the proxy server. If this occurs, the user can manually tell the server to connect to the proxy and not directly to the computer. Otherwise, the connection will keep breaking.