How to Fix Explorer.exe System call failed error in Windows 10
One of the most critical processes in the Windows 10 operating system is the Explorer.exe. And there are times when you might encounter an error that says, “System call failed”. You can encounter this error when you try to launch File Explorer, and in such case when the File Explorer does not work, it could cause issues in accessing folders and files on your computer.
This kind of error pops up when the explorer.exe system file has become corrupted or if there is some process that interferes with its smooth functioning. To fix this error, you can try to restart the explorer.exe process, run both the System File Checker scan and DISM tool. You could also put your computer in a Clean Boot State or uninstall any programs you’ve installed recently. For more details, follow each one of the given suggestions below.
Option 1 – Try to restart the Explorer.exe process
The first thing you can do is try to restart the Explorer.exe process. To do so, refer to these steps:
- First, right-click on the Taskbar and select the Task Manager.
- Next, expand the Task Manager window to see all the active processes.
- From there, look for the Windows Explorer process, right-click on it and select Restart.
- After that, check if the error is now fixed.
Option 2 – Run System File Checker scan
If restarting the explorer.exe process didn’t work, you can also try running the System File Checker or SFC scan to fix the error. System File Checker is a command utility built into your computer that helps restore corrupted files and missing files. Refer to the following steps to run it:
- Hit the Win + R keys to launch Run.
- Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
- After opening Command Prompt, type in this command: sfc /SCANFILE=c:windowsexplorer.exe
Note: If you are using a 64-bit Windows operating system, enter the “sfc /SCANFILE=C:WindowsSysWow64explorer.exe” command instead.
- Wait until the process is completed and then restart your computer.
Option 3 – Run the DISM tool
You might also want to run the DISM tool. This tool is known to repair potentially corrupted files in your system as having them could also system issues like the “System call failed” error. To repair these corrupted system files, you can run the DISM commands:
- Tap the Win + X keys and click on the “Command Prompt (Admin)” option.
- After that, input each one of the commands listed below sequentially to execute them:
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Once you’ve executed the commands given above, restart your computer and check if the problem is now fixed.
Option 4 – Try running the Check Disk utility
- In the Windows Search box, type “command prompt” and from the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
- After opening Command Prompt, type this command and tap Enter: chkdsk c: /f /r
- The command you entered will start to check for errors and fix them automatically. Else, it will throw an error message saying, “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like the schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)”.
- Tap the Y key to schedule Disk Check the next time your computer restarts.
Option 5 – Put your computer in a Clean Boot State
As pointed out, there are some instances that some conflicting programs installed in your computer might be the one that triggers the “System call failed” error to appear when you try to open File Explorer. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.
- Log onto your PC as an administrator.
- Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
- From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
- Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
- Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
- Click Disable all.
- Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
- Once your computer has restarted in a Clean Boot State, perform your scan again and see if it now works, and then start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.
Option 6 – Try to uninstall the programs you’ve installed recently
In case you don’t know, freeware software packages aren’t always free as some of them could contain malicious software that can cause serious damage to your computer. Thus, if you have installed a program recently prior to getting the “System call failed” error, then you have to uninstall that program.
- Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Then type “appwiz.cpl” in the field and tap Enter to open the Programs and Features in Control Panel.
- Next, arrange the list of installed programs in the order of the installation date.
- After that, look for the problematic program and right-click on it, and then select Uninstall.
- Once the process is done, restart your computer and see if the error is fixed.
Congratulations, you have just fixed the Explorer.exe System call failed error in Windows 10 all by yourself. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.
Now that’s how you fix the Explorer.exe System call failed error in Windows 10 on a computer. On the other hand, if your computer is going through some system-related issues that have to get fixed, there is a one-click solution known as Restoro you could check out to resolve them.
This program is a useful tool that could repair corrupted registries and optimize your PC’s overall performance. Aside from that, it also cleans out your computer for any junk or corrupted files that help you eliminate any unwanted files from your system. This is basically a solution that’s within your grasp with just a click. It’s easy to use as it is user-friendly. For a complete set of instructions in downloading and using it, refer to the steps below
Perform a full system scan using Restoro. To do so, follow the instructions below.
