Fix ndis.sys failed BSOD error on Windows 10

Recently, a number of Windows 10 users getting an error on their computers that state, “Windows can’t find one of the files in this theme”. According to the affected users, this error occurs at random times even when they didn’t make any changes to their computer’s theme prior to getting the error. If you are one of these users, read on as this post will help you resolve this problem. If you click on the Yes button of the dialog box where the error is displayed, it won’t fix the problem as you will still get the same error from time to time. This kind of error could be caused by the executable file named “SettingSyncHost.exe”. It is possible that this executable file is unable to sync your theme all over your computer. On the other hand, it could also be due to some problems with the active theme. To resolve this issue, you can try to change the active theme, or disable the custom screensaver or disable theme syncing on your computer, as well as run a System File Checker or run the DISM tool. For more instructions, follow the options given below.

Option 1 – Try to change the active theme

The first thing you can do to fix the error is to change the active theme of your computer since the SettingSyncHost.exe file might not be able to properly sync the theme on the computer.

• Go to Settings and click on Personalization.
• Next, click on Themes and scroll down to apply a theme, and change the theme of the operating system.
• After that, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “%windir%ResourcesThemes” in the field, and then tap Enter to open the folder where the theme files are located.
• Once you’re done, right-click and select delete for the active theme to remove the theme and its resources. This should fix the root cause of the problem. If not you can try to create a new Windows 10 theme and save it.

Option 2 – Try to disable the custom screensaver

The custom screensaver is a part of the mechanism of the lock screen. Although they were needed in the earlier Windows versions to prevent the discoloration of CRT monitor screens, they are no longer needed in the current version of Windows. Thus, you can try to disable it as it could be the one that’s causing the problem.

• Click on the Start button and go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
• Here, scroll down and click on the Screen Saver settings.
• After that, select the “Screen saver to (None)” option from the drop-down menu. This will disable the custom screensaver.

Option 3 – Try to disable theme syncing on your computer

You could also try to disable the theme sync feature to fix the problem. This has worked out for some users. To do so, follow these steps:

• Click on the Start button and go to Settings > Account > Sync your settings.
• From there, toggle off Themes in the individual sync settings column. This will disable the Theme syncing.
• Restart your computer and see if the problem is now fixed.

Option 4 – Run the DISM tool

The next thing you can do is 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 “Windows can’t find one of the files in this theme” 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 5 – Run the System File Checker

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be the cause why you’re getting the “Windows can’t find one of the files in this theme” error. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Type “cmd” in the Start search and then right-click on the appropriate search result.
• Next, select “Run as administrator” to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

• Now restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed or not.

Recently, some users reported not being able to boot up their Windows 10 computers. And during the startup phase, at some time, the bootup sequence is halted with a Recovery error along with an error message saying, “Your PC/Device needs to be repaired” with an error code of 0x0000605. This kind of error message indicates that Windows was not able to verify the digital signature for the file as the signing certificate or it could be that it has expired. To resolve this error, you can follow the potential fixes given below and see if you stumble upon a fix that might work out for you.

Option 1 – Change the Date & Time settings in the BIOS

Some users reported that they were able to fix the error by changing the Date & Time settings in the BIOS. Upon checking, they saw that in their BIOS settings, the date was off several years. As a result, the incorrect date and time settings end up ticking the system into believing that the Windows build has expired long before the actual expiration date. You can check if the error pops up due to the same reasons by accessing the BIOS settings. To do so, you have to tap the Boot key that’s associated with your motherboard manufacturer during the initial startup phase. After that, you can search for a particular boot key online or you can also tap keys like F2, F4, F8, F10, F12, and the Delete key. Once you’re able to access the BIOS settings, locate the Date & time or anything similar, and then check if the date is correct or not. If not, you need to change the date to the actual date and then save the changes made and restart your computer and then check if the issue is now fixed or not. Just remember that if the actual date is past the expiration date of the build you have, you need to change it to an older date. If your Windows 10 PC is able to boot back up, you have to update it to a stable Windows build and then go back to the BIOS settings and change the date to the current one else you will definitely encounter Windows update errors in the future as well as security alerts.

Option 2 – Perform a clean install of a stable Windows 10 build

If every system boot fails accompanied by a BSOD error with error code 0x0000605 “A component of the operating system has expired” and you’ve already followed every instruction on option 1, then it’s most likely that your current Windows build has already expired. Remember that almost all the Windows 10 Insider Preview builds (98xx) are created along with an expiration date and when your computer reaches the expiration date, you won’t be able to boot your computer up. Note that the exact expiration date varies based on the build number. And prior to the expiration date, the operating system will start to display some error warnings telling you that the build will expire and urge you to update the most recent build available. And so once the computer reaches its expiration date, it will begin to reboot every three hours until it no longer boots up which is about 2 weeks approximately after the license has expired. Once the expiration date is up and your computer no longer boots up, you need to perform a clean install and then install the latest Windows 10 build to resolve the issue once and for all.

There is a lot of high resource utilization by any process that slows down a Windows operating system and one of the services that could cause such a thing is the utcsvc.exe process. This particular process at times can cause high CPU and disk usage. So if you are currently facing this problem, read on as this post will guide you on how you can resolve the problem. UTC which stands for Universal Telemetry Client is a software that runs a service named Diagnostic Tracking Service or DiagTrak. This service is used by Microsoft to collect customer feedback, analyze customer’s problems, and push resolution via updates in order to make the Windows 10 operating system better. This service is an executable file that could be translated to Service Host and even though the process does not usually cause problems, there are actually times when it does especially if it results in high resource utilization. In such cases, you might want to consider disabling it to fix its high CPU and disk usage.

According to Microsoft:

“We collect information about you, your devices, applications and networks, and your use of those devices, applications, and networks. Examples of data we collect include your name, email address, preferences, and interests; browsing, search and file history; phone call and SMS data; device configuration and sensor data; and application usage.”

There are several ways you can disable the utcsvc.exe process. You can disable it using the Service Manager, Registry Editor, and Group Policy Editor. For more details, refer to the instructions laid out below.

Option 1 – Disable the Connected User Experience & Telemetry Service via Service Manager

Note that this option is for standalone systems, so if you’re not using one, refer to the next given options below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “services.msc” in the field and tap Enter or click OK to open the Services Manager.
• From the given list of services, look for the Connected User Experience service. Once you found it, click on it and you’ll see its description which states:

“The Connected User Experiences and Telemetry service enables features that support in-application and connected user experiences. Additionally, this service manages the event-driven collection and transmission of diagnostic and usage information (used to improve the experience and quality of the Windows Platform) when the diagnostics and usage privacy option settings are enabled under Feedback and Diagnostics.”

• Next, right-click on it and select Properties.
• Now, change its Startup Type to Disabled and click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.

Option 2 – Disable the Connected User Experience & Telemetry Service via Registry Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and click OK to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsDataCollection
• After that, right-click on the folder named “DataCollection” and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
• Now name the new value “AllowTelemetry” and make sure that its Value data is “0” and then click on OK to save the changes made.
• Restart your computer.

Option 3 – Disable the Connected User Experience & Telemetry Service via Group Policy Editor

If you have to disable the service related to the Universal Telemetry Client for company-managed systems, then you can do that using the Group Policy Editor.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “gpedit.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
• Next, navigate to this path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components> Data Collection and Preview Build
• After that, double-click on Data Collection and Preview Build to open its settings.
• From there, look for the “Allow Telemetry” item and double click on it to open its Properties.
• Next, set the radio button to Disabled and then click on the Apply button to save the changes made.
• Restart your computer.

Option 4 – Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter or the Performance Troubleshooter

Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter:

• The first thing you need to do is click on Start and then on the gear-like icon to pull up the window for Settings.
• After opening Settings, look for the Update and Security option and select it.
• From there, go to the Troubleshoot option located on the left-hand side of the list.
• Next, select Hardware and Devices from the list and open the Troubleshooter and run it. Once it is doing its job, wait for it to complete the process and then restart the system.
• After the system restarts, check if the problem’s now fixed. If not, refer to the next option given below.

Performance Troubleshooter:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Type “exe /id PerformanceDiagnostic” in the field and hit Enter to open the Performance troubleshooter.
• Then click on Next to get started. Wait until the process is completed.

If you are visiting a single folder many times during the day it might be beneficial to place its shortcut on the desktop for easy access. But did you know that you can also set a keyboard shortcut for that same folder shortcut making it available simply by clicking desired key combination? In order to make a keyboard shortcut for the desired folder know that it is available only when you have a shortcut of the desired folder, it cannot be done on the folder itself, only on its shortcut. Now folder shortcut does not need to reside on desktop, you can place it anywhere you like, but it must be a shortcut. So the first step is of course to make a shortcut of the folder that you wish to have access via keyboard key combination and place it where you wish. Once you have done this step, right-click on it and choose properties. Inside properties at the top click on the Shortcut tab and then inside Shortcut Key, press the key combination that you wish to associate with this folder. Confirm with OK and start using fast folder access with your desired key combination.

As of late, users have been reporting about getting an error saying, SAFE_OS phase error during Replicate_OC operation when they tried to upgrade their Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 computers to Windows 10. Although the error code in this problem could vary, in this situation, it states:

0xC1900101 – 0x20017, The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase error during Replicate_OC operation

To fix this issue, you need to follow the given options below. But before you do, you need to create a System Restore point first so that if anything goes wrong, you can always undo the changes you’ve made.

Option 1 – Try to change the Windows 10 installation

According to security experts, one of the main causes of this error is the KB3064209Windows Update. This particular update is the one responsible for updating the CPU Microcode for processors made by Intel. Thus, if you don’t use an Intel processor, you can skip this option and proceed to the next one. However, if you use Intel, make sure to follow the instructions in this option carefully. Take note that in this solution, C: partition is referred to as the OS Partition while H: partition is referred to as the USB Pen Drive.

• First, you need to download the Windows 10 ISO from the Windows 10 Media Creation tool and then copy its contents to the Pen Drive H.
• Next, tap the Win + X keys and click on the Command Prompt (Admin0 option. If a User Account Control appears, simply click Yes.
• After opening Command Prompt, type the following command:

dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:H:sourcesboot.wim /index:1 /MountDir:C:UsersUserDesktopmount

• Now navigate to the following path in the Windows File Explorer:

C:UsersUserDesktopmountWindowsSystem32mcupdate_GenuineIntel.dll

• From there, right-click on the file named “mcupdate_GenuineIntel.dll and click on Properties.
• Next, go to the Security tab and click on Advanced. In the Advanced section, change the Owner to your User Account and click OK.
• And then back to the Security tab, click on the Edit button and check on Full control to make sure that your User Account has all the privileges.
• Now click on Apply and then OK.
• After that, delete the file you saw earlier which is named mcupdate_Genuine.dll.
• Then close all the Windows File Explorer instances and go back to the Command Prompt window and unmounts the image you mounted before by typing the following command:

dism /Unmount-Image /MountDir:C:UsersUserDesktopmount /commit

• Afterward, repeat the steps from mounting up until here for these files:
  • wim /index:2
  • wim /index:1
  • wim /index:2
• Now delete the mount folder and remove the USB Pen Drive and then boot with the installer.

Option 2 – Try to perform a Disk Cleanup

Chances are, some unnecessary files in your computer might be interrupting the installation process which explains why you’re getting SAFE_OS phase error during Replicate_OC operation instead so you need to perform a Disk Cleanup in order to fix the problem.

Option 3 – Try updating all your drivers

Every now and then, drivers get corrupted or outdated so it’s no surprise that they conflict with the operating system and cause errors like the SAFE_OS phase error during the Replicate_OC operation. To fix the problem, you need to update all your drivers. Follow the steps below to update your drivers.

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. If you see a red or yellow sign that shows up against the driver, right-click on the driver’s name and select “Update Driver Software” or “Uninstall”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
• Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
• Restart your PC.

Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturer and check if there’s a new update – if there is, download it.

Option 4 – Try to update your system’s BIOS

Aside from outdated drivers, outdated BIOS could also be the reason why you’re getting the SAFE_OS phase error during Replicate_OC operation which is why you need to update your system’s BIOS in order to resolve the issue.

Option 5 – Try checking the Windows Services status

• In the Cortana search box, search for “Services” and then click on the Services icon.
• After that, the Services utility will be opened in a new window.
• Next, look for the following services:
  • BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service)
  • Windows Update Service
  • Cryptographic Service
• Then right-click on each one of the services and click on Properties. From there, select Automatic from the drop-down of the Startup Type menu.
• Now click on OK for each one of them and restart your PC to apply the changes made.

Option 6 – Try to check the RAM modules

There are many times when all the components of the RAM weren’t able to be used by the computer so you need to check the RAM modules.

• You need to first turn off your PC and then take out your RAM physically.
• Next, clean it with a soft cloth and blow some air into the RAM slot in the motherboard.
• After that, put your RAM back in the same slot.
• Then try updating your computer system again.

There are some new generation motherboards for laptops and PCs that bring in support for both the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface or UEFI as well as the Basic Input Output System or BIOS. The main advantage of UEFI over the traditional BIOS is the fact that UEFI supports a hard drive that has a capacity of more than 2 terabytes. However, the disadvantage of UEFI is that it only supports the x64 Windows operating system versions and that the hard drive is supposed to use the GPT structure. So if your PC is compatible with and supports UEFI and you want to change from Legacy to UEFI, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can exactly do that without having to reinstall it. There are two ways to change Legacy to UEFI. You can convert MBR to GPT using either the built-in utilities in Windows or using the Recovery Environment. Before you proceed, make sure that your computer fulfills the following prerequisites:

• Your PC’s motherboard should support both Legacy and UEFI.
• Your PC should be running at least the 1703 Windows 10 version or newer on an MBR partition.

Once you’ve made sure that your computer covers the aforementioned prerequisites, refer to the given options below.

Option 1 – Convert MBR to GPT via Windows built-in utilities

• In the Windows Search box, type “command prompt” and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After that, execute this command: exe /convert /allowfullOS
• Now, wait until the process is completed since you can track its process on your screen.
• Once it’s done, go to Settings > Update & Security > Advanced Startup options and from there, click on Restart Now. This will restart your computer and give you advanced options.
• Next, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options where you will see further options including System Restore, Startup Repair, Go back to the previous version, Command Prompt, System Image Recovery, and UEFI Firmware Settings.
• Now select the UEFI Firmware Settings. This will take you to the BIOS. Boot Mode is typically available under Boot > Boot Configuration. Once you’re there, set it to UEFI and then save the changes you’ve made. After that, your computer will restart.

Option 2 – Convert MBR to GPT via the Recovery Environment

• When the message appears on your screen while running Windows Setup, you need to tap the Shift + F10 keys to open Command Prompt.
• Make sure to run Command Prompt as admin and then execute this command: exe /convert
• After that, wait until the process is completed. When it’s done, you have to go to the BIOS just like in the first given option above.
• As mentioned, you can usually find the Boot Mode under Boot > Boot Configuration. Once you’re there, set it to UEFI.
• Now save the changes made and exit as your computer will restart.

Kernel32.dll Error - What is it?

To understand Kernel32.dll error properly, here’s what you need to know first: in the Windows operating system, the system32 directory plays a vital role. Inside this directory, there is an element called Kernel32.dll. A DLL (dynamic link library) is a library that contains codes and data that are used by more than one program at the same time. The role of the Kernel32.dll file is to handle memory management and I/O (input and output) operations. Malfunctioning of this file results in a Kernel32.dll error message which leads to program or application failure.

Error Causes

Kernel32.dll files can be attributed to several reasons like:

• Missing or damaged Kernel32.dll files
• Registry corruption
• .Dll files misconfiguration if programs are installed or uninstalled.
• Viral infection or malware attack

It is advisable to repair the Kernel32.dll error immediately to avoid inconvenience and serious computer damages like program lockouts, system failure, freeze, and crash.

Further Information and Manual Repair

All causes for the Kernel32.dll error are linked with the registry. The registry is the major database of your system that stores all the activities you perform on your system. It saves both important data and unnecessary files in the RAM (Random Access Memory) including the junk files, temporary internet files, and obsolete files such as files of the deleted/uninstalled programs. These files accumulate a lot of memory space. It leads to disk fragmentation, data overload, missing and damaged DLL files, and eventually registry corruption. Other reasons for registry issues that trigger Kernel32.dll errors on your system could be malicious software like viruses, adware, and malware. These also corrupt the registry and damaged DLL files.

Kernel32.dll Error Solutions

There are two ways to resolve the Kernel32.dll error on your PC, one is to install two separate tools registry cleaner and an antivirus and run them individually to scan your system and repair it. This option is time-consuming and besides if antivirus software is notorious for slowing down systems. So by downloading a separate antivirus you may have to sacrifice your system’s speed.

As you know, Windows Update is the source for everything latest for Windows from Microsoft. Your computer receives essential updates frequently because of the Windows Update service and this Windows Update mechanism depends on various services such as Background Intelligent Transfer Service or BITS, Windows Server Update Service, Windows Update service, and many more. Although it may seem like a complex delivery system, it is a very efficient one. However, it is not without its issues as it still encounters errors every now and then. One of these errors is 80244019 which applies only to the Windows Server operating systems and to resolve it, you need to determine its cause. The Windows Update Error 80244019 is most likely caused by faulty and corrupted DLL files or Registry Entries, connectivity issues, and outdated configuration of Windows Update service on the client end. Moreover, the error can also be caused by malware or if a file is not found on the server. This error can lead to a number of system issues like Startup and shutdown issues, software installation errors, external devices connection, system lags, unexpected application, and program issues, and many more. To resolve the problem, refer to the options given below.

Option 1 – Restart some Windows Update services

The first thing you have to do is to restart Windows Update-related services. Refer to the steps below to do so.

• Open the WinX Menu.
• From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.

net stop wuauserv net stop bits

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
• Next, go to the C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files there by tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.
• Once all the contents in the Software Distribution folder are deleted, restart your PC and then go back to Command Prompt and input the following commands again.

net start wuauserv net start bits

 Since the folder has already been flushed, it will be populated afresh the instant your restart your computer and open Windows Update.

Option 2 – Try turning on the Data Execution Prevention or DEP

The problem might be caused by disabled Data Execution Prevention which is why you have to make sure that it’s turned on.

Option 3 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

You might also want to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing Windows Update Error 80244019. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 4 – Try reconfiguring the Windows Update Settings

You can also try to reconfigure the settings in the Windows Update section to resolve the error.

• Tap the Win + I keys to open the Windows Settings.
• Next, click on Update & Security > Windows Updates > Update Settings and from there, click on the Advanced Options.
• After that, uncheck the “Give me updates for other Microsoft Products when I update Windows” option.
• Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made and then check if the Windows Update error is now fixed.

Option 5 – Try to manually install the Windows Updates

Windows Update Error 80244019 might be due to a Windows Update that has failed. So if it is not a feature update and only a cumulative update, you can download the Windows Update and install it manually. But first, you need to find out which update has failed, and to do so, refer to the following steps:

• Go to Settings and from there go to Update and Security > View Update History.
• Next, check which particular update has failed. Note that Updates that have failed to install will be displayed under the Status column which has a label of “Failed”.
• After that, go to the Microsoft Download Center and look for that update using its KB number and once you find it, download and then install it manually.

Note: You can also use the Microsoft Update Catalog, a service from Microsoft that provides a list of software updates that can be distributed over a corporate network. With the help of this service, it can be easier for you to find Microsoft software updates, drivers as well as fixes.

• In your Graphics Settings, select r5apex.exe and change the Graphics performance preference to Classic App, set it to High Performance, and then launch the game as an administrator when you want to play.
• Inside the Nvidia Control Panel, click “Manage 3D Settings”, and select Apex Legends and change it to “Prefer Maximum Power”
• You can also change “pre-rendered frames” to 1, but it will make you lag just a tiny, tiny bit.
• Turning the shader cache on can help improve FPS, but on some systems, it may cause additional negative performance changes.
• If you have the ability to use G-Sync, use that as well (Only available on some monitors and graphics cards)
• From the task manager, change the priority of r5apex.exe to “High” and close out of other applications.
• Update your graphics drivers.
• Ensure your PC complies with the games minimum system requirements:
  • OS: 64-bit Windows 10
  • CPU: Intel Core i3-6300 3.8GHz / AMD FX-4350 4.2 GHz Quad-Core Processor
  • RAM: 6GB
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 / Radeon HD 7700
  • GPU RAM: 1 GB
  • HARD DRIVE: Minimum 30 GB of free space
• Check to see if your system has the game’s recommended hardware requirements:
  • OS: 64-bit Windows 10
  • CPU: Intel i5 3570K or equivalent
  • RAM: 8GB
  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 / AMD Radeon R9 290
  • GPU RAM: 8GB
  • HARD DRIVE: Minimum 30 GB of free space
• Within the game, try to set the settings to:
  • Full Screen
  • Disable V-Sync
  • Anti-Aliasing to Disabled/TSAA (slight performance difference)
  • Use Native Resolution
  • Keep Field of View at around 80-100
  • Texture Streaming Budget to High
  • Texture filtering as low as possible while still being playable
  • Ambient occlusion as low as possible
  • Shadow all to Low / Lowest
  • Model detail low
  • Effects detail low
  • Volumetric lighting / Dynamic spot shadows Disabled
  • Ragdolls low
  • Impact marks the lowest
• Make sure other applications are not placing overlays (Discord, GeForce, Xbox Gaming)
• Clean your temporary files and uninstall other games to give your PC room to have the game run.
• Don’t use products like CCleaner as they may remove necessary files from your computer.
• Closeout of Chrome when you’re playing the game or follow our guide on Optimizing Chrome Performance