Fix: System Thread Exception Not Handled in Windows

The “System thread exception not handled” problem affects all Windows PCs and leads to frequent crashes. If you launch BlueScreenView, you will be able to see all of the times your Windows crashed as a result of this issue.

When it gets this error, usually Windows will try to restart itself. But, most of the time you’re stuck with an unresponsive computer. The only way out is to force shutdown your Windows and turn it back on. Doing this many times can even corrupt your files. What’s more, if you were working on something on your PC you would lose your work.

As we’ll see, this is a Windows-only issue. We do not get this error message in Linux and macOS systems since they’re built differently.

What Causes the “System Thread Exception Not Handled” Error Message in Windows?

This error message is always associated with a system file or a sys file for short. To understand what causes this error message, we need to understand what sys files are. Sys files are stored in system folders such as C:\Windows, C:\System 32, etc.

Sys files are used and updated by Windows and are critical to the operation of the system. Sys files mostly store device drivers needed for Windows. These files are hidden by default and do not show up under search results.

Device drivers are programs that enable Windows to interact with hardware. Since they are just programs, it is natural for them to crash or stop working sometimes due to a bug or a hardware fault.

If this happens, it crashes the entire operating system and thus you end up with the blue screen of death.

Prerequisites

Identifying the Sys File

Once you get the blue screen, take note of the displayed sys filename as shown in the screenshot below. Once you do that, use the following list to identify which device driver it belongs to.

• nvlddmkm.sys : NVIDIA graphics driver
• igdkmd64.sys: Intel graphics driver
• atkimpag.sys: AMD graphics driver
• hidclass.sys: Mouse or keyboard driver
• acpi.sys: Windows ACPI driver
• rtkvhd64.sys: Realtek audio driverw
• syntp.sys: Synaptics Touchpad driver
• tcpip.sys: Network card driver
• usbxhci.sys : USB driver
• class.sys: Wireless network driver
• CorsairVBusDriver.sys – Corsair Utility Engine driver
• dxgmms2.sys– associated with DirectX drivers
• ntfs.sys– Windows NT Server
• bcmwl63a.sys – Broadcom 802.11 Network Adaptor

Booting Up With Safe Mode

The Safe Mode is a convenient tool for fixing blue screen issues with your Windows. In this mode the PC boots with the bare minimum configurations. It disables all startup programs and device drivers. Through safe mode, we can fix any issues that prevent our Windows from operating.

There are three types of safe modes provided by Microsoft.

• Safe Mode
  Starts with minimal drivers that are possible to start the operating system. Even the internet connection doesn’t work in this mode.
• Safe Mode with Networking
  Starts with the same set of drivers and services as above. Includes networking services too. It is possible to use an internet connection for troubleshooting in this mode.
• Safe Mode with Command Prompt
  Starts the operating system in command prompt only. Unlike the other two modes, this mode disables the graphical interface. It is possible to use the PC through Command Prompt commands only. This is useful when the system has trouble displaying graphical components.
  

Steps to Boot Into Safe Mode

When PC Is Running in Normal Mode

1. Right-click on Start Menu and select Settings.
2. Go to Update & Security.
3. Select Recovery from the left navigation pane.
4. Under Advanced startup, click on Restart now.
5. After the PC restarts to Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
6. Select Advanced options.
7. Click Startup Settings.
8. Select Restart.
9. After the PC restarts again, press 5 or F5 to boot into Safe Mode with Networking.

When the PC Is Stuck in the Login Screen

1. Hold the Shift key and select the Power button.
2. Click on Restart.
3. Follow the steps 5-9 from above (When PC is running in Normal mode).

When PC Cannot Get to Login Screen

1. Use force shutdown to turn your device off,e.g. Press the power button for about 10 seconds.
2. Press the power button again to turn your device on.
3. On the Windows logo screen, press the power button for 10 seconds again to turn the device off.
4. Hit the power button again to turn your device on.
5. Windows now enters into Windows Recovery Environment(winRE).
6. Follow the steps 5-9 from above (When PC is running in Normal mode).

To solve our blue screen error message, we will boot into the second mode,i.e. Safe Mode with Networking.

How to Fix ‘System Thread Exception Not Handled’ Error?

Windows restart to recover itself when it encounters a problem like this. But, a restart may not always solve the problem if the sys file is damaged or corrupted. In such a scenario, you will end up with the same error message sooner or later.

Fortunately, Windows can tell us which system file caused the problem. As a result, we are able to pinpoint the root cause of the problem and, as a result, fix this message.

Update Device Driver

1. Start Windows in Safe mode with networking.
2. Tap on Start Menu and select Device Manager to bring up the window.
3. After finding the device driver from above, right-click on it and select Update Driver.
4. Select Search automatically for updated drivers software.

Remember to use the above list to identify the driver that’s causing problems in your PC.

Download Graphics Card Driver From Manufacturer’s Website

1. Start Windows in Safe mode with networking.
2. In Device Manager, expand Display adapters.
3. Note down the Graphics Card name and Model name(AMD, Nvidia, etc).
4. Download and install the correct device driver for your model.
   • For AMD
   • For Nvidia
5. Restart into normal mode and see if the problem continues.

Update Windows

1. Go to Start Menu and search update to bring up Windows Update settings.
2. Click on Check for updates.
3. If there’s an update pending, install them and restart windows.

Rollback Driver

1. Start Windows in Safe mode with networking.
2. In Device Manager, right-click on the device that’s causing the error.
3. Click on Properties.
4. Click on Driver tab.
5. Click on Roll Back Driver.
6. Restart into normal mode.

Rename Faulty Drivers

Once you figure out the faulty driver, the best you can do is either update, roll back or reinstall the driver. If those didn’t work out you should rename the file. In doing so the Windows will get a new copy of it and reinstall it making it a fresh installation. To rename a faulty drive follow the steps given below:

1. Hit the Start menu and type cmd to open Command Prompt.
2. In the command prompt type cd c:\windows\system32\driver and press Enter.
3. Finally type ren FILENAME.sys FILENAME.old. Here Windows rename the faulty driver with .old extension.

You can also rename faulty driver file names by navigating to C:\Windows\System32\drivers. All you have to do is rename the faulty driver extension with the .old extension.

Uninstall the Driver

1. Start Windows in Safe mode with networking.
2. In Device Manager, right-click on the device that’s causing the error.
3. Click on Properties.
4. Click on Driver tab.
5. Click on Uninstall Device.
6. Click Uninstall on the confirmation.
7. Use the above approaches to install a fresh version of the device driver.

Repair Correct Driver Files

1. Open Powershell in Administrator mode.
2. Sfc /scannow
   It runs System File Checker tool to scan and get a list of corrupted system files.
   
3. DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
   This command runs Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool to repair any corrupted error files online.
4. Chkdsk c: /r
   Use chkdsk utility to scan and repair any errors in Local Disk C.

System Restore

1. Go to Start Menu and type Recovery to bring up Recovery tools.
2. Click Open System Restore to open restore wizard.
3. Select Next.
4. Select a previous restore point and click Next.
5. Click Finish to confirm and start the recovery process.
6. Try with a different restore point if the process failed to work for you.

Reset Windows 10

1. Go to the Start Menu. Type System Restore to bring up the Recovery Settings window.
2. Under Reset this PC section, click on Get started.
3. Click on Keep my files.
4. If you have an active Internet connection, click on Cloud download.
5. If you don’t have an active Internet connection, click on Local reinstall.
6. Wait for the reset process to complete and the PC to restart by itself.

If you were unable to fix the issue, you always have an option to roll back or reset your PC using this process. Try again by selecting Remove everything in Step 3 above and continuing the rest of the steps.