Troubleshooting the “SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED” Error

A blue screen with the error “SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED” can be quite frightening. You're working on your computer, and suddenly everything freezes, and this frightening message appears on the monitor. Don't panic. This error means that there is a problem in the system that one of the programs or drivers could not handle, but it is almost always solvable.

Most often, the culprit is an outdated, damaged, or incompatible driver for a device. Less commonly, the problem may be related to faulty RAM or a conflict between programs. Although the message looks complicated, you don't need to be a computer genius to fix it.

In this article, we'll look at a few simple and effective ways to help you fix this error. We'll start with the simplest and safest steps, such as updating your drivers and system, and then move on to more advanced methods if necessary.

Using Windows Recovery Tools

When Windows cannot even start, you should try the recovery tools that are offered for this specific case. If they do not help, try going to “Safe Mode”, again, through the recovery interface, and follow some of the instructions discussed later in the article (see Method 1, Method 3 and some Additional recommendations How to use recovery tools and log in “Safe Mode”, this is explained in this section.

Automatic recovery

If the operating system cannot boot, a built-in recovery interface appears, offering to try to fix the problems automatically or to proceed to the manual selection of a tool to fix the failure. First, of course, you should try the automatic fix.

You can download Wise Auto Shutdown for free from the official website http://www.wisecleaner.com/wise-auto-shutdown.html

1. If you see the button As you can see, there is still a choice of free antivirus software for use in Russia in 2023. The main thing is to download them from the official websites of the developers to avoid fakes., option 4: Fixing hardware problems The cause may be a malfunction of the motherboard itself, so you should diagnose its operation, as we wrote about in more detail earlier..
2. Then go to Fortunately, most of these crashes have long been studied and have fairly simple solutions. You don't need to be a computer genius to bring the game back to life. Often, it all comes down to a couple of settings that need to be checked or changed..
3. 
4. Here you can try using the tool Strangely enough, printing from Yandex Browser can be blocked by the antivirus protection used on your computer. Temporarily stop the software to check if this is the case. If you have antivirus software from a third-party developer, right-click on its icon in the tray and select. If your OS is in English, the name will change to Universal Document Converter. Here you need the tool

Check if the images have appeared in the specified directory.

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -online -FeatureName Printing-PrintToPDFServices-Features

1. To do this, go back to ↑ Avira Free Antivirus, click “System recovery”.
3. This will launch the standard application of the same name, through which you can select a restore point and roll back to it. Naturally, to use this tool, recovery must have been enabled in Windows beforehand, and there must be current restore points on the drive. Otherwise, you will receive the following message:
4. If all conditions for the tool's operation are met, all you have to do is select the date closest to the current date when everything was working normally and return to that state.

Deleting an update

This recommendation is only relevant for those who encountered this error after installing the latest update.

1. Among “Additional Options” there is a tool “Remove Updates”, this will help you partially revert to the previous version of Windows.
2. Here, specify what needs to be removed (problems usually arise after updates).
3. Confirm your decision.
4. 
5. Wait for the procedure to complete.
6. 

Entering “Safe Mode”

To try to fix the problem yourself, you will need to go to “Safe Mode”. This is only relevant if Windows does not start at all, but if it works in general, but periodically displays a BSOD (“blue screen of death”), you can try to find a solution in the intervals between them.

1. So, through “Advanced options” select the tile “Startup Options”.
3. Information will be displayed on situations in which further tools may be useful. Just click on “Restart”.
4. On the next screen, you will need to press the F5 to proceed to “Safe Mode with Network Drivers”.
5. 
   

   By the way, since the error is often caused by drivers, you can first try to boot Windows without checking the driver signatures. To do this, press F7. If this does not help, then proceed to “Safe Mode”.

6. Now follow the recommendations from the article that can be performed in this mode.

Method 1: Troubleshooting driver issues

Since “SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED” often appears due to incorrect installation/incompatibility/damage to drivers, you will need to find the culprit.

Step 1: Find the problematic driver

It is quite difficult to manually find the driver that caused the error, so it is best to use a special program that analyzes a special file (memory dump) created during BSOD and displays what led to it. For users who are trying to fix the error via “Safe Mode with Networking”, you can also use this method, as the Internet will still work, unlike when booting in normal mode. “Safe Mode”.

You will need to download the BlueScreenView program, designed to analyze memory dumps, and see which driver is causing the error. The article at the link below describes in detail how to download and use this program. It is also suitable for older versions of Windows.

More info: How to use BlueScreenView in Windows 10 and 11

Once you have identified the driver name (e.g., dxgmms2.sys), you should roll it back (not always available), either delete it, or update it. If you don't understand what device the file is responsible for, just type its name into a search engine for more information.

Step 2: Update/roll back the driver

Once you have identified the problematic driver, you need to decide what to do with it. To start with, you can try updating it to the latest version or reinstalling it (if you installed this driver as a separate program, such as software from NVIDIA/AMD/Intel).

Reinstalling such third-party software is straightforward: remove it using system tools, download the installer again, preferably the latest version or, conversely, the previous version, and then install it.

Updating is done in a similar way: go to the manufacturer's website for the component or laptop, download the latest version of the software, and install it over the current one. Or, if the driver is not available on the website, try updating it via Device Manager. These and other methods for performing this task, relevant for system drivers, were discussed earlier in the article at the link below.

More details:

How to update drivers on a computer

How to find out the name of your laptop

If your computer still won't boot after reinstalling or updating, remove it. In most cases, if the problem is a driver for a critical component, Windows will automatically install a compatible basic version itself. This happens during one of the stages of Windows startup in the background.

More details: Complete removal of drivers in Windows

Additionally: updating basic drivers

It would be useful to manually update the chipset and power management drivers (ACPI driver, only available for some laptops). If you have a computer, look for such software on the motherboard manufacturer's website, and if you have a laptop, on the website of the company that produced it. If you do not know the exact name of your laptop, use one of the links above to an article that will help you determine this information.

Downloaded drivers are installed like regular programs and require a PC restart.

The “SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED” error is a blue screen of death that usually occurs due to driver problems or software conflicts. Most often, outdated, damaged, or incompatible drivers are to blame, especially video cards or antivirus software. To fix the problem, you need to restart your computer in safe mode, update or roll back the problematic drivers, check the system for viruses, and make sure that Windows is fully updated. Sometimes it helps to disable recently installed programs or restore the system to its previous state. The main thing is not to panic: the error is serious, but in most cases it can be resolved.

Method 2: Reset BIOS

If the error occurred after manually configuring the BIOS or replacing any components, it makes sense to reset the BIOS. Please note that if you did not configure your computer yourself, some settings may behave differently after the reset. In particular, the boot device priority may be reset, requiring you to set the boot drive to the first position again. In older computers, the disk connection interface may change (from AHCI to IDE), causing the computer to not recognize which device to boot from. Therefore, if you are not sure whether you will be able to restore any settings to the desired values, it is better to take photos of all BIOS sections in advance so that you have something to compare the reset settings with later.

More details: Resetting BIOS settings

Program features:

Method 3: Checking components

The most common component causing “SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED” is RAM. You will need to check each of its modules for errors. If any are found, the faulty module will usually need to be replaced. Of course, you can try swapping the modules and/or cleaning the contacts with an eraser, but this does not always help, and the only working solution is replacement.

More details:

How to check RAM for performance

Programs for checking RAM

When choosing, pay attention to compatibility with the processor and motherboard, including the available RAM that the latter supports. The same applies, by the way, to cases where the computer stopped booting after replacing the RAM modules. Perhaps they are simply incompatible with the current configuration, or one of them is defective. You can determine if there is a defect by trying to boot with only one module at a time.

More details: Checking the compatibility of RAM and motherboard

The same applies to those who encountered the error as a result of replacing the drive or connecting an additional one. Check that the SATA cable is securely connected on both sides, use a different cable if possible, and disconnect all non-system drives. Don't forget to select another free SATA port on the motherboard.

As you can see, the SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED error, although it looks scary, often has understandable causes. In most cases, you can fix it yourself without resorting to the help of specialists.

Start with the simplest solution: update your drivers, especially for your video card and key system components. Don't forget to check your hard drive and RAM—these steps help rule out hardware failures, which are often masked as system errors.

If the problem persists, think about what you changed in the system before it appeared. New hardware, recently installed software, or a Windows update may be the source of the conflict. Rolling back these changes is often the quickest way to restore stable operation.

The main thing is to proceed step by step. The process of elimination and gradual changes in the system will eventually lead you to the cause of the failure. A computer is a logical device, and every error has a solution.