How to fix SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error in Windows 10/11 (2024 Update)

What is SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error

SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION is a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) error that can emerge anytime whilst using your PC. BSOD errors can be a true nightmare for regular users endlessly trying to fix them. As a rule, such errors are not single, but rather multi-sided meaning they can be triggered by various reasons. The list of most popular reasons contains corrupted files, disk damage, compatibility, and driver-related issues. Unless eliminated, the error will constantly pop making you irritated and sad instead of enjoying a flawless PC experience. Luckily, it has been more than 3 years since SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION showed its first signs in Windows 10. Now, it is investigated enough to propose the most effective and working solutions for its removal.

SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION BSOD error (sample 1)

SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION BSOD error (sample 2)

Before moving on to the instructions, spend a minute to familiarize yourself with the most common reasons forcing SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION to rise down below. Sometimes users can see the name of the .sys file causing the error on Blue Screen of Death. This can be helpful to learn the most likely reason and work with only selected solutions rather than trying a bundle of them. This filename should be located at the very bottom of the error information. In case there is no file name stated, the only way to observe it is via so-called minidump files that are created by Windows during BSOD crashes. You can view them by installing a special Microsoft utility called WinDbg Preview. It is available in the official Microsoft Store. After downloading and installing the app, follow these steps to analyze which file has prompted the crash:

1. Type WinDbg Preview into the search box next to Start menu, right-click on it, and choose Run as administrator.
2. Agree with the prompt window and wait until WinDbg opens.
3. Now, click File menu and choose the Start debugging option on top of the list on the left.
4. Then, click Open dump file and choose which dumb file you want to observe. The folder containing minidump files should be located by this path C:\Windows\Minidump\. Choose the one with the closest date to when the error occurred. If you see no files right there, more likely your system does not record minidump reports. To enable this feature, complete the instructions listed after these steps.
5. Wait a bit until the selected dump file is loaded.
6. Now you should find the !analyze -v link somewhere next to the bottom of the entire text. Click on it and wait until the analysis process is finished.

After running these steps, you will be able to see a full picture of what could trigger the error. Scroll down a bit and find the entry called IMAGE_NAME. Just next to it you will see the name of a file causing the error to pop.

To enable Minidump generation:

1. Open This PC and right-click on empry space below your disks. Choose Properties.
2. Then click on Advaned system settings.
3. Navigate to the Advanced tab and click Settings under Startup and Recovery section.
4. Make sure to have the same settings as in this screenshot.

Once you found and noted which file is provoking the error, you can compare it to the list of most popular .sys files and their function below:

dxgkrnl.sys, nvlddmkm.sys, and atikmdag.sys – are files related to graphics card drivers. Sometimes they can be corrupted or no longer supported. Therefore, it is worth checking your driver for malfunction and downloading new drivers.

ks.sys can suggest there is a problem with many problems, but most often it is related to installing or launching Skype. The reason usually lurks behind webcam or sound card drivers. Some users have been lucky to resolve this issue by installing alternative drivers for their webcam or sound card.

netio.sys is often associated with Network and Wifi adapters. In this case, the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error can occur abruptly whilst surfing the web or having a high load of network resources (e.g. when using torrent clients). The solution can be to download original drivers from the manufacturer’s website designed for your laptop or motherboard on a PC.

With that said, now you can choose the right and most potential solution from the list underneath. If you are still unsure on which one to follow, try to complete all in their order until the problem resolves eventually.

1.Install fresh Windows updates

Windows updates are not flawless and still contain lots of bugs that can inflict different system processes. Not excluded that the recent update currently installed on your system is precisely the culprit causing the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error. Thus, checking and installing new bug-fixing updates may potentially solve the problem. You can also delete the most recent update if you suspect it could provoke the issue.

To install new updates:

1. Left-click on the Start Menu button in the bottom left corner of the screen and choose Settings. Or use Windows + I combination.
2. Then select Update & Security.
3. On the left panel choose Windows Update.
4. Now click on Check for Updates.
5. Wait till Windows scans for the updates and install them if found.
6. After finished, restart your computer and check if the problem persists.

To uninstall recent updates:

1. Repeat the first 3 steps from the above.
2. Then, in Windows Update, click View update history on the right pane.
3. Choose Uninstall updates on top and delete the most recent update by date of installation.
4. Now you can reboot your PC and see if something has changed.

2. Update drivers

As we mentioned above, drivers can play quite a significant part in SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION appearance. Graphic cards, Network Adapters, and other essential devices may be poorly configured due to driver issues. This is why it is important to keep them up-to-date by running regular updates. Note that sometimes new drivers may cause corruption as well. In this case, Windows memorizes the previous driver letting users roll back to it, if necessary. If you already know which driver is related to the occurring error from the above, update it in the first place. Both instructions on how to update and roll back drivers manually are discussed below:

To update drivers manually:

1. Right-click on the Start Menu button and select Device Manager.
2. In the opened tab right-click on the suspected driver, choose Update Driver, and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. Windows will start searching for available updates and automatically install them on your computer.
4. Sometimes there are malfunctioned drivers (marked with a yellow rectangle), which means they are malfunctioned and should be updated immediately.

To roll back drivers:

If you know there was some driver updated before receiving the error, you can find and roll it back to the previous version. Here is how:

1. Navigate to Device Manager as we did above.
2. Locate and right-click on a previously updated driver.
3. Choose Roll Back Driver and follow instructions.
4. Once finished, reboot your PC and see if the problem dissipates.

You can also use IObit Driver Booster to perform automatic updates. It is way faster than going through the manual process because the utility will find aged or malfunctioned drivers and update them on its own. Here is the link to download it.

Driver Booster start screen

Driver Booster scan results

Driver Booster tools section

3. Check integrity of the system files

Just as we mentioned in the beginning, BSOD issues may also occur due to missing or damaged files. Such files are usually vital for Windows services to work correctly. If some of these files are out of their native environment, more likely it will be the reason for crash errors. Below, we are going to use both DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) and SFC (System File Checker), which will detect and restore absent components. Make sure to perform both of them as they can bring different effects on the solution. This is how:

Using DISM

1. Open Command Prompt as we did in the previous step.
2. Copy and paste this command DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth.
3. Click Enter and wait until Windows ends the scanning and fixing.
4. Once done, complete the SFC scan below.

Using SFC

1. Open Command Prompt by typing cmd into the searching box next to the Start Menu button.
2. Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
3. Once the console is opened, type the sfc /scannow command and click Enter.
4. When the fixing process is done, restart your computer and check if SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION persists.

4. Scan your hard drive for damaged fragments

Another important step to perform unless you resolved the BSOD error is scanning your drive for traces of damage. You can do it easily with the below-mentioned steps:

1. Open Command Prompt just as we did above.
2. Then, you should paste the chkdsk /f /r C: command and press Enter. If necessary, replace “C” with the letter of your hard drive.
3. The system will scan for both configuration and physical errors and automatically repair them.

5. Turn off/delete third-party software

Third-party software like antivirus has a tendency to cause malfunctions in some services. It can both suspect and mistake suspicious processes happening in your system. For some reason, even legitimate Windows processes can interlace with anti-malware protocols making the first corrupt. Because we do not know whether it is a case or not, try to disable a non-native antivirus if you have it installed. There is also a list of software that has been confirmed to cause BSOD problems on some systems – McAfee antivirus, Virtual CloneDrive, Xsplit, MSI Live, BitDefender, Cisco VPN, and Asus GameFirst service. Besides antivirus or third-party utilities being culprits for such errors, unwanted or malicious programs can lead to the same ramifications as well. If you remember installing something new recently, try to delete it and check the difference. Maybe it will resolve the issue. If you are unsure how to delete malicious programs correctly, we recommend you to download a great and trusted antivirus by MalwareBytes (use the button below).

Malwarebytes main window

Malwarebytes settings

Malwarebytes scan results

6. Perform a Clean Boot

1. Open System Configuration: Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and click Disable all.
3. Go to the Startup tab and open Task Manager. Disable all startup items.
4. Restart your computer.

Windows 11 -> Run -> msconfig

System Configuration -> Hide all Microsoft services

System Configuration -> Selective startup

System Configuration -> Startup -> Open Task Manager

Task Manager -> Disable unwanted apps

Performing a clean boot can help identify if background applications are causing the issue.

7. Use System Restore Point

In case nothing works out and trying to find the right solution results in constant failure, System Restore may be your savior. Unless you installed Windows just now, there should be some backup point stored by the system when SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION did not exist. So let’s roll your system back to exactly that point using these steps:

1. Right-click on This PC and choose Properties.
2. In the opened window, go to System Protection and click on System Restore.
3. Then, click Next and choose the date you remember working without a problem. You can also click on Scan for affected programs, which will show what might be changed after running a restore.
4. When done, click Next and start the System Restore.

Summary

As you can see, approaching SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION’s solution can be quite different depending on individual cases. Most often, such errors arise because some driver keeps running into a problem or due to a corrupted file system. No matter the case, we hope you managed to rectify this annoying problem that prevents adequate system usage. If you are facing any challenges solving other problems on your system, feel free to refer to our website for other tutorials.