You are using your Windows 10 PC. Suddenly, your system gets shut down, and all you see is a blue screen with a sad emoji and error message – “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart.” It further says, “We’re just collecting some error info, and then will restart for you.” You also see an error code SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION, for which the system suggests searching online for solutions. When you select this option, the system automatically fixes the issue and restarts the PC.
If the error occurs once, you shouldn’t be worried. But what if you start facing the error frequently? You may be working on a critical project when the error happens. Although the system will fix the issue and your PC will restart, you may lose your precious data in this mess. Thankfully, there are ways to fix the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error in Windows 10. What’s more? You can also recover your lost data.
The SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error on Windows 10 is a common Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error. Like most other BSOD errors, it is caused by corrupted drivers, a newly installed program, or recently added hardware. Below are some working ways to fix the error on your Windows 10 PC.
Microsoft regularly pushes new updates for Windows 10 to fix various bugs and issues. If you haven’t updated your PC in a really long time and are facing the above error, now is the time to do so. Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Press Windows + I key on your keyboard to open the Settings app on your Windows 10 PC.
Step 2: In the Settings app, click on the Windows Update shortcut in the top-right corner. Alternatively, you can click Update & Security in the bottom-left corner.
Step 3: On the Windows Update page, you’ll see the updates available for your PC. Click the Download button to start downloading the updates.
Step 4: When all the updates are downloaded, restart your PC to install them.
Once the PC is updated, you shouldn’t face the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error.
For several users facing the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error, their antivirus app was the culprit. The users who had both Avast and Malwarebytes installed on their PC were most affected. Avast has updated its drivers, but Malwarebytes drivers are not recently updated. This made the antivirus programs incompatible with each other. If you have one of these antivirus programs installed on your system, disable or uninstall them. Similarly, for many users, their VPN programs led to the error. Again, we recommend disabling or uninstalling your VPN program, and then check whether the error disappears.
We use different peripherals like webcam, keyboard, mouse, printer, etc., on our PC. Connecting these peripherals rarely lead to an error, but sometimes it can cause the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error. If you have recently connected new hardware to your PC, try removing or replacing it. Once done, keep using your PC and see if you still face the issue.
While doing our research, we find disabling internal WebCam has fixed the issue for many users. Follow the below steps to disable internal WebCam on your Windows 10 PC.
Step 1: Press the Windows+X key to open the WinX menu.
Step 2: From the menu options, select Device Manager.
Step 3: In the Device Manager window, right-click on the Camera category to expand it.
Step 4: Under the Camera category, you will find the WebCam; right-click on it.
Step 5: From the on-screen menu options, tap on Disable device.
That’s how you can disable internal WebCam on Windows 10 PC. Once done, use your PC as you usually do, and hopefully, the issue will not occur again.
Windows automatically download and install the latest driver updates with Windows Update. If you regularly update your PC, you might already have the updated drivers. But still, as you are facing the error, manually updating the drivers should help.
Step 1: Type device manager in the Windows Search box.
Step 2: Select the Device Manager option as it appears as Best match. It will open in a new pop-up window.
Step 3: You will see a list of all the drivers installed on your PC. Select the Display adapters category and double-click on it to expand it.
Step 4: Under Display Adapters, you will find your graphics card, select and right-click on it.
Step 5: Now select Update driver from the menu.
Step 6: The system will ask how you want to search for drivers? Select Search automatically for drivers.
Once done, Windows will search for the best available drivers and install them on your PC.
The SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error may be caused by missing corrupted Windows System files. You can check those corrupted files by running an SFC (System File Check) scan. As you might wonder, SFC stands for. It is a Windows System Tool capable of checking corrupt and missing system files. Follow the below steps to run SFC on your PC.
Step 1: Type Command Prompt in the Windows search bar.
Step 2: Select Command Prompt when it appears in the menu, and click on Run as administrator.
Step 3: In the Command Prompt window, type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter.
Note: It will take a few minutes to start the process and up to 30 minutes to complete it.
Step 4: When the process is complete, you will see a message “The operation completed successfully“. Now type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
Now System File Checker will check for the Windows System Files. You will see a progress bar when the process is running.
Step 5: You will see a “Verification 100% complete” message when the process completes. Now, type exit to exit the Command Prompt window.
Hopefully, running the SFC scan should fix the error on your PC.
If you tried running SFC on your PC but still facing the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error, you should try resetting Windows as a last resort. Follow the below steps to reset Windows on Windows 10.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your PC. You can do so by using the Windows + I keyboard shortcut.
Step 2: In the Settings app, click on Update & Security in the bottom-right corner.
Step 3: On the next screen, click on Recovery in the left sidebar.
Step 4: On the Recovery settings page, tap on Get Started button under the Reset this PC section.
Step 5: You will get two options: Keep my files and Remove Everything. Select the Keep my files option as you plan to use your PC.
Now the system will start the reset process. Once the reset process is complete, a fresh copy of Windows will be installed on your PC. Keep in mind that your PC will restart several times throughout the process. Now, with the fresh Windows running on your PC, the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error will go away forever.
The ways mentioned above can easily fix the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error on Windows 10. But if you have already lost important data due to the error, your next concern will be how to recover it. Don’t worry; we have a solution for that as well. Your data recovery is possible using Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows. The software supports data recovery in all scenarios, including a BSOD error.
Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows supports all file types and formats. Whether you want to recover documents, emails, photos, videos, audio, or any other type of file, it has got you covered. Using the tool, you can recover data from internal and external hard drives, SSD, SD cards, USB drives, and flash drives. What’s more, you can preview the data before saving it. Moreover, if your PC fails to boot or crashes, you can create a bootable media to recover data from it.
Impressed with all the features Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows offers and want to try it out? The software has a free version that will let you scan and preview your lost data. Get started with the free version and once you are satisfied with it, go ahead and purchase from the available plans. Now when you have installed Stellar Data Recovery Professional on your PC and want to use it. The software comes with a famous three-step data recovery process.
Step 1: Select the type of data you want to recover, whether it is Documents, Folders, Emails, or Multimedia Files. Alternatively, you can select Everything to recover all files and folders. After selecting the file, click on Next.
Step 2: In the next step, select the drive volume from which you want to recover the data and then click Scan. The software will scan the selected drive. Depending on the size of your drive, it might take a few minutes.
Step 3: Once the scan is complete, select the files you want to recover and click Recover to save them at your desired location.
Yes, it’s that simple to recover lost data due to SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error with the help of Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is system service exception stop code?
System service exception stop code is a common Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error. When the error occurs, a sad face emoji appears on the screen with the message “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart.” The PC shows the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error code at the bottom of the screen.
What causes SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION?
Mainly, a faulty, corrupted, or outdated driver causes the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error. In other possible scenarios, malicious programs, incompatible hardware, or missing Windows system files lead to the error.
How do I fix the error system service exception?
You can fix the system service exception error by regularly updating your PC, uninstalling malicious programs, and removing newly added hardware. If none of these solutions work for you, try the other fixes outlined above in the article.
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error is one of the BSOD errors Windows 10 users face. You can fix the error by trying the fixes discussed in the article. Get started with updating your Windows. If you’re using an antivirus or VPN program, uninstall them. You should also consider removing any external hardware you have recently connected. Disabling internal WebCam has also helped some users get rid of the issue. You can check missing system files by running SFC. And if nothing works, resetting Windows and installing a clean copy is your last bet.
Which fix did work for you to eliminate the SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error? Let us know in the comments.
Ratnesh is into writing how-to guides and explainers. He spends most of his time reading, writing, and watching tech. In his free time, he loves playing and watching Cricket.
