System Thread Exception Not Handled (FIX): Here’s the Full Tutorial

A Blue Screen of Death or BSoD is shown when Windows 10 encounters a problem that forces it to shut down. The shut down is not normal and is the equivalent of the system crashing however, before it crashes, the screen will generally show you an error message and a QR code that you can scan to learn more about the problem your system experienced.

The System Thread Exception Not Handled error doesn’t explain much and if it’s a one-time BSoD, you can probably ignore it. That said, if you keep getting this error, you will have to fix it.

System Thread Exception Not Handled

The System Thread Exception Not Handled is generally caused by two things; old/outdated/incompatible drivers, or a corrupt system file. This error also generates a log file which can be instrumental in helping to solve it.

As for what the error message itself means, it’s a bit complicated but any operation on a system is run in the form of threads or processes. These processes or threads do run into problems from time to time. The OS is supposed to be able to handle them; it may restart a problematic process, it may skip the process that’s generating an error and move on to the next one, or it may try and resolve it.

When these exceptions cannot be resolved by the OS, you get the System Thread Exception Not Handled error. The OS wasn’t able to work around it and it failed.

How to Fix the System Thread Exception Not Handled Error

Analyze dump files

Windows 10 should be set up, by default, to generate a dump file when an error occurs however, if it isn’t and you keep getting this error, enable the dump.

Enable system dump files

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Paste the following in the location bar, and tap enter.

Control Panel\System and Security\System

3. In the column on the left, select Advanced system settings.
4. In the new window that opens, go to the Advanced tab.
5. Click ‘Settings’ under the ‘Startup and Recovery’ option.
6. In the new window that opens, enable the ‘Write an event to the system log’ option.
7. Open the Write debugging information dropdown, and select Automatic memory dump.

Dump file location

To access the dump files, you must know where they are saved. Assuming you never changed the default location of the dump file, you can access it by following these steps.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Paste the following in the location bar, and tap Enter.

%SystemRoot%

3. Locate ‘MEMORY.DMP’, and copy it somewhere that’s easy to access.

Note: If you’re unable to access the desktop because of this error, you can copy the dump files to a USB drive and examine them on a different system. Access the location of the dump files via Command Prompt from the Troubleshoot menu, and copy them.

Also check C:\Windows\Minidump — many systems store smaller, more frequent minidump files there by default. These are quicker to analyze and often contain the same key information as the full memory dump.

Reading a dump file

A dump file has the .DMP extension. To open it, follow these steps.

1. Download the Windows Debugger tool from the Microsoft Store.
2. Run the app. Use the Ctrl+O keyboard shortcut to open the select file box.
3. Select ‘All files’ from the file type dropdown.
4. Select the DMP file.
5. Go over the errors that are detected, and check which process or app caused them.

When reading a dump, focus on three things: the bug check name (e.g., SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED), the “Probably caused by” line that names the specific driver file responsible, and the device or vendor that driver file maps to — this tells you exactly what hardware to investigate next.

Note: The BSOD screen itself sometimes displays the offending filename (such as nvlddmkm.sys) directly below the error code. If you spot a filename there, you can skip the full dump analysis and go straight to fixing the driver it belongs to.

2. Update/roll back drivers

The system thread exception not handled error is a general bad-driver problem — not just a GPU issue. While display drivers are a common culprit, the error can be triggered by audio, USB, storage, network, or any other device driver. The key is identifying which driver is actually at fault before making any changes.

Identifying the right driver to fix: If the BSOD or your dump file names a specific .sys file, that file is your starting point. Match it to the hardware it belongs to and address that device first, even if it has nothing to do with graphics. Here are some common culprit files you may see:

• nvlddmkm.sys or igdkmd64.sys — NVIDIA or Intel graphics drivers; the most frequent offenders on gaming PCs and laptops
• IntcUSB.sys — Intel Smart Sound Technology audio/USB driver; often triggered after a Windows update on Intel-based systems
• dxgmms2.sys — DirectX graphics memory management; usually points to a GPU driver conflict or incompatibility
• ntfs.sys — Windows NTFS file system driver; can indicate storage, disk, or SSD controller issues
• ataport.sys — ATA/ATAPI port driver; often related to hard drive or SSD controller problems

Once you know which .sys file is named, use the steps below to fix the corresponding device. If your system is unstable and you cannot reliably reach the desktop, boot to Safe Mode first (see the Safe Mode steps below) before opening Device Manager.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Locate the device that corresponds to the named .sys file. For display driver files, expand Display Adapters. For audio or USB driver files, check Sound, video and game controllers or Universal Serial Bus controllers. For storage-related files, check Disk drives or Storage controllers.
3. Right-click the affected device and select Properties.
4. Go to the Driver tab. If the problem started after a recent update, click ‘Roll Back Driver’ to return to the previously installed version.
5. If Roll Back Driver is greyed out or rolling back does not help, right-click the device and select ‘Uninstall device’. Check the box for ‘Delete the driver software for this device’ if it appears, then click Uninstall.
6. After uninstalling, download a stable driver directly from your PC maker’s support site (e.g., Dell, HP, Lenovo) or the hardware vendor’s site (e.g., NVIDIA, Intel, AMD) rather than relying solely on Windows Update.
7. Restart the system after installing or rolling back any driver.

Use safe mode

If you’re having trouble uninstalling the driver due to system instability, boot to safe mode, and then remove/update/roll them back. To boot to safe mode,

1. Turn on Windows 10 but press and hold the power button immediately after seeing the boot screen (the Windows logo and the spinner) to abort the boot. Repeat this 3-4 times.
2. When you boot for the fifth time, Windows 10 will boot to the troubleshoot menu because it was unable to boot.
3. Go to Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>Advanced Startup options>Startup settings>Restart>Enable Safe mode.

3. Fix system files to resolve system thread exception not handled

The System Thread Exception Not Handled can also be caused by a problem with system files. You can repair them from Command Prompt.

1. Open Command Prompt with admin rights on the desktop, or select it from the Troubleshoot menu if Windows 10 fails to start (see Safe mode section).
2. Run the following command and allow it to repair system files.

sfc /scannow

3. Restart your system and check if the error occurs again.

4. Use System Restore to undo a recent driver or Windows change

If the system thread exception not handled error started appearing after a Windows update, a driver update, or a recent software or hardware installation, System Restore is one of the quickest ways to get back to a working state. It rolls back system changes — including drivers, updates, and apps installed after the chosen restore point — without deleting your personal files.

If you can reach the Windows desktop:

1. Click the Start menu and search for Recovery, then open it.
2. Click ‘Open System Restore’ and select Next.
3. Choose a restore point dated before the crashes started. If you are unsure which to pick, select one labeled with a Windows Update or driver event.
4. Click Next, then Finish to confirm. Your PC will restart and restore itself to that point.

If your PC will not boot to the desktop:

1. Boot into the recovery environment using the forced-restart method described in the Safe Mode section above.
2. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.
3. Choose a restore point dated before the problem began and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the restore.

Keep in mind that System Restore will remove drivers, Windows updates, and applications that were installed after the chosen restore point. Your personal files — documents, photos, and similar data — are not affected.

Once the restore is complete, reinstall only the drivers and software you need, downloading them from official sources rather than letting Windows Update install them automatically right away.

5. Rename a driver file

Updating or rolling back drivers is simple but if you’re unable to boot to the desktop at all, you will not be able to remove drivers. In that case, you’re going to have to rename the driver file that’s causing the system thread exception not handled problem. Doing so will force Windows 10 to look for the driver and download it when it can’t find the driver.

You will have to consult the dump file(s) to learn which driver caused the problem or the BSoD error message may display it as well.

1. Access Command Prompt.
2. Run the following command to go access the root of the C drive and tap Enter.

C:

3. Run this command to go to the folder where driver files are stored.

cd windows\system32\drivers

4. At this point, you must know the name of the driver file you want to rename.

ren NameOfDriver.sys NameOfDriver.old

6. Reset Windows 10

If all else fails, there is always the option to reset Windows 10. You can keep your personal files during the reset, but installed apps, drivers, and many settings will be removed. When prompted, choose either cloud download or local reinstall — both will fix the problem. Be sure to back up any important data before you begin, and when setting up your system afterward, be careful about which drivers, particularly display drivers, you install.

Conclusion: Resolving the System Thread Exception Not Handled Error

Resolving the System Thread Exception Not Handled error can be simple if you’re able to access the desktop and complicated if the system crashes before you can apply a fix. That said, it essentially comes down to display drivers and system files. It’s fixable.

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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