Fix System Configuration Initialization Error in Windows 10
Although Windows 10 is one of the most preferred operating systems, it is not without bugs. One such common error is the configuration system initialization failure that occurs on your computer when you boot your PC, open a newly installed application, or open an old application after an update or modification. At the moment, there are no specific reasons that cause this error, but how to fix the system configuration error when initializing Windows 10 is very simple. Sometimes a third party application prevents programs from opening and other times the .NET framework also causes this error. However, the troubleshooting steps are described in this article. Keep reading and benefit!
How to Fix Configuration System Initialization Error in Windows 10
Here are a few reasons why the configuration system failed to initialize error on your Windows 10 PC.
- Corrupted program files or components on the PC
- Configuration files are incompatible
- Outdated applications, drivers and operating systems
- The presence of malware on the PC
- User account conflicts
- Corrupted Windows installation files
Now move on to the troubleshooting methods to help you fix how to fix initialization errors. In this section, you will be introduced to some amazing troubleshooting methods to help you fix the configuration system failure issue on your Windows 10 PC. Follow them in the same order to reap the benefits.
Method 1: Repair System Files
If there are any invalid configuration files on your computer, there are several conflicting errors. These corrupted incorrect configuration files can occur due to incomplete installation files, improper shutdown of your PC, and due to virus attacks. To prevent corruption, you need to run an SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) scan. These two built-in recovery tools can be launched very easily with a set of command lines, as outlined in our How to Repair System Files in Windows 10 guide. If you don't know how to fix the initialization error, follow the instructions in our guide and check if the problem is solved or not,
After all the corrupted configurations are restored on your PC, check if the initialization error fix issue is resolved. If you encounter this again, move on to the next troubleshooting method.
Method 2: Change configuration files
The configuration system failed to initialize an error that occurs due to invalid Microsoft platform configuration files. The .NET platform has a large repository of class libraries and is responsible for the language compatibility of multiple applications. Thus, many applications rely on these files for their normal operation. All you have to do is make sure that the first child element of the configuration file is the configSections element. Follow the instructions to do the same.
Note. Before proceeding with these troubleshooting steps, install Notepad++ on your computer. The steps shown here use Notepad. Do the same with the newly installed version of Notepad++.
1. Press Windows + E keys together to open File Explorer.
2. Now go to the next location path.
C:WindowsMicrosoft.NETFramework64v4.0.30319Config
Note. Version v4.0.30319 may differ depending on your PC platform.
3. Now right-click on the configuration file of the application or program that is causing you problems and select the Edit with Notepad++ option.
4. In the configuration file, navigate to the element . Make sure the first child below this element is .
5. If you find other child elements after , remove all entries between and .
6. Save your changes by simultaneously pressing the Ctrl + S keys and close all windows.
7. Finally, restart your computer.
Method 3: Delete Application Configuration File
In any case, if the application's configuration file is damaged or corrupted, you may encounter the Failed to initialize error. In this case, you will have to delete your application's configuration files and try restarting it. Do not worry! When you restart the application, the configuration files will be created automatically and hopefully the problem will be fixed.
1. Launch File Explorer as shown in method 2.
2. Now go to the following location paths.
C:UsersUSERNAMEAppDataLocalC:UsersUSERNAMEAppDataRoaming
Note. Make sure you check the Hidden Items checkbox on the View tab to view the AppData folder.
3. Now in both locations, right-click on the application folder (which is causing you problems) and select the Delete option.
Note. You can also rename or move the folder to another location if you want to get it back.
Method 4: Run a malware scan
Many applications, when downloaded from unauthorized sites, are exposed to virus attacks and malicious content on your PC. Several tech experts advise that before running a newly installed app from your device, run a malware scan, which can prevent any malicious attacks. If you don't know how to scan your computer, check out our guide How do I run a virus scan on my computer? and follow the instructions.
Also, if you want to remove malware from your computer, follow our guide How to remove malware from your PC in Windows 10. This will help you learn how to fix the configuration system that failed to initialize Windows 10.
Method 5: Change Antivirus Settings
Sometimes your antivirus program will not allow you to open any application or program on your computer, considering it a threat. Several third-party antivirus programs are available on the Internet. If you have installed one of them, you will need to either whitelist the application to your antivirus program or disable it temporarily.
Option I: Whitelisted Apps
First, let's check how to fix the initialization error by whitelisting the conflicting application in your antivirus program.
Note. Here Avast is taken as an example, follow the steps according to your antivirus program.
1. Press the Windows key, type avast and click Open.
2. Now click on the "Menu" option on the right corner as shown in the picture.
3. Select Settings from the drop down list.
4. Now in the General tab, click on the Blocked and Allowed Applications tab, and in the right pane, click on ALLOW APP in the Allowed Applications List box.
5. Now click ADD > the option corresponding to the application to add the application to the white list.
Note. Here the application installer is taken as an example, follow the instructions according to your application.
Note. You can view the application's installation path by selecting the SELECT APP PATH option.
6. Finally, click on ADD to confirm the invitation and you have now added your application to the Avast whitelist.
Note. Here you can check or uncheck Avast features (such as ransomware protection) depending on your convenience.
7. If you want to remove the app (later if you want) from the Avast whitelist, click on the three-dot icon in the main settings window. Here you will see two options. Click Remove.
- Edit Allowed Features: You can change the features you have enabled when adding a program to the white list.
- Remove: Remove the application from the Avast whitelist.
Option II: Temporarily disable your antivirus (if applicable)
If whitelisting the app doesn't help you fix the problem, you can try fixing the system configuration that failed to initialize Windows 10 by temporarily disabling the antivirus app as outlined in our How To Temporarily Disable Antivirus in Windows 10 guide.
Once you are able to run the conflicting app on your Windows 10 PC, be sure to re-enable your antivirus pack as a PC without a security pack is always a threat.
Method 6: Disable Windows Defender Firewall (Not Recommended)
Like an antivirus program, the firewall security package built into your computer may block certain applications for security reasons. Thus, you may encounter the problem of initializing the configuration system. If there are any features and rights blocked by Windows Defender Firewall, please check out our How To Turn Off Windows 10 Firewall guide and follow the same instructions. Generally, disabling the Defender Set is not recommended due to threat threats. Therefore, some users prefer to allow an application or program in the Windows Defender Firewall whitelist. Follow our guide Allow or block apps through Windows Firewall if you want to whitelist any app in Windows Firewall.
Note. Always re-enable Windows Firewall after you resolve any conflicts with Windows 10 apps and programs. This will help you prevent any malicious attacks.
Method 7: Update Windows
To service and support any feature of your Windows PC, Microsoft provides a free update service. It will help you fix any bugs and errors on the PC, and improve the end user experience and PC performance. This Windows Update service also helps you update the drivers on your device. Every second Tuesday of the month is known as Patch Tuesday because several updates and security fixes are released on that day. Here are a few things you should know.
- You can decide for yourself whether you should install updates manually or automatically. We suggest that you set up automatic updates for any important applications and manually update any optional updates.
- You can also check the update history by referring to the update history. Here you can see the entire history of installed updates along with the date and time.
Hence, to make sure you have updated your Windows operating system and if any updates are pending, use our guide How to download and install the latest update for Windows 10.
After updating the Windows operating system, check if it is allowed how to fix the Windows 10 configuration system initialization error.
Method 8: Update device drivers
To ensure that your hardware communicates seamlessly with your software, you should check that all drivers on your device are up to date. You can manually update the drivers from the manufacturer's official website for each hardware on your Windows 10 PC. You can also rely on a third-party device driver updater app to complete the task. Any, faulty, or corrupted drivers lead to the issue discussed, and to work out how to fix Windows 10 configuration system initialization issue, update your drivers. Many users have reported that updating their network drivers helped them resolve the issue. It is recommended that you update your WLAN drivers (network drivers) to improve the reliability of network adapters, resolve compatibility issues, and resolve the issue discussed. Follow our guide to update network adapter drivers in Windows 10 to do so.
After you have updated the drivers on your PC, check if it is resolved how to fix the initialization error.
Method 9: Create a new local account
If the solutions listed above don’t help you learn how to fix the “Configuration system failed to initialize Windows 10” error, there are a few possibilities where you might be having problems with your user account. In this case, it is recommended that you create a new local account. Not sure what a local account is? The local account on your PC does not interact with your Microsoft email. It just has username and password credentials. If your current local/administrator account is corrupted or misconfigured, read our How to Create a Local User Account in Windows 10 guide and follow the instructions. If you are not facing the issue where the configuration system failed to initialize the problem on your new local account, you can transfer all your data to the new account and safely remove the conflicting account from your device.
Method 10: Reinstall device drivers
Sometimes you may find that all device drivers are up to date, but still you are facing the same problem. In this case, your drivers are incompatible with current drivers due to some incompatibility issues. To resolve any incompatibility issues that occur with drivers, you can reinstall them. The steps to reinstall drivers are very simple, and you can do the same by following the instructions given in our How to Uninstall and Reinstall Drivers in Windows 10 guide to reinstall drivers on your Windows 10 computer.
After reinstalling the network drivers, check if the issue is resolved with the Windows 10 initialization error fix.
Method 11: Roll back device driver updates
If the current version of the device drivers is not compatible with your PC, you will encounter a configuration system initialization error. Restoring them to a previous version will help you in some cases. This process is called driver rollback and you can follow the steps to roll back drivers as mentioned in our How to Roll Back Drivers in Windows 10 guide.
Once your Windows 10 computer has the previous version of the drivers installed, check if it is allowed how to fix the initialization error.
Method 11: Perform a Clean Boot and Remove Unwanted Apps
If all the methods listed in this article did not help you figure out how to fix the initialization error problem, try performing a clean boot on your computer. A clean boot of the PC activates only a minimal set of drivers and programs. The most important drivers and services are enabled while others are disabled. Boot your computer in safe mode and run the application. Check if it works for you. If it works, turn on the apps one by one and identify the culprit which app is causing you problems. Once you've discovered which program is the culprit, try uninstalling it. If you don't know how to clean boot your PC in safe mode, check out our How to Clean Boot in Windows 10 guide and follow the same steps as in the instructions.
After you have booted your computer in safe mode, check if you can open the application without any errors. If so, uninstall any recent programs or applications that you have added to your computer. Follow the steps below to uninstall any apps and programs on your Windows 10 PC.
1. Press Windows Key + I at the same time to open Windows Settings.
2. Now click Applications.
3. Now find and click on the application and select Uninstall.
Note. Here, the Minecraft launcher is taken as an example.
4. Now confirm the prompt, if any, and restart your computer after uninstalling the application. After uninstalling the app, check if you can open it.
Method 12: Restart your computer
If none of the methods helped you decide how to fix the initialization error, then you need to perform a clean installation of the Windows operating system. This process deletes all your hard drive data and installs a fresh copy of Windows 10. But you must back up your data, download all necessary device drivers, know the system requirements, check Windows 10 activation, buy a product key. , disconnect all connected devices and start the process. Follow the instructions below.
- To restart your PC, follow the steps in our How to Perform a Clean Install of Windows 10 guide.
- Once you've just installed a copy of Windows 10, check for an activated copy of Windows 10 in Settings.
- Install all updates on your device as mentioned in method 7.
This will fix all issues related to the device, including the issue we are currently discussing.
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This is the end of the guide and I hope you can now fix the configuration system initialization error in Windows 10 using the methods listed above. But if you still have any questions or want to add something, feel free to contact us through the comments section.