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How To Fix Error 0x8000ffff Catastrophic Failure On Windows

Catastrophic error (0x8000ffff) on your Windows PC can occur due to a number of reasons. This is a general stop code that might show up while trying to run Windows Media Player or even during an update of the OS. The reasons for showing this error can vary including incorrect computer settings or even a corrupted registry. Fortunately, this error 0x8000ffff Catastrophic Failure has some relatively easy fixes. And here, in this article, we have come up with the most appropriate of those. So, if you are encountering this particular error, then you don’t need to worry. Just go through this article and find the fixes to this annoying situation.

Reasons Behind Error 0x8000ffff

As mentioned earlier, the reasons for this particular error can vary, and doesn’t point to any particular hardware or software component that needs to be checked. The common causes behind this error are:

  • Incorrect PC settings
  • Outdated System drivers
  • Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) is disabled
  • Corrupted registry

How To Fix Error 0x8000ffff?

Fixing error 0x8000ffff on Windows PC requires that you perform some necessary steps. Just follow the solutions in the order they are given until the issue resolves.

Solution 1: Configure The Correct Settings On Your Windows PC

Incorrect settings on your Windows PC can trigger this 0x8000ffff error on your Windows PC. Configure the time and account settings correctly to get rid of this error.

CHECK DATE AND TIME SETTINGS

  1. CHECK DATE AND TIME SETTINGSPress the Windows key + R together from your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type ‘timedate.cpl’ in that box and click OK. This will open the Date and Time settings.
  3. Now, check if the date, time, and time zone are correctly set on your PC.

LOGIN AS AN ADMINISTRATOR

Another quick fix to resolve this error is to log out of your Windows account and log back in using administrator privileges. Just follow these steps:

  1. Click the Start button.
  2. Now, click on your user profile and sign out of the account.
  3. Next, log in to your user account again as an administrator.

In addition, you can try running the program or application you are facing this error on, with administrator privileges and check if that resolves the issue.

Solution 2: Perform A Disk Check

Perform a disk checkYou can also try to resolve this error by performing a disk check. Often this 0x8000ffff error is caused due to an invalid or damaged registry. Thus, running the disk check can help in resolving this error.

  1. Type ‘cmd’ in the Search box of your Windows PC, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
  2. In the Command Prompt window, type ‘chkdsk/f/r’ and hit Enter.
  3. Next, type Y to confirm the disk check on the next restart.
  4. Restart your computer.

Now, wait for the disk check to complete its operation and then check if that resolves the error.

Solution 3: Update Drivers

The error 0x8000ffff can also result from outdated drivers. Thus, to resolve this issue and many others as well you should always run your Windows PC on updated drivers.

  1. Go to Control Panel, view by large icons, and select Device Manager.
  2. Next, in the Device Manager window, look for any outdated drivers, which are usually marked with a yellow exclamation.
  3. Right-click on each of the outdated drivers, and select Update Driver Software.

Now, follow the instructions that appear on your screen to update the outdated drivers.
After the driver update has completed, you need to restart your computer to save the changes.

Solution 4: Clear Windows Store Cache

Clear Windows Store CacheSometimes, clearing the Windows store cache can be an effective way to resolve this error 0x8000ffff Catastrophic Failure. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Press the Windows key + R from your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type ‘wsreset.exe’ in that box, and click OK or hit Enter.

Try to go back to whatever you were doing and check if the error reappears or not.

Solution 5: Activate Volume Shadow Copy Service

Activate Volume Shadow Copy ServiceSometimes, activating the volume shadow copy service can resolve this issue. Volume Shadow Copy is a service that helps in system restore. So, if you had faced this 0x8000ffff error while trying to restore your system, it’s likely that this service was turned off, and you need to enable it. Follow the steps mentioned to activate this service:

  1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R together from your keyboard.
  2. Type services.msc in that box and click OK or hit Enter.
  3. In the list of services, look for Volume Shadow Copy, and double-click to open its properties.
  4. Set the Startup type to Automatic and then restart your computer to check if the issue is resolved or not.

These are the solutions to fix 0x8000ffff catastrophic error on your Windows PC. Hope, after going through the solutions as mentioned and applying them accordingly, you can fix this error by yourself.

There are just so many people out there that use Windows. And as such are vulnerable to such error message issues. In case you use many of the different Windows products, it can be the same for you and if you need information on how to troubleshoot these errors. Then you can get that from this website ErrorCode0x.