SOLVED Runtime Broker.exe App error

[utbas1953]

Hello All, I updated this laptop to the Fall Creator on 19th of last month and the result is that clicking on the Action Center in the taskbar shows all the icons are ghosted although receiving notifications works. In various attempts to open the Action Center a panel opens up with info on the problem. Appcrash shows more detail. I have a separate Setting icon on the taskbar and clicking on that just calls up the blue background with the cog image on it for a few seconds and then closes down again. This also throws up an appcrash. The Action Center will open up but only in safe mode. When I initially updated to the Fall Creator it worked as normal and a few minutes later another two Window updates installed resulting in the problems. I thought at first that perhaps these may have glitched so I uninstalled them and within a few minutes Windows updated re-installed them again. I have run the sfc scannow with repairs, disk check and both came up clean. The computer works as normal in all other respects barring the Action Center problem.I am at a loss of how to rectify it. Here are screen grabs and text file that may hopefully help you good folk out there to stop me bashing my head against the wall. I have Shane's Window Repairs but have not tried effect a repair as I am not a techie. Thanks.

[Boggin]

Was one of the additional updates for Flash Player ?

As the Action Centre works in Safe Mode then I'd check to see if it still works in a clean boot and if it does, the offending item can be more easily identified.

Right click on the taskbar and select Task Manager and under the Start-up tab, disable all items, reboot and see if that resolves.

If it does then re-enable one item at a time, rebooting after each to see if it returns and then you can leave that item disabled although you don't really need any items enabled under Start-up, as they can take up unnecessary memory and can be one of the causes for this error message.

If it doesn't, go Start - type msconfig and press enter then under the Services tab check the box to Hide all Microsoft services then hit the Disable all button - Apply - OK - Restart.

You would need to do the same for those items to see if any were responsible.

You can reset those items by checking the Normal start up button in msconfig.

In Task Manager, check to see if any item is using excess memory - click on Memory and that will sort to the highest user first - you can do the same for CPU.

 

[utbas1953]

Hello Boggin, yes one of the other updates was for adobe flashplayer. I have never had to do a trace or a clean boot before so I will have to take it carefully. Thanks

[Boggin]

Let me know how you get on or if you have any problems with that.

[utbas1953]

Hi Boggin, I did both actions as per your info but the the icons on the notification fly out only worked in safe mode. From what I can gather the Broker.exe, named in the registry as Timer.exe, is only linked to MS apps and checks them to establish if they have their full permissions active. After my first attempt at resolving the issue I found a free W10 Apps Manager program and deleted those apps I had no use for as this would hopefully cut down on the amount of MS apps if any were responsible for the Runtime error. Again, the notification icons were only active in safe mode and not all the functions were active in the Action Center, probably due to particular items not running in safe mode. It appears there are those users who have high consumption use of memory with Broker.exe active but that is not an issue I have.  I was reading about particular Lenovo laptops having problems with the Fall Creator install but mine is nearly two years old and all the levels of W10 free upto the version prior to
the Fall Creator caused no problems.   

[Boggin]

Can you disconnect from the Internet and uninstall first one of those additional updates and then the other after checking doing so resolves the problem.

If you have a MS account then you can use the Feedback if you find that one of these updates is the cause.

[utbas1953]

Hi Boggin, I do have an MS account (outlook) but when I attempt to enter it whilst in safe mode an error comes up. I do not have the account installed on this laptop but initially have it on the desktop when I set it up from new. I do not know how to install it on this laptop but did think I would have been able to enter and succeed whilst in safe mode.

[Boggin]

Does the laptop not work in normal mode ?

You won't be able to access Installed Updates in Safe Mode to uninstall them.

However, you will be able to use your restore points in Safe Mode to go back to before those two updates if the machine doesn't work in normal mode, providing the FCU didn't disable System protection.

I'm not into Outlook so don't know how that works, regarding Safe Mode.

[utbas1953]

Yes, the computer works in normal mode as I did initially uninstall the two updates after the Fall Creator but MS within a few minutes reinstalled them. I shall do as you say and uninstall them again whilst offline and will let you know of the outcome. Thanks.

[utbas1953]

Hello Boggin. It made no difference so I went back online and into safe mode whereupon updates were being installed. Partway through a message saying all update could not be installed appeared and appeared to roll back. When this had finished I checked the updated list and saw that only the security update had been reinstalled. I ran Belarc which said that all updates had been installed.  All my previous restore points were wiped out so have nothing to go to rollback to the previous version of W10.

[Boggin]

You only have 10 - 12 days to roll back to a previous version before Windows removes the Windows.old folder and is done from within the advanced boot options - but you could give it a try.

Press and hold Shift throughout a Restart - click on Troubleshoot then on Advanced options where you'll see the option to go back to a previous version.

Are you registered on the Lenovo support forum to open a thread to see if anyone else has had your problem following the FCU ?

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/English-Community/ct-p/Community-EN

[utbas1953]

Hi Boggin, I tried to roll back to the previous version of W10 but was informed it could not be done so it appears I may have to go back to factory settings. Will this take me back to the earliest version of W10?  This laptop was originally W8.1 but I updated it to the free version of W10  four  days before the offer expired.  There is a Windows.old file on the computer but I gathered that it was a previous version of W10 after all this time.

[Boggin]

Does the Windows.old folder have a date next to it ?

I don't think it will be from when you first upgraded to Win 10 as Windows was supposed to delete that Windows.old folder after 30 days and 10 - 12 days after a major update.

I don't know what a factory reset will take you back to even if it allows it.

There are Win 10 Refresh and Reset options but if you create Win 10 install media you will be able to perform a repair install which won't affect your personal stuff or your installed programs.

A Refresh won't touch your personal stuff but will remove any 3rd party programs and a Reset will remove the lot.

You can create install media by using the Download tool now button at https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10 but read the instructions first as they differ for using a DVD to an USB.

It's about a 3GB download and has its own burner.

When you've created the media of your choice, open Window Explorer - This PC and with the media inserted, double click on the drive.

If using a DVD this will start the process but if using an USB, that will open the files where you would double click on setup Application.

You can choose to include the updates in the process or leave them until the repair install has completed where they'll auto download/install.

You would need to check if System protection was turned on after and any defaults you had set for say your browser, music, videos or PDFs may need to be reset.

[utbas1953]

I will print out your info and let you know the outcome. Thanks.

[Boggin]

It's what I do with my Win 10 whenever I have any problems.

However, on one machine the 1709 update duplicated the 450MB recovery partition and removed all but the startup settings in the advanced boot options.

I factory reset that back to Win 7 using recovery disks and used a system image I'd created prior to the Win 10 upgrade so I didn't have to uninstall the bloat.

I had to bring a few programs up to date and then upgraded back to Win 10 by the same method as a repair install and while it sill duplicated the recovery partition, at least I had a full set of options in the advanced boot options.

[utbas1953]

Thanks Boggin, I will try and digest all your info. As Broker.exe only deals with MS apps I have deleted all those possible to be left with about five that cannot be deleted and  most of those five I do not not use. I did this in the hope to narrow down the amount of MS apps to hopefully make it easier to track down the culprit/s. Last night I designed using a DTP program a troubleshooting layout to record the steps and the end result of such actions taken. I am now looking for a tea chest as an addition to the troubleshooting.  With a slot cut in the top it will become a swear box to hold the penalties.....   

[Boggin]

Perhaps a wishing well or fountain would be better - but at least with a tea chest you can get your money back

[utbas1953]

Hi Boggin, I am giving the laptop to my son as he was thinking of buying his daughter a laptop. I will give him all the info you gave me as I told him of the Broker.exe problem. As my wife bought me a combined birthday and Xmas present consisting of a new laptop with W10 Home I decided it would be easier to update that and so have installed the Fall Creator update (prior to that there were 8 updates to install first) without a hitch. I have also attached an external HDD to the laptop to enable system backups in case of future problems. Thank you for your help. 

[Boggin]

Hope your son is able to resolve the broker problem for his daughter.

It's best not to leave an ext. HDD connected to a computer that you are using for your system images should you become infected, as that will be as well.

[utbas1953]

Hello Boggin, I have bought EaseUS Backup To Do Home 10.6. I thought it had to be connected to carry out auto backups. Would you say if it is possible to do manual Image backups then do so and disconnect the external HDD after each session. Thanks.

[Boggin]

I use Macrium Reflect Free and manually create system images on my Win 10 machines and just Windows own Create a system image on my Win 7 one.

File back ups as well as system images are manual with Macrium..

I don't know if EasUs does auto back ups but once you have whichever back up then you should disconnect the drive to keep those safe.

[utbas1953]

Okay, thanks

[utbas1953]

Hello Boggin, I have not yet given my son the Lenovo laptop as I have been setting up and copying the free files from it to install on the new ASUS laptop. Yesterday the 12th whilst installing the files there were 3 W10 updates available so I stopped to check on them installing on my wife's desktop, my desktop and the new laptop. I then continued with the install of the free programs.  Of course, as the Lenovo W10 Broker.exe and SystemSettings files were not active there was no indication of the latest updates being installed. Today, whilst continuing to install the free programs and nearly finishing them I listed the bought programs on the Lenovo in readiness to install those also. I had the Lenovo on during today and noticed there was a Notification saying click to see information about installed updates. There has been no such Notifications since the install of the Fall Creator update on the 19th of October even though the Lenovo has been on every day since. The once ghosted icons on the Notification panel were now active and I was able to check what updates had been installed and they were the same three installed yesterday on the other computers but these were installed today.  I powered down and Started up again three times and everything is back to normal. I also checked for the appcrashes that were part and parcel of the problem but all is clear. I can only put it down to the cumulative KB40534517 update installing data which rectified the problem. I shall now keep the Lenovo and give my son the new ASUS laptop as it stands as it will save me uninstalling all the bought programs on the Lenovo and installing them on the ASUS. I only hope his Christmas present to me involves more than a of pair of socks.         

[Boggin]

That update also seems to have resolved errors involving the WAS service not starting on this laptop because of invalid data, but seems to have produced one involving the printer on another laptop - swings and roundabouts

I usually get a pack of 6 socks and some sweets

Anyway, glad to see that your Lenovo is back up and running as it should be.

[utbas1953]

Hi Boggin, should I now add resolve to this issue.