How to fix error e-fail in Windows 11

Solution Steps

1. 1 Press Windows key + R, type 'eventvwr.msc' and press Enter. In Event Viewer, go to 'Windows Logs' > 'Application'. Look for Error events that occurred around the time of the E_FAIL error. Click on them to see details. This can give you a clue about which program or component failed. Note the source and event ID.
2. 2 Based on the event details, try to identify the problematic program. If it's a specific application, reinstall it. If it's a driver, update it via Device Manager as described in the previous fix. If it's a system service, you might need to run SFC and DISM.
3. 3 Press Windows key + X and select 'Windows Terminal (Admin)'. Type 'sfc /scannow' and press Enter. After it finishes, type 'DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth' and press Enter. These commands fix corrupted system files that often cause E_FAIL.
4. 4 Perform a clean boot to see if a background program is interfering. Press Windows key + R, type 'msconfig' and press Enter. Go to the 'Services' tab, check 'Hide all Microsoft services', then click 'Disable all'. Go to the 'Startup' tab and click 'Open Task Manager'. Disable all startup items. Restart your PC. If the error goes away, enable services one by one to find the culprit.
5. 5 If the error occurs during a specific operation like printing or accessing a drive, check that the relevant hardware is working properly. For example, update printer drivers or check disk health with 'chkdsk'.