How to Fix Failed NTFS.SYS in Windows 10

Stuck with the “Failed Ntfs.sys” error on Windows 10? Well, this is a common Blue Screen exception that is caused due to a corrupt system file or disk drive. But the good thing is that this issue can be easily resolved by following a few workarounds.

So, before we proceed towards solutions, let’s get a basic understanding of what is NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM exception and why it is caused.

What Does a Failed NTFS.SYS Imply?

As we’re all aware, the NTFS (New Technology File System) is the default file journal system of Microsoft. The Ntfs.sys file is located in the C:\Windows\System32\drivers folder. It is a crucial system file on Windows OS that is used for conducting the read and write operations on the NTFS drives.

So, if you get stuck with a failed NTFS SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION, it strongly indicates that your hard disk or one of the disk drivers is corrupted. Another probable cause for encountering the “Failed Ntfs.sys” error on Windows 10 may be bad sectors on the disk drive. Bad Sectors on a disk drive can also lead to data loss in worse-case scenarios. Hence, we recommend you immediately resolve this error before you lose your precious data.

How to Fix the Failed Ntfs.sys Exception on Windows 10?

Here are a few solutions that will help you fix the NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM Blue Screen error on Windows 10 devices.

#1 Switch to Safe Mode with Networking

Safe mode loads your device with a limited set of drivers and system files. By entering Safe Mode with Networking, we can make sure whether the default drivers on your device are causing any issues or not. To enable Safe Mode on Windows 10, follow these quick steps:

As the Blue Screen error can get you stuck on the sign-up screen, first turn OFF your device. Press the Power button to turn it ON. When you see the Windows icon loading on the screen, again switch OFF your device.

Repeat the above set of steps 2-3 times until you see the “Automatic Repair” options.

Tap on “Advanced Options”.

Select “Troubleshoot”.

Tap on “Advanced Options”.

Select “Startup Settings”.

Tap the “Restart” button placed on the bottom-right corner of the screen.

When your device restarts, press the F5 key to enter Safe Mode with Networking. Once your device is loaded in the Safe Mode, you can try making a few quick changes in the system settings to fix the “Failed Ntfs.sys” error on Windows 10.

#2 Update Disk Drivers

After entering the Safe Mode with Networking, the next step is to update the disk drivers. Here’s what you need to do.

Press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run dialog box. Type “devmgmt.msc” in the textbox, hit Enter.

In the Device Manager window, select the “Disk Drives” option. Right-click on each option, select “Update Drivers”.

Follow the on-screen instructions to fetch the latest available update for all the disk drivers

After updating the disk drivers, reboot your device to check if you’re still encountering the “Failed Ntfs.sys” error on the boot screen.

#3 Update Windows

After updating the disk drivers, if you’re still facing the Blue screen exception then we advise you to check for any available Windows update. 

Open Windows Settings, select “Update and Security”.

Hit the “Check for Updates” button and wait for a while. If any update is available for your device, Windows will notify you.

Update your device to the latest version to make sure that the driver compatibility works well.

#4 Scan your Device for Viruses or Malware

Tried the above-mentioned workarounds and still no luck in fixing the “Failed Ntfs.sys error? Well, this strongly indicates that your system may have got corrupted due a malware or virus. To run a quick scan, download and install the Systweak Antivirus for Windows PC.

Systweak Antivirus is a powerful security tool offering real-time protection against viruses, malware, trojans, spyware, adware, and ransomware attacks. It not only acts as a shield between your device and malicious threats but also improves its performance by removing unwanted startup items.

Download and install the Systweak Antivirus tool, launch it. Pick a scanning mode: Quick Scan, Deep Scan or Custom Scan to get started.

#5 Run the SFC Scan

SFC (System File Checker) is an in-built Windows utility that scans and fixes hard disk errors, replaces the corrupt system file with a cached copy, and performs a variety of other tasks to fight system exceptions. You can run the SFC command to fix the “Failed Ntfs.sys” error on your device. To run the SFC scan on Windows, follow these quick steps:

Launch the Start menu search box, type “Command Prompt”, right-click on its title, and select “Run as Administrator”.

In the Command Prompt terminal, type the following command and hit Enter.

sfc/scannow

Once the scan is completed, reboot your machine to check if the issue persists.

#6 Use Advanced Disk Recovery

Lost data due to “Failed Ntfs.sys” error on Windows? Don’t worry! You can use a professional data recovery tool to easily restore lost or deleted data in just a few clicks.

Advanced Disk Recovery easily recovers lost or deleted data, including pictures, videos, audio, documents, and other files from hard disk and external storage media. After installing the tool on your device, follow these steps to recover lost data.

Download Advanced Disk Recovery

First, select the storage media that needs to be scanned like whether the scan needs to be performed on a hard disk, external disk, CD/DVD, and so on.

Pick a scanning type: Quick Scan or Deep Scan

Hit the “Scan Now” button.

The tool will now get to work and will start scanning the respective drive for restoring all the lost files and data.

Select all the files that you need to restore, hit the “Recover” button to proceed. And that’s it!

Conclusion

Here were a few workarounds that you can try for resolving the “Failed Ntfs.sys” error code exception on Windows 10. By making a bunch of changes in the system settings, you can easily fix the corrupt drivers and system files. We hope these solutions help you in getting past the Blue Screen exception. Good luck!