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PDIHWCTL service failed to start

Anonymous
2009-03-21T12:55:21+00:00

Every time I boot up my Dell M6400 laptop I get the error below in System Event Viewer.

I'm running Vista x64 Business

It happens also on a different Dell 690 desktop computer running Vista X64 Ultimate.

I have asked Dell tech support but they don't know.

My computer seems to be workings fine, but I'd like to understand the implications of this error and fixed it if needed:

Log Name:      System

Source:        Service Control Manager

Date:          21/03/2009 11:00:17

Event ID:      7000

Task Category: None

Level:         Error

Keywords:      Classic

User:          N/A

Computer:      LAPTOPD

Description:

The PDIHWCTL service failed to start due to the following error:

The system cannot find the file specified.

Event Xml:

<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">

  <System>

    <Provider Name="Service Control Manager" Guid="{555908D1-A6D7-4695-8E1E-26931D2012F4}" EventSourceName="Service Control Manager" />

    <EventID Qualifiers="49152">7000</EventID>

    <Version>0</Version>

    <Level>2</Level>

    <Task>0</Task>

    <Opcode>0</Opcode>

    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>

    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-03-21T11:00:17.000Z" />

    <EventRecordID>40047</EventRecordID>

    <Correlation />

    <Execution ProcessID="0" ThreadID="0" />

    <Channel>System</Channel>

    <Computer>LAPTOPD</Computer>

    <Security />

  </System>

  <EventData>

    <Data Name="param1">PDIHWCTL</Data>

    <Data Name="param2">%%2</Data>

  </EventData>

</Event>

The Event Long Online Helps directs me to 

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc756344.aspx

but it does not shed any more light, the error is due to the missing PDIHWCTL file.

I have googled it, not much info.

Thanks,

Antonio

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2011-01-20T18:37:58+00:00

PROBLEM SOLVED. Please read the reply to my email by Xrite

Hello,

Thank you for your request.

The PDIHWCTL driver  is a little driver needed for full-automated monitor calibration via DDC interface (however, calibration  via DDC is for most new monitors not supported anymore in i1Match, so the driver is not really needed).

The error in the Event Log appears on 64 bit systems, because the PDIHWCTL driver fails to install correctly, but some Registry entries will be done for this driver. This is why the error appears in the Event Logger.  BUT: The i1Match Software works without any problems!

To avoid this error in the Event Log, you might want to go to your system’s Registry and delete the following entry/folder:

-         HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services > PDIHWCTL

If you have further entries ‘…ControlSet00x’  please verify, if in these directories the Services > PDIHWCTL subfolder is included. If yes, please delete them also.

 Deleting these entries, should not affect the i1Match functionality.

Best regards,

Liane May

X-Rite / PANTONE

Liane May

ICC Application Specialist

*** Email address is removed for privacy ***

X-Rite Europe GmbH Althardstrasse 70 CH-8105 Regensdorf Switzerland International toll-free number: 00800 700 300 01

From: Antonio

Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 3:57 AM

To: EMEAtechsupport

Subject: PDIHWCTL service Error

Dear Sirs,

( Support Request does not work in your website)

I have performed a fresh installation of Windows 7 Pro 64 on my new laptop. After installing and running i1 Match I see in the Event Viewer/Windows Logs/System the following error:

Log Name:      System

Source:        Service Control Manager

Date:          1/19/2011 11:43:32 AM

Event ID:      7000

Task Category: None

Level:         Error

Keywords:      Classic

User:          N/A

Computer:      TOPA

Description:

The PDIHWCTL service failed to start due to the following error:

The system cannot find the file specified.

Event Xml:

<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">

  <System>

    <Provider Name="Service Control Manager" Guid="{555908d1-a6d7-4695-8e1e-26931d2012f4}" EventSourceName="Service Control Manager" />

    <EventID Qualifiers="49152">7000</EventID>

    <Version>0</Version>

    <Level>2</Level>

    <Task>0</Task>

    <Opcode>0</Opcode>

    <Keywords>0x8080000000000000</Keywords>

    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2011-01-19T16:43:32.042420400Z" />

    <EventRecordID>3895</EventRecordID>

    <Correlation />

    <Execution ProcessID="592" ThreadID="596" />

    <Channel>System</Channel>

    <Computer>TOPA</Computer>

    <Security />

  </System>

  <EventData>

    <Data Name="param1">PDIHWCTL</Data>

    <Data Name="param2">%%2</Data>

  </EventData>

</Event>

This has happened on three different computers, all running Windows 7 64.

Do you know what this error means and how to fix it?

What is the PDIHWCTL service?

Thanks,

Antonio Salcedo

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Anonymous
2009-03-23T12:03:48+00:00

Thanks for updating the thread. I don't think you need to reinstall the operating system; just whatever programs you installed afterwards and test after each uninstallation.

MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

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  1. Anonymous
    2009-03-22T12:54:40+00:00

    Is Vista x64 supported on both those Dells? Since you installed the OS yourself on both machines, this would seem to indicate that they didn't come with Vista x64 preinstalled. After you installed the operating system, did you then install all the drivers? Since the machines are Dells, you would need to get all the drivers from Dell's website for those specific model machines.

    However, since the error didn't happen immediately after OS installation, this behavior points to it being caused by something you installed. You have to do systematic troubleshooting to find out what that is.

    Do as I previously suggested and clean boot. Or start uninstalling programs, testing after each change.

    MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

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  2. Anonymous
    2009-03-21T19:53:15+00:00

    I installed Vista 64 on both of the machines from scratch on new drives.

    After the cleanest boot available, the problem persists.

    The error happened for the first time the second day after the OS installation on both machines.

    I have not been able to find, from event viewer, an event prior to the first error reported in event viewer that might indicate what had changed that might have caused the error.

    Both machines quite a few common programs installed. They do have a couple of not common programs.

    However, I think that all not common programs were installed on the first day.

    It is hard from memory to know what was installed on the second day.

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  3. Anonymous
    2009-03-21T13:26:12+00:00

    Your question brought some interesting Googling around. The closest thing I could find is that the file belongs to this driver:

    Driver : PDIHWCTL

    Description : PdiHwCtl NT kernel-mode driver

    Version : 1.0

    Company : Portrait Displays, Inc.

    Since you get the same error on two different Dell models but both running Vista x64 (and I've never seen that error on many other Vista x64 systems), my guess is that either the file belongs to something that came preinstalled on your Dells or something you've installed on both machines that is common to both.

    The First Question Of Troubleshooting: If the problem is new, what changed between the time things worked and the time they didn't?

    This may tweak your memory and give you the "aha!" moment or you may need to do clean-boot troubleshooting to track down the culprit.

    How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;929135

    The free Autoruns program is very useful for managing your Startup - http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx

    MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

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