"SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED" error on Windows Server 2016 boot

Question

Okay so I have a windows server 2016 VM that will not boot due to a "SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED" error during the boot process. This error also occurs when I try boot in safe mode. Now before I get into explaining what I have tried, I would like to make it clear I know why this is happening, and I have reproduced this on another VM.

What I was doing before I ran into this issue was trying to add registry keys/values to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Cryptography\Providers in an attempt to register the sample KSP C code I built and that I got from the Windows Cryptographic Provider Development Kit. Once restarting the computer, it becomes unbootable and everything I have tried to undo what I did is working. 

What I have tried:

• sfc /scannow, in the cmd line
• using reg.exe in the cmd line to try and remove the registry keys I added, but they do not appear to be showing up
• restarting in safe mode, with every possible configuration windows allows, such as with/without networking, with cmd line, with debugging enabled, etc.

Restoring the VM isn't an option because I do not have a recovery point to restore too, and I also do not have any VMWare snapshots to revert to. My only option without getting this fixed is to scrap the VM and start anew, but I would like to be able to recover from this issue if it happens again while trying to register a custom build KSP.

Answer 1

Joseph -

I would ask at our sister forums TechNet which is for IT Pro's since we only deal with consumer issues here and this is beyond that: https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-...

Answer 2

Do you know anything or have any links I can read about modifying the current control set registry keys? Or something along the lines of how to register a KSP correctly in the registry so this doesn't happen? 

Thanks

Answer 3

Hi Joseph. I'm Greg, an installation specialist and 9 year Windows MVP, here to help you.

I know of nothing other than the proper precautions to be taken whenever editing the registry of saving a System Image backup and setting a System Restore point.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes.

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