Cannot resolve "Windows cannot find '(null)'. Make sure.....

DrP M 5 Reputation points
2025-08-21T16:37:39.06+00:00

This occurs immediately after logon. Checked startup, registry & task scheduler entries, ran scannow, DISM, chkdsk, Glary registry repair, and no Windows updates are available. I haven't yet found anything the error obstructs; all programs I've used so far seem to run just fine. Is it possible this error was triggered by removing a bunch of empty files in a routine cleanup? Is the error just a nuisance or....

It is possible I've missed something as reading the fine print text in menus is almost impossible....

Any ideas?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Ramesh Srinivasan 84,435 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-08-24T13:07:59.04+00:00

    It looks like clean boot wasn't done. As per the FRST logs, all the services are running.

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  2. Ramesh Srinivasan 84,435 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-08-23T16:22:19.7133333+00:00

    FRST is a safe tool which is used in most antimalware forums. including the Malwarebytes forum.

    Scan with Farbar Recovery Scan Tool - PC Self-Help Articles and Guides - Malwarebytes Forums

    Anyway, if you don't want to run it, you can use Microsoft's Autoruns tool to check the startup entrypoints. But Autoruns is not as comprehensive as Farbar's.

    Autoruns - Sysinternals

    Standard Disclaimer: There is a link to a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to provide accurate, safe information

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  3. Ramesh 180.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-08-23T16:14:27.5833333+00:00

    Please share the Farbar scan logs if possible.

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  4. Ramesh Srinivasan 84,435 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-08-22T14:46:09.69+00:00

    It might be caused by a malformed startup entry. Please share your Farbar scan logs for analysis.

    • Download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool 64-bit FRST64.exe
    • If the OS language is not English, rename FRST64.exe to FRST64English.exe.
    • Run the program. Don't check or uncheck any options. Click "Scan".
    • Add the two logs, FRST.txt and Addition.txt, to a zip archive.
    • Share the zip file on OneDrive or GoFile.io, and post the link here.

    Note: If Microsoft Edge or Chrome mislabels the Farbar Scanner executable as PUA/malware, choose to keep it by tapping … in the bottom bar, choosing Keep, and then choosing Keep anyway in the dialog that appears. See this screenshot. It's a safe tool used in most antimalware forums.

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  5. Ramesh Srinivasan 84,435 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-08-21T17:13:51.7333333+00:00

    Hi, This is Ramesh.

    Please post a screenshot of the error message you're seeing.

    Also, perform a clean boot using msconfig.exe. A clean boot is the process of starting Windows without loading any third-party applications or services. For more information, please refer to the Microsoft article.

    How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

    (Step 3 in the above link is crucial. You need to first enable "Hide all Microsoft Services" before clicking "Disable all".)

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