SecurityHealthSystray: SecurityHealthSystray.exe - Bad Image

Question

error shows up when i boot pc

Windows security also wont open shows as this -

literally wont open.
This started when i recently bought an nvme to replace my sata c drive. My old c drive has since been unplugged and i did a fresh reinstall from a disk image/usb reinstall. I brought nothing from old ssd, so it was a clean reinstall straight from the windows website, onto my usb, and onto my nvme ssd. After i had windows, i did a few tweaks from chris titus (the windows optimizing tool) i think i changed at most 5 or 6 settings, half of it was the taskbar removing the search etc but there was a few others i enabled like removing xbox etc. Thats about the only thing i really did, i went downstairs came back up and the screen turned off and i just thought, oh it went idle and 2 min later it rebooted and i was like okay what? Put my passcode in just for this error to show up as well as command prompt

Answer 1

The error indicates that SecurityHealthSSO.dll (part of Windows Security / SecurityHealthSystray) is corrupted or not loading correctly, so Windows Security stays black and the tray process shows a Bad Image dialog.

Use the built‑in repair tools first, then check for disk or driver issues that might have caused corruption.

1. Run System File Checker (repairs corrupted system files)
   1. Open Start.
   2. Type cmd, right‑click Command Prompt > Run as administrator.
   3. Run:

            sfc /scannow
      

   4. Wait for it to complete and follow any on‑screen guidance.
2. Run DISM to repair the component store (if SFC reports problems it can’t fix)
   1. In the same elevated Command Prompt, run:

            DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
      

   2. After it finishes, run sfc /scannow again.
3. Check the system drive for file‑system errors
   1. Open File Explorer.
   2. Right‑click the C: drive > Properties > Tools tab.
   3. Under Error checking, select Check and let Windows scan and fix errors.
   4. If prompted to schedule a scan at next restart, accept and reboot.
4. Run a deeper disk check
   1. Open an elevated Command Prompt again.
   2. Run:

            chkdsk C: /f /r
      

   3. Approve running at next reboot, then restart and let it complete. This looks for bad sectors and repairs logical errors that can corrupt system files.
5. Ensure Windows and drivers are fully updated
   1. Go to Settings > Update & Security (Windows 10) or Windows Update (Windows 11).
   2. Select Check for updates and install all available updates, including optional driver/firmware updates for storage and chipset.
6. If the problem persists If SecurityHealthSystray.exe and Windows Security are still broken after SFC/DISM and disk checks, perform an in‑place repair of Windows (setup from the current Windows 11 ISO and choose Keep personal files and apps). This replaces all system files, including the SecurityHealth components, while preserving data and installed apps.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, back up important data and consider a clean reinstall of Windows on the NVMe drive, as persistent STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH‑type errors are often due to deeper corruption that a full reinstall can clear.

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References:

• Bug check 0xC0000221: STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH
• Advanced troubleshooting for Windows startup issues