Fix: The Handle is Invalid Error Message When Logging Into Windows 10

A pretty well-known problem in Windows 10 is one where affected users receive an error message that states “The handle is invalid” when they try to log in to their user account on their Windows 10 computer after booting it up. In most cases, this problem occurs after a significant software change gone wrong, which is most commonly a Windows update that did not install correctly or was not entirely installed. In addition, this problem is also notoriously popular for being brought on by faulty Windows updates that bring the problem on in the first place even when they are correctly and fully installed.

The Handle is Invalid

This error message basically means that the affected user cannot get into their user account and, by extension, their computer, and that is most definitely a significant problem. Thankfully, there exist ways that can be used to try and fix this problem. If you want to solve this issue, the following are two of the most effective methods that can be used to do so:

Solution 1: Perform Startup Repair on your computer

Startup Repair is an ingenious little utility that can be accessed without logging into Windows and can be used to fix all kinds of problems, including Windows updates that haven’t been installed correctly or entirely or Windows updates that are simply problematic. To perform Startup Repair on your computer to try and fix this issue, you need to:

1. On the Windows 10 login screen, click on the Power button in the bottom-right corner.
2. While holding down the Shift button, click on Restart.
3. When your computer boots up, it will display a screen with three options. Click on Troubleshoot.
4. Click on Advanced Options.
5. In the Advanced Options menu, click on Startup Repair.
6. Choose your target OS on the next screen.
7. On the next screens, Startup Repair will diagnose and attempt to fix the issue. Once it is done, your computer will boot into Windows. Simply try to login to your account to see whether or not Startup Repair fixed the problem.
8. If Startup Repair doesn’t work, you can also try a System Restore.

Solution 2: Boot into Safe Mode and Uninstall the update that caused the issue

Many users affected by this issue have had success with logging into their user accounts by booting their computers into Safe Mode, at which point they can uninstall the updates that caused the issue in the first place, fixing the problem altogether. To use this solution, you need to:

1. Click on the Power button in the bottom-right corner of the login screen and then, while holding down the Shift button, click on Restart.
2. When your computer boots up, click on Troubleshoot.
3. Navigate to Advanced Options >Startup Settings and click on Restart.
4. When your computer boots up, you will be presented with a list of options. Press the number key or Function key corresponding to the Enable Safe Mode
5. Once your computer boots up in Safe Mode, try to login to your user account and see if you succeed.
6. If you succeed at logging into your user account, open the Start Menu and click on Settings.
7. Navigate to Update & Security >Windows Update >Advanced options >View your update history.
8. Click on Uninstall updates.
9. Locate and right-click on the update that caused the problem, and then click on Uninstall in the contextual menu to uninstall it. Two Windows updates that are extremely infamous for causing this problem are updates KB3124262 and KB3135174, so if you recently installed any of these two updates, quickly uninstall them. If you aren’t sure which updates to uninstall, simply uninstall the ones that were installed right before you started suffering from this issue.
10. Once you are done uninstalling the offending Windows update, restart your computer – this time in normal mode – and check to see whether or not you are able to successfully log in to your user account without being met with the “The handle is invalid” error message.

Solution 3: Changing LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy Registry Key

Another workaround that worked for several users was changing the LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy using an administrator account which wasn’t locked out of the system yet. This change to the registry can be easily done using the command prompt in an elevated command prompt.

1. Press Windows + S, type “command prompt” in the dialogue box, right-click on the application and select Run as administrator.
2. Once in the command prompt, run the following code:
3. Restart the computer and check if the problem is resolved.

Solution 4: Removing and Re-adding to Domain

If none of the above methods work, you can try asking your administrator or network personnel to remove you from the domain and then add you back. When you get removed from the domain, the changes get reflected in the current logging system. When you get added back, the entire process will be re-initialized and you will be able to log back in.

This is only possible if you are logged in to a domain instead of just using a personal computer. Make sure to restart the computer before attempting at logging in again.

FIX: The handle is invalid error in Windows 10

• The handle is invalid error affects Windows 10 users when they try to log in to their computers.
• The main causes for this error are a recent Windows 10 update or some system files got corrupted or damaged.
• For more information about the most popular OS, explore our Windows 10 section.
• As fixing your PC is your top priority, visit our Tech Troubleshooting Hub for solutions.

If you’re getting the ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE error code with The handle is invalid description, follow the troubleshooting steps listed in this article to fix it.

This error affects Windows 10 users when they try to log in to their computers. The error message prevents users from connecting to their accounts and actually using their PCs.

There are two main causes for this error: a recent Windows 10 update didn’t install correctly or some system files got corrupted or damaged. Here’s how one user describes this problem on Reddit:

So I just installed the upgrade and it was working just fine for a while .
But now it went bat sh** crazy and BSOD […] I tried restarting the PC and it gives The Handle is invalid. […]
Another issue is when I press shutdown after the Handle invalid it stay on and wont shut down.

On Windows 10, this error also blocks the print process, leaving users unable to add a printer or use the one already installed.

The handle is invalid error also affects older versions of Windows, preventing users from installing any updates or software on their computers.

In this article, we’re going to show you how to fix this error on Windows 10, as well as on older Windows versions.

How do I fix the Handle is invalid error?

1. Press the restart button

If you can’t access your user account due to this error, try restarting your computer several times. Many users confirmed that this simple action solves the problem.

If you don’t want to perform a hard reset, you can hold down the Shift key and click the on-screen power button, select the restart option while holding the Shift key, and then select Continue to Windows 10.

This will force Windows to repair damaged or corrupted update files.

2. Boot into Safe Mode and uninstall the security updates

1. Hold down the Shift key and click the on-screen power button
2. Select the restart option while holding the Shift key
3. Select Troubleshoot, then Advanced options, choose Startup Settings , and hit Restart
4. Select Safe Mode after restart.
5. Go to Update & Security, click on Windows Update and click on Advanced options
6. View your update history and uninstall the latest updates
7. Restart your computer.

Note: Many users report that cumulative updates KB3135173 and KB3124262 are actually the culprits, and uninstalling these two updates fixed the problem.

3. Update Citrix VDA

This solution works only for users running Citrix VDA. Some Windows updates are incompatible with Citrix VDA 7.6.300, causing The handle is invalid error. To fix this, download the cumulative update VDA 7.6.1000.

If you’re using VDA v7.7, download the newer versions of the tool, VDA 7.8 or higher, which contain the fix. For more information and a step by step guide, go to Citrix’s support page.

Editor’s Note: This article continues on the next page. Don’t forget to bookmark our Troubleshooting Hub just in case you might need it later.

Error message: The Handle is invalid (Windows 10)

I’ve been using Windows 10 for some time. I’ve been using my printer for some time. Both were working fine.

Yesterday my printer wouldn’t work. Upon investigation I discovered that Windows no longer recognized my printer. Printer is an HPLJ P2015 installed on the network. The printer is operational from other network devices, so I’m 99.9% sure that the problem is computer related rather than with the printer.

I went to the Control Panel and attempted to print a test page and received the «no printer installed» error.

I removed my printer.

Restarted the computer. Attempted to re-install the printer. Received error message: «The Handle is invalid»

I’m totally at a loss as to what caused this issue, and how to resolve it.

Replies (8) 

When you try to connect a printer to a Windows computer and you get an error, this usually happens due to outdated drivers. To fully determine what causes this error message and to come up with an accurate resolution, we would like to have a screenshot of the exact error message. Also, have you done any modifications/configurations on your computer prior to the issue?

For the meantime, you can try to install and update drivers in Windows 10. See this article by Andre Da Costa.

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When you try to connect a printer to a Windows computer and you get an error, this usually happens due to outdated drivers. To fully determine what causes this error message and to come up with an accurate resolution, we would like to have a screenshot of the exact error message. Also, have you done any modifications/configurations on your computer prior to the issue?

For the meantime, you can try to install and update drivers in Windows 10. See this article by Andre Da Costa.

The only modifications/configurations made were when Microsoft automatically installed some updates. The updates, by the way, caused the Windows Calculator to no longer function (small irritation, but not worth trying to fix). The printer, on the other hand, is crucial.

Fix The Handle is Invalid error on Windows 10

If you are you stuck at the Windows login screen and you see an error message The Handle is invalid you need first to ensure that you are using the correct credentials to log in. If you are sure that they are then it could be caused due to a misconfigured Windows Update that went rogue. In this guide, we will share how to fix this issue on Windows 10. This message may also appear when you try to run a printing job, run a script, copying files, etc. – but in this post, we will see how to fix the error during login.

The Handle is Invalid error on Windows 10

1] Shutdown with Shift key and Power button combo

• Restart your computer if it’s turned off.
• At the login screen, press and hold the Shift key + Power button.
• Do not release it until the screen turns black, and the computer shuts down. Wait for the beep or anything that hints your laptop is now completely turned off.
• Release the Shift key and Power button.
• Start the computer again.

This shortcut should make Windows 10 load new updates. It seems there is some glitch with automatic update, and this shortcut helps to fix.

Pressing the Shift +Shutdiwn key tells the PC to do a full shutdown rather than a Hybrid Shutdown. If you press S hift + Restart will boot you into the Advanced Startup. In this scenario, we don’t want to boot into Advanced Startup.

2] Boot into Safe Mode and uninstall the latest updates

If the above solution doesn’t work, it is best to uninstall the update. To do this, you need to boot into Safe mode. Once inside, go to Settings > Update and Security > View update and history > uninstall updates. Select recent updates, and choose to uninstall it.

Reboot the computer in normal mode, and then try to login with your account. Hopefully, you should not see “The Handle is invalid” error message now.

3] Run DISM in Advanced Startup using CMD

Boot into Advanced Startup options, and select Troubleshoot > Advanced Option > Command Prompt. Here you can run the DISM tool. It will scan your Windows computer for inconsistencies. These usually result from various hardware failures or software issues. DISM tool will potentially fix that corruption.

4] Perform Startup Repair/Automatic Repair

Startup Repair or Automatic Repair is an advanced option in Windows. It can fix problems which blocks Windows from normal loading. It will scan system files, registry settings, configuration settings and more and try to fix the problem on its own, automatically.

Boot into Advanced Startup options, and choose select Troubleshoot > Advanced Option > Automatic Repair. This process may take some time, and your system may even boot.

During Startup Repair, you will have to choose an account, and sign in with your Microsoft or local admin account to complete the process. During this login, you should not receive “The Handle is Invalid” error message.

Let us know if it helped you to fix the error.

Date: January 26, 2019 Tags: Errors, Login