Apr 10, 2023 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions
The latest Windows 10 update came with an extensive range of fancy features. However, like every other time, these features are accompanied by a bunch of technical issues that are most likely to give you a headache.
One such issue that we are going to discuss today is stop code Unexpected Store Exception error. If you have recently updated your Windows system, you are most likely to have encountered this error on your computer at least once.
If you're unfamiliar with the concept, the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) might ring a bell. Remember when you were working on an important project and all of a sudden your computer screen turned blue with "Unexpected Store Exception" error flashing on the screen? That's what we're here to discuss.
In this guide, we'll explain 12 different methods to Fix Unexpected Store Exception error and get your computer up and running back again.
While the stop code Unexpected Store Exception error may seem quite frustrating, there are different tricks to troubleshoot and fix it without any hassle. These tricks include:
Having a corrupted hard drive is one of the most common reasons why people encounter the Unexpected Store Exception error. So, performing a quick health check will help you identify if your hard drive has any bad sectors or not.
We recommend using a third-party hard drive testing tool like CrystalDiskInfo. It's an easy-to-use Windows tool that performs a detailed disk scan to provide you with its health status. You can run individual tests for each drive and identify all the bad sectors.
The tool shows health status in three different formats. I.e., Good, Bad, and Caution. If the health status is "Good", you have nothing to worry about. However, if you encounter "Bad" or "Caution", you must consider swapping your hard drive with a new one.
If you have recently updated your system, there might be a possibility that your BIOS configuration has been hampered. Improper configuration of the hard drive may cause your system to crash and display the Windows stop code Unexpected Store Exception error.
To solve the issue, you'll have to access the BIOS and re-configure to by making essential changes. Follow these steps to change the BIOS configuration.
Step 1 - Restart your computer and press specific keys (like "DEL", "F2" or "ESC"), depending on your computer model, to enter BIOS.
Step 2 - Select "Boot" and change the boot sequence by setting the hard drive (as Windows is installed on the hard drive) as the first boot device.
Step 3 - Save your changes and restart the computer. Check if the issue persists or not.
Fast Startup is one of the most useful Windows features for many people. It puts your computer into a type of hibernation mode, even if you shut it down. This boosts up the overall booting speed of the computer.
Despite being an excellent feature, the fast startup can wreak havoc on your system as well. For instance, with Fast Startup turned on, some of the drivers may fail to load successfully, which may further cause your system to crash abruptly while displaying the "stop code Unexpected Store Exception error".
To avoid such unexpected scenarios, it is better to completely turn-off fast startup on your system.
Step 1 - Open Control Panel and select "Power Options".
Step 2 - Tap "What Power Buttons Does in the Left Menu Bar".
Step 3 - Uncheck the box in front of "Turn on Fast Startup" and tap "Save Changes".
Step 4 - Restart Your System and see if you are still facing the same error or not.
If the above three methods don't work, your display drivers may be outdated. If you haven't updated display drivers in a while, your PC is most likely to run into the Unexpected Store Exception Error.
To update display drivers, boot your system into Safe Mode and follow these instructions.
Step 1 - Press "Windows+X" and select "Device Manager".
Step 2 - Expand the Display Adapters option and right-click on your current display drivers. Tap "Uninstall" to delete the drivers.
Step 3 - Restart your computer again and press "Windows+S". The search bar will prompt on your screen. Type "Windows Update" and tap "check for updates".
Step 4 - Your computer will automatically start to look for the most suitable drivers. Let the drivers download completely and restart your system.
You can also visit the manufacturer's official website to download the latest display drivers.
Like the display drivers, an outdated window can trigger the error as well. If you haven't updated your Windows 10 in a while, make sure to install the latest updates. Simply go to "Windows Settings" and select "Update & Security". Tap the "Check for Updates" option and your computer will automatically start looking for the latest updates.
While having an Antivirus program is a great way to keep your system protected, it can also interfere with the normal functions and trigger the Windows stop code unexpected store exception error.
So, temporarily disable the Antivirus program and check if the error still occurs or not. The process to disable an Antivirus program will vary from distributor to distributor. If you have installed a third-party Antivirus program, visit the official website to check how to disable the Antivirus.
In case you're using Windows Defender, follow these steps to disable the real-time protection.
Step 1 - Open "Windows Settings" and select "Update & Security".
Step 2 - Tap "Windows Security" and click on "Virus & Threat Protection".
Step 3 - Choose "Virus & Threat Protection Settings" and switch the slider to turn-off Real-time protection.
In many cases, a specific problematic driver can cause the Unexpected store exception error. In this case, the most optimal solution is to remove the driver and let "Windows Update" automatically choose the most suitable driver instead.
To remove a specific driver, press "Windows+X" and select "Device Manager". Now, right-click the driver that you want to remove and tap the "un-install" button to initiate the uninstallation process.
Once the driver is uninstalled, restart your computer and go to "Windows Update". Tap "Check for Updates". Your system will automatically find the most suitable (working) driver to replace the problematic driver.
Many users were able to fix the stop code unexpected store exception by simply removing the temporary files. The truth is when you do not perform regular disk cleanups, the temporary files start to pile up, some of which are usually corrupted.
These corrupted temporary files end up causing the error. The easiest way to avoid this situation is to perform disk cleanup for each drive and delete all the temporary files.
Step 1 - Open Cortana and type-in "Disk Cleanup".
Step 2 - Choose the first search result. When the new dialog box appears, choose the drive and tap the "OK" button.
Step 3 - The software will start to scan the entire drive. Once the scanning completes, you'll be prompted to a new window, containing a list of different files. Check the box in front of "Temporary" files and click Ok.
You can repeat the process for each drive to completely remove temporary files from your computer.
File history is one of the most useful features in Windows 10 as it allows users to recover damaged files. However, many users have reported that "file history" was the main cause for their system to experience the Unexpected store exception error.
If you have turned on "File History" on your system, make sure to disable it to fix the error. To disable file history, follow the below-mentioned steps.
Step 1 - Launch Windows Settings and tap on "Update & Security"
Step 2 - In the left panel, select "Backup" and turn-off the "Automatically Back Up My Files" option. This will disable file history on your system and you won't encounter the error anymore.
In case you don't find the option in the "Backup" window, "File History" is already disabled on your computer. In this case, move towards the next method in the guide.
If none of the above methods work for you, your system may contain corrupted files. If that's the case, you'll have to run the built-in SFC (System File Checker). This will run a deep scan on your drive and fix all the corrupted files.
Step 1 - In Command Prompt (Admin), type "sfc /scannow" and press enter.
Step 2 - This will initiate the scan and you'll be prompted with one of the two messages (if there are any corrupt files).
Step 3 - If you see the latter message, your windows system has detected errors that it can't fix. In this case, type "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth" and press enter. This command will download working files from the server and replace the corrupted ones with them.
If you're running "Balanced" or any other power plan, your PC's performance will downgrade automatically, which can also lead to Windows stop code unexpected store exception error.
If that's the case, switch to the "High-Performance power plan". Go to "Control Panel" and select "Power Options". Under the preferred plans tab, choose "High Performance".
This will force your PC to work in high-performance mode and you won't face the issue anymore. Although, the high-performance mode may drain the battery rapidly.
For many users, upgrading the BIOS helped in troubleshooting the error. So, if all of the above methods have failed to fix the error, you might consider upgrading your BIOS. However, BIOS upgrade is an extremely critical process. One small blunder can damage your entire system. That's why if you're not familiar with the process, ask an expert to perform the task.
If you ended up losing important data due to the "Windows stop code unexpected store exception" error, you're not alone. The error has frustrated many people by removing their important files.
Fortunately, there is a way to recover all the lost files. WonderShare Recoverit is a dedicated tool that'll help you find all the deleted files and restore them on your computer. The tool will help you recover different file formats so that you don't lose any important data, be it a video, image, or a PDF file.
Here's how you can use WonderShare Recoverit to recover lost files.
Step 1 - Launch Recoverit and Scan Your Computer
After installing the program, launch it by double-tapping the "WonderShare RecoverIt" icon.
Select a Location
Select the location (drive) from where you have lost the data. Once you have selected the right location, tap the "Start" button.
Scan the Location
The program will initiate a deep scan to find all the missing files. The scanning process can take anywhere between a few minutes to a couple of hours, depending on your disk size. You can also pause the scan in-between if you have already found the files you're looking for.
Step 2 - Preview and Recover the Data
Once the scan completes, you'll have a list of all the lost files. Fortunately, Recoverit has a "preview" option that lets users preview the file before recovering it. Tap the file that you want to preview and click the "Preview" button in the right-side panel.
Recover the File
Once you are happy with the preview, simply tap the "Recover" button and choose a destination where you want to store the recovered files.
No doubt, windows stop code unexpected store exception is a frustrating sight for everyone. However, using the above-mentioned tricks, you'll be able to quickly fix the error. And, in case any of the data loss happens due to the error, WonderShare Recoverit will help you recover it.
David Darlington
staff Editor