Session Windowsupdatetracelog Failed To Start With The Following Error 0xc0000035 Link Now
The error message "session windowsupdatetracelog failed to start with the following error 0xc0000035" disappeared, replaced by a triumphant "Windows Update: Up to date". John breathed a sigh of relief as he and Alex high-fived.
tool to stop any "ghost" sessions that might be causing the collision. Microsoft Learn In an elevated Command Prompt, type: logman query Look for any session named WindowsUpdateTraceLog or similar. If found, stop it by typing: logman stop "WindowsUpdateTraceLog" -ets 4. Check for Update Health Tool Conflicts Sometimes, a specific tool called Microsoft Update Health Tools causes this specific logging error. Microsoft Learn Installed Apps Search for Microsoft Update Health Tools If it exists, you can try Uninstalling
Go to > System > Troubleshoot (or Update & Security > Troubleshoot on Windows 10).
Press Windows Key + S , type , right-click Command Prompt , and select Run as administrator . Microsoft Learn In an elevated Command Prompt, type:
Follow these troubleshooting methods in order, starting with the simplest configurations and moving toward advanced registry modifications. Method 1: Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow
While this error appears critical inside the Event Viewer, it rarely impacts daily system stability. It is primarily a telemetry and diagnostic logging failure rather than a corruption of the actual OS kernel or security subsystems. Primary Root Causes Microsoft Learn Installed Apps Search for Microsoft Update
Temporarily disable third-party monitoring/security agents
Corrupt system files—especially those related to ETW (Event Tracing for Windows)—can cause this error.
Which you are currently running (Windows 10 or Windows 11)? No public tool directly deletes these
Cached temporary installation and logging data in the SoftwareDistribution folder can become corrupted, confusing the tracing manager.
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old Restart the services: net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc 3. Repair System Image & Files
This is the most direct fix for 0xc0000035 . The error indicates a naming collision, meaning an old trace log session is still registered but not active.
For persistent cases, use a tool like or Sysinternals WinObj to inspect the \KernelObjects\ namespace for a stale WindowsUpdateTraceLog event handle. No public tool directly deletes these; a reboot is the cleanest solution.
If the logger is stuck because of old data, clearing the cache can force a fresh start.