How to fix backgroundTaskHost.exe System Error in Windows?

backgroundTaskHost.exe is the Windows process that runs the background tasks of Store and built-in apps, so its System Error almost always means one app's task failed, not the host itself. Find that app in Reliability Monitor first, then repair or reset it.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What the backgroundTaskHost.exe System Error means

The window title is backgroundTaskHost.exe - System Error. It says that the process crashed, and it shows up at a moment chosen by Windows, not by you: right after you start a program, open Search, sign in or wake the PC. That timing is the clue. Windows starts background tasks on events like these, and the host process runs them.

Users report a form of the window that reads: "The system detected an overrun of a stack-based buffer in this application." That text means Windows stopped the process on purpose because code inside it wrote past a memory buffer. In this host, that code usually belongs to the app whose task was running.

People search for the same window in many spellings:

• backgroundTaskHost.exe error, backgroundtaskhost exe system error and background task host exe system error all mean this window.
• background task host.exe and background taskhost.exe are typing variants; the real name is backgroundTaskHost.exe, written as one word.
• backgroundTaskHost.exe application error is the same crash as Windows logs it in Event Viewer (Application Error, Event ID 1000).
• backgroundTaskHost.exe stopped working is the older Windows 10 wording of a crash report for the same process.

What is backgroundTaskHost.exe (Background Task Host)?

Microsoft's developer documentation describes background tasks: code that a Windows app registers so it can run when the app is not in the foreground, for example when the time zone changes or the user signs in. Many such tasks run in a separate process from the app's own process. On Windows, that separate host is backgroundTaskHost.exe.

Name in Task Manager

Background Task Host. Task Manager groups each entry under the app it serves, so you may see it under Accounts, Windows Spotlight, Get Started and others.

Location

C:\Windows\System32\backgroundTaskHost.exe. A file with this name anywhere else is not the Windows one.

Who uses it

Microsoft Store apps and built-in Windows apps that declare background tasks in their app manifest.

When it runs

When a task's trigger fires: a system event, a timer, a maintenance window, a network change. It then ends again.

Many entries

Normal. Each app that runs a task gets its own Background Task Host process for that task.

Needed?

Yes. It is part of Windows. Without it, apps cannot sync, refresh live content or finish work in the background.

Microsoft's documentation also warns app developers that a background task can end unexpectedly when it does not wait for its own work to finish. That is the developer's bug, but Windows shows the host's name in the error window. So the window names backgroundTaskHost.exe, while the fault usually sits in the app behind it.

What causes the backgroundTaskHost.exe System Error, most common first

Microsoft has not published one cause for this window. The order below follows from how background tasks work, from the Microsoft Q&A case and from what users report.

How to fix the backgroundTaskHost.exe System Error

Fix 1 tells you which app's task crashed, and Fixes 2 to 4 deal with that app. Fix 5 rules out a fake file. Fixes 6 to 9 repair Windows itself, ending with the repair install that solved the Microsoft Q&A case.

Fix 1. Find the app behind the crash in Reliability Monitor and Event Viewer

5 minutesNo riskAlways first: the window names only the host, never the app.

backgroundTaskHost.exe runs tasks for many apps, so fixing it blindly is guesswork. Windows logs every crash with the package or module that was loaded, and that entry tells you which app to repair.

1. Press Win + R, type perfmon /rel and press Enter to open Reliability Monitor.
2. Select the day the window appeared and find the red backgroundTaskHost.exe entry under Critical events.
3. Double-click it and read Faulting module name and the package or app name in the details.
4. For more detail, press Win + R, type eventvwr.msc and open Windows Logs > Application.
5. Look for Application Error (Event ID 1000) with backgroundTaskHost.exe, and for DCOM errors in Windows Logs > System at the same minute.
6. Write down the app or package name, for example a name that starts with Microsoft. or the name of a third-party app.

Fix 2. Repair, reset or update the app whose background task crashes

5 minutesRead the warningFix 1 named an app, or the error began after you installed or updated an app.

A background task is code inside the app's package. When the package is damaged or half updated, its task fails every time its trigger fires. Repair puts the package files back; Reset also clears the app's data, which removes a bad cached state.

1. Press Win + I and open Apps > Installed apps (Windows 10: Apps > Apps & features).
2. Select the three dots next to the app and choose Advanced options (Windows 10: select the app and Advanced options).
3. Select Repair and test whether the window comes back.
4. If it does, select Reset on the same page.
5. Open the Microsoft Store, go to Library and select Get updates to install the app's newest version.

Step by step, with the pictures: How to repair or reset an app in Windows

If the app is a desktop program that you do not need, uninstall it instead: Uninstall a program or app in Windows

Fix 3. Re-register the built-in Windows apps when the account or Search component fails

10 minutesLow riskEvent Viewer names Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin, you sign in with a work or school account, or the error shows when you open Search.

Built-in parts such as the account sign-in component are Windows app packages too. Their background tasks run in backgroundTaskHost.exe, and they cannot be repaired from Installed apps. Registering the built-in packages again restores their registration without touching your files.

1. Press Win + I, open Accounts > Access work or school and note which accounts are connected.
2. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin) (Windows 10: Windows PowerShell (Admin)).
3. Re-register the built-in apps with the command from the procedure below.
4. Restart the PC, sign in and open Search on the taskbar to test.

1. Open PowerShell. Select Start, type PowerShell and select Windows PowerShell. Open it the normal way, not as administrator: in an administrator window the app is registered to the administrator account instead of yours.
2. Find the app's package. Type the command below with a part of the app's name between the asterisks and press Enter. If the app is installed, PowerShell prints its details, including Name and InstallLocation. If nothing is printed, the app is not installed for your account: see the section below.

   Get-AppxPackage -Name '*WindowsCalculator*'

3. Re-register the app. Paste the three commands below, with the same name between the asterisks, and press Enter. They read the folder the app is installed in and register its manifest again. If no red text appears, it worked.

   $InstallLocation = Get-AppxPackage -Name '*WindowsCalculator*' |
       Select-Object -ExpandProperty InstallLocation
   $ManifestPath = $InstallLocation + '\Appxmanifest.xml'
   Add-AppxPackage -Path $ManifestPath -Register -DisableDevelopmentMode

4. Open the app. Close PowerShell and start the app from Start. If it still fails, restart the PC and try once more.

These steps were written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2, Windows 10 22H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: How to re-register Microsoft Store apps with PowerShell

Fix 4. Stop the app's background tasks from running

3 minutesLow riskThe crashing app is one you rarely use, or you need the window gone today while you wait for an app update.

backgroundTaskHost.exe runs an app's task only when that app may run in the background. Setting the app's background permission to Never stops its tasks, so the host no longer loads the failing code. The app still works when you open it.

1. Press Win + I and open Apps > Installed apps.
2. Select the three dots next to the app and choose Advanced options.
3. Under Background apps permissions, set Let this app run in background to Never.
4. Restart the PC and use it as usual for a while.

Both Windows 11 and Windows 10 paths, with pictures: Stop apps from running in the background

Fix 5. Check that backgroundTaskHost.exe is the real Windows file

10 minutesNo riskThe process runs from an unusual folder, uses a lot of CPU all the time, or the error came with other strange behavior.

Malware sometimes uses the name of a known Windows process to hide. The real backgroundTaskHost.exe sits only in C:\Windows\System32 and is signed by Microsoft.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and open the Details tab.
2. Right-click backgroundTaskHost.exe and select Open file location.
3. The folder must be C:\Windows\System32.
4. If it is any other folder, such as AppData, Temp or ProgramData, run a full scan with Microsoft Defender.

Full scan and Protection history: How to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender

Fix 6. Repair Windows system files with DISM and SFC

20 minutesNo riskFix 1 named no app, the log names a Windows file, or the error appears with every program you start.

backgroundTaskHost.exe and the system files every task loads are Windows files. DISM repairs the Windows image they come from, and SFC then puts damaged protected files back. Run DISM first, as the procedure shows.

1. Open Terminal or Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and wait until it reaches 100 %.
3. Run sfc /scannow.
4. Restart the PC.

Step by step: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

Fix 7. Install the latest Windows update, or remove the one that started it

20 minutesLow riskThe error began right after a Windows update, or your Windows is several months behind.

Built-in apps and the components their tasks use are serviced through Windows Update. A newer update can replace a faulty file; if the error began on the day an update installed, removing that update brings the old files back.

1. Press Win + I, open Windows Update and select Check for updates. Install everything offered, optional quality updates included, and restart.
2. If the error began right after an update, open Windows Update > Update history.
3. Note the date and KB number of the last quality update.
4. Select Uninstall updates, remove that update and restart.

1. Open Windows Update. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update.
2. Open the update history. Under More options, select Update history. Note the KB number and the date of the update you suspect.
3. Open the list of removable updates. Scroll down to Related settings and select Uninstall updates.
4. Uninstall the update. Find the update in the list and select Uninstall next to it. If the update is not in the list, Windows does not allow it to be removed this way.
5. Pause updates. Go back to Settings > Windows Update and select Pick a date on the Pause updates control. If your PC shows a list there instead, select the pause length you prefer. Without a pause Windows downloads the same update again.

These steps were written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: How to uninstall a Windows update

Fix 8. Find a conflicting program with a clean boot

30 minutesLow riskThe error stays after Fix 1 to 7, and you have many programs that start with Windows.

Security suites, system tuners and sync tools can block or hook the processes that background tasks use. A clean boot starts Windows with Microsoft services only, so you can see whether a third-party program is involved.

1. Open System Configuration. Select Search on the taskbar, type msconfig and select System Configuration from the results.
2. Hide Microsoft services. On the Services tab, select the Hide all Microsoft services check box. Only services from other companies stay in the list.

   

3. Disable the remaining services. Select Disable all, then select Apply.
4. Open Task Manager. On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select Open Task Manager.

   

5. Disable the startup apps. On the Startup apps tab in Task Manager, select each item whose status is Enabled and select Disable. Write down or take a screenshot of the items you disable: you need the list to turn them back on.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: How to perform a clean boot in Windows

If the error is gone in the clean boot, turn the services and startup apps back on in small groups until it returns. The last group holds the cause. Full steps: How to perform a clean boot in Windows

Fix 9. Reinstall Windows and keep your files and apps

1 to 2 hoursRead the warningEvery fix above failed, the error appears at every program start and even in a clean boot.

A repair install replaces every Windows file and registers the built-in app packages again, and it keeps your files and apps. In the Microsoft Q&A case, a Microsoft Community advisor suggested it after clean boot, SFC and DISM had failed, and the user confirmed that it solved the problem.

1. Open Recovery in Settings. Open Settings > System > Recovery. Next to Fix problems using Windows Update, select Reinstall now. This keeps your apps, files and settings.
2. Start the reinstall. Choose whether the PC may restart on its own 15 minutes after the installation, then select OK.
3. Wait and restart. Windows Update downloads and installs a repair copy of your current Windows version. Keep the PC plugged in and online, and restart it when asked.
4. If that did not help: Reset PC. Back in Settings > System > Recovery, next to Reset this PC, select Reset PC. This keeps your personal files but removes installed apps and settings.
5. Choose Keep my files. Select Keep my files. Do not select Remove everything.
6. Choose where Windows comes from. Select Cloud download to download a fresh copy of Windows, or Local reinstall to use the files already on the PC (faster, but may not include the latest updates).
7. Reset. Review the summary and select Reset. The PC restarts several times.

These steps were written for Windows 11 22H2 and later. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reinstall Windows without losing files

If the backgroundTaskHost.exe error is still there: where to look and what to send

The window tells you little. Windows writes the details of each crash in these places:

When you ask Microsoft support or an app maker for help, send the window text, the Faulting module name and package from Event Viewer, any DCOM entry at the same minute, your Windows build and what you already tried.

How to keep the backgroundTaskHost.exe error from coming back

If a different Windows host process shows a similar System Error window, see our guide to the ctfmon.exe System Error, which is fixed in a similar way.

Frequently asked questions

What is backgroundTaskHost.exe?

backgroundTaskHost.exe is the Windows process that runs the background tasks of Microsoft Store apps and built-in Windows apps. Task Manager lists it as Background Task Host. Apps use it to sync, refresh content or react to events such as sign-in while they are not open. The real file sits in C:\Windows\System32 and is signed by Microsoft. It starts when a task's trigger fires and ends again when the task is done.

Is backgroundTaskHost.exe a virus?

No, not when it runs from C:\Windows\System32. Several Background Task Host entries in Task Manager are normal, one per app that is running a task. A file with the same name in any other folder is not the Windows one: check its folder and scan it with Microsoft Defender as Fix 5 shows. A System Error window alone does not mean you have malware.

How do I fix the backgroundTaskHost.exe system error?

Find the app behind it first: open Reliability Monitor with perfmon /rel and read the crash details (Fix 1). Repair or reset that app in Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Fix 2). If it is the account sign-in component or Search, re-register the built-in apps (Fix 3). If nothing names an app, run DISM and SFC (Fix 6) and, as the last step, a repair install (Fix 9).

Why do I get the backgroundTaskHost.exe error every time I open a program?

Starting a program can trigger background tasks of other apps and of Windows, such as getting a sign-in token for your account. If that task fails every time, the window appears every time. In the Microsoft Q&A case, Event Viewer showed a DCOM timeout for the Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin sign-in component. Try Fix 3 first; a repair install (Fix 9) solved that case.

Why are there so many Background Task Host entries in Task Manager?

Each app that runs a background task gets its own Background Task Host process for it, and Task Manager groups each one under that app, for example Accounts, Windows Spotlight or Get Started. Many entries are normal and usually use little memory. If the number keeps growing and stays high, open each app's Advanced options and set background running to Never for apps you do not need (Fix 4).

What does Background Task Host Suspended mean in Task Manager?

It means Windows has paused that background task to save power and memory. A suspended task uses no processor time, and Windows resumes or ends it when needed. It is not an error and needs no fix. Only a System Error window, a crash entry in Reliability Monitor or a process that uses high CPU all the time is worth looking into, starting with Fix 1.

Can I disable or end backgroundTaskHost.exe?

You can end one Background Task Host in Task Manager, but Windows starts it again at the next trigger, and the error comes back. You cannot disable the process itself without breaking background work for every app. Turn off background running only for the app whose task crashes (Fix 4), or repair that app (Fix 2).

Does the backgroundTaskHost.exe error look different on Windows 11 and Windows 10?

No. The window title backgroundTaskHost.exe - System Error is the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10 22H2, and so are the fixes on this page. Only some Settings paths differ, and each step gives both. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, so a Windows 10 PC without Extended Security Updates gets no new fixes for the components behind this error.

Can I replace backgroundTaskHost.exe with a copy from another PC or a download site?

No. The file belongs to your exact Windows build, and a copy from a download site is unsigned and may hide malware. A copy from another PC can come from a different build. In most cases the file itself is fine and an app's task is at fault. Let Windows restore its own files with DISM and SFC (Fix 6), or reinstall Windows with your files kept (Fix 9).

Qué es backgroundTaskHost.exe? O que é backgroundTaskHost.exe?

This page is in English, but the answer is the same in every language. backgroundTaskHost.exe is the Windows process, shown as Background Task Host, that runs the background tasks of Store and built-in apps. It lives in C:\Windows\System32 and is safe there. Windows menu names are translated on your PC, but the file name and the commands perfmon /rel and sfc /scannow stay the same, so every fix here works.