Windows 10: Disabling Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant Service fixes random crashes, but causes...

Recently my Windows 11 PC started randomly crashing where the screen would freeze and the only way to get out of it was to cold boot my computer. This was happening about once per day and never seemed to be associated with anything I happened to be doing at the time. I subsequently started checking the Windows Event Viewer and each time just prior to the crash there was an entry regarding a problem with Autopilot.dll. I did some research and found this:https://appuals.com/autopilot-dll-wil-error-was-reported/Per the instructions, I disabled Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant Service prevente

:)

 

Desktop and Taskbar crashing/refreshing when signed into Microsoft account

TL;DR: explorer.exe crashes when a user profile is logged into a Microsoft account. This does not happen on local accounts, even local accounts made on the same machine.

This is about the fourth time I've run into this across several difference devices within the last two weeks, all signed into different Microsoft accounts. The one thing linking them all together is that the owner is signed into a Microsoft account. Local users do not have this issue until they sign into said account, then the problem resurfaces (even across fresh Windows 10 installs). I'm surprised I haven't seen anything about it as of yet. Most of the machines are on 1903 (one was on 1809 originally), though the error continues even once updated to 1909. This problem also continues even when booted into safe mode.

What's going on

• Immediately after login, the desktop and taskbar constantly crashes/refreshes every few seconds.
  
• You cannot open the start menu, settings page, file explorer, launch anything either via icons or WIN + R.
  
• To launch anything, you have to access the Task Manager through CTRL + ALT + DEL and run a new task. However, every time explorer crashes you get tabbed out of the box
  

Looking up the symptoms, many threads suggest disabling Windows Error Reporting Service, which has only fixed the issue once, and only temporarily. Others say it is Norton or other similar anti-viruses, but none of these machines have Norton. Two had ESET Node32, but even when that was removed the crashing continued.

Other suggestions I've tried:

(restarting the machine after each)

• removing Adobe Reader and putting all PDF files on the desktop into a
  folder (which again only worked once and only temporarily). suggestion from here
  
• completely removing every icon and file off the desktop
  
• removing iCloud (only one of the machines had that, but still did not fix it)
  
• removing IDT-Audio drivers (none of them had that, but I removed/uninstalled realtek ones as well to be safe.)
  
• downgrading/upgrading/removing display drivers, like Nvidia, etc. (Nothing changed there either)
  
• running sfc /scannow (did not find any violations)
  
• running DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth, DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth, and DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Checkhealth(ran successfully, but did not fix the problem)
  
• in-place Windows upgrade via thumbdrive
  
• uninstalling Feedback Hub, disabling Timeline, setting Diagnostic data from full to basic and a few others following this
  guide/fix that worked for someone else, similar to this one and the first comment here as well.
  
• disabling any and all Microsoft account settings/themes syncing, but it might be a bit late for that to go into effect?
  

With one of the machines that I disabled the Windows Error Reporting on, the crashing stops but then I get an alert saying the following:

I can hit OK, but that just causes explorer.exe to crash again and the alert reappears.

.dmp logs on at least one machine say the "Fault Module Name :" was SHELL32.dll with an exception code of 0xc0000409 through AppCrashView and a subcode of Subcode: 0x7 FAST_FAIL_FATAL_APP_EXIT with WinDbg Preview

full .dmps are here

Are there any ideas on what this could be? Or how to fix and/or prevent it? (other than just telling people to not sign into a Microsoft account).

Thanks!

 

Question about Windows 11 Microsoft Account Sign-in Service Issues

This question relates to 2 areas:

1) Windows 11 OS performance issues (first issue I was trying to resolve)

2) MS Office 365 issues (which start if I do as suggested to fix the Windows 11 performance issues)

I've not seen this exact issue addressed anywhere, so sorry if it has been.

I've been having issues that appear to be related to the Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant service in Windows 11. My PC has been randomly crashing and rebooting every week or so. The culprit appears to be related to AUTOPILOT.dll causing critical errors at the time of the crash.

Autopilot.dll WIL error was reported.

HRESULT: 0x80070491

File: onecoreuap\admin\moderndeployment\autopilot\dll\dllmain.cpp, line 128

Message: NULL

Event ID: 1010

Online searches show many others have the same issues and list it as a known issue in Windows. First suggestion is to disabled the MS Account Sign-in Assitant service. I can do that as I login to Windows with a local account - NEVER a MS account. Tried that and I can still login to Windows just fine. Would have to wait to see if the random crashes stop though.

BUT, if I disable the service I get blasted with notifications, errors, messages, etc. from MS office 365, the worst being Outlook 365.

It claims I have to logout then login again, error screens popup,blah, blah, blah, and then my Office 365 apps stop working correctly... I can't send or receive email from my MS email account in Outlook 365 soon after disabling the service. I have a MS account that I use to activate MS Office 365 and I am logged into that account prior to disabling the service. I've been doing this for YEARS!

If I set the Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant service back to manual and restart, then ALL those issues with MS Office 365 go away - no more messages or errors or worthless requests to logout and login again (which no longer works anyway if I disable the service).

What the service shows:

Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant
Enables user sign-in through Microsoft account identity services.

If this service is stopped, users will not be able to logon to the computer with their Microsoft account.

Question:

If the service is ONLY related to logging in to Windows on my PC using a MS account and nothing else, why does it impact MS Office 365 apps once I'm logged into Windows?

It's obvious from the results I'm getting that the Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant service is actually used for a lot more by Microsoft than just logging into Windows. I've seen mention that this is a known issue with Windows but it appears it hasn't been fixed as yet since I have all the latest updates/upgrades installed for Windows and Office. But in those posts, I don't see any mention about MS Office 365 apps then becoming basically unusable.

Background:

- Windows 11 Pro version 22H2 OS Build 22621.2361

Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22674.1000.0 installed on 8/19/2023

(with updates installed since)

- login to Windows 11 with local account - not a MS account

- Office 365 MSO Version 2308 (Build 16.0.16731.20182 64-bit)

- login to my MS account in the apps associated with the subscription license

So, do I leave the service enabled and randomly causing crashes or do I disable it to stabilize Windows and then then fight with Office 365 having constant issues?

Not much of a choice if you ask me....

I've paid for Windows 11 pro, I've paid annually for MS Office 365.

Will there be any attempt on Microsoft's part to fix such issues?!

***Moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Performance and system failures ***

 

Windows 10 won't allow me to "Sign in with a Microsoft account instead"

Hi,

Thank you for posting the query on Microsoft Community.

I appreciate your interest on windows 10.

Before we proceed, I would like you to answer the following question:

• 
  Do you receive any error message when you try to Switch to Microsoft account?
  

I suggest you to follow the methods below:

Method 1

I Suggest you to start the "Microsoft account sign in assistant" service and check if it helps. If its already started then stop it and restart the service.To do so,follow the steps below:

• Type services in the search bar.
• Select Microsoft account sign in assistant service.
• Right click on Microsoft account sign in assistant
  and click stop to stop the service.
• Right click on Microsoft account sign in assistant
  again and click restart to start the service.

Method 2

I suggest you to create a local admin account and then switch to microsoft account and check if it helps:

Please follow the link below:

Create a local user account in Windows 10

Manage User Accounts in Windows - Microsoft Support

Follow the steps below to convert a local account to Microsoft Account:

• Press “Windows + I” keys to open Settings.
• Select Accounts.
• Tap or click Switch to a Microsoft account and follow the on screen instructions.

Please get back to us with updated status, we will be happy to assist you.