Solved: File System Error on windows 11 and 10 (While open Photos)

Install the latest Windows updates, ensure the security, stability, and performance of your computer. And the company regularly releases Windows updates with patches for known security vulnerabilities and exploits, bug fixes for known issues and problems and more. However, sometimes these updates can lead to unexpected issues, including file system errors. Users report file system error while opening photos, or you might see this error while trying to open other Windows apps like Calculator etc. Well, this error can be caused by various factors, such as corrupt system files, incorrect permissions, disk issues, or outdated drivers. In this article, we will explore the common causes of file system error when opening photos in Windows 10 and how to fix the problem.

File System Error When Opening Photos on Windows 10

File system errors can occur when you attempt to open images or view pictures in the Photos app or other photo viewers on Windows 10. These errors are often accompanied by messages like “File system error (-2147219196)” or “The file could not be opened.”

This error is usually caused by Disk Related Errors, which can be due to bad sectors, disk integrity corruption, or anything else related to the storage sector on the disk.

Also, sometimes corrupted system files also cause this error as you can also receive the File system error while opening the .exe files or while running apps with Administrative privileges.

If your user account does not have the necessary permissions to access the photos or the folders containing them, file system errors may occur.

If critical system files related to photo viewing or file management are corrupted, it can lead to errors when opening photos.

Sometimes, Incompatible or outdated graphics drivers can lead to issues when opening images, especially if they are in a specific format.

Run Disk Check Utility

As discussed, disk error is one of the primary reasons for file system errors when opening photos or any other files in Windows 10. Disk errors can occur due to various reasons such as improper shutdowns, sudden power outages, or hardware issues, which can lead to data corruption or file system inconsistencies.

Running the Check Disk utility (chkdsk) is a crucial step to address disk errors and resolve file system issues. Chkdsk scans the storage drive for errors and repairs them as needed.

• Press Windows key + S and type cmd, right-click on the command prompt, select run as administrator,
• Type the command chkdsk C: /f /r and press the enter key (Replace C with the appropriate drive letter if your photos are stored on a different drive).
• Press “Y” when asking for confirmation to schedule chkdsk run on the next restart.

Note: Here chkdsk command stands for check disk errors. C is the drive letter where the windows installed. The “/f” parameter tells CHKDSK to fix any errors it finds; “/r” tells it to locate the bad sectors on the drive and recover readable information

Save your current work and restart Windows to allow chdsk command to check and fix disk drive errors. Wait until 100% complete, the scanning process after that, restart Windows and on the next login, check there is no more file system error while opening Windows apps.

Repair Corrupted System Files

Corrupted system files can cause various issues, including errors when opening photos or any other files. And you need to repair corrupt system files using the system file checker utility to fix file system errors on Windows 10.

•  Again open the command prompt with administrative privileges.
• Type the command sfc /scannow and hit the enter key to execute the command.
• The System File Checker (SFC) tool scans for and repairs corrupt or missing system files that could be causing issues with the Photos app.
• If found any, the sfc utility will restore them from a compressed folder located on %WinDir%\System32\dllcache.
• Wait until 100% complete, the scanning process after that restart Windows and check the file system error is fixed.

By repairing these files, you can resolve file system errors and improve the overall stability and performance of your Windows 10 system.

Reset Windows Store Cache

Sometimes corrupted store cache can also cause problems to open Windows apps. Where users get file system error (-2147219196) while opening store-related apps such as the photos app, calculator, etc. Reset Windows store cache by following the steps below

1. Press Windows Key + R then type “Wsreset.exe” and hit enter.

2. Once the process is finished, restart your PC.

Install Windows Update

Windows updates often include bug fixes, security patches, and improvements that can address underlying issues causing file system errors. And checking for and applying Windows updates can be an important step in resolving the problem.

• Press Windows + I to open Settings, go to Update & Security.
• In the Windows Update section, click on “Check for updates.”
• Windows will now scan for available updates.
• If updates are found, click on “Download and install” to start the installation process.
• Wait for the updates to download and install. Your computer may need to restart during this process.
• After the updates are installed, check if the file system errors have been resolved.

Use the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter

Still encountering file system error while opening photos, running the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter can be a useful step in resolving the issue. The Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that can help diagnose and fix issues related to Windows Store apps, including problems with the Photos app.

Running this troubleshooter can help fix any underlying problems that might be causing the file system error.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
3. Click on “Additional troubleshooters.”
4. Locate and run the “Windows Store Apps” troubleshooter.
5. The troubleshooter will start detecting and identifying any issues with Windows Store apps, including the Photos app.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions and apply any suggested fixes.

Once the troubleshooting process is complete, restart your computer and check if this helps fix the file system error on Windows 10.

Check File/Folder Permissions

Ensuring that your user account has the necessary permissions to access and modify the photo folder can fix file system errors related to permission issues.

• Navigate to the folder containing the photos.
• Right-click on the folder and select “Properties.”
• Go to the “Security” tab and click “Edit.”
• Ensure that your user account has “Full control” or appropriate permissions.
• Apply the changes and check if the error is resolved.

Update Graphics Drivers

Also updating your graphics drivers can resolve compatibility issues that may be causing file system errors when opening photos in specific formats or using the Photos app.

• Press Windows + X and select “Device Manager.”
• Expand the “Display adapters” section.
• Right-click on your graphics card and select “Update driver.”
• Choose “Search automatically for updated driver software” and follow the instructions.

Disable Third-Party Antivirus or Security Software

Some third-party antivirus or security software might interfere with the photo viewing process, causing file system errors. Temporarily disabling the software can help identify if it is the cause of the issue.

• Temporarily disable any third-party antivirus or security software.
• Restart your computer and check if the error persists.
• If the error is resolved, consider updating or reinstalling the security software.

Re-register Windows apps

If all the above solutions didn’t fix the problem, and the system still results in file system error (-2147219196) while opening Windows apps. let’s try to re-register all problematic apps, which may refresh and fix the problem for you.

Simply right-click on the start menu, select PowerShell ( admin ). Type the following command then hit Enter to execute the same.

Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

After that restart Windows and on the next login open any Windows app, check there are no more file system errors.

Check with a New user account

Again, sometimes corrupted user account profiles also cause different problems or may cause this file system error (-2147219196). We recommend creating a new user account by following the steps below, log in with the newly created user account, and check may the problem gets fixed.

You can easily create a new user account with a simple command line. First, open the command prompt as administrator. Then type net user “username” “p@$$word” /add and hit the enter key to create a new user account.

Note: Replace username with your username and password as shown image below.

Is the problem still not resolved? Then there might be a problem with the installed update files, which may get corrupted or you have installed a buggy update on your system. That cause tries to reset Windows update components, which may be very helpful to fix almost every Windows update-related problem.