| Previous | Next |
| STATUS_DRIVER_DATABASE_ERROR | STATUS_INVALID_IMPORT_OF_NON_DLL |
STATUS_SYSTEM_HIVE_TOO_LARGE
Boot-critical configuration grew beyond its supported limit
The SYSTEM hive contains boot-critical control sets, service configuration, and device information. Excessive growth can prevent normal initialization earlier than an ordinary application hive problem because the boot environment must load this data before the full operating system is available.
Look for runaway service, driver, or device-instance data rather than deleting random keys. Recovery should preserve current control-set relationships and use an offline backup or supported repair environment when Windows cannot boot far enough to inspect the hive safely.
What to inspect
- Compare SYSTEM hive size and subkey counts with a known-good backup.
- Inspect recently installed drivers, services, filters, and enumerated devices.
- Avoid hand-deleting ControlSet or Enum branches without component ownership data.
- Validate the repaired hive in an offline copy before replacing boot files.
References
- Microsoft Learn: Registry Hives
- Microsoft Learn: Services Registry Tree
- Microsoft Learn: Registry Keys for Drivers
- Microsoft Open Specifications: NTSTATUS values
Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.