"Error 0x80004005: Unspecified error" when renaming folders in Windows 10

I've managed to mess up windows 10, so it produces quite many odd errors.

One of them - even if you try to create new folder and / or rename existing one - explorer produces an error "Error 0x80004005: Unspecified error"

Problem started to manifest after I have used SHChangeNotify function call (either powershell or C#) by changing RoamingAppData / guid 3EB685DB-65F9-4CF6-A03A-E3EF65729F3D.

Reasking same question as in "Unspecified Error" when renaming folders in Windows 10, because I managed to find an answer to this problem.

Solution 1:

In my case I've managed to change personal folder in following registry path:

 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders 

and I had AppData value as in invalid - should be set to %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming.

Please notice that you might have other personal folders as invalid ones, one approach how to detect this one - is to use process monitor with registry capturing enabled.

1. Start process monitor (Download it if you don't have one). Enable "Show Registry Activity".

2. You will get a lot of registry entries. Like anti-virus, windows processes, etc... accessing registry. Right click in "Process name" on each entry appearing and select "Exclude ". All processes except "Explorer". Until almost no new registry entries appears. Press "Clear" periodically to start from clean table.

3. Switch to explorer, rename folder. Error appers.

4. Quickly switch back to Process monitor and disable capture (but don't clear logs)

5. Search for access to registry path HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\Escalation, then look back a little bit - you will find non-working personal folder. You can use even right click and "Jump to" to locate where in registry that one is.

Compare to working PC of what those registry entries should be.