How to fix DistributedCOM Error 10016 in Windows 10

The DistributedCOM Error 10016 error is a common Windows problem found on almost every Windows version since Windows XP. This error does not immediately crash the system. You will not be faced with an unexpected blue screen of death. In fact, the error DCOM Error 10016 is not really dangerous.

However, that does not mean you cannot fix it. Here's how to fix DistributedCOM Error 10016 on Windows 10 systems.

What is DistributedCOM?

First, find out what DistributedCOM is and why it displays the error.

Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) is an indispensable aspect of network communication on Windows computers. This is a proprietary technology of Microsoft, works every time the application makes a connection to the Internet. Traditional COM can only access information on the same machine, while DCOM can access data on remote servers.

For example, many websites and services use scripts that access a remote server. When the system makes a request using the script or otherwise, DCOM will forward the request to the specific script object. Based on how often modern applications use the network connection and computer usage in general, you can see how often DCOM is used.

DCOM errors usually occur when an application or service tries to use DCOM but does not have proper permissions. In most cases, DCOM errors will not affect the system, other than clogging Event Viewer. Because most Windows 10 users do not check the Event Viewer regularly, the DCOM error is nothing to worry about. However, a faultless system is still a better option.

Therefore, the following are the methods to fix DCOM 10016 error.

How to fix DistributedCOM Error 10016 in Windows 10

1. Edit the Windows Registry to fix DCOM 10016 error

The first method is to use the Windows Registry. Simple registry editing can sometimes fix DCOM Error 10016 immediately.

Before editing the registry, you should conduct data backup.

Enter the registry in the search bar on the Start Menu and select the most appropriate result. Go to File> Export , set Export Range to All, then save the Windows Registry to a convenient location. The following fix does not damage the computer, but it is best to back it up in case of an unexpected error.

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Now, start fixing the error.

Step 1 : Enter the registry in the search bar on the Start Menu and select the most appropriate result.

Step 2 : Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftOle. You can copy and paste the address into the address bar of Registry Editor.

Step 3 : Delete the following 4 registry keys:

1. DefaultAccessPermission
2. DefaultLaunchPermission
3. MachineAccessRestriction
4. MachineLaunchRestriction

Step 4 : Close the Windows Registry Editor, then reboot the system.

The system will no longer see the DCOM Error 10016 error from now on.

2. Activate DCOM permission for the specific error

If this doesn't work, there's a more time-consuming workaround that you can follow. However, if you have a few individual applications all present DCOM errors, the following process will take some time because you have to repeat most of them for each error.

The DCOM Error 10016 error message in Event Viewer contains information related to the specific application or problem creation process.

Enter the event viewer in the search bar on the Start Menu and select the most appropriate result.

Go to Windows Logs> System and locate the nearest DCOM Error 10016 error. Double-click the error message to expand.

The General tab explains the cause of error 10016, lists CLSID (Class ID) and APPID (Application ID) . The string sequences CLSID and APPID look random. However, you can use them to determine which application or service is causing the error 10016.

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Locate CLSID and APPID in Registry Editor

Here's how you locate the service in Registry Editor.

First, highlight the CLSID in the Event Viewer , then press CTRL + C to copy. Then open Registry Editor. Search the following registry:

 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{Nhập CLSID của bạn tại đây} 

For this example, it looks like the following:

 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{2593F8B9-4EAF-457C-B68A-50F6B8EA6B54} 

Remember, you can copy and paste the address into the Registry Editor address bar. When the CLSID search is finished, you can cross-reference APPID from the error message with the AppID listed in the CLSID.

In this case, the DCOM Error 10016 error comes from Runtime Broker, which is one of the most common causes of this error.

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Edit permission CLSID

In the list to the left of the registry entries, right-click the CLSID related to the error, then select Permission> Advanced . From here, you can edit the permissions of the service. Changing file permissions can also fix a host of other Windows 10 issues.

Highlight Administrators and select Edit. Switch Basic Permissions to include Full Control , then click OK> Apply> OK .

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Now, reboot the system.

When the restart process is complete, enter Component Services in the search bar on the Start Menu and select the most appropriate result. Go to Computers> My Computer> DCOM Config .

You will see a long list of services that use DCOM in some way. Locate the service by name and APPID, right click and select Properties> Security .

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In Launch and Activation Permissions , select Edit> Add> Add a Local Service> Apply . Now, check the box of Local Activation , click OK and reboot the system.

All operations are completed, the process is complete.

Note: Unfortunately, if there are multiple causes of error 10016, you will have to complete this process for each CSLID / APPID combination.

Hopefully, the above methods have helped reduce Distributed COM 10016 errors. It should be emphasized that the DCOM 10016 error is very unlikely to affect system performance. Previously, when Microsoft first introduced 'Distributed' into the Component Object Model, there were holes. However, these vulnerabilities have been fixed and DCOM is currently very safe.

Of course, the DCOM error 10016 is not the only one that appears in Windows 10. If you encounter another problem, this is the most common way to fix Windows 10 errors.

Hope you are succesful.