Workaround for 15031 Non-responsive Action Center

If you have experienced the Action Center acting weird, the tiles going nowhere, All Settings not working, Night light not working....and crashing settings with clicking Devices I have found what looks like a quick and easy workaround.

I noticed every time I clicked Action Center in the taskbar, this error was logged.

Code:

Log Name:      Application
Source:        Application Error
Date:          2/9/2017 6:49:31 PM
Event ID:      1000
Task Category: (100)
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      DESKTOP-BRKF83D
Description:
Faulting application name: SystemSettingsBroker.exe, version: 10.0.15031.0, time stamp: 0xdb537eff
Faulting module name: DeviceFlows.DataModel.dll, version: 10.0.15031.0, time stamp: 0x58969f5b
Exception code: 0xc0000409
Fault offset: 0x00000000000052b0
Faulting process id: 0x2754
Faulting application start time: 0x01d2832f2865dec3
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\System32\SystemSettingsBroker.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\System32\DeviceFlows.DataModel.dll
Report Id: 816c09b4-4365-41a5-b2a9-0857806be9bf
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID: 
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="Application Error" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>100</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2017-02-09T23:49:31.620066900Z" />
    <EventRecordID>722</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>DESKTOP-BRKF83D</Computer>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>SystemSettingsBroker.exe</Data>
    <Data>10.0.15031.0</Data>
    <Data>db537eff</Data>
    <Data>DeviceFlows.DataModel.dll</Data>
    <Data>10.0.15031.0</Data>
    <Data>58969f5b</Data>
    <Data>c0000409</Data>
    <Data>00000000000052b0</Data>
    <Data>2754</Data>
    <Data>01d2832f2865dec3</Data>
    <Data>C:\Windows\System32\SystemSettingsBroker.exe</Data>
    <Data>Log Name:      Application
Source:        Application Error
Date:          2/9/2017 6:49:31 PM
Event ID:      1000
Task Category: (100)
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      DESKTOP-BRKF83D
Description:
Faulting application name: SystemSettingsBroker.exe, version: 10.0.15031.0, time stamp: 0xdb537eff
Faulting module name: DeviceFlows.DataModel.dll, version: 10.0.15031.0, time stamp: 0x58969f5b
Exception code: 0xc0000409
Fault offset: 0x00000000000052b0
Faulting process id: 0x2754
Faulting application start time: 0x01d2832f2865dec3
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\System32\SystemSettingsBroker.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\System32\DeviceFlows.DataModel.dll
Report Id: 816c09b4-4365-41a5-b2a9-0857806be9bf
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID: 
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="Application Error" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>100</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2017-02-09T23:49:31.620066900Z" />
    <EventRecordID>722</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>DESKTOP-BRKF83D</Computer>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>SystemSettingsBroker.exe</Data>
    <Data>10.0.15031.0</Data>
    <Data>db537eff</Data>
    <Data>DeviceFlows.DataModel.dll</Data>
    <Data>10.0.15031.0</Data>
    <Data>58969f5b</Data>
    <Data>c0000409</Data>
    <Data>00000000000052b0</Data>
    <Data>2754</Data>
    <Data>01d2832f2865dec3</Data>
    <Data>C:\Windows\System32\SystemSettingsBroker.exe</Data>
    <Data>C:\Windows\System32\DeviceFlows.DataModel.dll</Data>
    <Data>816c09b4-4365-41a5-b2a9-0857806be9bf</Data>
    <Data>
    </Data>
    <Data>
    </Data>
  </EventData>
</Event></Data>
    <Data>816c09b4-4365-41a5-b2a9-0857806be9bf</Data>
    <Data>
    </Data>
    <Data>
    </Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

I took ownership of the .dll, C:\Windows\System32\DeviceFlows.DataModel.dll , renamed it to C:\Windows\System32\DeviceFlows.DataModel_old.dll

Then I got a copy of the same .dll from a 15025 build, copied it into C:\Windows\System32.

Without re-booting, I checked clicking on Action Center. ALL tiles worked correctly, including Night Light. All settings took me to the Settings Applet. And Devices did NOT crash!

I re-booted and the setting stayed. SFC /scannow will, of course, undo this and put it right back.

This is the 15025 .dll - x64 Pro

DeviceFlows.DataModel.dll.zip

I've noticed no ill effects. Just wanted to pass this along if you care to try.

TC

Winuser said:

This is the first time I every tried to take ownership so I was a little nervous. To my surprise I didn't mess up and the work around worked. Thanks!

Welcome, Sir!

Made a pot of coffee early this morning preparing for a boring hour of waiting as I had decided to go back to previous build 15025 because for me deal breaking devices and casting issue in 15031 (RE: this post).

Luckily I saw this fix before I started! I always keep Take Ownership in context menu (tutorial) so it was a simple task to right click the DLL file in question, take ownership, rename it and replace the one from 15025.

Thanks to @Dick I can once again connect to any Miracast device :)

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Worked like charm, pulled the file from MR backup and replaced it. Now just to remember not to use SFC.

CountMike said:

Worked like charm, pulled the file from MR backup and replaced it. Now just to remember not to use SFC.

You can always just put it back! Glad it worked for you, Mike.

f14tomcat said:

You can always just put it back! Glad it worked for you, Mike.

Something happened, AC is acting up again, this time it took 3 or 4 messages to become translucent again. Before it was doing it after first. Devices are still working but shows all devices as "Not Connected" in "Bluetooth & other devices". Mouse etc. works OK.

CountMike said:

Something happened, AC is acting up again, this time it took 3 or 4 messages to become translucent again. Before it was doing it after first. Devices are still working but shows all devices as "Not Connected" in "Bluetooth & other devices". Mouse etc. works OK.

Seems it is polling around the system looking for connected devices. In old-school terms, it was sizing the attached devices. Rolled my mouse a few times up/down and all was there. All fine. Just a little jerky-jumpy while it takes inventory. :)