How to fix DistributedCOM Error 10016 on Windows 10

DistributedCOM Error 10016 does not affect system performance, but you should still fix it to operate on a more stable computer.

DistributedCOM Error 10016 is a common Windows error found in almost every version from Windows XP and above. This error does not immediately cause a system crash. You are not suddenly subjected to the blue screen of death. And in fact, the DCOM Error 10016 error is not cause for concern.

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

What is DistributedCOM?

First, we need to know what DistributedCOM is and why it fails. Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) is an integral part of network communication on Windows computers. It is a proprietary technology from Microsoft that works every time the application connects to the Internet. A traditional COM can only access information on the same machine; conversely, DCOM is capable of accessing data on the remote server.

For example, many websites and services use scripts to access a remote server. When your system conducts a query in a script or in another way, COM forwards the query to a specific script object. Based on the frequency of current applications that use the Internet and computer in general, you can see the frequency of using DCOM.

A DCOM error always occurs when an application or service tries to use DCOM but does not have appropriate permissions. In most cases, the DCOM error does not affect the system other than clogging Event Viewer. The DCOM error is not cause for concern, so most users do not check the Event Viewer regularly. But is an error-free system always better? The following are easy methods to fix DCOM Error 10016 .

1. Edit the Windows Registry to fix DCOM Error 10016

A simple registry tweak can sometimes fix DCOM Error 10016 immediately. Before editing it, you should create a backup of your data.

Type the registry into the Start Menu search bar and choose Best Match. Go to File> Export , switch Export Range to All , and then save the Windows Registry to an accessible location. The following fix will not harm the computer, but it is best to back it up to restore in case of unexpected errors.

Now, we begin to fix the error as follows:

1. Type registry in the Start Menu search bar and select Best Match .

2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Ole . You can copy and paste it into the address bar of Registry Editor.

3. Delete the following 4 registry keys:

DefaultAccessPermission

DefaultLaunchPermission

MachineAccessRestriction

MachineLaunchRestriction

4. Close Windows Registry Editor , then restart the system.

Your Windows 10 will now no longer have the DCOM Error 10016 error.

2. Turn on DCOM authorization for the specific error

If this doesn't work, you have another viable but time-consuming solution. However, if a few individual applications fail DCOM, the following process will take a little longer because you have to repeat most of the operations for each error.

The error message DCOM Error 10016 in Event Viewer contains information related to a certain application or process that generated the error.

1. Enter the event viewer in the Start Menu search bar and choose Best Match.
2. Go to Windows Logs> System and locate the latest DCOM Error 10016 error. Double click on this error message to expand it.
3. The General tab explains the cause of error 10016, lists CLSID (Class ID) and APPID (Application ID). The CLSID and APPID strings are randomly generated. You can use them to identify the application or service that caused the error 10016.

Locate CLSID and APPID in Registry Editor

Here's how to locate the service in Registry Editor. First, type CLSID in the Event Viewer, then press CTRL+ Cto copy. Then open Registry Editor . Search the following registry:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ CLSID \ {Paste CLSID here}

In this example, it looks like: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ CLSID \ {2593F8B9-4EAF-457C-B68A-50F6B8EA6B54} .

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

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

Edit permission CLSID

In the list to the left of the registry entries, right-click the CLSID to the right of this error, then select Permission> Advanced . Here, you can edit the permissions of this service. Changing file access can fix a variety of other Windows 10 errors.

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

Now, reboot the system. When the process is complete, enter Component Services into the Start Menu search bar, then select Best Match. Go to Computers> My Computer> DCOM Config .

You will see a long list of services using DCOM in a few ways. Locate the service by name and APPID, right click and select Properties> Security .

In Launch and Activation Permissions , select Edit> Add> Add a Local Service> Apply . Check Local Activation box , click OK and reboot the system again. It's done!

Note : If there are multiple causes of error 10016, you must perform this procedure for each CSLID / APPID combination. 

Hopefully the article helps you fix Distributed COM 10016 error on Windows 10 effectively. If you encounter other problems, refer to how to fix common errors on Windows 10 that may be helpful to you.