Microsoft has officially recognized an undocumented issue in Windows 10 May 2020 Update (version 2004) about weird and confusing ESENT warnings. The error messages could start appearing in Event Viewer causing users to be concerned about the permanent storage media installed within the computers running Windows 10.
Microsoft To Address ESENT Error Messages Bug Marked With The Error Code 642:
Several Windows 10 OS users have been experiencing strange flooding of ESENT Error Messages. These are not immediately visible to the common users. They are logged inside the Windows Event Viewer tool. The Windows Event Viewer is a built-in tool that shows a log of apps and system messages, including errors and warnings with detailed information. While the majority of the messages are not severe or critical, these messages can serve as an early warning system, alerting advanced users about potential problems.
— PCRENTGEN (@pcrentgen) September 1, 2020 As for the wave of ESENT Error Messages, several Windows 10 version 2004 20H1 users accessing the Event Viewer tool have noticed errors linked to ESENT. The majority of these error messages are tagged with error code ‘642’. It is important to note that only users who have updated their Windows 10 installation to version 2004 or the May 2020 Feature Update, are reportedly receiving these error messages. The error message has already led to numerous messages in Microsoft’s forums and Reddit. Users are worried about what’s wrong with their system. Users have suspected that the underlying problem could lead to performance losses when running games, certain apps, or the entire operating system. As the errors pertain to the storage media, they could point to a failure in the near future causing data loss and several other potential malfunctions.
What Is the ESENT Error Messages Bug In Windows 10?
ESENT is a DLL component and it is used by ESE (Extensible Storage Engine) runtime, which is a data storage technology that facilities search in Explorer and desktop. Additionally, ESE is also used for indexing the media catalog on the business computers. The ESE process should be constantly running in the background to help Windows 10 with searches within the operating system. The importance of the process may be the reason several Windows 10 v2004 20H1 users have reported there are several error messages pertaining to ESENT 642. Although yet to be officially confirmed, a Microsoft support staff reportedly indicated the warning messages could be about Windows.old folder.
— Windows Latest (@WindowsLatest) September 1, 2020 Now Microsoft has confirmed it will fix the problem with ESE, and a future release of Windows will prevent the system from logging Event ID 642. “Based on feedback we’re turning off ESENT Warning Event ID 642,” noted Microsoft in the changelog of Build 20197, which was released on August 21, 2020. It is important to note that Microsoft has indicated it is switching off the ESENT Warning Event ID 642. It does not directly mean the potential problem has been addressed. Merely switching off logging of the error doesn’t indicate Microsoft has eliminated the bug. Experts argue there could be an underlying issue in any of the databases Windows 10 maintains. However, it is possible that the ‘Warning’ messages were being generated in error, and Microsoft has turned the same off to prevent alarming advanced Windows 10 OS users who take a look in the Windows Event Viewer.
