0X0000055A ERROR_RXACT_COMMIT_FAILURE Fix: Corrupt Security DB

1. Corrupted SAM or SECURITY Registry Hive (Most Common)

This error almost always shows up when Windows tries to commit a transaction to the SAM (Security Account Manager) or SECURITY hive in the registry. I've seen it happen after a failed Windows update, a sudden power loss, or a disk write error. The OS panics, throws 0X0000055A, and you're locked out of group policy or user accounts.

The fastest fix is to run DISM and SFC, in that order. Don't reverse them. DISM repairs the component store so SFC can actually work.

Step 1: Boot into Safe Mode with Networking

If you can't boot normally, mash F8 during startup (or hold Shift + Restart from the login screen). Choose Safe Mode with Networking.

Step 2: Run DISM

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This scans and fixes corruption in the Windows image. It took about 15 minutes on my Dell Latitude 5430. If it stalls, don't force-close. Let it run.

Step 3: Run SFC

sfc /scannow

SFC will repair corrupted system files, including the registry hives. I've seen this fix the error on Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 23H2 both.

After both complete, restart normally. The error should be gone.

2. Group Policy Corruption from Third-Party Security Software

Symantec, McAfee, and even some EDR tools (like CrowdStrike) can corrupt the security database when they uninstall badly. They leave behind half-baked transaction logs that Windows can't process. You'll see 0X0000055A in Event Viewer under source Kernel-General with Event ID 6274.

The fix is to manually reset Group Policy to default and flush the corrupted registry keys.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Press Win + X, choose Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin).

Step 2: Reset Group Policy

rd /s /q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy"

Delete the entire GroupPolicy folder. Don't worry, Windows rebuilds it on next boot.

Step 3: Force a Group Policy refresh

gpupdate /force

You'll see a message like Computer Policy update has completed successfully. If it fails, restart and try again.

Step 4: Check for leftover security software

Use the vendor's removal tool. For Symantec, download the Symantec Removal Tool (SRT). For McAfee, use MCPR.exe. Don't rely on the normal uninstaller — it leaves junk.

I've had to do this on about 20 machines that had Norton installed then removed. The error vanished every time.

3. Corrupted Transaction Log Files (NTFS Journal)

Less common, but when the NTFS transaction journal itself gets corrupted — say from a hard crash or failing hard drive — every security transaction fails. You'll also see other symptoms like files not saving or random BSODs with 0x00000024 (NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM).

This fix requires a disk check with repair, and if that doesn't work, you might need to rebuild the journal.

Step 1: Run chkdsk with repair

chkdsk C: /f /r

The /f fixes errors, /r locates bad sectors. Windows will tell you it can't lock the drive and ask to schedule at next restart. Type Y and reboot. Let it run — it can take an hour on larger drives.

Step 2: If chkdsk fixes nothing, rebuild the transaction journal

You'll need the fsutil command, but only if chkdsk reported no issues. Run this from an elevated command prompt:

fsutil repair query C:

If it returns Self-healing mode is enabled, you're good — let Windows fix it automatically. If it says Component detection corruption, run:

fsutil repair initiate C:

This forces a full repair of the NTFS metadata. I've only needed this once on a client's old HDD that kept throwing 0X0000055A. After the command, the error never came back.

Step 3: Check disk health

Download CrystalDiskInfo or use wmic diskdrive get status in PowerShell. If the drive shows warning or bad, replace it. No amount of software repair will fix failing hardware.

Quick-Reference Summary Table

Try them in this order. 9 times out of 10, DISM + SFC kills it. If not, move to Group Policy, then journal repair. And if you're still seeing 0X0000055A after all that? Swap the drive. Hardware doesn't lie.