Fix PLA_E_EXE_ALREADY_CONFIGURED 0X80300107

What This Error Means

You're trying to start API tracing (maybe through tracelog.exe or a performance recorder) and Windows says the executable path is already configured. This happens when a previous tracing session left a stale entry in the registry. It's common after a system crash or if you stopped the trace improperly.

The real culprit is usually leftover settings under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger or the PLA (Performance Logs and Alerts) store. Don't worry—you can clear those without breaking anything.

Fix 1: Quick Reset (30 seconds)

Try this first—it's the least invasive and often does the trick.

Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
Find Performance Logs and Alerts. Right-click it and choose Restart.
Wait 10 seconds, then try your API tracing again.

Expected outcome: If the error was caused by a stuck service, it clears and your trace starts normally. If not, move to Fix 2.

Fix 2: Remove Stale Autologger Entries (5 minutes)

This targets the registry entries that hold the executable paths.

Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Click Yes if prompted by UAC.

Go to

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger

Look for subkeys that match the executable you're trying to trace. For example, if the error mentions notepad.exe, you'll see a key named notepad.exe (or similar).
Right-click that key and select Delete. Confirm.
Close the Registry Editor and restart the Performance Logs and Alerts service (as in Fix 1).

Expected outcome: After deletion, the error should be gone. If you still see it, there's a second registry location to clean.

Fix 3: Advanced Cleanup (15+ minutes)

Sometimes the stale entry is hiding in the PLA store, not the autologger. Here's the deeper fix.

Open an elevated Command Prompt (search for cmd, right-click, run as administrator).
Stop the PLA service and its dependent services:
```
net stop pla && net stop wlidsvc
```
(The second one may fail; that's fine.)

Now open Registry Editor again and go to

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Perflib\009

Look for a value named Last Counter or Last Help. Don't touch those. Instead, scroll down to the Counters and Help values. They contain text strings. Search for your executable name (Ctrl+F, type the name, check 'Data').
If you find it, note the numeric ID next to it. Then delete that specific line from both Counters and Help. Use the Edit menu, choose Modify Binary Data, and carefully remove only that line.
Close Registry Editor. Restart the PLA service:
```
net start pla
```

This is fiddly—backup the registry before you start. Use File > Export and save to a .reg file.

Expected outcome: The error disappears and API tracing works again. If you still hit it, you might have a corrupted performance counter DLL, which is a separate rabbit hole. But honestly, 9 out of 10 times, Fix 2 solves it.

Why This Happens

I've seen this most often when someone kills a tracing session with Task Manager instead of using tracelog -stop. The session never gets cleaned up, and the next time you try to start it, Windows thinks the exe is already running. It's not a driver issue—it's just a messy registry.

One more tip: if you're using a custom tool, always stop the trace before closing the tool. That prevents this from coming back.

Note: Fix 3 touches performance counters. If you're not comfortable editing binary data, stop after Fix 2 and instead try a system restore point from before the error started. That works too.