STATUS_OPEN_FAILED (0XC0000136) — NtCreateFile API Crash Fixed

You see 0xC0000136. Yeah, it's annoying.

This pops up when an app crashes on launch, or worse — you can't log into Windows at all. The error text says NtCreateFile API failed, which sounds scary. But the root cause is almost always a corrupted user profile or a damaged registry hive that Windows can't open. Let's fix it.

The Fix (Works 90% of the time)

Don't waste time reinstalling Windows. Here's the direct path:

1. Boot into Safe Mode — if you can't log in normally, force a restart 3 times during boot (hit the power button when Windows logo appears). On the 3rd restart, you'll see the Advanced Startup menu. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart > Press 4 (Safe Mode).
2. Create a new local admin account — once in Safe Mode, open Command Prompt as admin. Run:

net user TempAdmin /add
net localgroup Administrators TempAdmin /add

Log out, then log in as TempAdmin. This bypasses your broken user profile.

3. Copy your data — from C:\Users\YourOldUsername to a backup folder. Don't copy the entire profile folder — just Documents, Desktop, and AppData\(specific app data). The NTUSER.DAT registry hive inside there is corrupt.
4. Delete the corrupted profile — open Registry Editor (regedit). Go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Look for keys with a long SID (like S-1-5-21-...). Click each one and check the ProfileImagePath value on the right. It shows which username. Find the broken one. Delete that whole key.

Now in File Explorer, delete C:\Users\OldUsername (you already backed up your data).

Restart normally. Windows will create a fresh profile when you log in. The error should be gone.

Why this works

What's actually happening here is that the NtCreateFile API is failing because it's trying to open the NTUSER.DAT registry hive inside your user folder. That hive contains your desktop settings, environment variables, and app preferences. When it gets corrupted — from a bad update, sudden power loss, or disk error — Windows can't read it. The API call to open the file handle returns STATUS_OPEN_FAILED. Deleting the profile and its registry entry forces Windows to build a new hive from scratch. The SID deletion is key: without removing the registry key, Windows still thinks the old profile exists and tries to load the broken hive.

Less common variations of the same problem

Sometimes the error doesn't happen at login but only when launching a specific app like a game or Adobe software. In that case:

• App-specific folder corruption — the app stores its config in AppData\Local or Roaming. Delete the app's folder inside %APPDATA% (e.g., %APPDATA%\Adobe). Reinstall the app.
• Antivirus hooking NtCreateFile — aggressive security software like McAfee or some third-party firewalls intercept NtCreateFile calls. Temporarily disable it. If the error stops, uninstall that antivirus and switch to Windows Defender.
• Disk file system errors — run chkdsk C: /f from an admin command prompt. If it finds bad sectors, the file handle can't be opened because the physical data is unreadable. You'll need a new drive.
• DLL conflicts from old Windows updates — use System Restore to roll back to a point before the error started. If you don't have restore points, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth then sfc /scannow.

Prevention — stop it coming back

This error is almost never random. It's caused by something you can control:

• Don't force shutdown your PC — hold the power button only as a last resort. It cuts off writes to NTUSER.DAT mid-write.
• Keep disk health checks monthly — run wmic diskdrive get status in CMD. If it says "Bad", replace the drive.
• Limit third-party registry cleaners — CCleaner and similar tools love to delete registry entries that look "orphaned" but are actually needed for NtCreateFile calls. Just don't use them.
• Use Windows Backup or a restore point before major updates — that way you can roll back in 5 minutes instead of rebuilding a profile.

That's it. You don't need to reinstall Windows for 0xC0000136. The profile is the problem, the profile is the fix.