Fix: Enumerating user sessions to generate filter pools failed

The error “Enumerating user sessions to generate filter pools failed” is an error condition present in Windows error logs with the Event ID 3104. It is related to the Windows search mechanism that is independent of Cortana.

This error usually occurs with newly installed versions of Windows 10 and primarily means that Windows is unable to properly initialize the Windows search mechanism. In some cases, this error condition causes a restart of the system and in some, the search functionality doesn’t work as intended.

What causes the event log ‘Enumerating user sessions to generate filter pools failed’?

As mentioned before, this error message in the event log occurs in newly installed versions of Windows, particularly in Windows 10 pro. The main reasons why this error appears in the event log are:

• The search service is not initialized properly which causes the error message under discussion.
• There is a problem with the registry entry of Windows Search.
• The SYSTEM account is not added to the DCOM security. The system account should be added to the security module for complete access of the operating system so it can carry out tasks not only for one user but for all of them.

Before proceeding, make sure that you are logged in as an administrator and have the latest version of Windows installed. Microsoft has officially documented this error and according to users, updating Windows to the latest build fixes the error condition for good.

Solution 1: Changing Windows Search startup type

Windows Search is the main mechanism of searching in the operating system which also includes the feature of indexing to make the search faster and easier for the user. If the startup type of the search service is not set correctly, the module may not be able to start when prompted and hence cause the error message.

1. Press Windows + R, type “services.msc” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
2. Once in services, search for the entry “Windows search”, right-click it and select Properties.

3. Once in Properties, set the Startup type as Automatic and Start the service if it is stopped. Press Apply to save changes and exit.

4. Restart your computer completely and check the event log if the error entry still persists.

Solution 2: Changing Windows Search registry entry

If your Windows Search properties are set correctly with the service running and the event log still logs this error, you can try changing the registry value of Windows Search. In cases of a new operating system, the registry values might not be created properly which may induce the error. Make sure that you are logged as an administrator.

Note: The registry editor is a very powerful tool with defining influence in the operating system. Do not change the values which you don’t know about or it will make the problem worse.

1. Press Windows + R, type “regedit” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the path given below:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search

3. Now search for entry “SetupCompletedSuccessfully”, right-click it and click Modify.

4. Change the value from 1 to 0. Press OK to save changes and exit. Restart your computer and check your error logs to see if the error log still gets made.

Solution 3: Adding SYSTEM to DCOM Security

If you have applied both the above solutions and the error still persists, you can attempt at adding the user SYSTEM to DCOM security using component services. It seems that the SYSTEM needs complete access to this module in order to function properly so it can initialize all services without any hindrance.

1. Press Windows + S, type “component services” in the dialogue box and open the application.

2. Click on the entry Computers and when you see My Computer, right-click it and select Properties.

3. Select the tab COM Security and click on the option Edit Limits under the heading Access Permissions.

4. When the Access Permission tab opens up, click on Add and select Advanced from the next window.

5. Click Find now, select SYSTEM from the list of users and press OK.

5. Now after adding SYSTEM, make sure it has all permissions and click OK.

6. Restart your computer completely and check your event log to see if the error occurred recently again.

Note: If you see the error message in your logs but it isn’t causing you any problems or loss in functionality of the computer, it is safe to say that you can ignore it. This scenario is present in a lot of computers where it doesn’t affect any module including the search