7 Ways to Fix ‘The extended attributes are inconsistent’ Error

Some users are reporting dealing with the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error on Windows 10. While some users encounter this error when they start a particular 3rd-party application or built-in application, other users report that the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error occurs whenever they try to open something with Administrative privileges.

The cause of this issue is diverse and the trigger can be anything from a corrupted audio codec to a third-party app installation. If you’re currently struggling with this issue, the fixes in this article will help.

Below you have a collection of methods that users in a similar situation have used to resolve the issue. Please follow the potential fixes in order until you find a fix that manages to resolve the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error. Let’s begin.

Method 1: Disable the Windows user account control sound

It turns out that this particular issue is often caused by two third-party audio codecs that are often included with freeware regularly used by Windows users: msacm.avis and msacm.lameacm.

Apparently, these two can end up breaking the UAC consent dialog, making the user unable to open programs with administrative privileges. This happens because whenever Windows loads up the consent.exe dialog used for the UAC prompt, it plays a sound effect that requires a codec to decode the audio file.

Some users have discovered that disabling the Windows user account control sound is successful removing the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error. But keep in mind that this fix is mainly reported to be effective in instances where the user is prevented from opening applications with administrative privileges with the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error.

Here’s a quick guide on disabling the Windows user account control sound to resolve the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run box. Then, type “mmsys.cpl” and hit Enter to open up the Sound menu.
   
2. In the Sound menu, click on the Sounds tab and scroll look for a Windows User Account Control entry under Program Events.
3. Click on the Windows User Account Control entry to select it, then use the drop-down menu under Sounds to set the sound to None.
   
4. Hit Apply to save the changes, then try to open up a program with administrative privileges to see if the issue has been resolved.
   Note: If you’re still seeing the same Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error, go back to the Sounds screen and set the whole Sound Scheme to No sounds, then hit Apply to save your changes.
   If this method didn’t help you to solve the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error, continue with the other methods below.

Method 2: Unchecking Windows Logon Security in HP ProtectTools (if applicable)

Some HP users have managed to resolve the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error after disabling the Windows Logon Security features from within HP’s ProtectTools.

Apparently, HP devices that use the fingerprint feature can suffer from a bug that displays the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error whenever the users get to the UAC prompt. Disabling this feature on HP device will preclude the use of the fingerprint reader through ProtectTools, thus eliminating the issue.

To disable the Windows Logon Security feature, open ProtectTools and navigate to Security > Features and click on Settings. In the Settings menu, uncheck the box associated with Windows Logon Security and save your changes.

If this method didn’t resolve the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error or wasn’t applicable, move over to Method 3.

Method 3: Uninstall Recently installed applications

Some users have found that a recently installed application was actually causing the problem. Commonly reported programs that are known to trigger Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent errors are Point Cloud Library, OpenNI, and PrimeSense.

If you’re suspecting that one of the programs that you recently installed is causing the issue, there’s no other way to confirm this than to uninstall each software systematically. Here’s a quick guide on how to do this:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run box. Then, type “appwiz.cpl” and hit Enter to open Programs and Features.
   
2. In Programs and Features, click the Installed on column at the top to order them by the most recent installations.
3. Systematically uninstall each recently installed piece of software that you think might be causing the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error.
4. Once you’re done uninstalling, reboot your computer and see if the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error has been resolved.

If you’re still encountering the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error, continue with the method below.

Method 4: Running a System File Checker Scan

As it turns out, the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error can also occur if the system files are mismatched. Some users finding themselves in a similar situation have managed to resolve the issue by running a System File Checker (SFC) scan.

An SFC scan has the role of repairing any corrupt Windows files by replacing them with fresh, clean copies. But keep in mind that any files that are determined to be corrupted or mismatched will be cleared and replaced, so there’s a chance of potential data loss.

Here’s a quick guide on how to run a System File Checker(SFC) scan to resolve the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run box. Then, type “cmd” and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an Elevated Command Prompt.
   
2. In the Elevated Command Prompt, type “sfc / scannow” and hit Enter to commence the System File Checker scan.
3. Wait until the process is complete, then close the Elevated Command Prompt and restart your computer.
4. At the next system startup, check if the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error has been resolved.

If an SFC scan wasn’t effective in fixing the issue or you weren’t able to access the utility, proceed with Method 5.

Method 5: Repairing the System Image

If the SFC scan was not successful, you can also try to run a DISM repair in an attempt to fix any corrupted system image files that might be triggering the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error.

Some users have managed to finally resolve the issue by running a DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) repair command. This is similar to an SFC scan to some degree, but it uses WU (Windows Update) to replace any instances of corrupted files. Because of this, it’s very important that you have a stable internet connection through the whole operation.

Here’s a quick guide on deploying the DISM repair command in an elevated Command Prompt:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run box. Then, type “cmd” and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open up an Elevated Command prompt.
   
2. In the Elevated Command Prompt, type (or paste) the following command and press Enter to initiate the DISM scan:

   Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3. Once the operation is complete, restart your computer and see if the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error has been resolved at the next startup.

Method 6: Using NETPLWIZ to change the Group Membership

Some users have managed to resolve the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error by using the User Account menu to order each Windows account to its respective group. If the issue is caused by a UAC glitch, the following procedure will bypass it:

1. Press Windows key + R to open a Run box. Then, type “netplwiz” and hit Enter to open the User Accounts window.
   
2. In the User Account window, select your main Windows account and click on Properties.
3. In the newly opened window, click the Group Membership tab, select Other and use the drop-down menu to select Administrators.
   
4. Hit Apply to save your changes then return to the User Accounts window and make sure that each account belongs to a group.
5. Restart your computer and see if the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error has been resolved at the next startup.

If you’re still struggling with the same error, move down to the final method.

Method 7: Using a System Restore Point

If you’ve come this far without a result, you’re last chance before having to do something drastic like a Windows reset.

If you were lucky enough, you might still be able to avoid a reinstallation by using a previous System Restore point to revert your machine to a state where the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error was not manifesting. But keep in mind that this is only applicable if you have a restore point prior to the date when you first started seeing this error.

Here’s a quick guide on how to use a previous System Restore point to resolve the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error:

1. Open a Run box by pressing Windows key + R. Then, type “rstrui” and hit Enter to open the System Restore window.
   
2. In the System Restore window, click Next at the first prompt, then click the box associated with Show more restore points.
   
3. Then, select a restore point prior to the date when you first started experiencing the Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error and hit Next to proceed.
4. Once everything is set up, click on Finish to start the restoring process. After a couple of minutes, your PC will restart and the old state will be mounted at the next startup.