How to Fix the ‘Set User Settings to Driver Failed’ Error on Windows?

The “Set user settings to driver failed” error is related to the touchpad device you have on your laptop. The device which usually displays this error is the Alps Pointing Device and it often occurs on Lenovo laptops. The error message appears randomly but it appears th]e most often during boot.

Users were able to find various fixes to this specific problem. We decided to include the most helpful ones in this article. Make sure you follow the steps below carefully to successfully resolve this problem on your computer!

What Causes the “Set User Settings to Driver Failed” Error on Windows?

The “Set user settings to driver failed” error can be caused by various issues related to your touchpad. Some users have even reported seeing this error on a desktop computer which doesn’t even have a touchpad! Either way, it’s good to pinpoint the correct cause so that you can choose the proper method easily!

Solution 1: Rename a Problematic File

Simply renaming the apoint.exe executable inside the corresponding folder managed to resolve the problem for many users. It can be useful since many users have conflicting touchpad drivers. Disabling one by deleting its executable can resolve the problem quite easily!

1. Open any folder on your computer or click the Libraries button from the Quick Access menu on the taskbar. After that, click the This PC entry from the left-side navigation menu and double-click your Local Disk. Double-click to open the Program Files or Program Files (x86) Locate the Apoint2K folder and double-click to open it.
2. If you are struggling to find this folder or if you have installed it elsewhere, you can also follow these steps. Wait for the error message to appear. When it does, use the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination to open Task Manager. Click the More details button as soon as it opens.
3. Stay in the Processes tab and check the Apps section at the top. Locate the Alps Pointing-device driver entry, right-click on it, and choose Open File Location. After the folder, opens, right-click the same entry again and choose the End task option from the context menu which will appear!

4. Locate the apoint.exe file inside the Apoint2K folder, right-click it, and choose the Rename option from the context menu which will appear. Rename it to something like ‘apoint_old.exe” and confirm the changes. Restart your computer and check to see if the same problem still appears on your computer!

Note: Some users have reported that the steps above have failed to work since they needed to provide ownership and full control over the Apoint2K folder inside Program Files. Make sure you try it out as well if you receive any error messages related to permissions!

1. Before you start, you need to locate the installation folder. It should be the folder which has opened when you’ve chosen the Open file location option when you were prompted with it in Task Manager.
2. Alternatively, you check the folder below which is the default folder for all programs on your computer

C:\Program Files (x86)

3. When you locate it, right-click the Apoint2K folder where the problematic executable file is located and choose Properties from the context menu which will appear. Make sure you navigate to the Security tab in the Properties window.
4. Click the Advanced button at the bottom and click the blue link titled Change next to the ownership entry in the Advanced Security Settings window which will appear on the screen.

5. In the Enter the object name to select window, type Everyone and click the Check Names The Everyone text should become underlined. Click the OK button to add Everyone as the owner of the folder.
6. In the Advanced Security Settings window, click the Add button to add new permissions to the folder. Click the blue Select a principal button at the top. Again, type Everyone and click Check Names. Click the OK button. Make sure the Type is set to Allow.

7. In the Basic permissions window, check the box next to the Full control Click the OK button to add full permissions. Click OK two more times to close all windows which will appear and restart your computer to see whether the “Set user settings to driver failed” error still appears!

Solution 2: Reinstall Your Touchpad Drivers

Since this problem is almost exclusively related to touchpad drivers, you can try resolving the problem by reinstalling these drivers and trying again. You can replace the drivers by default Microsoft touchpad drivers or you can search for your manufacturer online and download the drivers from their website! Either way, make sure you follow the steps below!

1. First of all, you will need to uninstall the drivers you currently have installed. Use the Windows Key + R combination to start the Run In the Open textbox, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ and click the OK button to open Device Manager. You can also search for it in the Start menu.

2. After that, click the arrow next to the Mice and other pointing devices section and locate your Alps pointing device in the list which will appear. Right-click its entry in Device Manager and choose the Uninstall device option from the context menu which will appear!

3. After this, there are two things you can do. You can search for your manufacturer’s drivers, download them, run them from your computer and follow the instructions to install them.
4. Besides that, you can simply reinstall default Microsoft drivers by clicking the Action option from the Menu bar at the top and choosing the Scan for hardware changes button which will appear. It will proceed to reinstall the touchpad driver.

5. Restart your computer after you finish reinstalling the driver and see if the “Set user settings to driver failed” error still appears!

Solution 3: Prevent the Software from Booting

This problem often appears because touchpad drivers are installed on a computer which doesn’t even have a touchpad. Also, it can become difficult to uninstall the Alps pointing device drivers. That is why it’s better to simply prevent them from booting at all!

1. Open the Task Manager by searching for it or by clicking the Ctrl + Shift + Esc buttons at the same time on your keyboard. You can also click Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination and choose Task Manager from the menu which will appear.

2. Navigate to the Startup tab in Task Manager and check the list for the Alps Pointing Device Once you locate it, left-click it, and choose the Disable option at the bottom-right part of the window. Restart your computer and see if the same problem still appears!

Solution 4: Disable an Alps Service

Services configured to run on your computer will run until you tell them to stop. This is the case with Alps devices as well. No matter what you do, its service is still running at it’s better if you simply stop its main service. Follow the steps below to do that!

1. First of all, you will need to uninstall the drivers you currently have installed. Use the Windows Key + R combination to start the Run In the Open textbox, type ‘services.msc’ and click the OK button to open Services. You can also search for it in the Start menu.

2. Alternatively, open Control Panel by searching for it in the Start menu. You can also open another Run box and type ‘control.exe’. Once the Control Panel opens, change the View by option to Large icons and open Administrative Tools. Scroll down until you search the Services entry and double-click to open it!

   

3. Look for the Alps SMBus Monitor Service in the list. Right-click it, and choose the Properties option which will appear on the screen. If the service is running, make sure you click the Stop Under Startup type, click to open the menu and choose Disabled from the list of options.
4. Restart your computer and check to see whether the “Set user settings to driver failed” error still appears!