How to Fix ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED

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The ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED with error code 606 (0x25E) with description {Audit Failed} An attempt to generate a security audit failed occurs when there is an issue with the Windows auditing process. The error generally indicates that the system cannot generate a security audit event due to permissions issues, missing auditing configurations, or system-level problems.

First, press Windows + X, select Event Viewer, then go to Windows Logs> Application. Look for warnings or errors related to the BSoD error.

How can I fix the ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED?

1. Verify audit policy settings

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window.GPEDIT MSC RUN ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED
  2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Group Policy Editor app.
  3. Navigate to this path: Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies
  4. Locate Audit Policy, check Audit account logon events, Audit account management, and Audit directory service access.Polices
  5. Double-click the policy and make sure it is enabled.
  6. Once enabled, restart your computer to save the changes.

2. Check if the Event Log Service is Running

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window.Services RUn command ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED
  2. Type services.msc and click OK to open the Services app.
  3. Locate Windows Event Log, right-click it, and check if Start is greyed out.
  4. If it is not, select Start from the context menu.

3. Clear storage space

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window.Cleanmgr Run command ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED
  2. Type cleanmgr and click OK to open the Disk Cleanup window.
  3. On the Disk Cleanup: Drive Selection window, select the drive you want to free up space from under Drives and click OK.Select the drive and click OK
  4. Select the Clean up system files option.Clean up system files ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED
  5. You will again get the Disk Cleanup: Drive Selection window; select the same drive and click OK.
  6. Put a checkmark next to all the items listed under the Files to delete field and click OK.Click OK
  7. Click Delete Files on the following window.Delete Files ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED

This will remove all temporary files, old Windows installation files, content from the Recycle Bin, and other unnecessary files from the selected drive.

If the disk still has low storage, go through each folder, delete unnecessary or deleted apps folders from the drive. You can also look for setup files as they tend to acquire a lot of space.

However, if you are making changes to the system drive, you should be careful when deleting files, especially from C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86). Deleting files from these folders may result in the malfunction of apps or even system.

4. Run a System File Checker

  1. Press the Windows key, type cmd in the search box, and select Run as administrator from the list of options to launch Command Prompt with administrator rights.CMD elevated -  ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED
  2. To repair or restore missing system files, copy & paste the following command and hit Enter: sfc /scannowSFCSCANNOW CMD
  3. Wait for the scan to complete, then restart your computer to let the changes take effect.

5. Disable Windows Firewall temporarily

  1. Press the Windows key, type control panel in the search box, and click Open to launch Control Panel.Control Panel start menu ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED
  2. Select Category for View by and select System and Security.System and security ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED
  3. Click Windows Defender Firewall.Windows Defender
  4. Select Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.Turn on or off defender
  5. Under Private network settings and Public network settings, choose Turn off Windows Defender Firewall(not recommended).Turn on or off, click OK ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED
  6. Click OK and check if you see ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED appears again.

6. Edit the registry entries

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window.Regedit - ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED
  2. Type regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor app.
  3. It is best practice to back up all Registry entries before making changes. To do that, click File, then select Export. Save the .reg file in the desired location.Export - ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED
  4. Go to this path: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eventlog\SecurityRegedit
  5. Check all the registry values for misconfiguration, then restart your computer to let the changes take effect.

In conclusion, to fix the ERROR_AUDIT_FAILED with error code 606 (0x25E), you can verify audit policy settings, check if the event log service is running, clear disk storage, run an SFC scan, temporarily disable Windows Firewall, or edit the registry entries.

If you want to learn about the tools that can monitor and check the changes made in the Group Policy, check out this guide.

If you have any questions or suggestions about the BSoD error, feel free to mention them in the comments section below and we’ll be sure to check them out.

More about the topics: BSOD, BSoD error codes, BSoD errors, windows 10, Windows 11

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