The Thread is Already in Background Processing Mode [Fix]

System errors, such as ERROR_THREAD_MODE_ALREADY_BACKGROUND can appear on almost any computer. This problem is related to the Windows platform, and you can easily recognize it by its The thread is already in background processing mode error message.

This isn’t a major error, and today, we will show you how to fix it properly.

How can I fix ERROR_THREAD_MODE_ALREADY_BACKGROUND?

1. Check your dsm.opt file

According to users, this error occurs after restarting the TSM Client Acceptor service. It seems that the cause of the problem is dsm.opt file. This file doesn’t support certain characters, and if you made any changes to it you might’ve caused the problem.

To fix the issue, you need to open dsm.opt file and remove the problematic entries. After doing that, you have to save changes and restart the TSM Client Acceptor and check if that solves the problem.

Several users reported that their dsm.opt file had several invalid TCPCADAddress entries. After removing them from the dsm.opt file, the issue was resolved entirely.

Several users reported that the option file was the problem in their case, and after commenting out VMSKIPMAXVMDKS=yes entry and saving the changes, the issue was resolved.

2. Check your file name

According to users, this error occurs with InfoPath and SharePoint Library. Apparently, the issue can appear if your file name contains any illegal characters. If you’re having this problem, you should check your file name for any illegal characters and remove them.

Many errors can occur with illegal characters in file names, so be sure your file name contains only alphanumeric characters. If there are any special characters, remove them and check if that solves the problem.

3. Clear the InfoPath cache manually

By default, InfoPath saves its cache automatically on your PC. However, sometimes certain issues can occur; the only solution is manually removing the cache. To do that, follow these simple steps:

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog and enter %appdata%. Press Enter or click OK.
   
2. Navigate to the MicrosoftInfoPathFormCache2 directory and delete all files from the directory.

After doing that, the cache will be successfully cleared and the problem should be resolved.

If you don’t want to delete the cache manually, you can do it using a single command. Simply open the Run dialog like we showed you in the previous steps and enter Infopath /cache clearall. Now press OK or Enter, and the cache will be removed automatically.

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4. Recreate ThinApp packages

This error also appears while using VMware and ThinApp for Horizon. Users reported that recreating the ThinApp packages and choosing the Manage with Horizonfixed the issue for them, so be sure to try it.

Keep in mind that this solution applies only to the users that are using VMware. You can skip this solution entirely if you’re not using this tool.

5. Check your antivirus software

Antivirus tools are necessary, but sometimes third-party antivirus software can interfere with your system and cause this and other errors to occur. You need to check your antivirus configuration and disable all problematic features to fix the problem.

Finding the problematic feature isn’t always simple, especially if you’re unfamiliar with antivirus software and computer security, so you’ll have to use trial and error.

Alternatively, you can disable your antivirus software entirely and check if that solves the issue. In some cases disabling the antivirus doesn’t work, so you might have to remove your antivirus.

We must mention that antivirus tools often leave certain files and registry entries behind that can still interfere with your system. To completely remove your antivirus, we advise you to download and use a dedicated removal tool. Many antivirus companies offer these tools for their software, so be sure to download one for your antivirus.

After removing your antivirus entirely, check if the problem still persists. If not, you might want to install the latest version of your antivirus or switch to a different antivirus tool.

6. Enter Safe Mode

Safe Mode is a special segment of Windows that runs with default drivers and applications, so it’s perfect for error troubleshooting. To enter Safe Mode, you need to do the following:

1. Open the Start Menu and click the Power button. Press and hold the Shift key and choose Restart from the menu.
   
2. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings. Click the Restart button.
3. Once your PC restarts, a list of options will appear. Select any version of Safe Mode by pressing the appropriate key.

Once you enter Safe Mode, check if the problem still appears. If not, it’s most likely that one of the third-party applications is interfering with your system and causing this error. To fix the problem, you must remove any recently installed or updated applications and check if that solves the issue.

7. Keep your system up to date

Windows 10 is a solid operating system, but just like any other one, it also has a few bugs. Microsoft is frequently releasing new updates and addressing these bugs, so if you want to keep your PC bug-free and stable, it’s advised to keep your system up to date.

In most cases, updates are downloaded automatically in the background, but sometimes, you can skip an update due to certain errors. To fix this issue, you can check for updates manually by doing the following:

1. Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
2. Once the Settings app opens, navigate to the Update & security section.
   
3. Click on Check for updates button.
   

If any updates are available, Windows will download them in the background and install them once you restart your PC. After updating your operating system, check if the problem still appears.

The thread is already in background processing mode error message can cause problems on your PC, but we hope you managed to solve it by using one of our solutions.