Identify a system error code and what they mean
The system error code is an error number, sometimes followed by a short error message that may appear in Windows in response to a specific problem.
Like how a doctor can use a word to describe a list of symptoms of the patient, the operating system Windows can give an error code to describe the problem that a software program which in turn facilitates software developer to understand what happened and how to fix it.
Note: The code of the system error is not the same as error code of Manager of the devices, code of STOP , POST code or code of the state of HTTP (aka error code in the browser or error code on the Internet). Some system error codes share code numbers with these other types of error codes, but they are completely different errors with different messages and meanings.
The system error code is sometimes called just code for error or code for error in the operating system .
What is the cause of system error codes?
System error codes are provided to software programmers as part of the program interface with the Windows operating system. In other words, system error codes are predefined error codes and error messages that programmers can use with their software to tell you (a software user) that the program is experiencing a particular problem.
Not every software program uses these predefined system errors. Some software programs have their own sets of error numbers and error messages, in which case you can refer to the official website or the guide to the list of error codes and what they mean.
What do the different system error codes mean?
An example of an error code in the system may receive error code 206 when trying to save a file in a music editing program. The explanation for this particular error is that:
“The file name or extension is too long.”
In this case, shortening the file name before saving it will prevent the error.
Here is another example that describes error code 1632:
The Temp folder is located on a device that is full or inaccessible. Free up space on your device or confirm that you have write permission in the Temp folder.
This error code most likely describes a situation where the hard disk is too full. Deleting temporary files or clearing space on other parts of the hard disk can be an easy solution to this error.
See System Error Codes: 1 to 15841 for a complete list of these error types, plus what they mean, the messages that accompany them, and the values that may appear instead of the code number.
More information about system error codes
The same system error code can be used in hundreds of different cases in Windows. This means that the codes are very general, as they can be applied to many different circumstances. For example, instead of having variants of Error Code 206 for each file extension or folder location, Windows uses the same to apply to any circumstance when the file name / extension is too long.
Therefore, just knowing the code will not be enough to figure out how to fix the problem. In addition to the system error code, you need to understand the context in which it was found.
As an example, say you received error code 112, which means that there is not enough disk space. Just knowing the code won’t do you any good unless you also know where it happened, such as which drive it refers to. It is also important to remember what you do when an error occurs, such as if you are trying to add additional files to your hard disk. Therefore, the solution will be much easier to understand and address.
What to do after seeing a system error code
It really depends on the system error code for what you need to do next. In the first example given above, the solution to the error is quite obvious: change the file name because it is obviously too long. However, this is not always so easy.
For example, if an application throws an error code of 6, which means “The handle is invalid”. , you probably won’t know what to do, let alone what that means. In these cases, before you do anything, you should always try again to see if the error occurs twice. If this is not the case, it could be a temporary error that does not require any attention. If this happens, your best course of action is to contact technical support from the software developer or distributor for advice on what can be done.
Again, before contacting anyone, it is important to be fully aware of what you did when the error occurred, what you prevented from doing due to the error, and anything else that may be helpful in finding a solution.
