Many users have reported getting the “Autopilot.dll WIL error was reported” often a dozen times per day in Windows Event Viewer. In this article, we will see what can cause it and what we can do about it.
This error happens when the Microsoft Sign-in Assistant requests a file path (onecoreuap\admin\moderndeployment\autopilot\dll\dllmain.cpp) that does not exist in Windows. This is why you see “Message: NULL” when you get this error.
So far, Microsoft didn’t release an update to fix this issue, and since this is a coding error, there is nothing we can do right now to fix this issue completely. However, there is a workaround: turning off Microsoft Sign-in Assistant.
(To learn what to do if the Windows Event Log is taking up too much space in Task Manager, read my article on high disk usage by how to fix Windows Event Log high disk usage)
Next, I will show you how to turn off Microsoft Sign-in Assistant and tell you the pros and cons of this workaround.
Disable Microsoft Sign-in Assistant to Fix “Autopilot.dll Wil Error Was Reported”
Disabling the Microsoft Sign-In Assistant will stop this error message from appearing altogether. The reason this is a workaround, and not a fix, is because there are also drawbacks to it.
Microsoft Sign-in Assistant may be necessary to run a few Windows services like the Outlook calendar widget, Office 365, or the Xbox Game Pass. So, turning it off can affect some features of your PC.
You can always turn it back on if you want, so it might be worth trying. To turn it off and get rid of the error message, follow the steps below:
- Enter Services on Windows Search and click on Run as Administrator:
- Right-click on the Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant and click on Properties:
- In the General tab, click on the Stop button under Service status:
- Now change the Startup type to Disabled:
- Press Apply and then OK to apply the changes.
- Restart your PC.
If you need to turn it on again, turn your settings back to what it was before and restart your PC.
Besides this workaround, you can also try to turn off Microsoft Edge.
Disable Microsoft Edge on Windows Startup to Fix the Autopilot.dll Error
Some users reported that Microsoft Edge seems to trigger this error, so it is worth trying to use another browser. Besides that, disable Microsoft Edge at startup to make sure it is not running in the background by following the steps below:
- Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC to open the Task Manager and navigate to the Startup tab.
- On the Startup tab, right-click on Microsoft Edge and click on Disable:
If this doesn’t work, the only thing you can do is wait for a Microsoft official fix. As of 19th August 2022, Microsoft still didn’t release an update dealing with this issue.
If you are reading this article later, try to update Windows as explained below.
Check for Windows Updates
As explained before, this is an error that the user cannot fix. The official Microsoft fix will come through a Windows update. If you are reading this article later, try to update Windows.
- Enter Check for updates on Windows Search and click on Open:
- Then on Windows update, click on the Check for update button:
Conclusion
The file path onecoreuap\admin\moderndeployment\autopilot\dll\dllmain.cpp does not exist in your version of Windows, so you will continually get the “Autopilot.dll WIL error was reported” error till Windows provide a definite fix.
This error message does not affect your PC; you can safely ignore it.
As a workaround, try to disable the Microsoft Sign-in Assistant service by pressing Win + R and entering services.msc on the Run dialog. On Windows services, search for Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant, open it and click on the Stop button and change the Startup type to disabled.
Besides that, the best thing you can do is wait for a Windows update to fix this.
If you see a very high power usage in task manager, I’ve written an article about why it happens and when it is something you should keep your eyes on.
