Many Windows users, especially those with Lenovo and Sony laptops, report that they encounter a strange dialog error saying "Failed to set user settings on driver". On the surface, the problem does not seem that serious, but users are quite annoyed by persistent dialog alerts every now and then. So we did some research and found out that the error is related to the touchpad (made specifically by Alps) which comes mostly on Lenovo and Sony laptops. The error stems from the Alps touchpad driver which has bugs and compatibility issues. That being the case, we bring you a detailed guide on how to fix “Failed to set user settings to driver” error on Windows computers. So let's get started.
Fix Error Set User Settings to Driver Failed on Windows (2021)
We've included three different ways to resolve the "Set user settings to driver failed" error on Windows. The first method allows you to permanently delete the Alps pointing service so that you no longer encounter the error. The second method allows you to completely disable the service and the last one allows you to keep the Alps touchpad service but with an updated driver.
With that said, let's get down to the steps now. As always, you can use the table of contents below to navigate the methods detailed in this article.
Delete the Alps pointing driver
1. First, right-click on the taskbar and open the task manager .
2. Under the “Processes” tab, find “Alps Pointing Device Driver” and select it. After that, click on the “End Task” button in the lower right corner.
3. Similarly, find “ApMsgFwd” under the same “Processes” tab and complete the task.
4. Next, navigate to the "Details" tab of Task Manager and locate "HidMonitorSvc.exe" . Again, complete the task.
5. With that done, open the “C” drive and navigate to “Program Files” . Here, locate the “Apoint2K” folder. If the folder is not available there, look in the “Program Files (x86)” folder.
6. Now just delete the “Apoint2K” folder and you are done. Finally, with all processes closed and no program directories available, you will no longer encounter the “Failed to set user settings on driver” error on your Windows PC. That said, keep in mind that you must be on the administrator account to perform the delete operation.
Rename the file Apoint.exe
If the above method did not fix the problem, try renaming the Apoint.exe file which is responsible for the annoying “Setting user settings to driver failure” error on Windows laptops. This will prevent Windows from calling the Alps Pointing driver since the file name has been changed. Here are the steps to follow.
2. Next, right click on the “ Apoint2K ” and select “Properties”.
3. Now go to “ Security ” and click on “Advanced”.
4. In the Advanced Security Settings window, click on " Change ".
5. You will be given the option to enter the name of the object. Enter “ All people ” and click on “Check names”. This will validate the object name. Now click “OK” and Everyone will become the owner, allowing us to edit the folder and its contents.
6. Next, click on the “ Add ” in the Advanced Security Settings window.
7. Next, click on “ Select a principal ” and enter “Everyone” as we did above. Under "Type", select "Allow" from the drop-down menu. Finally, check the “Full Control” box and click “OK”.
8. Now click “OK” on other open windows. After that, open the “Apoint2K” folder and locate the “ Apoint.exe ” file. Rename it as you wish. For example, I renamed it to "nothing.exe".
9. Finally, restart your computer and from now on you will not encounter “Set user settings to driver failure” error on your Windows computer.
Disable service
If you don't have access to the Administrator account and can't proceed with the delete operation, you can take another route. You can disable the 'Alps' service on your PC. This way, the service won't work and you won't encounter the "Failed to set user settings on the driver" error on your Windows PC.
1. First, complete all processes by following steps 1-4 in the above section. After that, press “Windows” and “R” keys simultaneously to open the “Run” window. Here, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. The Windows Services window will open. Here, search for “Alps SMBus Monitor Service” and right click on it to open “Properties”.
3. Now click on “Stop” and change the “Startup type” to “ Disabled ”. After that, click on the “Ok” button.
4. Next, open Task Manager and navigate to the “Startup” tab. Here, locate “Alps Pointing Device” and disable it immediately. Finally, restart your computer. Now, “Set user settings to driver failed” error will not occur on your PC.
Reinstall the driver
As we know, there are bugs with the Alps touchpad driver that lead to the error "Failed to set user settings on the driver". And I mentioned that deleting the program folder or disabling the service would easily stop the persistent dialog. However, removing or disabling the service is not an option for many users who use the Alps service for various touchpad gestures . So if you want to fix the error and also want to keep the Alps pointing service, follow these steps.
1. Right-click on the Start menu and open “ Device Manager “.
2. Here, expand the “Mice and other pointing devices” menu and right-click on “ Alps pointing device ”. After that, choose “Uninstall Device”.
3. With that done, click on “Action” at the top and choose “ Scan for hardware changes “. You will find that “Alps Pointing Device” has been reinstalled again by your PC automatically.
4. This time, right-click on “Alps Pointing Device” and select “ Update Driver “.
5. Here, click “Search automatically for drivers” and your Windows computer will start downloading the latest Alps driver from the internet. After installation, restart your computer.
6. Now you should not encounter any “Failed to set user settings on driver” error on your Windows PC. In case the error persists then you have no choice but to follow the above methods – remove the program or disable the service.
Solve error setting user settings to driver failure on Lenovo and Sony laptops
This is how you can fix “Set user settings to driver failed” error on Windows computers, especially laptops from Lenovo and Sony that come with Alps touchpad driver. Other than that, if the Alps touchpad driver was mistakenly installed on your Windows desktop, there is nothing to worry about. You can follow the same steps mentioned above to stop the persistent dialog alert. Anyway, it all comes from us. If you want to learn how to speed up Windows 10 computers, check out our linked article. Additionally, you can also check out our separate article on how to fix common problems on Windows 10.
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