FIX BSOD 0x1000007e: SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED caused by SMBDIRECT.SYS on HP Proliant ML350 Gen 10 Server 2016 (Solved)

This tutorial contains instructions to resolve the BSOD error 0x1000007e: "SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED", caused by the "smbdirect.sys" driver, on a HP ProLiant ML350 Gen10 Server running Windows Server 2016 or Server 2012 R2.

The following problem occurs on an HP Proliant ML350 server running Windows Server 2016: The server randomly and without an obvious reason crashes with a blue screen that reports the following error:

"A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage
to your computer.
The problem seems to be caused by the following file: smbdirect.sys
SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
Technical Information:
*** STOP: 0x1000007e (0xffffffffc0000005, 0xfffff803804fa7a0, 0xffffa780867fb1e8,
0xffffa780867faa30)|
*** smbdirect.sys – Address 0xfffff803804fa7a0 base at 0xfffff803804e0000 DateStamp
0x57dacc39"

How to FIX the BSOD Error 0x1000007e: SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED, on HP Proliant Server Gen 10 with Windows Server 2012 or 2016.

Method 1. Update Network Adapters Drivers.

After searching a lot about this issue, I found that according to Hewlett Packard Enterprise Support Center the BSOD error 0x1000007e (0x7E), caused during the file copy on ProLiant Gen10 Servers Running Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 or Microsoft Windows Server 2016.

More specifically the blue screen error (0x7E) "SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED" can appear on any HPE ProLiant Gen10 Server which configured with any of the following network adapters with HPE Intel i40eb Driver for Windows Server 2016/Windows Server 2012 R2 Version 1.8.83.0:

• HPE Ethernet 10Gb 2-port 568i Adapter
• HPE Ethernet 1Gb 2-port 368i Adapter
• HPE Ethernet 1Gb 4-port 369i Adapter
• HPE Ethernet 1Gb 2-port 368FLR-MMT Adapter
• HPE Ethernet 10Gb 2-port568FLR-MMT Adapter
• HPE Ethernet 10Gb 2-port 568FLR-MMSFP+ Adapter

So, if you 're running on this case, proceed and install the latest driver for the network adapter according the installed Windows Server version: *

• HPE Intel i40eb Driver for Windows Server 2012 R2 version 1.8.109.0
• HPE Intel i40eb Driver for Windows Server 2016 version 1.8.109.0

* Notes:
1. HP also recommends to install also the latest version of HPE Intel Online Firmware Upgrade Utility for Windows Server x64 Editions version 5.1.3.0
2. If after installing the network driver, the BSOD problem persists, then check the original article on HPE Support Center for updates or continue reading below and apply the next solution.

Method 2. Disable the SMB Direct Driver (smsdirect.sys) .

After investigating the BSOD error 0x1000007e (0x7E) with the BlueScreenView utility, I found that the crash is caused by the SMB Network Direct Driver (smsdirect.sys).

The SMB Direct, is a feature that included in Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016 versions, which supports the use of network adapters that have Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) capability. Network adapters that have RDMA can function at full speed with very low latency, while using very little CPU. For workloads such as Hyper-V or Microsoft SQL Server, this enables a remote file server to resemble local storage.

So, the next method, to resolve the BSOD error 0x1000007e, is to disable the SMB Direct feature. To do that:

1. Open PowerShell and give the following command:

• Set-NetOffloadGlobalSetting -NetworkDirect Disabled

2. After disabling the SMB Direct, the 0x1000007e bsod problem should be resolved.

* Note: If you want to re-enable the SMB Direct in the future, give the following command in powershell:

• Set-NetOffloadGlobalSetting -NetworkDirect Enabled

That's it! Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.

If this article was useful for you, please consider supporting us by making a donation. Even $1 can a make a huge difference for us in our effort to continue to help others while keeping this site free:

• Author
• Recent Posts

Konstantinos Tsoukalas

Konstantinos is the founder and administrator of Wintips.org. Since 1995 he works and provides IT support as a computer and network expert to individuals and large companies. He is specialized in solving problems related to Windows or other Microsoft products (Windows Server, Office, Microsoft 365, etc.).

Latest posts by Konstantinos Tsoukalas (see all)

• How to Add a Shared Calendar in Outlook for Web (OWA) - May 20, 2026
• How to Stop Windows 11 from Downgrading GPU Drivers. - May 18, 2026
• How to Update Third-Party Apps via Intune using WinGet AutoUpdate for Intune. - May 14, 2026