Fix Error Code DC040780 On Windows

“Security Center could not validate the caller with error DC040780”  is a very common error on some computers. There are several reasons for this problem to occur, however, most have to do with corruption in your computer files. Windows or there is a third-party software that is conflicting with your Windows Defender and the Security Center.

After having investigated this particular issue thoroughly, it turns out that there are several different underlying causes that can trigger this particular Event Viewer error DC040780. Here is a short list of possible culprits:

• Software conflict caused by Acronis True Image: It turns out that a fairly common culprit that could be responsible for this problem is an Acronis True Image thread that is conflicting with the Security Center. In this case, you should temporarily uninstall the problematic program and see if the problem stops occurring.
• Third party security conflictAnother fairly common culprit is an inconsistency facilitated by McAfee or a different third-party suite that conflicts with a native Windows Defender or Windows Firewall process. In this case, you should be able to resolve the issue by uninstalling the third-party package (and possibly installing a newer version of the application).
• Windows Defender rejects third-party security component: Please note that with certain security suites, you can expect the native security solutions (Windows Defender + Windows Firewall) to run at the same time as the third-party equivalent, causing a conflict reflected within the Event. To fix this issue and confirm this scenario, you will need to disable both Windows Defender and the native firewall component.
• McAfee error: In case you are using McAfee Antivirus or McAfee Security Endpoint, the problem is likely caused by a bug that allows Windows Defender to run even though a third-party equivalent is already active. In this case, you can prevent the conflict from causing this error by disabling the native component via Registry Editor.
• Symantec Endpoint Protection failure: In case you are seeing this error while using Symantec Endpoint Protection suite, the issue you are facing is likely related to a subcomponent of the Security Center. Several affected users who are also dealing with this issue have confirmed that the issue was resolved after they disabled the Security Center completely from an elevated Registry window.
• Outdated BIOS firmware: On Dell computers, it is not uncommon to see this error due to a very outdated BIOS version. Other users who are in a similar scenario have managed to fix the problem by installing the latest available BIOS firmware following the official documentation.
• System file corruption: In certain circumstances, a case of system file corruption can also be the underlying cause of this error code. To avoid making irreversible changes to your machine, our recommendation is to try to fix this issue by performing a repair installation procedure.

How to fix error DC040780

Now that you know all the possible culprits that could be responsible for the appearance of this error code, here is a list of fixes that other affected users have successfully used to prevent further instances of the error from appearing:

1.- Uninstall Acronis True Image 2021 (if applicable)

According to many affected users, one of the reasons why you can expect to see the DC040780 error is a conflict facilitated by Acronis True Image 2021. I know it's an unlikely conflict, but it turns out that some background processes used by this software determine your Windows 10 operating system to launch Repeated Event Viewers that indicate a problem with the Security Center.

If this scenario may be applicable in your case and Acronis True Image 2021 is installed on your computer, follow the instructions below to temporarily uninstall it and see if this managed to stop the new event errors from appearing.

This is what you should do:

• Press the Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run. Then write appwiz.cpl inside the text box and press Login for open menu Programs and Features. If he UAC (User Account Control) prompts you, you have to click on Yes to grant administrator access.
• Once you are inside the screen Programs and Features, scroll down the list of installed programs and locate the entry associated with Acronis True Image 2021.
• When you see the list associated with Acronis True Image 2021, right-click it and select uninstall in the context menu.

• Within the uninstallation screen, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation operation, then restart your computer and see if the problem is now fixed.

If this method was not applicable to you, you can try the next method that we are going to show you below.

2.- Uninstall or reinstall the third-party security package (if applicable)

It turns out that this issue is often caused by an inconsistency facilitated by McAfee that has since been fixed via an application update.

However, since this particular issue (error DC040780) also sometimes manifests itself by effectively breaking the auto-update feature in McAfee Endpoint Security o McAfee VirusScan, the best course of action is to temporarily uninstall the third-party security suite before making sure to install the latest available version.

Updated: It turns out that there are other third-party security suites that are known to cause the same type of problem. Comodo Internet Security is another possible culprit that could cause the error.

If you find this scenario is applicable in your current situation, please follow the instructions below to uninstall McAfee Antivirus from your computer (or a different third-party suite) before installing the latest available version:

• Start by pressing the Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run. Then in the dialog box Run which has just appeared, writes appwiz.cpl and press Enter to open the screen Programs and Features.
• Inside the menu Programs and Features, scroll down through the list of installed programs and locate the overprotective suite you plan to uninstall.
• When you see the context menu, right click on it and select where it says uninstall in the context menu.

• Next, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation of the security suite, and then restart your computer.
• After your computer restarts, monitor the Event Viewer and see if the same DC040780 error still occurs.

Nota: If the problem is still resolved, you've just confirmed that your third-party security suite was at fault. If you like your third-party AV, visit the download page for your preferred antivirus and download the latest version to see if the problem is now fixed.

If the issue is still not resolved or this method is not applicable in your particular situation, please move on to the next potential solution below.

3.- Disable Windows Defender + Windows Firewall (Windows 10)

It turns out you can also expect to see the error DC040780 in a situation where you are using a third-party security suite that Windows does not recognize as a viable alternative to Windows Defender + Windows Firewall.

If this scenario is applicable, both security solutions will be running at the same time (the third-party solution and the Windows security) which could cause conflicts between certain Kernel processes making it easier for this error code to appear.

Important: Please note that this particular scenario only occurs on Windows 10.

In this case, you should be able to fix this issue by accessing the Settings menu of your Windows 10 installation and making sure that both Windows Defender and Windows Firewall are disabled to avoid conflicts with the third-party equivalent.

For instructions on how to do this, follow the steps below to disable Windows Defender + Windows Firewall via the Windows 10 GUI menu:

• Start by pressing the Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run. Then write windowsdefender in the text box and press Enter to open the menu Windows security. If he UAC (User Account Control) prompts you, you must click on Yes to grant administrator access.
• Once you are inside the menu Windows Security, click on the tab Protection against viruses and threats, then click on the hyperlink Manage settings (At Virus and threat protection settings).

• On the next screen, turn off the toggle associated with the  firewall and network protection.

• Go back to the first window of Windows security, then click Firewall & Network Protection.
• After you get to the next screen, click on the network that is currently active, then turn off the toggle associated with it. Windows Defender Firewall.
• After doing this, restart your computer and check the Event Viewer once again to see if the DC040780 error is now fixed.

If this method was not applicable or did not solve the problem in your case, continue with the next method below.

4.- Disable Windows Defender via Registry Editor (if applicable)

In case you are using McAfee and you are unable to apply the above solution because all Windows Defender and Windows Firewall controls are greyed out, you will need to use the Registry Editor to disable the built-in security component.

Several users who are also dealing with this issue when using McAfee Antivirus have confirmed that they managed to prevent further instances of Security Center Failed to validate caller (Error DC040780) from occurring by disabling Windows Defender by making some registry tweaks.

If you are willing to try this solution, follow the instructions below:

• It starts with the Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run. Inside the run box, type regedit inside the text box and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

Nota: If you are asked for the UAC (User Account Control), click Yes to grant administrator access.

• Once you are inside the Registry Editor, use the menu on the left side to navigate to the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
• When you manage to be inside the correct location, move to the right section, right click on an empty space and select where it says New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
• Next, rename the newly created DWORD value to Disable AntiSpyware and press Enter To save the changes.
• Double click on the value DisableAntiSypware newly created and sets the basis en hexadecimal and  data of the value en 1 before clicking Accept To save the changes.

• Restart your machine and see if the problem is now resolved.

If the same problem persists, please move on to the next potential solution below.

5.- Disable the Security Center (if applicable)

If you're using Symantec Endpoint Protection and your Event Viewer is full of DC040780 errors that point to a software conflict, your only hope of fixing the problem while keeping the third-party package active is to disable the Security Center altogether.

Fortunately, there is a fairly easy way to do this if you don't mind making some registry changes that will effectively block the Security Center from taking action.

Follow the instructions below to open a raised window from the registry editor and modify the values ​​of SecurityHealthService y wscsvc  to prevent the associated Security Service + core dependencies from being used:

Nota: Before following the steps below, we recommend that you you do  a copy of security of your Registry data in advanceThis way, in case something goes wrong after this operation, you will have an easy way to get back to working state.

• Press the Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run. Then type regedit inside the text box and press Enter to open the Registry Editor. When you are asked for the UAC (User Account Control), you have to click on Yes to grant administrator access.
• Once you are inside the Registry Editor, use the menu on the left side to navigate to the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SecurityHealthService

Nota: You can navigate to this location directly or you can paste the location directly into the navigation bar and press Enter to get there instantly.

• When you manage to access the correct location, move to the right side section and double click on Start Dword.
• Next, set the key Base of the initial value en Hexadecimal and then change the data of the value a 4 before saving the changes.

• After the key SecurityHealthService has been successfully edited, navigate to the next location using the navigation bar at the top and do the same for the cluster wscsvc: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wscsvc
• When you get to the correct location, you will move to the right section and double click on Start.
• Just like before, you have to change the basis a hexadecimal and set the data of the value en 4.
• Close the Registry Editor, restart your computer and check the situation inside the Events viewer to see that new instances of the error have stopped occurring DC040780.

If this scenario is not applicable, you can try the following method.

6.- Update the BIOS firmware

Some users encountering the issue on desktops (mostly Dell) have reported that they managed to stop these event viewers, resulting in error DC040780  after updating your BIOS firmware. This is especially useful in those situations where these errors precede an eventual system crash.

But it's important to understand that the exact procedure for updating your BIOS version is very different depending on your motherboard manufacturer.

Warning: Additionally, this operation could end up creating additional stability issues with your PC if you follow the steps incorrectly. Because of this, we only recommend updating your BIOS firmware if you have done so before and are confident that you will be able to do so according to the instructions provided by your motherboard manufacturer.

The exact upgrade steps will vary from configuration to configuration, so we recommend following the appropriate documentation according to your manufacturer.

Here are some useful links from popular manufacturers that will help you update the BIOS version:

• Dell
• Acer
• Lenovo
• Asus

Important: If your motherboard manufacturer is not listed above, search online for specific steps.

If your Bios version is up to date but you are still experiencing this issue consistently, please continue to the next potential solution below.

7.- Implement a repair facility

If none of the possible solutions above have worked for you, you are likely dealing with some type of corruption that is affecting your operating system's ability to mitigate normal system events.

In this case, you should try to solve the  error code by updating all Windows related files. You can also achieve this with a procedure of clean installation,  But our recommendation is to do a repair facility (repair on site).

While a clean install won't discriminate and remove everything on your operating system drive (unless you back it up beforehand), a repair install will only touch the operating system components, leaving your personal files, apps, and games intact.