After manually deleting some files and updating my NVIDIA Game Ready driver, my Lenovo Legion 5 laptop running Windows 10 now shows this message every time it starts: "Windows cannot find C:ProgramDataInProcSvr32Stella-Adapter.exe." A separate window also asks whether I want to continue running scripts on the page. I can browse the internet and use Steam normally, but many Steam games either fail to launch or crash shortly after opening. Ubisoft Connect and some games installed outside Steam still work. Is this missing file related to the game problems, and what is the safest way to repair the startup error without downloading a suspicious copy of the file?
2 Answers
Because internet access and Ubisoft Connect work, the missing file probably is not preventing Steam from connecting. In Steam, verify the integrity of each affected game’s files, then reinstall or roll back the NVIDIA driver using the official NVIDIA app or website. Also check Windows Event Viewer or the game’s crash message for a more specific cause. If several unrelated games began failing immediately after the manual cleanup, repairing Windows system files with `sfc /scannow` followed by `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth` may help.
That message usually means Windows is trying to launch a program through a leftover startup entry, but the executable was deleted or moved. I would not download a replacement Stella-Adapter.exe from a random website. Since the deletion happened recently, try System Restore and choose a restore point from before the cleanup. If that is unavailable, use Task Manager’s Startup tab or Autoruns to locate and disable the entry that references InProcSvr32 or Stella-Adapter.exe, then run a full antivirus scan. The script prompt is another reason to avoid restoring an unknown file blindly.
That makes sense. I mainly wanted to confirm whether I should try finding the executable online, since the games still work through other launchers and the laptop can get online normally.