A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a hardware-based security measure used to authenticate your PC. Sometimes, the TPM may malfunction, resulting in users not being able to access applications such as Outlook or Microsoft Office. Thankfully, there are quite a few ways you can fix the TPM malfunctioning error.

1. Perform a Clean Boot

The first step in resolving common Windows errors is to perform a clean boot to check whether third-party software is causing the issue. It's not unusual for third-party software to conflict with your Windows PC. Here's how you can clean boot your PC:

  1. In the Start menu search bar, type sysconfig. In the search results, click on System Configuration.
  2. In the next window, click on the Services tab.
  3. Check the Hide all Microsoft services box.
  4. Then select all the services listed in the window, and click Disable all.
    Hide Microsoft Services
  5. Click OK and close System Configuration.
  6. Now, press CTRL + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager.
  7. Under the Startup tab, click on each service one by one and click on Disable.
    Disable service in Task Manager
  8. Click on OK and close Task Manager.
  9. Reboot your computer.

If the error doesn't appear, then uninstall any recently installed third-party application. Then reverse the changes you made and use your computer as you would. Alternatively, take a look at how to perform a clean boot in Windows 10 to understand better how the process works.

2. Prepare TPM

You might also be encountering the problem if TPM is not properly configured in your Windows system. To fix this issue, you can adjust the TPM settings by following the steps below:

  1. Press the Win + R keys together to open Run.
  2. Type "tpm.msc" in Run and click Enter.
  3. In the following window, click on Prepare your TPM in the right pane and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the process.
    Prepare TPM in Windows

Once the process completes, check if the issue is resolved.

3. Modify the TPM 2.0 Driver—Error Code: 80090016

One of the most common error codes for the 'Trusted Platform Module has malfunctioned' error is 80090016. Resolving this requires meddling with the TPM driver.

1. Update the TPM 2.0 Driver

The first step in diagnosing this error is to update the TPM driver. You can do this using the Device Manager:

TPM service in Device Manager
  1. Press Win + R to open the Run application. In the text box, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to launch the Device Manager.
  2. In the Device Manager window, navigate to Security Devices and expand the menu. Right-click on Trusted Platform Module 2.0 and select Update driver.
  3. On the update prompt, select Search automatically for drivers.
  4. Windows will automatically download and install the latest version of the TPM 2.0 driver.
  5. Reboot your computer and check if the 'Trusted platform module has malfunctioned. Error code 80090016' issue is resolved.

2. Uninstall the TPM 2.0 Driver

If updating the TPM 2.0 didn't work, it may be time to uninstall it together and let Windows reinstall it the next time you boot.

  1. Press Windows Key + R to launch the Run application. Type devmgmt.msc in the text box and press Enter to launch Device Manager.
  2. In Device Manager, scroll down to Security Devices and expand the menu.
  3. Right-click on Trusted Platform Module 2.0 and select Uninstall device.
    Uninstall TPM driver
  4. Click Uninstall in the confirmation window.
  5. Reboot your computer.

4. Clear Your Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

Another viable method to resolve this problem is to clear the TPM. Before doing so, be sure to back up any important data you may have on your computer. Read our handy guide to Windows backup to know which files and folders you should definitely back up.

Clearing the TPM

Clear TPM on Windows
  1. Click on the Start button and go to Settings.
  2. On the Settings dashboard, click on Update & Security.
  3. On the navigation bar on the left, click on Windows Security.
  4. Now, click on Device Security, and under Security processor, click on Security processor details.
  5. Click on Security processor troubleshooting. In the next window, click on Clear TPM.

5. Disable Modern Authentication—Microsoft Office

This solution is for users who are unable to access Microsoft Office because of the Trusted Platform Module error. Typically, the error code users encounter in this case is c0090016.

The solution involves changing some entries in the Windows Registry Editor. However, before you proceed, we highly recommend creating a Registry backup just to be safe.

  1. Press Win + R to launch the Run application. Type regedit in the text box and hit Enter.
  2. Navigate to:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity
    Identity key in the Registry
  3. Right-click on the white space in the window and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  4. Name the new entry as EnableADAL, and then double-click on it.
  5. Set the Value to 0.
  6. Close Registry Editor and reboot your computer.

6. Take Ownership of the Ngc Folder and Delete It

Another easy way to solve the TPM malfunction error is to delete the Ngc folder. It can be found in the C:\ drive but requires ownership to delete it. This is how you can do it:

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to:
    C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft
  2. Locate a folder named Ngc and right-click on it, then select Properties.
    NGC folder
  3. Under the Security tab, click on Advanced.
  4. Under Owner, click on Change. You'll require administrative privileges to do so.
    Click on the Change button
  5. In the text box, enter your local account username (the one that you're currently using) and click on Check names.
    Check Names button
  6. Click OK. Check the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects checkbox.
  7. Click on OK.
  8. Double-click to open the Ngc folder and delete all its contents.
  9. Reboot your computer.

7. Remove the Application's Credentials From the Credential Manager

This fix is applicable for users facing this issue when launching a Microsoft application such as Outlook or Microsoft Office. The error code will be typically accompanied by an error message stating 'Your computer's trusted platform module has malfunctioned' in Outlook.

Windows Credential Manager

The method involves removing the concerned application's credentials using the Credential Manager:

  1. In the Start menu search bar, type Credential Manager. From the search results, click on Credential Manager.
  2. Click on Windows Credentials.
  3. Under Generic Credentials, select each Microsoft Office credential and click on the arrow towards the right to expand them.
  4. Then click on Remove, next to Edit.
  5. You'll have to do this one by one.
  6. Reboot your computer.

8. Login Using a New Local User Account

If none of the aforementioned solutions work, then all you can do is create a new user account and use that to login into Windows and Microsoft Office. This can easily be done from the Windows Settings app:

  1. Click on the Start button and then select Settings.
  2. On the Settings dashboard, click on Accounts.
  3. On the navigation bar on the left, click on Family & other users.
  4. Under Other users, click on Add someone else to this PC.
    Add some else to this PC option
  5. In the user creation wizard, click on I don't have this user's sign-in information.
    Microsoft Sign-in dialog
  6. On the next window, select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
  7. Fill in all the fields and click OK.
  8. Reboot your computer and sign in using the newly created user account.

TPM Malfunctioning Error Resolved

The 'TPM has malfunctioned' error can be a tricky error to resolve due to the variety of error codes associated with it. Hopefully, one of the listed fixes is sure to help you drive it away. To minimize the occurrence of such errors in the future, make sure to keep your system up-to-date at all times, follow the best practices for computer security, and monitor your system health.