An attempt was made to reference a token that does not exist

If your Windows File Explorer has stopped working and you see an error while trying to open it – An attempt was made to reference a token that does not exist, then this post may be able to help you. Initially, this issue was reported after the April Update and Microsoft resolved it after correcting the build. However, users are reporting it till very recent. This issue has been reported with utilities like the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), Visual Studio, Printer, Task Manager, Recycle Bin, etc. too.

An attempt was made to reference a token that does not exist

The most probable cause of this issue a troublesome Windows Update. It could also be caused by corrupted system file.

We could proceed with the troubleshooting as follows:

1] Re-register the required DLL file

Search for Command Prompt in the Windows search bar. Right-click on the option and select Run as administrator.

In the elevated Command Prompt window, execute the following command:

for /f %s in ('dir /b *.dll') do regsvr32 /s %s

Restart the system and see.

2] Run an SFC scan

An SFC scan allows users to scan for and restore corrupt Windows system files. If the error in discussion is caused by missing files, an SFC scan could be helpful in resolving it.

3] Revert to the previous build of Windows

If a Feature Update caused this issue, reverting to a previous build of Window 10 could be helpful. In such a situation, it would be helpful to avoid updating till the problem is resolved my Microsoft officially.

All the best!