Resolving the “Unable to connect to Windows service” error

Among the range of failures, bugs and other troubles, which Windows users have to meet, a fairly common phenomenon is an error, accompanied by the message "Unable to connect to the Windows service". It is caused by a failure of system services and components. So, appearing in the system tray at the next start of the computer, an error occurs in the work of the System Event Notification Service (in this case, you can log in to the system only under an administrator account), the Group Policy Client and other system tools. There is no need to talk about the full functioning of Windows in the light of such events, since the computer becomes characterized by lags and noticeable performance loss, and in the Task Manager you can see that the processor is maximally loaded even when working with undemanding software, so you need to fix the problem immediately.

Resolving the "Unable to connect to Windows service" error.

Causes of error

The source of failure can be various factors. Most often, the error is related to the violation of the integrity of the registry files, in particular the technical specification Windows Sockets API (or WinSock) used to implement applications on a TCP / IP-based network. When this failure occurs, users with limited rights cannot log in to the system, while the administrator has the opportunity to look at the system event log to identify the cause of the failure. Sometimes a device reboot temporarily helps to solve a problem, but most often the window informing about the failure that has occurred crashes in the tray constantly until the cause is resolved, and the problematic system tool does not start up manually. So, provoke an error with the message "Unable to connect to the Windows service" can be the following reasons:

  • Registry entries damage by malware.
  • Incorrect, incomplete software installation.
  • Incompatibility of the installed software.
  • Hardware conflict.
  • Windows update curves.
  • Invalid system settings.

Whatever the error caused, its consequences can be very different, but even an inexperienced user can cope with the task of eliminating the failure.

How to fix the error when connecting to the Windows service

To solve the problem, the use of standard operating system tools is sufficient. When the error “Unable to connect to Windows service” appears, it is recommended to diagnose the system and repair damaged items using the System File Checker (SFC) system utility:

  • Run the command prompt as administrator. To do this, in the search line, you must query the command line, then click on the application in the results of the RMB and from the context menu select "Run as administrator". The same effect will be if you open the Run console (Win + R) and enter the cmd command in the line, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
  • In the command line, drive in sfc / scannow and press Enter.
  • A system scan will start, during which, when problems are detected, the damaged files will be replaced.
  • The procedure will take some time and upon completion the utility will issue a report informing you about the damage found, if any, and the work done to rehabilitate it. You may need to restart the device.

Restoration of system files is performed by another Windows OS tool - the built-in utility DISM:

  • Run the command prompt as administrator.
  • Register the command exe / Online / Cleanup-Image / RestoreHealth.
  • We are waiting for the end of the process, during which the system is scanned, and if it finds damaged or missing files, they are restored by downloading them with the utility from the official Microsoft resource. Connection to the Internet is a prerequisite for successful completion of the procedure.

How to check the system for viruses

Damage to system files due to malicious software activity is not uncommon. If viruses are guilty of the fact that the service does not connect, their removal is necessary to solve the problem. Even the presence of a good anti-virus is not a guarantee that virus programs will not be able to penetrate the system. In addition, users themselves often contribute to the infection of the device, for example, downloading software from unverified sources. So, when an error appears stating that it was not possible to connect to the Windows service, suspicious of first of all are malicious programs that have damaged the files needed for the full operation of the system. Viruses settled on the computer, can lead to more serious consequences, if not promptly get rid of them. In addition to the deep scan of disks installed by the antivirus, you can additionally use third-party utilities, for example, Dr.Web CureIt or AdwCleaner, which allow you to thoroughly scan the device and eliminate threats using the most recent anti-virus databases.

How to fix the error using the commands

Failure in Windows 7 or other versions, accompanied by information that you can not connect to the system event notification service, is corrected by console commands that reset the network settings of the operating system, while leaving the default settings. These actions allow you to return the functionality of Windows and the network, but in the case when the source of the problem are viruses, software conflicts or hardware incompatibility, the issue will not be resolved until the end remains in place. So, perform the following actions:

  • We launch the command line on the rights of the administrator (how to do it, see above).
  • In the window, we execute the rout -f command, press the enter key (the routing table is cleared of unnecessary entries).
  • Now we enter the netsh winsock reset command, press Enter (the WinSock handler is reset).
  • Reboot the device.

If the error has not been fixed, we again call the command line and use the commands:

  • ipconfig / flushdns
  • nbtstat -R
  • nbtstat -RR
  • netsh int reset all
  • netsh int ip reset
  • netsh winsock reset
  • netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel = disabled

After that, reboot and see if the problem is solved.

What other methods are used to combat the error

In addition to the above methods, sometimes the problem can be solved through the Network and Sharing Center:

  • Go to the Control Panel and select this service from the list.
  • In the block on the left, select the section "Changes in adapter parameters".
  • We press PKM on the local area connection label, select "Properties".
  • In the list of components used by the connection, put a tick in the item "Client for Microsoft networks" (if the item is not checked).
  • Save the changes and reboot.

If the cause of the error was not identified, and the console commands did not have the desired result, it is possible to rectify the situation using the option to return the system to the restore point. To perform these manipulations, it must be created earlier so that Windows can return to the “past” when no problems have yet occurred. You can use the function on Windows 10 by going to the “Recovery” section in the Security and Service Center (go here through the Control Panel, for each version of the system the name of the service may be different, but the essence remains the same). The process does not affect user data, but it is better to transfer important data to removable media, and then start the process.

If all the measures taken were unsuccessful, you can also refer to the utility that allows you to automate the error correction procedure. For example, you can install and use Microsoft Fix It by downloading the tool from the official Microsoft resource.

The above-described ways to eliminate the error with the text “Can not connect to the Windows service” usually cope with the task, but in severe cases only the extreme method of dealing with failures and errors of all kinds in the form of reinstalling the system will be effective.