How to Fix ‘Failed to Connect to a Windows Service’ Error

Did you start your Windows 11 PC, and a notification pops up saying, “Failed to Connect to a Windows Service”? The message might mention something like, “Windows could not connect to the Group Policy Client Service” or “System Event Notification Service,” and it means that a required service didn’t start properly. This can affect system functions like networking, Group Policy settings, or your user profile. Well, this error usually indicates a problem with the Group Policy service or the System Event Notification service, which are essential for Windows functionality. Whether it’s a glitch from a recent update or a sneaky registry issue, here is how to fix this and get your PC back to normal.

Failed to Connect to a Windows Service

The “Failed to connect to a Windows service” error means that your computer is experiencing trouble starting or connecting to a specific Windows service. This can be caused by various factors, including corrupted system files, recent updates, or conflicts with other software.

• Some core services—like the Group Policy Client, User Profile Service, or System Event Notification—might fail to start during boot.
• If critical Windows system files are damaged or missing, essential services may fail to load.
• A recent update may have introduced a bug or changed service dependencies, causing some services to break or not launch as expected.
• Security software, optimization tools, or network-related programs can interfere with Windows services.
• If your user account is corrupted, it may prevent related services from running correctly.
• Viruses or buggy apps can interfere with services, which may result in this error.

Note: Some fixes require an admin account. If you’re locked out as a standard user, try logging into an admin account or boot into Safe Mode to proceed.

Restart your PC first

Simple but effective. If a service failed due to a temporary glitch or delay during boot, restarting the system often resolves it. A clean reboot gives all services a fresh attempt to start normally.

Check and Restart the Problem Service

First things first, let’s make sure the service mentioned in the error is running properly. This is like giving your PC a quick nudge to get things back on track.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter to open the Services window.
2. Scroll to the service named in the error (e.g., Group Policy Client or System Event Notification Service).
3. Right-click it and select Properties.
4. Check if the Service status says Running. If not, click Start.
5. Set Startup type to Automatic to ensure it runs at boot.
6. Go to the Dependencies tab and note any listed services. Repeat steps 4–5 for those services to make sure they’re running too.
7. Click OK and restart your PC to check if the error is gone.

Reset Winsock to Fix Network Glitches

Sometimes, network settings get corrupted, causing services to fail. Resetting Winsock (Windows’ network socket catalog) can clear this up and get services talking again.

• Click Start, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
• Type the command netsh winsock reset and press Enter
• Wait for the command to finish, then restart your PC.

This resets network configurations, which can fix service connection issues, especially if the error started after a network change or update.

Boot into Safe Mode to Troubleshoot

Safe Mode starts Windows 11 with only the essentials, which can help you bypass the error and go deeper into the problem.

• Restart your PC and interrupt the boot process 2–3 times by holding the power button when the Windows logo appears. This triggers the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
• Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
• Press F4 or F5 to boot into Safe Mode with Networking.

Clear Corrupted Windows Event Logs

Corrupted event log files can stop services like System Event Notification Service from working. Clearing them out can fix the issue without harming your PC.

• Open services.msc (press Windows + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter).
• Find Windows Event Log, right-click it, and select Stop.
• Minimize the Services window and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs

Here, Right-click on Logs folder and select Rename. Name it to logsold or something else.

• If prompted for permission, click Continue. If you can’t rename, delete all files inside the folder.
• Go back to the Services window, right-click Windows Event Log, and select Start.
• Restart your PC and check if the error is gone.

Note: Don’t delete the winevt folder itself—only rename the Logs folder or its contents. This ensures logs can rebuild safely.

Repair System Files with SFC and DISM

Corrupted system files are a common cause of service failures. Windows 11’s System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tools can scan and fix these files like magic.

• Open Command Prompt as administrator (Start > type cmd > Run as administrator).
• Run the command and press Enter: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RefreshHealth
• Wait for it to complete (it might take 5–10 minutes). Next, run sfc /scannow command.
• DISM repairs the Windows image, and SFC fixes corrupted system files,
• Let it scan and repair files (this can take 10–20 minutes), once it complete, 100% restart your PC.

Create a New User Profile

If your user profile is corrupt, it can break services tied to your account. A fresh user profile ensures a clean environment and can help confirm whether the issue is user-specific or system-wide.

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users
• Click Add account, then choose I don’t have this person’s sign-in info
• Select Add a user without a Microsoft account, create a new local user
• Log into the new profile to check if the error is gone.

Tweak the Registry (Carefully!)

If the Group Policy Client Service is the culprit, missing or corrupted registry settings might be to blame. Let’s fix them, but proceed with caution—registry tweaks are serious business. We recommend create restore points first. Search Create a restore point in the Start menu, click Create, and follow the prompts.

• Press Windows + R, type regedit, and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\gpsvc
• Check the ImagePath value (double-click it). It should say svchost.exe -k netsvcs. If not, update it.

• Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SvcHost
• Double-click the netsvcs value in the right pane. Ensure GPSVC is listed in the Value data field. If not, add gpsvc on a new line (be careful not to delete other entries).

If the netsvcs key is missing, right-click SvcHost, select New > Key, and name it netsvcs. Then:

• Right-click the new netsvcs key, select New > Multi-String Value, and name it netsvcs.
• Double-click it and add gpsvc to the Value data field.
• Create three DWORD (32-bit) values under netsvcs

CoInitializeSecurityParam (set value to 1)
CoInitializeSecurityAllowLowBox (set value to 1)
AuthenticationCapabilities (set value to 3020)

• Click OK, close the Registry Editor, and restart your PC.

Perform a System Restore or Reset

If all else fails, System Restore or a PC reset can roll back Windows 11 to a working state. System Restore is less drastic, so try it first.

Steps for System Restore:

• Boot into Safe Mode or WinRE (restart 2–3 times to trigger it).
• Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.
• Choose a restore point from before the error started and follow the prompts.
• Wait for the process to complete and check if the error is gone.

Steps for PC Reset (if System Restore doesn’t work):

• Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC.
• Choose Keep my files to reinstall Windows 11 without losing personal data.
• Follow the prompts and wait for the reset to finish (this can take 1–2 hours).
• Set up your PC and check if the error is resolved.

System Restore is great if the error started recently. A reset is a last resort but often fixes stubborn issues by giving Windows a fresh start.