Cannot start windows event log service on Windows 7. Error 4201.__

Anonymous
2009-11-15T05:12:47+00:00

Cannot start the Windows Event Log service on Local Computer.  Error 4201: The instance name passed was not recognized as valid by a WMI data provider.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2009-11-15T15:54:26+00:00

Hi Ramesh,

That did the trick.  For the record:

  1. Used msconfig to switch to safe mode boot
  2. Booted to safe mode
  3. ran cmd.exe as an administrator
  4. typed "cd C:\Windows\System32\LogFiles\WMI"
  5. typed "rename RtBackup RtBackup2"
  6. Used msconfig to switch to normal boot mode
  7. Reboot and found event viewer working

Thank you! 

Rung

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Ramesh 181.7K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2009-11-15T06:53:44+00:00

Hi rung_windows7,

Renaming or deleting the following folder seems to work for some users:

C:\Windows\System32\LogFiles\WMI\RtBackup

REF: Event log error 4201 - ERROR_WMI_INSTANCE_NOT_FOUND (a helluva great thread)

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Desktop Experience]

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-09-15T14:31:10+00:00

    The only way I could delete the RtBackup folder was to put the hard drive in another machine and browse to the second drive and take ownership of it and then put the drive back in.  I'd love a simpler way.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-09-15T15:15:57+00:00

    Guys, do yourselves a huge favor, just use Unlocker to rename or delete any stubborn folder or file in Windows with extreme ease, no need to go to these extreme and time consuming measures.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-09-18T19:52:38+00:00

    If you have 60+ computers to fix in a corporate domain, whats the fastest way to do it remotely and quietly without disturbing the people's work or scheduling time with people to get on their machines?

    I have remote command prompt access to one now and I can takeown /f RtBackup which lets me look at it, but if this is just malformed permissions issue, which is what it looks like when I run cacls RtBackup, what cacls command would restore the factory default permissions to this folder?

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