Why won't windows connect to the group policy client?

Anonymous
2012-11-04T18:34:27+00:00

I am currently using a dell inspiron 7720 with windows 7 home premium and recently a small message has begun appearing above my taskbar saying

"Failed to connect to a windows service

Windows could not connect to the Group Policy Client service. The problem prevents standard users from logging on to the system.

As an administrative user, you can review the System Event Log for details about why the service didn't respond"

Anyone know why this is happening and how to fix it?

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
2016-08-21T13:45:28+00:00

The resolution is quite easy. Ignore all those tech geeks here and on other sites who just want to show off how they can fiddle with registries--a very dangerous game.  Go to Search, type cmd, open cmd as Administrator.  Type exactly this (with indicated spaces): netsh winsock repair  then press Enter. You will need to Restart (NOT shut down and turn On) your computer. Bingo! Unfortunately this condition may re-occur from time to time, like if you Start your computer before turning on your internet and establishing a good connection.  No sweat the fix takes about 3-5 minutes depending upon your computer Restart speed.

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Anonymous
2013-02-02T03:55:35+00:00

I FOUND SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM!

You did a great job on discovering the events BEFORE the issue started to occur.  I had this issue on my laptop since November, and it really bugged me.  Like you, I sifted through the event log and found absolutely the same pattern you described.

In short, the pattern is as follows: Windows updates run automatically, and when reboot is initiated after the updates are finished, the computer crashes.  When it boots up, it reports that the last shutdown was unexpected, and the issue begins to occur.

I spent 2 days trying to dig out a solution from the Internet, to no avail, until I came across this page.  It doesn't say anything about this particular problem, but it gives more information about SVCHOST process that starts many services, including Group Policy Client.  It looks like during reboot a vital registry settings were lost and Group Policy Client simply "doesn't know" how to start. Let me explain:

There are two places to look in the registry:

  1. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services this path should contain gpsvc key (a folder), which is responsible for service parameters and configuration.  I found that the key wasintact, so, you do not touch anything here.
  2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SVCHOSTThis is the most important path you should look into, as it must contain the keys and values referred in the key #1.  Below are descriptions what must be present there.
  • There must be Multi-String value called GPSvcGroup. My laptop was missing it.  So, you should create multi-string value named GPSvcGroup and assign it value GPSvc.
  • Next, you must create a key (a folder) and name it GPSvcGroup
  • Then open newly-created GPSvcGroup folder and create 2 DWORD values:
  1. First called AuthenticationCapabilities and you must give it a value of 0x00003020 (or 12320 in decimal)
  2. Second is called CoInitializeSecurityParam and it must have value of 1.

Once you completed all steps above, reboot the computer and the problem will be fixed.

I am so relieved I was able to fix it, and hope this will help others with the similar issue.

Here is the link for video walkthrough: http://youtu.be/4m5KEmckWK4[http://youtu.be/4m5KEmckWK4](http://youtu.be/4m5KEmckWK4)

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-11-18T00:01:06+00:00

    Hi

    I have the same problem.

    1: Can only log on as administrator

    2: When I log on an error message appear in sys tray: "Windows could not connect to the Group Policy Client service. This problem prevents standard users from logging on to the system. As an administrative user, you can review the System Event Log for details about why the service didn't respond."

    3: When I go to Services.msc the service "Group Policy Client" has not started. Select Properties for this service, all the buttons (Start, Stop, Pause, Resume) I greyed out.

    The server status is: Stopped and the "Startup type" is set to "Automatic" but is greyed out.

    4: In the Event View I fund those error messages (under System)

    A: EventntID 7009: A timeout was reached (30000 milliseconds) while waiting for the Group Policy Client service to connect.

    B: EventntID 7000: The Group Policy Client service failed to start due to the following error:

    The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.

    In both cases the "Service Control Manager" is the "Source".

    I have searched around but have not yet found a solution. As it looks like it is the same problem as has been described here, I wonder if you have found a solution.

    Thanks

    Haral

    Updated:

    After posting the first part I dug a bit more into this problem and found this info:

    The problem occurred first time Friday 16 November in the morning (When I logged on as administrator) – I know that because the person logged in the day before was a standard user – he logged out the 15 November in the evening.

    During the night a lot of Windows updates were installed from our WSUS server. (The PC had been switched off for a while and a lot of updates were missing).

    16/11/2012 04:04:54 there is an event 22:

    "Restart Required: To complete the installation of the following updates, the computer will be restarted within 15 minutes:

    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2661254)
    • Security Update for Microsoft Office 2007 suites (KB2687314)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2647753)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2729094)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2732500)
    • Security Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2705219)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2732487)
    • Security Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2743555)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2732059)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2756822)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2749655)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2731771)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2592687)
    • Security Update for Word 2003 (KB2687483)
    • Security Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2724197)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2574819)
    • Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64 - October 2012 (KB89

    The message was truncated as it ends on "(KB89".

    But in the Windows update history I found the other updates that were installed:

    • Security Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2731847)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2739159) (Installation date: 16/11/2012 04:03)

    The updates below was installed the next day after I had logged in to the PC, before I released that there was a "real problem" with the PC:

    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2761217) (Installation date: 16/11/2012 09:46)
    • Security Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2727528)
    • Update for User-Mode Driver Framework version 1.11 for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2685813)
    • Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.1 on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 for x64-based Systems (KB2729452)
    • Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64 - November 2012 (KB890830)
    • Update for Microsoft Office 2007 suites (KB2596848)
    • Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 9 for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2761451)
    • Update for Outlook 2003 Junk E-mail Filter (KB2760492)
    • Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 on XP, Server 2003, Vista, Windows 7, Server 2008, Server 2008 R2 for x64 (KB2729449)
    • Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2750841)
    • Security Update for Excel 2003 (KB2687481) (Installation date: 16/11/2012 09:56)

     -----  All installations are reported "Successful"

    Now the PC reboots and 16/11/2012 04:05:31 I get the eventID 7036 which tells me: "The Group Policy Client service entered the stopped state." (That proves that the service was running before this reboot)

    • The PC restarts: I then get an entry in the log: "The operating system started at system time 2012-11-16T04:06:35.860398900Z.

    04:07:09 I get "The Group Policy Client service entered the running state."

    04:10:10 The system starts reporting a lot of "successfully installed updates:"

    1: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2739159)

    2: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Security Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2731847)

    3: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Security Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2724197)

    4: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2592687)

    5: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2731771)

    6: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2749655)

    7: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2756822)

    8: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2732059)

    9: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Security Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2743555)

    10: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2732487)

    11: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Security Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2705219)

    12: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2732500)

    13: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2729094)

    14: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2647753)

    15: Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2661254)

    04:11:57 all updates have been done. There are a few entries before the PC automatically reboots again. The entries in my Event log are:

    04:11:57 eventID 7036 - The Multimedia Class Scheduler service entered the stopped state.

    04:12:09 eventID 7036 - The Shell Hardware Detection service entered the stopped state.

    Now there are no more entries before 08:25:29 – the time I log in to the PC.

    08:25:29: "The operating system started at system time 2012-11-16T08:25:28.860398900Z."

    08:25:49 "The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly."

    But 08:26:26 the system reports (EventID 7009): "The previous system shutdown at 04:12:40 on ?16/?11/?2012 was unexpected." (My comment: This indicates a problem related to installing the updates.)

    Then at 08:26:48 I get the first problem with the "Group Policy service": A timeout was reached (30000 milliseconds) while waiting for the Group Policy Client service to connect.

    and

    08:26:48 EventID 7000 - "The Group Policy Client service failed to start due to the following error: 

    The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion."

    After I found this info in my event log I conclude my problem is related to the windows update. But what to do next? Any suggestions about how to fix this problem?

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-11-13T17:10:05+00:00

    I too am having this issue and nothing you have suggested makes any difference!  Getting desperate.

    Can you log on to any of your accounts?

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-11-13T02:32:11+00:00

    I too am having this issue and nothing you have suggested makes any difference!  Getting desperate.

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