Fix "Windows Resource Protection Could Not Start Repair Service"

Are you trying to run the System File Checker (sfc /scannow) but run into the “Windows Resource Protection could not start the repair service” error message? You’ll learn how to fix it here.

The System File Checker is an incredibly useful tool millions of users rely on to fix system-wide issues by restoring missing or corrupted files. It’s able to automatically detect and fix system files causing issues on your computer. But what are you supposed to do when the feature fixing your issues needs fixing as well?

Users have been reporting that when trying to execute the “sfc /scannow” command, they get yet another error message in return: Windows Resource Protection could not start the repair service. There are a few things you can do in order to fix this and successfully run the System File Checker.

Windows Resource Protection could not start the repair service.

Why Is the SFC Scan Not Working?
How Do I Fix the “sfc /scannow” Not Working? Fix Windows Resource Protection Could Not Start the Repair Service Error
Method 1. Start the Windows Modules Installer (TrustedInstaller)
Method 2. Use the Command Prompt
Method 3. Try To Run the System File Checker in Safe Mode
Method 4. Run the DISM Command
Final Thoughts

Why Is the SFC Scan Not Working?

Your System File Checker can't function because of the TrustedInstaller (Windows Modules Installer) service. It’s a necessary service that helps your system install, modify and remove various applications. It also “owns” your system files to prevent other sources from modifying or deleting them.

Despite this, you still may run into issues with corrupted system files and so, you need to use the SFC scan. TrustedInstaller has full access to Windows Resource Protection (WRP) files and registry keys necessary for the SFC scan to work.

This service starts on-demand when executing the “sfc /scannow” command. If the service has been completely disabled, the scan won’t be able to restore any missing or corrupted WRP files.

This issue appears most commonly in Windows 7, but may appear on Windows 8 as well as the latest Windows 10.

How Do I Fix the “sfc /scannow” Not Working? Fix Windows Resource Protection Could Not Start the Repair Service Error

There are a few different solutions to help you if you’re struggling to run the System File Checker and scan your device for corrupt files or missing resources.

Method 1. Start the Windows Modules Installer (TrustedInstaller)

The most straightforward solution is manually starting the required service. It’s important to configure the Windows Modules Installer in a way that allows it to start whenever you try to run the SFC scan. The steps below will guide you through this setup.

Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard. This is going to bring up the Run utility.
Type in services.msc and click on the OK button. This is going to launch the Services window, which might take a few seconds to fully load.
Right-click on the Windows Modules Installer service and choose Properties.
Set the Startup type to Manual. If the service isn’t running, click on the Start button. Click Apply, then OK. You should be back at the list of services.
Close the Services window and try running the “sfc /scannow” command again. If the scan still doesn’t work, move on to the next solution.

Method 2. Use the Command Prompt

This method is essentially the same one as the first but done in the Command Prompt. It’s possible that this solution may work, as you need administrative permissions to make the modification.

Open the search bar in your taskbar by clicking on the magnifying glass icon. You can also bring it up with the Windows + S keyboard shortcut.
Type cmd or Command Prompt in the search bar. When you see it in the results, right-click on it and choose Run as Administrator.
When prompted by the User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to allow the app to launch with administrative permissions.
Once the Command Prompt window is open, type in the following command and press Enter to execute it: sc config trustedinstaller start= auto. If the command worked, you should see the SUCCESS message.
Afterwards, execute the following command: net start trustedinstaller. There should be a message about the Windows Modules Installer service starting successfully.
Now, you can try to run the System File Checker by executing the sfc /scannow command. If you still don’t have any luck running it, try a different method below.

Method 3. Try To Run the System File Checker in Safe Mode

There’s a possibility that a background application or service is interfering with the System File Checker, causing it to not work. In this case, you can try simply executing the scan command in Safe mode. Safe mode boots your system with only the necessary Windows components enabled.

Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard. This is going to bring up the Run utility.
Type in “msconfig” without the quotation marks and press the Enter key on your keyboard. This will launch the System Configuration application.
Switch to the Boot tab. Under Boot options, check Safe boot and keep it on the Minimal setting, then click the OK button.
Restart your computer. It should boot in Safe mode without any third-party applications, only starting the necessary services. Open the Command Prompt and execute the sfc /scannow command to see if the SFC scan is working.

Method 4. Run the DISM Command

Some users have reported that running the DISM command fixed the System File Checker. The Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool re-deploys your system image in order to fix issues directly related to it. The step-by-step instructions to run this scan can be found below.

Open the search bar in your taskbar by clicking on the magnifying glass icon. You can also bring it up with the Windows + S keyboard shortcut.
Type cmd or Command Prompt in the search bar. When you see it in the results, right-click on it and choose Run as Administrator.
When prompted by the User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to allow the app to launch with administrative permissions.
Once the Command Prompt window is open, type in the following command and press Enter to execute it: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Wait for the scan to complete, and then restart your computer. When going back to the Command Prompt, try running the SFC scan and see if it works now.

Final Thoughts

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How To Fix “Windows Resource Protection Could Not Start the Repair Service”

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