'Windows Resource Protection could not start the repair service' Error

The 'Windows Resource Protection could not start the repair service' error is an issue that prevents the System File Checker from starting. Although the SFC has full integration into the WRP, file damage and other problems may cause these conflicts and deny users access to a recovery solution. However, users can restore access to the SFC through different methods manually or take advantage of alternate ways of performing similar file-repairing services.

What to Do When File Repair is Just Out of Reach

For many circumstances of Windows malfunctions, running to the SFC or System File Checker is the first order of business. Since the SFC repairs most critical system components, it offers an easy-to-use, one-size-fits-all solution to OS problems. However, there are situations where it can become unavailable, with symptoms including warning messages like the 'Windows Resource Protection could not start the repair service' error.

The WRP or Windows Resource Protection feature is a replacement for the pre-Vista Windows File Protection method of keeping users from modifying system files or folders accidentally. When the previous warning appears after a failed SFC attempt, users should first check their admin privileges. Always running the Command Prompt as an administrator provides the necessary file access.

If the 'Windows Resource Protection could not start the repair service' error still appears, users also should check the TrustedInstaller, a related Windows service. Open the Services application and scroll to the Windows Module Installer (or TrustedInstaller). Set the 'startup type' to 'manual.' Then, proceed back to the Command Prompt and input the following two commands:

config trustedinstaller start=demand
net start trustedinstaller

Doing so instructs Windows to launch the TrustedInstaller to restore Windows updates functionality, including installing or removing them and displaying update notifications.

Restoring Windows Files with Another Tool

Perhaps not too surprisingly, Windows also boasts some redundancy in features, even in 'new' versions like Windows 10. Users who can't run the SFC have another way of repairing system files: the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM). They can run the DISM from the Command Prompt, just like the SFC, although DISM includes far more features than file repair. For purposes of restoring system files, the relevant command is:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Lastly, troubleshooting also may benefit from using Safe Mode. While Safe Mode prevents most programs from launching and is conservative about auto-starting applications, particularly, it also provides a secure and stable environment for repairing the OS. Safe Mode requires rebooting and tapping F8 before Windows loads.

Tested one by one and following good troubleshooting conventions, these solutions should restore the SFC in most scenarios. More extreme cases may necessitate fully reinstalling Windows.

As a last warning, getting rid of a 'Windows Resource Protection could not start the repair service' error isn't always the only thing one should aim for while repairing a PC. Disabled security and repair features is a sometimes-symptom of the presence of threats, such as backdoor Trojans, and users might consider analyzing their PC with threat-detecting software before assuming that all is well.