IIS w3svc error

Question

I am trying to start my website in IIS, whenever I try to start my website I get the following error

Cannot start service w3svc on computer

I tried to start "World wide web publishing service", but I was unable to start it as it said:

Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start

Meanwhile when I checked my log I found this error,

The World Wide Web Publishing Service service depends on the HTTP service which failed to start because of the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.

Please help me, I am badly caught with this error, I have spent a week researching this error but haven't found a solution yet.

Disabled is easy to check - launch `services.msc` and check to ensure that the `World Wide Web Publishing Service` isn't disabled. Dependencies could include `Windows Activation Service`, `RPC` etc. — StuartLC, Jan 09 '14 at 15:04
My World Wide Web Publishing Service isn't disabled. I have re-checked it from services.msc — Asad Ullah, Jan 09 '14 at 15:07
Do you see in the HTTP logs, usually found here: %systemroot%\system32\logfiles\HTTPERR — Nick.Mc, Jan 10 '14 at 05:30
A similar error for me (caused using the VS2012 profiling tools) was solved using this post http://serverfault.com/questions/210903/windows-process-activation-service-wont-start-parameter-is-incorrect-visual — soupy1976, Oct 01 '14 at 14:28

score 44 · Accepted Answer · edited Aug 03 '22 at 15:40

Confirm that "Windows Management Instrumentation" is started and its start up type is set to automatic.
Also make sure the following dependency services are started for World Wide Web Publishing Service:
- Windows Process Activation Service
- Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
- DCOM Server Process Launcher
- RPC Endpoint Mapper.
Open regedit, navigate to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\HTTP]:
a) Double click on Start and change value data from 4(disabled) to 3(automatically).
b) Delete "NoRun" key if this key exists.
(warning: backup any IIS website configuration first). UN-install "Internet information Service" and "Windows process activation service(if it is already installed)" from "Turn windows feature on or off" and Restart your PC.
Type the below command in CMD and press enter:
```
 net start http
```

Now it will notify you that service is already running.

Re-install Internet information Service from "Turn windows feature on or off".
Start IIS and my websites are started now, no more "w3svc service is not running error."

I was having this same problem and restarting did not work. I also could not add a website to IIS, [I followed this answer](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/17792419/configuration-file-is-not-well-formed-xml-2) and it solved my problem. — Nathan Dobie, Mar 26 '17 at 18:27

score 19 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 18 '14 at 13:16

19

As for me - I just restarted the computer.

answered Aug 18 '14 at 13:16

ParPar

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score 7 · Answer 3 · answered May 13 '15 at 05:24

7

Make sure these 2 services running and their startup type is automatic.If they disabled and not running right click on them and go to properties and change from there.

Windows process activation service
Worldwide web publishing service.

answered May 13 '15 at 05:24

dileepar

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IIS is dependent on Windows Process Activation Service also, if that service is down then IIS will not start. – Ambuj Nov 15 '19 at 11:22

score 7 · Answer 4 · edited Aug 08 '17 at 06:05

7

Run cmd as administrator. Type iisreset. That's it.

edited Aug 08 '17 at 06:05

Nathan Tuggy

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answered Aug 08 '17 at 05:44

Abdul Nasir Khayam

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Attempting stop... Internet services successfully stopped Attempting start... Restart attempt failed. The IIS Admin Service or the World Wide Web Publishing Service, or a service dependent on them failed to start. The service, or dependent services, may had an error during its startup or may be disabled. – Ryan May 16 '18 at 07:59
try to login through **Administrator** privilege account and do the same. – Abdul Nasir Khayam May 16 '18 at 10:12
I couldn't restart because of the same reason – Buzzzzzzz Feb 26 '21 at 06:58

score 4 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 17 '17 at 13:11

4

Go to Task Manager --> Processes and manually stop the W3SVC process. After doing this the process should start normally when restarting IIS

answered Jan 17 '17 at 13:11

Kamran

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Its more easier when using Process Explorer from sysinternals, the process is more easier to find. – apereira Jun 01 '17 at 19:08

score 1 · Answer 6 · edited Aug 03 '22 at 15:39

1

In my case, IIS suddenly stopped working, and after that Windows process activation service was unable to restart.

The solution to fix this was:

Find WAS service in the services tab of windows task manager
In context menu choose Go to process
Kill process (its name will be svchost.exe)
Restart Windows process activation service

edited Aug 03 '22 at 15:39

TylerH

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answered Nov 23 '15 at 06:44

Fragment

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Hi, I don't have that service listed. Do you know how I can install it? – Ryan May 16 '18 at 08:01

score 1 · Answer 7 · answered Dec 17 '15 at 07:49

1

In my case it was C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\config\applicationHost.config which had an issue. I had a "system.web" section in this file which was causing the problem. Removed the section and everything started working

answered Dec 17 '15 at 07:49

Shahid Iqbal

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score 1 · Answer 8 · edited Dec 01 '17 at 10:45

1

I have got same issue on my server. Follow below steps -

Open command prompt (run as administrator)
type IISReset and enter.

It works and solved my problem.

edited Dec 01 '17 at 10:45

Abhishek Jain

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answered Dec 01 '17 at 10:24

Kapil Palria

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score 1 · Answer 9 · answered Oct 03 '18 at 05:30

I have had this problem after a windows update. Windows Process Activation Service is dependent service for W3SVC. First, make sure that Windows Process Activation Service is running. In my case, it was not running and when I tried to run it manually, I got below error.

Windows Process Activation Service Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified

The issue seems to be, that windows adds an incorrect parameter to the WAS service startup parameters. I fixed the issue using the following steps:

Start regedit (just type it into start) Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WAS\Parameters
Delete the NanoSetup variable. This variable is preventing WAS from starting
Start the WAS service using task manager
Now start the W3SVC service
You can now start your website in IIS again

I found above WPA service solution in this stack overflow thread.

score 1 · Answer 10 · edited Aug 03 '22 at 15:40

My Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service was disabled. I changed its startup to manual, started the service, and then IISRESET worked.

I also verified that the following dependent services were started in Services ([windows]+[r] services.msc):

World Wide Web Publishing Service
Windows Process Activation Service
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
DCOM Server Process Launcher
RPC Endpoint Mapper
Net.Msmq Listener Adapter
Net.Pipe Listener Adapter
Net.Tcp Listener Adapter
Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service

I found this solution by going through all dependencies and child dependencies of the World Wide Web Publishing Service and making sure that each service was enabled and started.

To verify all services for yourself, do the following:

Open up Services (just search for it from the start menu in Windows 10)
Find the World Wide Web Publishing Service
Right click on the service and then click "Properties"
Click on the Dependencies tab
Go through each system component in the two boxes and verify that each service is started (in Services).
Repeat steps 3-5 for each of the dependencies' dependencies until you run out of child dependencies

Service Properties - Dependencies Tab

This helped me a lot, turns out that the World Wide Web Publishing Service was not starting because the Windows Process Activation Service was not starting, when i tried to manually started it said that it could not start due to low space on the disk. Turns out that the server did not have any space left and i didn't notice it. — Josue Morales, Feb 17 '20 at 20:32

score 0 · Answer 11 · answered Nov 05 '16 at 20:45

This is probably a rarer case, but...

If you are using a custom AppPool Identity configuration be sure to check the AppPool is running. It may be turned off because credentials are invalid (usually due to an expired password). Update your credentials and start the AppPool.

score 0 · Answer 12 · edited Aug 03 '22 at 15:40

0

I was getting this error. It turns out World Wide Web Publishing Service was disabled.

Click Start, type Services in the Search box, and then click Services.
Scroll until you find the World Wide Web Publishing Service that is stopped or disabled.
right-click the service, and then click Properties.
Click the Startup type list, and then click Automatic.
Click Apply, and then click OK.

edited Aug 03 '22 at 15:40

TylerH

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answered Sep 15 '20 at 19:15

Mandi

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score 0 · Answer 13 · edited Aug 03 '22 at 15:40

0

I managed to solve after:

Ctrl+Shift+Esc = To open Task Manager
In the "Processes" tab locate the "IIS Worker Process" and finish it!
Run on cmd as an administrator. Type iisreset.

edited Aug 03 '22 at 15:40

TylerH

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answered Sep 30 '20 at 20:00

Wender Alves

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score 0 · Answer 14 · edited Aug 03 '22 at 15:40

0

I am able to resolve this by simply executing the below command in PowerShell to kill/stop service and restart the IIS server

taskkill /F /FI "SERVICES eq w3svc"

edited Aug 03 '22 at 15:40

TylerH

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answered Jun 20 '22 at 09:23

Sandeep Jain

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legend · Answer 15 · 2023-07-27T14:45:39.670

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For me IISWorker Process was running in the background. Open Task Manager and killed the process. It worked

edited Jul 27 '23 at 14:45

answered Jul 27 '23 at 14:45

legend

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IIS w3svc error

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