BITS won't start

I've been using Microsoft Update (XP Pro, SP2) fine for a long time but
suddenly it's failing. When I tell it to do the downloads, it just sits for
a long time and then reports they all failed. The failure code in the
history is 0x80246008. This leads to some help that says the Background
Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is not started. When I use services.msc
to try to start it, I get "Windows could not start the Backtround Intelligent
Transfer Service on Local Computer. For more information, review the System
Event Log. If this is a non-Microsoft service, contact the service vendor,
and refer to service-specific error code -2147024894." When I check the
System Event log, I find "The server {4991D34B-80A1-4291-83B6-3328366B9097}
did not register with DCOM within the required timeout." When I go to the
help for that it just tells me how to determine the vendor and to report the
problem to them; but this is a Microsoft service <sigh>. I did note that
BITS is dependent on RPC and that is started. What else can keep BITS from
being able to start? Thanks!

Larry, this can be caused by a missing key in the registry:

Nick, a follow up... this can be caused by missing subkey in the registry:

Locate the registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\BackupRestore\

Create the following key if it does not exist:
FilesNotToBackup

so you have this path when finished:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l
\BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup\


Now see if BITS will start.


"Larry Waibel" <lwaibel@no-spam-cox.net> wrote in message
news:VA.000002e8.002936cb@no-spam-cox.net...
> I've been using Microsoft Update (XP Pro, SP2) fine for a long time but
> suddenly it's failing. When I tell it to do the downloads, it just sits for
> a long time and then reports they all failed. The failure code in the
> history is 0x80246008. This leads to some help that says the Background
> Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is not started. When I use services.msc
> to try to start it, I get "Windows could not start the Backtround
> Intelligent
> Transfer Service on Local Computer. For more information, review the System
> Event Log. If this is a non-Microsoft service, contact the service vendor,
> and refer to service-specific error code -2147024894." When I check the
> System Event log, I find "The server {4991D34B-80A1-4291-83B6-3328366B9097}
> did not register with DCOM within the required timeout." When I go to the
> help for that it just tells me how to determine the vendor and to report the
> problem to them; but this is a Microsoft service <sigh>. I did note that
> BITS is dependent on RPC and that is started. What else can keep BITS from
> being able to start? Thanks!
>
>

WOW, how obscure; but thanks a million 'cuz that did it! I'd googled all over
and never found any reference to doing this but it fixed my problem. No idea
how that key was deleted <sigh>

In article <#0uWAUY5FHA.2364@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl>, Lawrence Garvin [MVP] wrote:
> From: "Lawrence Garvin [MVP]" <onsitechsolutions@news.postalias>
> Subject: Re: BITS won't start
> Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2005 17:21:06 -0600
> Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsupdate
>
> Larry, this can be caused by a missing key in the registry:
>
> Nick, a follow up... this can be caused by missing subkey in the registry:
>
> Locate the registry key
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\BackupRestore\
>
> Create the following key if it does not exist:
> FilesNotToBackup
>
> so you have this path when finished:
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l
> \BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup\
>
> Now see if BITS will start.
>
> "Larry Waibel" <lwaibel@no-spam-cox.net> wrote in message
> news:VA.000002e8.002936cb@no-spam-cox.net...
> > I've been using Microsoft Update (XP Pro, SP2) fine for a long time but
> > suddenly it's failing. When I tell it to do the downloads, it just sits for
> > a long time and then reports they all failed. The failure code in the
> > history is 0x80246008. This leads to some help that says the Background
> > Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is not started. When I use services.msc
> > to try to start it, I get "Windows could not start the Backtround
> > Intelligent
> > Transfer Service on Local Computer. For more information, review the System
> > Event Log. If this is a non-Microsoft service, contact the service vendor,
> > and refer to service-specific error code -2147024894." When I check the
> > System Event log, I find "The server {4991D34B-80A1-4291-83B6-3328366B9097}
> > did not register with DCOM within the required timeout." When I go to the
> > help for that it just tells me how to determine the vendor and to report the
> > problem to them; but this is a Microsoft service <sigh>. I did note that
> > BITS is dependent on RPC and that is started. What else can keep BITS from
> > being able to start? Thanks!
> >
> >
>

I believe the 'disappearance' of the key has been traced and attributed to
something specific, but my message doesn't convey the cause, only the fix.

A Google search on the this newsgroup for the keyword "FilesNotToBackup"
should turn up the original thread which, iirc, includes a discussion on the
known causes.

"Larry Waibel" <lwaibel@no-spam-cox.net> wrote in message
news:VA.000002e9.0071d44c@no-spam-cox.net...
> WOW, how obscure; but thanks a million 'cuz that did it! I'd googled all
> over
> and never found any reference to doing this but it fixed my problem. No
> idea
> how that key was deleted <sigh>
>
> In article <#0uWAUY5FHA.2364@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl>, Lawrence Garvin [MVP]
> wrote:
>> From: "Lawrence Garvin [MVP]" <onsitechsolutions@news.postalias>
>> Subject: Re: BITS won't start
>> Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2005 17:21:06 -0600
>> Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsupdate
>>
>> Larry, this can be caused by a missing key in the registry:
>>
>> Nick, a follow up... this can be caused by missing subkey in the registry:
>>
>> Locate the registry key
>> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\BackupRestore\
>>
>> Create the following key if it does not exist:
>> FilesNotToBackup
>>
>> so you have this path when finished:
>> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l
>> \BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup\
>>
>> Now see if BITS will start.
>>
>> "Larry Waibel" <lwaibel@no-spam-cox.net> wrote in message
>> news:VA.000002e8.002936cb@no-spam-cox.net...
>> > I've been using Microsoft Update (XP Pro, SP2) fine for a long time but
>> > suddenly it's failing. When I tell it to do the downloads, it just sits
>> > for
>> > a long time and then reports they all failed. The failure code in the
>> > history is 0x80246008. This leads to some help that says the Background
>> > Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is not started. When I use
>> > services.msc
>> > to try to start it, I get "Windows could not start the Backtround
>> > Intelligent
>> > Transfer Service on Local Computer. For more information, review the
>> > System
>> > Event Log. If this is a non-Microsoft service, contact the service
>> > vendor,
>> > and refer to service-specific error code -2147024894." When I check the
>> > System Event log, I find "The server
>> > {4991D34B-80A1-4291-83B6-3328366B9097}
>> > did not register with DCOM within the required timeout." When I go to
>> > the
>> > help for that it just tells me how to determine the vendor and to report
>> > the
>> > problem to them; but this is a Microsoft service <sigh>. I did note that
>> > BITS is dependent on RPC and that is started. What else can keep BITS
>> > from
>> > being able to start? Thanks!
>> >
>> >
>>
>
>