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[SOLVED] Help needed to fix Windows could not connect to the System Event Notification Service

A

AnthonyE

Contributor
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Posts
39
Hi,

Immediately after successfully installing the Windows Update "2019-01 Security Quality Monthly Rollup for Windows 7 x64-based Systems (KB4480970)", when booting up the PC (noting the PC is configured to auto-login to an account) it now displays "Please wait..." then "Welcome..." briefly followed by "Please wait..." again before the following error message occurs:
Windows could not connect to the System Event Notification Service service
Please consult your system administrator
[OK Button]
​
Pressing the OK button then displays a black screen which disappears after about 5-10 minutes. Only then will the system return to the main login screen allowing me to gain access to the PC and then successfully login.

I had this problem a few month ago immediately after another Windows Update. I was able to 'fix' the problem back then by using the System Restore function to revert to a restore point prior to the update. I could try using the System Restore function again (and might have to soon before I lose the Restore Point), but fear it might undo the updates made to fix a problem with Windows Update - refer thread: https://www.sysnative.com/forums/wi...-monthly-quartery-rollup-windows-7-x64-3.html. I would also like to permanently resolve this issue if it can be.

Turning on VerboseStatus (and boot logging as well) showed the following sequence of messages (and length of display):

1. Please wait for the Group Policy Client... (displayed about 1 minute)
2. Welcome... (displayed about 1 second)
3. Please wait for the User Profile Service... (displayed about 24 seconds)
4. Please wait for the Local Session Manager (displayed about 1/2 second)
5. Windows could not connect to the System Event Notification Service service / Please contact your system administrator / OK Button
6. After pressing OK, the black screen appears (displayed about 5 - 10 minutes)

Step 2 would normally be reached within an absolute maximum of about 5-10 seconds on this PC prior to the issue with "Please wait..." never showing. Step 2, 3, 4 (and any others subsequent) would also normally occur within a maximum of about 5-10 seconds after which the desktop would start to display with "Please wait..." never showing. So, boot-up time while the Windows wallpaper screen is displayed is much longer now.

Some steps were tried in the Windows Update thread to fix this (see link above). I also previously tried "netsh winsock reset" when the issue happened a few months ago, without success.

Winsock includes a couple of Windows Live entries, along with a few for the AV software I use. Not sure if these are causing the issue. The rest looks like standard Microsoft entries to me.

Any suggestions on how to fix this are greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Hi,

Sorry, I forgot to mention this in my original post. Yes I have tried and the issue still occurs under Clean Boot, but does not occur under Safe Boot mode with network.

Thanks.
 
Remove Update Manually
 1. Click on the Start button and in the search box, type Command Prompt
2. When you see Command Prompt on the list, right-click on it and select Run as administrator
3. When command prompt opens, copy and paste the following command into it, press enter
wusa /uninstall /KB:2952664

4. Let me know if it says it was successful or if there are any errors.
 
Hi,

I tried twice, but Update for Microsoft Windows (KB2952664) would not uninstall on both occasions. The uninstall didn't report any errors. The following dialog boxes were displayed:

1. Windows Update Standalone Installer - Searching for updates on this computer...
2. Windows Update Standalone Installer - Do you want to uninstall the following Windows software update? - Update for Microsoft Windows (KB2952664) - Y/N
3. Windows Update Standalone Installer - Uninstalling...

On 3, the bar progressed to 100% complete, and the dialog box closed with no further information displayed.

After rebooting the PC, inspection of Installed Updates showed that the update remained installed whilst the "Installed On" date for it had changed to be today's date.

Thanks.
 
FRST Registry Search
 1. Click your Start button and choose Control Panel.
2. In the upper right corner ensure the View by: is set to Category.
3. Select the Programs group.
4. Click the Turn Windows features on or off link. This will bring up the Windows Features dialog. Wait until this dialog populates with information. If this does not happen for some reason, please continue with the steps anyway.
Note: This loads your components hive which is what we want. Please keep this dialog open while you perform the remaining steps.
5. Please download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool and save it to your Desktop.
Note: You need to run the 64-bit Version so please ensure you download that one.
6. Run FRST64 by Right-Clicking on the file and choosing Run as administrator.
7. Copy and paste KB2952664 into the Search box and click the Search Registry button.
8. When the scan is complete a notepad window will open with the results. Please attach this to your next reply. It is saved on your desktop named SearchReg.txt.
9. You may close any remaining open windows now.
 
Hi,

The Windows Features dialog box populated correctly.

Attached is the SearchReg.txt file produced by the FRST64.exe program.

Thanks.
 

Attachments

Step#1 - FRST Fix
NOTICE: This script was written specifically for this user, for use on that particular machine. Running this on another machine may cause damage to your operating system
1. Please download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool and save it to your Desktop.
Note: You need to run the 64-bit Version so please ensure you download that one.
2. Download attached file and save it to the Desktop.
Note. It's important that both files, FRST64 and fixlist.txt are in the same location or the fix will not work (in this case...the desktop).
3. Run FRST64 by Right-Clicking on the file and choosing Run as administrator.
4. Press the Fix button just once and wait. If for some reason the tool needs a restart, please make sure you let the system restart normally. After that let the tool complete its run.
5. When finished FRST64 will generate a log on the Desktop (Fixlog.txt). Please post the contents of it in your reply.
 

Attachments

Hi,

The SENS issue still persists after processing fixlist.txt to remove the KB2952664 entries, and after the complete un-installation of Sophos AV.

I checked Windows Installed Updates and KB2952664 no longer appears. I also ran the MiniToolBox.exe program, and it reports Sophos has been removed from the Winsock entries.

Shall I re-install Sophos, or leave it uninstalled for the time being?

Thanks.
 
Leave it uninstalled while we troubleshoot.

Please stop the Windows Font Cache Service, wait for a few seconds and then start it again, reboot and let me know if there's any improvement.

Also, while doing this, please verify that the DHCP Client service is set to Automatic.
 
Hi,

I stopped the Windows Font Cache Service, re-started it, and re-booted the PC. This did not resolve the SENS issue.

The "Please wait for the Group Policy Client..." still displayed for about 1 minute, which is much longer than before the SENS issue started to appear. HOWEVER, what did change this re-boot is that the "Welcome..." message displayed for a much longer period, and the "User Profile Service..." and/or "Please wait for the Local Session Manager" messages displayed only for a fraction of a second (they appeared too quickly), before the SENS message / OK button was displayed.

I checked and confirm that the DHCP Client service is set to start automatically.

Thanks.
 
Please run the following fixlist and let me know if there is any improvement:

Step#1 - FRST Fix
NOTICE: This script was written specifically for this user, for use on that particular machine. Running this on another machine may cause damage to your operating system
1. Please download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool and save it to your Desktop.
Note: You need to run the 64-bit Version so please ensure you download that one.
2. Download attached file and save it to the Desktop.
Note. It's important that both files, FRST64 and fixlist.txt are in the same location or the fix will not work (in this case...the desktop).
3. Run FRST64 by Right-Clicking on the file and choosing Run as administrator.
4. Press the Fix button just once and wait. If for some reason the tool needs a restart, please make sure you let the system restart normally. After that let the tool complete its run.
5. When finished FRST64 will generate a log on the Desktop (Fixlog.txt). Please post the contents of it in your reply.
 

Attachments

Hi,

I processed the fixlist.txt file using FRST64.exe. Attached is the Fixlog.txt file that was produced.

No improvement - the SENS issue still persists. The timings of the "Welcome..." and "Please wait for the User Profile Service..." returned to the timings in my original post.

Thanks.
 

Attachments

GSmartControl
Follow the instructions below to test your hard drive health with GSmartControl:



  • Download GSmartControl and save it on your Desktop;
  • Execute gsmartcontrol.exe; Let the install complete and launch the programme.
  • Identify your drive in the list, and double-click on it to bring up it's window (usually you'll find your drive by it's size or it's brand name);
  • Go in the Perform Tests tab, then select Extended Self-test in the Test type drop-down list and click on Execute (this test can take a few hours to complete);
  • Once the test is over, the results will be displayed at the bottom of the window. Please copy and paste these results in your next reply;
  • Also, go in the Attributes tab and if you have any entries highlighted in red or pink, take a screenshot of the GSmartControl window and attach it in your next reply;
    info_failing.png
 
Hi,

Windows is installed on a volume which resides on a 5 disk RAID-5 array. The RAID array software does not report any errors, though I have not recently scanned the array for verification or media errors.

The GSmartControl does NOT allow an extended self-test of the volume where Windows is installed, but DOES appear to allow an extended self of each individual drive in the RAID array. GSmartControl reports each drive will about take 11 hours to test.

Before I proceed, please confirm you need me to scan each individual HDD in the RAID array.

Thanks.
 

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