The Dependency Service or Group Failed to Start

In the past week, I encountered a curious problem on 2 clients' Windows Vista PCs.  The symptom are:

• A red "X" on the network icon in the tray displaying the pop message - Connection status: Unknown The dependency service or group failed to start
• The PC is able to see available wireless networks
• The PC connects to available wireless networks but the status is limited and cannot connect to the Internet
• Both systems are running Windows Vista and Trend Micro virus protection

I spent a lot of time researching this problem and found that the error message "The Dependency Service or Group Failed to Start" is a somewhat generic message addressing Windows services issues.  I also found that many Internet help sites are littered with tons of bad information on this issue.  I tried many of the 'fixes' without success.  Then I found a thread on Microsoft's TechNet Forum that correctly identified my clients' problem and offered a fix that worked.  So, I give credit to Terry Downing for the fix. It worked like a charm. 

The problem:  Trend Micro's virus protection is getting confused and mistakenly identifies a Windows file as being infected with a virus.  In its efforts to remove the supposed virus, it corrupts the Windows Network Location Awareness service.  This service collects and stores network configuration information for the network and notifies programs when this information is modified.  If this service is stopped, configuration information might be unavailable.  If this service is disabled, any service that explicitly depends on it will fail to start.  The Network List Service will not run when the Network Location Awareness service is disabled.  Hence, the error message that a dependency service failed to start.  The Network Location Awareness service is found in nlasvc.dll which is located in the system32 directory.

Above is a screenshot of the Services window in the Computer Management window with Network Location Awareness service highlighted.

The fix: The corrupted system file, nlasvc.dll, needs to be replaced with a working version of the file.  For your convenience, I have put a copy of it here.  Click on the link to download the file:

nlasvc.dll

If you need to delete or overwrite a system file in Windows Vista, you'll quickly notice that you cannot delete system files, even as administrator.  This is because Windows Vista's system files are owned by the TrustedInstaller service by default and Windows File Protection will keep them from being overwritten.  Thankfully, there's a way that you can get around this.  You need to take ownership of the files, and then assign yourself rights to delete or modify the file.  For this, we'll use the command line.

First, open an administrator command prompt by typing cmd into the start menu search box, and hit the Ctrl+Shift+Enter key combination.

To take ownership of the file, you'll need to use the takeown command.

At the command prompt type: takeown /f c:\windows\system32\nlasvc.dll

That will give you ownership of the file, but you still have no rights to delete, move and rename it.  Next, you need to run the cacls command to give yourself full control rights to the file:

At the command prompt type: cacls c:\windows\system32\nlasvc.dll /G your username:F

Make sure that you replace "your username" with your username exactly as it is spelled for the currently active user account on your computer.

At this point, you should be able to change the file.  Rename the file from nlasvc.dll to nlasvc.dll.old.  Next, copy the new source file that you downloaded from above to c:\windows\system32.

Once the file has been replaced you need to set the permissions back to its original state.  Locate nlasvc.dll in c:\windows\system32 in the Windows File Manager.  Right mouse button click on the file and choose Properties.

Click Security tab; Click Advanced button; Click Owner tab; Click Edit button; Click Other User or Group and type in NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller.

Press Ok on all dialogs until all property dialogs are closed.  Restart the PC and you should be back in business.

Please post a comment if this has been helpful to you.

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Comments

[JM]

I tried this solution, and it didn't work. I've also tried the following solutions, from various websites:

Reset the TCP/IP stack using the cmd prompt as Adminstrator

I've run sfc /SCANNOW again in the Administrator command prompt, and this didn't work.
I tried this whilst in Windows booted up normally, and booting up in Safe Mode without networking.
All to no avail.

I don't have the Trend Micro Antivirus software installed.
I originally had Panda, but that randomly stopped working, so I then installed Kaspersky.
All worked well for a while, now that isn't working either.

Any additional help / advide, greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[cp]

This did not work. replace the nlasvc.dll with one from a working vista pc, reset the file ownership and restarted the pc with the same results.

[Bwalya Christopher]

This work perfectly:
To fix, you will need to run a command prompt as administrator

This solutio worked for me a few minutes ago and i would not hesistate to invite any one having this problem to try it out.consideritfixed.com thumbs up!
Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt (Right-Click and Run as Administrator)

At the command Prompt type : netsh winsock reset

Ignore all errors, restart and voila'

[Cody Gabbard]

i get to the last step but when i put in the line you told me to put in it says it can't find NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller. what do i do

[Cody Gabbard]

problem when i go to type in T SERVICE\TrustedInstaller. it says "The following object is not from a domain listed int he Select Loaction dialog box, and is therefore not valid" what do i do

[Mindy]

how are supposed to download nlasvc.dll when you can't get on the internet?

[MH]

This work perfectly:
To fix, you will need to run a command prompt as administrator

Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt (Right-Click and Run as Administrator)

At the command Prompt type : netsh winsock reset

Ignore all errors, restart and voila'

[Nick]

It worked by perform the instuction as below!! Thanks for the sharing..

Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt (Right-Click and Run as Administrator)

At the command Prompt type : netsh winsock reset

Ignore all errors and restart

[Jorge Aristizábal]

Funcionó perfectamente gracias por la ayuda..

[Nathan]

I have been having this problem with my Toshiba Satellite 305D laptop, I have tried the whole process and i belive it worked, but i still can not use my wireless connection or networking cable. Also other services arnt working. please help me on this.

[andres]

help me ...

Great post, worked instantly !!!

Very greatful

[Wayne]

It saids " invalid parameter "/G" "
What should it be instead?

[zouz]

Thanks a million & God Bless You.

[Prakash]

Folks, like the blog suggested, check out the Network Location Awareness service, check its dependencies tab on clicking it, enable the the related services & bingo it works. Thanks for pointing in the right direction.

[Louie]

Thanks it worked after I turned off the Security App. Followed all instructions includeing:

For everyone having this problem who weren't helped by the instructions given here, type this at a command prompt: netsh winsock reset

Then reboot.

[MJ]

Ok, apparently I'm an idiot at it was a typo, and I can get through the first part, but now I am receiving the message that I need to use Icacls instead of cacls. I try it with the same parameters, but it is now saying that /G cannot be used. Now what?

[MJ]

takeown /f c:\windows\system32\nlasvc.dll

My cmd prompt will not allow me to do this. It says that "takedown" is not a valid command. What am I doing wrong? Are there supposed to be spaces in this command or not?

[chenghao!]

SUCEESSFUL!!=)) THANKS!!!

[help me]

it didnt help

[Wim Walpot]

Had same problem : "connection status: unknown" and "the dependency service or group failed to start". Outlook and some other programs didn´t work either.

Don´t know the problem, but the following simple solution worked perfectly in my case!

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/itprovistanetworking/thread/fb551ba5-327f-4265-8764-ea201331afb4

The answer provided there :
To fix, you will need to run a command prompt as administrator

Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt (Right-Click and Run as Administrator)

At the command Prompt type : netsh winsock reset

Ignore all errors, restart and voila'

[Fred]

For everyone having this problem who weren't helped by the instructions given here, type this at a command prompt: netsh winsock reset

Then reboot.

[Jim]

When I get to this step it tells me that /G is not a valid parameter, although it lists it in the parameters that can be used. As another comment stated, icacls must be used now. Anyone know what I may be doing wrong?

At the command prompt type: cacls c:\windows\system32\nlasvc.dll /G your username:F

[Brandon]

it says there was an error. I noticed that the file i downloaded was 3kb larger than the file that was previously there, however, maybe the 3kb were lost when i converted it to an OLD file? Help please.

[Kyle Y.]

Here's a well written SoftPedia article that explains the problem and lists other files that are known to be at the root of the problem for this issue.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Trend-Micro-Antivirus-Definitions-Crash-Computers-93224.shtml

[mike bridger]

hi,

it did not work for me -- it still says "network location awareness" was stopped and if i click start it says it cannot start. any other advice? thanks!

[quess]

Thank you so much it worked great

[Cain]

MMM i have the same problem, but i dont have trend-micro, i have avira.

I tried it, but it didn´t worked.
Thanks anyway.

Ohhh cacls is deprecated, try icacls.

[izan]

i've followed every single steps given. but my laptop still show me the same msg. and i notice that i always get msg of missing c:\user\...\AppData\cvkinql.dll everytime i start my vista. can u please help me