FIX: The Background Intelligent Transfer Service service terminated with service-specific error 2147942402 (0x80070002)

I can’t believe this issue is here since 2009, but the error Background Intelligent Transfer Service service terminated with service-specific error 2147942402 is still a very common phenomenon. I used to have this error in conjunction with Automatic Updates on a Windows 2003 server and Windows XP client. And yet you may face it on Windows 10, 2016 or even 2019.

So here’s the original story.

I was running WSUS in my domain, but the updates didn’t arrive. A quick investigation resulted in A LOT OF ERRORS in the event viewer. For a couple of days, the following error had returned every one or two minutes or so!

The Background Intelligent Transfer Service service terminated with service-specific error 2147942402 (0x80070002).

Event Type:       Error
Event Source:    Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID:          7024
Date:                3/31/2009
Time:                3:48:14 PM
User:                N/A
Computer:         computer name
Description:
The Background Intelligent Transfer Service service terminated with service-specific error 2147942402 (0x80070002).

In my case, I couldn’t get the Background Intelligent Transfer Service started again. The following error messages showed up every time:

Windows could not start the Background 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 -2147024893.

If you see the same error in your event log (event 7024), you should know that there are a lot of possible solutions. Now, I do not feel embarrassed to tell you that I checked almost every solution available on the internet and spent quite some time on this issue. So, because of all the effort I have put into this problem, I decided to sum up all the solutions for you I’ve tried. Hopefully, it will help you solving this BITS error.

After each step, try to start the BITS service. If it doesn’t start successfully, just continue with the next step 🙂

Steps to fix The Background Intelligent Transfer Service service terminated with service-specific error 2147942402

Step 1:
Open services.msc and check that the following services are set to start Manual or Automatic:

Terminal Services
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
System Event Notification
Windows Management Instrumentation Driver Extensions
COM+ Event System
DCOM Server Process Launcher

Also make sure that service Workstation is Running. And next try to start the BITS service.

Fixed it? Leave a comment 🙂
Problem not fixed yet? Continue to step 2!

Step 2:
Delete the Downloader folder. You can find the downloader folder in the following location:
“C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader”
The Application Data folder is hidden by default, so if you don’t see the Application Data folder, go to folder options and check the option Show Hidden Files and Folders

Next try to start the BITS service.

Fixed it? Leave a comment 🙂
Problem not fixed yet? Continue to step 3!

Step 3:
Delete all content of the SoftwareDistribution folder (do NOT delete the folder itself, only the content!). You can find the downloader folder in the following location:
“C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution”

Next try to start the BITS service.

Fixed it? Leave a comment 🙂
Problem not fixed yet? Continue to step 4!

Step 4:
Register 8 dll files that are directly connected to BITS. Some applications remove or corrupt the dll files which cause the BITS service to fail. To register the dll files easily, do the following:

  1. Open Notepad
  2. Copy and paste the following entries into the text document.
    regsvr32 oleaut32.dll
    regsvr32 jscript.dll
    regsvr32 vbscript.dll
    regsvr32 msxml.dll
    regsvr32 softpub.dll
    regsvr32 wintrust.dll
    regsvr32 initpki.dll
    regsvr32 cryptdlg.dll
  3. Save this file as a batch file
    – click on save as
    – open the drop down box at the bottom to read save as file type: all files
    – name of file: BITS_fix.bat (the .bat is creating a batch file)
    – run the BITS_fix.bat  (double-click)

Next try to start the BITS service.

Fixed it? Leave a comment 🙂
Problem not fixed yet? Continue to step 5!

Step 5:

Deregister and reregister the qmgr.dll and qmgrprxy.dll. To register these files, open a command prompt and type the following:
regsvr32 qmgr.dll [ENTER]
regsvr32 qmgrprxy.dll [ENTER]

I hope you had success. If not, feel free to post a comment. You’re not the only one who’s struggling with BITS 🙂
Oh, by the way, if you DID have success, feel free to post a comment too. I love “thank you”-messages 🙂

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Ty Hurd

Step 5 worked for me!!!!

And just fyi, I was getting error code 2 – could not find file specified.

Thanks a ton!!!

Derek Tripp

Thanks man. Yours was the only website with good advice. I use XPx64 and this has worked.

Arissra

THANK YOU
nothing else would work, i spent agessss trying to fix it =[

you’re cool (Y)

todd

help none of those work in step2 i got no network file and in step 5 i get the error that the file is found but the starting point not .

AlanR

Thanks, this finally fixed it!

Cynthia

Step 5 says to open a command prompt. How do I do that? Sorry, but I am not technically oriented.

seb235

thanks guys it worked out for me!

Brian

BET wouldn’t come on for me after following all steps. One problem I found was this file kept me from deleting “all” content from the SoftwareDistribution folder:

C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download\dd9ab5193501484cf5e6884fa1d22f9e\ndis.sys

Thanks for the excellent page though.

Richard

could not install .net framework 3.0 without BITS.

could not install acad 2009 without .net framework 3.0

You have saved me! Thank you x1000!

Gern Nielsen

Thanks a lot – step 5 solved my problem.
I was a struggle to get this far – Thanks

T Lawson

If you love “Thank You”..Then I send you 10 terabytes of “Thank you”

russell

i still don’t beleive it, but after a week of trying to resolve why the bits wouldn’t start i tried this and it worked !

Scott

I tried everything you suggest and still not able to perform a MS Windows update.

rafa

thanks a million, it worked for me!

Josh

Step 5 worked for me too. THANKS A TON

David

None of these options worked for me… It may be that I’m using Vista and a lot of files and folders have different names and are in different places. Vista is a handful… If you are not a serious computer person, I recommend sticking with XP. Also, if you switch to Vista, you cannot switch back to XP. I found that out the hard way… Anybody have any advice for me? How do i open the “run” command? It’s not in the start menu… I also do not have a folder listed as “Documents and Settings” or an “All Users”… Read more »

Jeff

Thank you, thank you, thank you….I’d tried everything to get BITS started and you nailed it! THANK YOU!!!!!

Jeff

Not only did BITS run, but i got XP SP3 to load and install properly…you are the best in my book!!!!

Nick

regsvr32 initpki.dll

and

regsvr32 msxml.dll

both give me an error.

The module “initpki.dll” failed to load.

Make sure the binary is stored at the specified path or
debug it to check for problems with the binary or
dependent .DLL files.

The specified procedure could not be loaded.

In the Windows\system32 directory both dll files exist

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Nick

Su B

wish someone could help with the above problem, but it worked for me, and of course, many many thanks 🙂

Kyle

Outstanding! Worked as promised!!

LAN Admin

Had the Conficker virus hitting 2 of our LAN Servers, Win2K3 SP2 x64. Step 5 was the one that worked for our case. I had the servers cleaned up with McAfee Stinger and the MS Malicious Software Removal tool, as well as scanned them with more online tools – no threats were found, but BITS wouldn’t start. The Regitry for the BITS Service was pointing to C:\Windows\system32\qmgr.dll.target I truncated the name to qmgr.dll. Reinstalled Windows Update Agent3.0 for x64. Nothing – service still wouldn’t start. Finally – Registered the 2 dlls as pert Step 5 – now the BITS Service… Read more »

GeekDice

No luck but thank you for eliminating the first 5 steps for me. I think google should have a page strictly dedicated to me so that when I do a search it displays, “Nope. Just you.” The story of my life as an I.T. guy. Anyway… Thank you for this site. I love it!

Chris A.

Hey! Thank you so much. I have been messing with this for 2 weeks after someone used my computer on my day off and got some virus which changed my registry to the %fystemroot% setting, I found out how to change that and it did not fix the problem. After that I have been reading and reading and not getting any answers. Until I read your article. Everything is back to normal and good to go. I really appreciate it!

Mark R

Every step was a success. Thanks so much. I was fortunate that this was the third different attempt at fixing the same problem.

KUDOS ! !

MarkR

Kevin Poulton

Thanks for the article, I had no luck, so continue the search for the elusive answer to my BITS Issue.

Running Windows XP Pro SP3, I get the error number -2147013893 when I try and start the BITS Service in Windows

and then if I try and start it in Dos I get ‘A service specfic error :2147953403

If anyone has any other tips, I would be be most appreciative.

Kev

Janet

Thank you so much!!!!! You’re awesome!!!

Eddie Guerrero

This is 100% certified so thank you for this! Registering the DLLs again made it work. For some reason I was also missing that whole Microsoft folder structuring user Application Data. Still, had to do all the DLL registrations for it to work.

Alex Heighton

Worked like a charm!!

rett

I have tried all of the above but don’t seem to be able to fix the problem.

When i attempted to register the 8 dll files, i saved them as directed and when i try to run it i am told it doesn’t exist.

When i tried to register both these files; qmgr.dll and qmgrprxy.dll, the 2nd one is successful but the 1st one says ‘the entry point DllRegisterServer was not found’.

Please help! Thanks

BoButler

I tried everything step-by-step and was successful with each one. Unfortunately, none of them worked for me.

My own research also led me to a Microsoft hotfix that was also “supposed” to work to resolve this specific problem; no luck there either 🙁

Knowing how long it takes to work through situations such as this, I still feel that a sincere THANK YOU is very much in order.

M

Tried all of these but still didn’t work, however came accross this link which fixed it. To do with malware.

J Gonzalez

It seems that the post has been dead for a while, I just wanted to say thanks so much. I have been struggling with BITS for the last week or so, on and off, until I saw your post. I was also getting the Error Code 2. I went straight to step 5 and voilà!

Thanks so much again!

me

In my case error code was -2147024894 and after whole those steps BITS refused to start,
but then I’ve restarted wmi service and BITS service started successfully.
Thanks man!

Joe

This service called bits is eating my bandwidth!! My windows auto update is set to off but something using it. And i have to shut it down everytime my comp starts.

It connecting various strange server llet.net etc i forgot..

DM

Nice one! I had gone through deleting “All users” subfolders to make it lean as the server was going to server as a TS Desktop box.
The issue was that i had deleted the “C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft” folder.

Recreating the folder allowed me to start the BITS service again.

Thanks!

Debby

WoW, Your the man… I spent all afternoon, trying this trying that. You hit right on the head. Thanks…

Kevin

Thank you! It was step 5 that fixed it for me.

T-man

Bits works fine now

Thanks!

Joel

I too would like to thank you, and it was step 5 as well for me that worked.

Alex

I love you, MAN!

Sandy

After checking step 1, based on the comments I tried step 5 next – still wouldn’t start. Then I did step 4, and presto BITS started! Thanks so much!

Sami SOlla

THANK YOU, step 5 saved my day, and more!

Serge

Thank you.

chaika

Holy Cow, Step 5 fixed my BITS issue!! Thank you!!!

Anthon Kot

Many Thanks, Step 5 fixed my BITS issue!! Thank you!!!

Anthon

Chris

“Deregister and reregister the qmgr.dll and qmgrprxy.dll. ”

Worked for me on a Windows XP machine, thankyou.

Chonger

Thanks for the tips on this post. I tried every one of them and none of them resolved the issue I’m seeing.

My issue is that when I try to start BITS via services.msc I get an alert saying

“Could not start the Background Intelligent Transfer Service service on Local Computer.

Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified.”

When I try to switch the startup type from Automatic to manual, it just says “Access is denied”.

Any suggestions?

Chris

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