Table of Contents
1. Check and start related services
2. Repair system file corruption
3. Modify the registry (operate with caution)
4. Use system restore or reset
Home Computer Tutorials Troubleshooting How to fix 'Windows cannot start the software protection service'

How to fix 'Windows cannot start the software protection service'

Jul 28, 2025 am 03:07 AM

When you encounter an error "Windows cannot start the software protection service", you should first check and start the relevant services, then repair the system files, modify the registry or use system restore if necessary. 1. Manually start the Software Protection service. If it is missing, try to restore it through the registry; 2. Run sfc /scannow, DISM and other commands as administrator to repair the system files; 3. If the registry is damaged, you can locate the SLsvc item in regedit for repair, and you need to backup before operation; 4. Finally, you can try to restore the system or reset the computer to completely solve the problem.

How to fix \

When the prompt "Windows cannot start the software protection service" pops up on your computer, it usually means that you cannot activate or verify certain genuine software (such as Office, Adobe, etc.), and may even affect system updates and function usage. Although this problem is not common, it is quite annoying once it occurs.

How to fix

Below are some practical solutions that are suitable for most cases and are not complicated to operate.


The core of this problem is that the "Software Protection" service is not running properly. You can check it manually:

How to fix
  • Press Win R to open the run window, enter services.msc and press Enter
  • Find Software Protection in the list
  • Right-click and select Start (if gray is not selected, it means that the service is disabled)

If you find that the service does not exist or fails to start, you can try to restore it through the registry (mentioned later).

Tip: Sometimes third-party optimization tools will delete or disable this service by mistake. It is recommended to confirm whether this type of software has been installed recently.

How to fix

2. Repair system file corruption

Corrupt Windows system files may also cause this error. You can try the following command to fix it:

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator (CMD)
  2. Enter the following three commands, press Enter for each input:
 sfc /scannow
 DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
 DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

These commands scan system files and try to fix the damaged parts. After completion, restart the computer to see if the problem is solved.


3. Modify the registry (operate with caution)

If the above method is invalid, it may be that the information about Software Protection Service in the registry is lost or corrupted. At this time, you can try to restore the default settings:

  • Press Win R and enter regedit to enter

  • After opening the Registry Editor, locate:

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SLsvc
  • If you can't find SLsvc or the content inside is incorrect, you can find a normal Windows computer to export this registry and import it on your computer

  • ⚠️ Note: There are certain risks in modifying the registry. It is recommended to back up the registry in advance or create a restore point.


    4. Use system restore or reset

    If you have tried all the above methods, it still doesn't work, and this problem has seriously affected your use, you can consider:

    • Use the system restore point to fall back to the previous normal time point
    • Or select "Reset this computer" in the settings to keep personal files but reinstall the system

    Both methods can completely solve the problem, but it takes a little time and data preparation.


    Basically these are the methods. Don’t panic when encountering this error. Start the simplest service startup and system file repair. In most cases, it can be done.

    The above is the detailed content of How to fix 'Windows cannot start the software protection service'. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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