# Vista Help: System Event Notification Service. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 6, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-help-system-event-notification-service/502109 "2009-07-06T18:33:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-help-system-event-notification-service/502109/1 "2009-07-06T18:33:01Z")
After an abrupt unplugging of my PC, it came back saying that the System Event Notification Service failed to start. This also means all its dependency group fails to start and this includes the DHCP service and all needed for internet connectivity. So here I am once again from my PS3 asking for advice. How do I recover my SENS? It never offers anything like a repair option. Help? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-help-system-event-notification-service/502109/2 "2009-07-06T22:45:33Z")
Click Start, Control Panel, Admin Tools, Services. UAC will kick in at some point. Right-click SENS and select Start. Then start the other services. Before you do so, look in the Event logs - particularly the System Event log - for anything useful. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-help-system-event-notification-service/502109/3 "2009-07-06T23:50:29Z")
I tried that but no luck. The SENS appears as Starting and all the Start/Stop options are greyed out. I changed it to manual start, but when I start it, it freezes and remains stuck on Starting. I tried SFC but it tells me that there are corrupted files it cannot fix and to look at the CBS log for details. The CBS log, of course, is in a language that means nothing to me although most words are english. Where is the System Event log and what am I looking for in it? ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-help-system-event-notification-service/502109/4 "2009-07-06T23:56:39Z")
If SFC cannot fix then I would just do a complete reinstall. You may also want to do diskcheck if you can. You may have a corrupt disk on your hands. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-help-system-event-notification-service/502109/5 "2009-07-07T00:00:34Z")
Although the most critical of it is backed up, I have more data than I have room to back it up. What are the odds of a Vista reinstall going so wrong that I lose all my data? Do I have the install disk? (That’s not a question I expect anyone else to answer). Are there any alternatives to a reinstall (that don’t involva candles and offerings)? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-help-system-event-notification-service/502109/6 "2009-07-07T00:33:20Z")
> [@Sapo](#): > > Although the most critical of it is backed up, I have more data than I have room to back it up. What are the odds of a Vista reinstall going so wrong that I lose all my data? > > Do I have the install disk? (That’s not a question I expect anyone else to answer). > > Are there any alternatives to a reinstall (that don’t involva candles and offerings)? If you actually reinstall the OS, you will lose everything. If you have the actual dosk, try a repair. If that doesn’t work, it sounds like you are fucked. Buy an external hard drive, save your most dear data, and wipe it clean and start anew. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-help-system-event-notification-service/502109/7 "2009-07-07T20:34:26Z")
Found this via google. Might be worth a try before a complete reinstall. [http://forums.techguy.org/windows-vista-7/602568-system-event-notification-service-meltdown.html](http://forums.techguy.org/windows-vista-7/602568-system-event-notification-service-meltdown.html) > [@](#): > > Fix for System Event Notification Service > This happened to me when I was trying to install Trend Micro internet security 2008 on my father-in-law’s PC. No access to internet - no system restore = nada. I was almost certain that I’d bricked my father-in-law’s PC. I’d just updated his pc to Vista SP 1 so there were a lot of variables in play. I tried a lot of things including the MS Installer Clean-up and removing Trend Mcro drivers and artifacts from the registry, the hardware manager(hidden devices) and file system to no avail. > I googled an item which indicated that using an elevated command prompt and typing “NETSH WINSOCK RESET CATALOG” minus the quotes and tried it. Amazingly, it cleared the problem. This command resets WINSOCK settings to default and any programs which use their own WINSOCK LSPs need to be re-installed but it allowed me to connect to the internet, access system restore and rollback to a previous restore point which avoided the world of hurt that I was in. Posted in the hope that it might aid another in a similar siuation. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-help-system-event-notification-service/502109/8 "2009-07-08T00:51:44Z")
Of course I don’t have a good restore point, but will try that reset and see what it does. I am at the point of nothing to lose. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-help-system-event-notification-service/502109/9 "2009-07-08T10:23:36Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Found this via google. Might be worth a try before a complete reinstall. > > [http://forums.techguy.org/windows-vista-7/602568-system-event-notification-service-meltdown.html](http://forums.techguy.org/windows-vista-7/602568-system-event-notification-service-meltdown.html) Like magic! Many thanks to all who replied. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vista-help-system-event-notification-service/502109/10 "2009-07-08T21:12:02Z")
Glad to hear it worked!