The RPC server is unavailable error means your Windows computer have a problem with communicating with other devices or machines through the network you use.
If you get this error, don’t worry. Most Windows users are able to resolve it with one of the following solutions. You may not have to try all of these solutions; just work from the top down until you find the one that works:
1) Ensure the RPC services function properly.
2) Configure the firewall on your computer.
3) Check the network connection.
4) Check the Windows Registry.
Note: The screens shown below are from Windows 10, but all the fixes also apply to Windows 7.
Contents
1) Ensure RPC services function properly
“The RPC server is unavailable” problem can be caused by improper functioning of RPC service on every computers connected. You may follow the steps below to ensure that all the services related to RPC run normally.
a) Press Win+R keys. On the window popping up, type “services.msc” and press Enter.
b) On the Services window, scroll down to find the items DCOM Server Process Launcher, Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and RPC Endpoint Mapper. Ensure their status is Running and their startup is set to Automatic.
c) If not, see method 4.
2) Configure the firewall on your computer
Firewalls can block traffic requested by RPC and therefore cause RPC server unavailable problem. You should check your firewall configuration and see if it blocks the network connections for RPC. If you are using a third-party firewall, read its instruction or do some research about it to unblock the RPC network connections.
If you are using Windows Firewall, here are the steps of its configuration:
a) Press Win+R keys. On the window popping up, type “control“ and press Enter key. The Control Panel window will pop up.
b) On Control Panel, search windows firewall. And then click Allow an app through Windows Firewall below Windows Firewall.
c) Scroll down to find Remote Assistance. Ensure its communication is enabled (All the boxes of this item are ticked).
3) Check the network connection
“The RPC server is unavailable” problem sometimes may come from network connection interruption. You should check if your devices are correctly connected to the network that you are using.
Check Internet connection by following steps below:
a) Press Win+R keys to open Run dialog. Type “ncpa.cpl” and press Enter key. The Network Connections window will appear.
b) On the Network Connections window, right-click on the network connection you are using, and select Properties.
c) Make sure File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks and Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) are enabled (The boxes next to these items are ticked).
4) Check the Windows Registry
Proper RPC running also requires correct registry setting. Also, if you found that your RPC services were not set correctly, you need to edit the registry to correct the setting. Follow the steps below to edit the registry:
(*WARNING: Registry editing can bring about unexpected problems to your computers. It is strongly recommended that you create a system restore point and back up your registry before you proceed.)
a) Log in your operating system as Administrator (Registry Editing requires Administrator Privileges).
b) Press Win+R keys to open Run dialog. Type “regedit“ and press Enter key.
c) When your Registry Editor is opened, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetservicesRpcSs. See if there is any item that does not exist as the image below shows. If there is, it is suggested that you reinstall your Windows.
d) If you found Remote Procedure Call (RPC) was not correctly set when you tried method 1, you can edit Start registry key in RpcSs path. Double click on Start to edit its value. Set its value data to 2.
e) Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetservicesDcomLaunch. See if there is any item missing. If you found DCOM Server Process Launcher was not correctly set, double click on Start registry key to edit its value. Set its value data to 2.
f) Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetservicesRpcEptMapper. See if there is any item missing. If you previously found the setting of RPC Endpoint Mapper was not correct, double click on Start registry key to edit its value. Again, set its value data to 2.
Sometimes it is possible that you have tried all of the methods above, and you still get the “RPC server is unavailable” error. In this case, we suggest that you should restore your system to a recent restore point or reinstall Windows in your computer. You may also contact your device manufacturers for further assistance.
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