Fix ERROR_NO_TRACKING_SERVICE (0X00000494) on Windows Server

Cause 1: The Workstation service is stopped or disabled

This is the most common reason you're seeing error 0X00000494. The service that handles your server's network connections (like SMB file sharing) isn't running. I've seen this happen after a Windows Update reboot, or when someone accidentally disabled it while cleaning up services.

How to check and restart the service

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, hit Enter.
2. Scroll down to Workstation. It should say "Running" and the Startup Type should be "Automatic".
3. If it's stopped, right-click and choose Start. If it fails to start, set Startup Type to Automatic first, then try again.
4. After it starts, test your network shares. The error should be gone.

Note: If the service won't start at all, you might see error 1068 or 1058. That's a different problem — skip to Cause 2 or 3 below.

Cause 2: Registry entries for the Workstation service are corrupted

Sometimes the registry keys that tell Windows how to start the Workstation service get messed up. This can happen after a failed update or malware scan that quarantined something important. You'll see the service in Services.msc but it just won't start.

Fix the registry keys

1. Open Registry Editor (regedit as Administrator).
2. Go to:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation

3. Check these values under the Parameters subkey (create if missing):
   • ServiceDll = C:\Windows\System32\wkssvc.dll
   • ServiceMain = ServiceMain
4. Also check the LanmanWorkstation key itself:
   • Start = 2 (that means Automatic)
   • Type = 20 (service that runs in its own process)
   • ErrorControl = 1 (normal error handling)
5. Close regedit, reboot the server.
6. After reboot, check if the Workstation service is running. If not, start it manually.

Real-world trigger: I had a client whose antivirus deleted the wkssvc.dll file as a false positive. The registry pointed to a missing file. Restoring that file from another Windows Server fixed it instantly.

Cause 3: Missing or corrupted system files (DLLs)

If the service starts but then crashes immediately, or if you get a 0X00000494 error when trying to access a network drive, the problem might be that some core Windows files are damaged. This is less common than the first two causes, but I've seen it after a partial Windows update failure.

Run SFC and DISM

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. First run DISM to fix the system image:

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   This can take 10-20 minutes. Let it finish completely.
3. Then run SFC:

   sfc /scannow

   This checks system files and replaces damaged ones.
4. After both complete, reboot your server.
5. Check if the Workstation service starts now. If not, you might need to run sfc /scannow a second time — sometimes it finds more issues after a reboot.

When this won't work: If your server has deep corruption from a failed hard drive, these tools won't help. You'd need to restore from backup or repair the installation using an ISO. That's rare — try the steps above first.

Quick-reference summary table

If none of these work, check your Windows Event Viewer (Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > SMBClient) for more clues. Usually though, one of these three fixes gets the job done. Good luck — you've got this.