7 Best Fixes for Windows Online Troubleshooting Service Is Disabled Error on Windows

Windows offers various troubleshooters that can fix system issues. Sometimes you might see the ‘Windows online troubleshooting service is disabled’ error when launching them. This error can appear when using built-in and external troubleshooters.

If you see this error message when accessing a troubleshooter, then this is the post for you. Here we’ll see seven ways to fix ‘Windows online troubleshooting service disabled’ error on your Windows 11 computer. Let’s begin.

1. Check If Your Windows Activated

Before making any changes to your computer, ensure that you have a licensed and activated Windows copy. To check your Windows activation status, follow these instructions:

Step 1: Press the Windows + I shortcut to open the Settings app.

Step 2: Choose System from the left sidebar and click on the Activation option in the right pane.

In the Activation window, check the message next to the Activation state. If it says “Not active,” you’ll need to get a product key or digital license to solve the error. The digital license or key might be written on your computer.

However, if the Activation state says “Active,” then there may be another cause of the error. In this case, try the following solutions to resolve the issue.

2. Edit the Group Policy Settings

The Scripted Diagnostics policy allows users to access troubleshooting tools. If this policy setting is disabled, you will likely see the error. To fix that, enable the Scripted Diagnostic policy setting in the Group Policy Editor. Note that the Group Policy Editor is unavailable on Windows 11 Home Edition, and you will see gpedit.msc not found error if you try to access it. You can check our guide on fixing the gpedit missing error. Nevertheless, here’s how to access the Group Policy Editor and enable the Scripted Diagnostics policy setting: Step 1: Press the Windows+R shortcut to open the Run tool. Step 2: Type gpedit.msc and click OK.

Navigate to the following location in the Group Policy Editor:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Troubleshooting and Diagnostics > Scripted Diagnostics

Step 4: Double-click on the ‘Troubleshooting: Allow users to access online troubleshooting content on Microsoft servers from the Troubleshooting Control Panel (via the Windows Online Troubleshooting Service – WOTS)’ policy in the right pane.

Step 5: Choose the Enabled option and click Apply, then OK.

3. Customize the Registry Settings

To fix the ‘Windows online troubleshooting service is not enabled for this version of Windows’ error, you can edit registry settings. However, be cautious as editing the registry can make your system unstable. Backup and restore the registry before following these steps:

1. Open the Run tool and type “regedit”. Click OK.

Step 2: In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WinTrust\Trust Providers\Software Publishing

Step 3: Double-click the State entry in the right pane.

Step 4: Type “23c00” in the Value data section and click OK.

4. Start Important Windows Service

Background Intelligent Transfer Services (BITS) is a vital Windows service that enables apps and services to run in the background. Without this service, running background services like Windows troubleshooters becomes impossible. To resolve the issue, you need to start the BITS service. Here’s how:

Step 1: Press Windows + R shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type services.msc in the Run tool and click OK.

Step 2: Right-click on Background Intelligent Transfer Services and choose Start.

5. Temporarily Disable Windows Security

Windows Security is the default security application that protects your system against cyber attacks and viruses. It prevents suspicious apps and services from running. However, Windows Security can interfere with important services responsible for running the troubleshooters and cause errors. To fix this issue, you can temporarily disable the Windows Security app. Here’s how:

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start Menu, type Windows Security in the search bar, and press Enter.

Step 2: Choose ‘Virus & threat protection’ from the sidebar.

Step 3: Click Manage settings.

Step 4: Disable the toggle under Real-time protection.

Next, check if the error message still appears when using the troubleshooter. If it does, enable the Windows Security app by turning on the Real-time protection toggle.

The ‘Windows online troubleshooting service is not enabled for this version of Windows’ error may be due to an issue in your Windows version. To resolve this issue, download the latest Windows update. Simply open the Settings app, select Windows Update in the sidebar, and click on Check for Updates. Windows will then automatically download and install any available updates on your computer.

7. Remove Corruption From Your Computer

Corruption in system files can cause error messages. You can fix this by running an SFC scan. Here’s how: Step 1: Type Command Prompt in the Start Menu search bar and choose Run as administrator.

Step 2: Type the command and press Enter.

After scanning for the issue, check if it persists. If so, run the DISM scan.

DISM scan, short for Deployment Image Servicing and Management, is a Windows utility that repairs Windows images, including the operating system itself. To run the DISM scan, enter these commands in the elevated Command Prompt window:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Solve Issue With Windows Troubleshooter

If you encounter an audio or network issue on Windows, troubleshooters are available for various problems. However, accessing the troubleshooter may pose difficulties. Fortunately, you can promptly resolve the ‘Windows online troubleshooting service is disabled’ error by using the provided solutions.