Protected Storage [Missing from Services]

For some reason Auto Complete is not working and one of the reasons may be that in services.msc "Protected Storage" is missing does anybody know how I can get this back. As this may help me to get Auto Complete working.

My original thread was at:
http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=48249

and I was advised to start a new thread due to the Protected Storage missing

Paul

 

Hi Paul. Interesting problem. Given the specific service you are missing, you have potentially worse problems than just auto-complete so you do need to get the service operational again.

It is possible to create your own 'new' services and you can certainly create a new copy of the missing one. If it somehow makes things worse, deleting the one you created is even easier.

First off, check a couple of things.
- Do you have the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service and is it running?
- Is the missing Protected Storage among the services listed as depending on RPC
- Can you locate the file c:\windows\system32\lsass.exe on your PC. If so
.. does it show in properties that it is a windows file
.. are there any other copies elsewhere on your PC (Sasser and a few other baddies added bogus copies)

Based on the answers to the above, if it looks like you have all the pieces but are simply missing the service, this should replace it on your PC.

Open a cmd window (start->run->cmd)

Key in the following EXACTLY as shown (all on one line - the wrap around is from the forum's display)
sc create ProtectedStorage binPath= c:\windows\system32\lsass.exe type= share depend= RpcSs DisplayName= Protected Storage start= auto
note1: the space after each = is required
note2: I know about this in theory but haven't done it so no promises

Verify creation by keying the following
sc query protectedstorage and see if it looks like

SERVICE_NAME: ProtectedStorage
TYPE : 120 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS (interactive)
STATE : 4 RUNNING
(STOPPABLE,NOT_PAUSABLE,IGNORES_SHUTDOWN)
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0
PID : 724
FLAGS : RUNS_IN_SYSTEM_PROCESS

Do one last check by looking in the registry
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ProtectedStorage

Especially look for a key DependOnService which should be a REG_MULTI_SZ with a value of RPCSS or possibly RpcSs...!

If this does not work, I'd suggest booting from your XP CD and trying a repair install.

 

All of the items from your check list, checked okay against my system and put in the key as directed looked in services.msc and still missing also entered sc query protectedstorage but cameback with "service does not exist"

The reg key for protected service does not exist I can only go up to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\" the rest of the path (ProtectedStorage) does not exist, just a thought could I copy the missing key from a known working machine? or would this have no effect

I cannot do a XP repair install as it is a HP machine and I only have a recovery disk and I have just rebuilt it (took 2 weeks) and at the moment I do not have the time, in any case this problem came from rebuilding the operating system.

Paul

 

Paul - I would certainly try exporting that one from a known working registry and then importing it on the problem system.

However, given the amount of stuff lsass.exe does and the massive strangeness of having a service vanish (it was a new one on me) I'm not sure you don't have worse problems you just haven't noticed yet.

At the very least I'd suggest you open a run line and do sfc /scannow . I did read that you don't have a normal XP install CD but even the HP folks included an I386 folder somewhere and you can copy it to the hard drive then do the registry tweaks to point to the c:\I386 folder and sfc should work fine without needing the XP CD.

You can get the specific how-to from
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

 

Well I finally managed to get the Protected Service back by exporting the reg file for : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ProtectedStorage from another computer and entering into my registry.

AutoComplete is still not working but at least I have one part of it back, thanks for your help.

Paul