BITS or Background Intelligent Transfer Service transfers files between the client and the server. One of its most important jobs is to assist Windows Update. However, many users reported a ticket or event in Windows Event Viewer, which states the following message.
BITS service failed to start. Error 0x80004015. Event ID 16392
Fix 0x80004015, BITS service failed to start in Windows 11
If the BITS service failed to start on your Windows computer with Error code 0x80004015, Event ID 16392 follow the solutions mentioned below.
- Start BITS Service manually
- Run SFC and DISM
- Run Background Intelligent Transfer Services and Windows Update Troubleshooter
- Clear Windows Update Path
- Reset your computer
Let us talk about them in detail.
1] Start BITS Service manually
If the BITS service is not starting, you should try to do the same manually. For that, open the Services app from the Start Menu, look for Background Intelligent Transfer Service, right-click on it, and select Start if an option is available. If the service was already running, you can restart it.
2] Run SFC and DISM
You may get the error due to corrupted system files. We can repair the files using the System File Checker (SFC). This tool will scan your system files and then repair the corrupted ones. In order to do the same, open Command Prompt as an administrator and then run the following command.
sfc /scannow
Let the command run, and if it doesn’t yield any fruitful result, run the following DISM command.
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image/Scanhealth DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image/Restorehealth
Once your command is successful, reboot your computer and then run Windows Update and see.
3] Run Background Intelligent Transfer Services and Windows Update Troubleshooter
Run the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) Troubleshooter in the Get Help app and see. It can scan what’s wrong with the service and then provide you with a perfect solution and, in some cases, even execute the required solution. You can access it via the Get Help app or via the Windows Settings > Troubleshooters page.
If the issue is not resolved, run the Windows Update troubleshooter as BITS is related to Windows Update.
4] Clear Windows Update Path
Next up, we need to clear the Windows Update path from Registry and let the computer create them once again. We do this to ensure that you don’t get the error due to a corrupted registry. Making amendments to the registry is generally discouraged, which is why you should create a backup of the registry that can be used in adverse scenarios. Once you have created the registry backup, follow the solutions mentioned below to clear the Windows Update path.
- First of all, launch Registry Editor.
- Next, navigate to the following path.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
- Search for WUServer and WIStatusServer.
- You need to delete them. In case, they are not listed, you should skip this solution and move to the next one.
After deleting the file, reboot your computer and check if the issue is resolved.
5] Reset your computer
If nothing works, and if this causes your Windows Update to fail, your last resort is to reset your computer. We are not going to delete your files but reconfigure your device. So, use the Reset this PC option from Settings, making sure you opt to Keep your files, and then check if the issue is resolved.
How do I start BITS service in Windows 11?
It is simple to start the BITS service. To do the same, open the Services Manager, then search for Background Intelligent Transfer Service, right-click on it, and select Start. You can also open its Properties and then set the Startup type to Manual, which is the default Windows setting.
What is the BITS repair tool for Windows 11?
Microsoft has provided a troubleshooter that can repair issues related to BITS. To run the BITS Troubleshooter, open Windows Settings > System > Troubleshoot. Under Other, click on the Run button against Background Intelligent Transfer Service, to open the new Get Help app based BITS Troubleshooter. You can follow the on-screen instructions to run the troubleshooter.
Also Read: Background Intelligent Transfer Service stopped & not working in Windows 11/10.
