error 183 Cannot create a file when that file already exists. Unable to start WPAS service

Question

error 183 Cannot create a file when that file already exists. Unable to start Windows Process Activation Service service.

Answer 1

Hello

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community forum.

The error 183 with Windows Process Activation Service (WAS) usually indicates that WAS is trying to use a file that already exists. Here are some steps you can try to resolve this issue:

1.Delete the Generated Keys: Run the following commands from an admin Powershell prompt:

reg delete HKLM\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\WAS\\Parameters /v GenerateKeys /f
net start w3svc

This will delete the generated keys and then start the service.

2.Reinstall WAS: Uninstall and reinstall WAS. This is a common method used to resolve this issue.

3.Delete the ‘inetpub’ folder: After uninstalling WAS and Internet Information Services (IIS), restart your computer and delete the ‘inetpub’ folder on your C: drive.

Best Regards,

Wesley Li

Answer 2

Wesley,

Thank you for the suggestion, unfortunately it did not work for me.

The /v GenerateKeys /f portion does not seem accurate.

Paul

Answer 3

The command is sourced from this link:

iis - Windows Process Activation Service (WAS) will not start - Stack Overflow