Opening MS Excel on a Windows 2016 sever is generating: "A fatal error occurred while creating a TLS client credential. The internal error state is 10013"

Question

I have been chasing the source of a TLS credential error on my Windows 2016 server. Any help in explaining/resolving it would be appreciated.

DETAILS
I have been able to link the error to the opening and closing of EXCEL. The server is running Microsoft® Excel® 2019 MSO (Version 2205 Build 16.0.15225.20028) 32-bit

When I open EXCEL the Event Viewer registers the following entries

• Schannel Error 36871: A fatal error occurred while creating a TLS client credential. The internal error state is 10013
• Schannel Error 36871: A fatal error occurred while creating a TLS client credential. The internal error state is 10013
• Service Control Manager Information 7036: The Software Protection Service entered the running state (when Excel is opened)
• Service Control Manager Information 7036: The Software Protection Service entered the stopped state (when Excel is closed)

How can I get rid of the TLS credential error?

Answer 1

Hello

Thank you for your question and reaching out. I can understand you are having issues related to Office application from Windows server.

These settings can be accessed by running inetcpl.cpl and going to Advanced > Scroll down to Security and note the TLS settings.

Here is a thread as well that discusses the same issue and you can try out some troubleshooting steps from this and see if that helps you to sort the Issue.

Schannel is a Security Support Provider (SSP) that implements the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) Internet standard authentication protocols.

Download IIS Crypto GUI by Nartac Software to Enable\Disable TLS protocols.

A fatal error occurred while creating a TLS client credential. The internal error state is 10013
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/5966745a-c792-4c3b-b98b-f2db284413d0/a-fatal-error-occurred-while-creating-a-tls-client-credential-the-internal-error-state-is-10013

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Answer 2

I reviewed the thread you suggested.
While my issue does not involve an Exchange Server there were suggestions for tightening the TLS protocols supported by a Windows server...

Per the instructions Provided in Part 1, 2 and 3 of the Exchange Server TLS Guidance documents I...

Enable TLS 1.2 for Schannel
Enable TLS 1.2 for .NET 3.5
Enable TLS 1.2 for .NET 4.X
Disable TLS 1.0 and 1.1 in SChannel

After executing these changes and rebooting my server the issue persisted......

I then ran inetcpl.cpl and noticed that it still showed USE TLS 1.0 and USE TLS 1.1 as checked.
I unchecked these and rebooted. The TLS error message is no longer being produced when EXCEL is opened.

Thank you for the reference and suggestions.