Error 1053The service did not respond in time

What it means

Error 1053, ERROR_SERVICE_REQUEST_TIMEOUT, is the Service Control Manager reporting that a service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion. When Windows starts a service, it waits for the service to signal that it has started, 30 seconds by default. If that signal does not arrive, the SCM reports 1053. The service may actually be starting, but too slowly, or it may be failing.

Diagnose the underlying cause

1. Read the logs. The Windows Event Log (System log, source Service Control Manager, events 7000/7009/7011) and the service's own log usually record the real error behind the timeout. Fix that, not the timeout.
2. Check dependencies and runtimes. A service that needs another service, a database, or a specific runtime (a .NET version, for a managed service) fails to signal readiness if that dependency is missing or wrong. Confirm the runtime is installed. Many services run inside svchost.exe and depend on shared components.
3. Check the log-on account. A service configured to run as a specific account fails if the password is wrong or the account lacks the Log on as a service right or another needed permission. See the account with sc qc <service>; the concepts are in authentication basics.
4. Look for a service bug. A service that never signals readiness (a coding fault, or waiting on something that never arrives) times out regardless of settings. Update the software or contact its vendor.

Increasing the timeout (only when justified)

If a service is legitimately slow to initialise (large data load at start, for example), extend the SCM's wait:

• Open regedit → HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control.
• Create or edit the DWORD value ServicesPipeTimeout, set in milliseconds (for example 60000 for 60 seconds).
• Reboot.

This applies to all services, so use it only when the delay is genuine; it masks, rather than fixes, a service that is actually failing.

Frequently asked questions

What causes error 1053?

The Service Control Manager waited for the service to report that it had started (30 seconds by default) and it did not. That can be because the service genuinely needs longer, a dependency or runtime it needs is missing or wrong, the service account lacks a required permission, or the service has a bug that stops it signalling readiness.

How do I fix error 1053?

Check the service's dependencies and required runtime (for a .NET service, the correct .NET version); verify the log-on account and its permissions; read the service's own log and the Windows event log for the underlying error; and, only for a service that is legitimately slow to start, increase the ServicesPipeTimeout registry value.

Sources

• Microsoft Learn — System Error Codes: ERROR_SERVICE_REQUEST_TIMEOUT
• Microsoft Support — A service does not start, and events 7000 and 7011 are logged