Fix RPC_S_NAME_SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE (0X000006E2) Error

When you see this error

You're on a Windows Server 2016 or 2019 machine, and you try to connect to a remote computer using net use, dir \\server\share, or an RPC-based management tool like sc \\server query. Instead of getting access, you get: RPC_S_NAME_SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE (0X000006E2) - The name service is unavailable. This error also shows up in event logs under source RPC with event ID 1723.

The real trick is — the RPC service itself is running (you can check, it's usually fine), but the RPC Locator service isn't. That's the one that actually resolves names for remote RPC calls. Without the Locator, Windows can't find the target endpoint on the network.

Root cause

The RPC Locator service (Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator) is the Windows component that maps abstract RPC service names to network endpoints. When it's stopped or disabled, the system can't look up which port or named pipe the remote service is using. The error 0X000006E2 is Windows telling you: "I know RPC is supposed to work, but I can't find the address book."

Most of the time, the Locator service is set to Manual but never actually started. On domain controllers, it sometimes gets stuck in a "stopping" state. On standalone servers, it's just not configured to start automatically. I've also seen third-party backup software and antivirus scanners kill the Locator service during scans — then it never restarts.

Fix: Enable and start the RPC Locator service

Open Services Console
Press Win + R, type services.msc, hit Enter. Wait for the list to load.
Find the RPC Locator service
Scroll down until you see Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator. It's usually near the bottom of the list, right after "Remote Procedure Call (RPC)". If you don't see it, that's a different problem — skip to the end.
Check the service state
Look at the Status column. If it says Started and the Startup Type is Automatic, then the problem is elsewhere — check the "Still failing?" section below.
If it says Blank (not started), or Manual, proceed.
Set startup type to Automatic
Right-click Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator, choose Properties. In the Startup type dropdown, change from Manual to Automatic. Click Apply — you should see the buttons become active.
Start the service
Still in the Properties window, click the Start button. Wait 5-10 seconds. The service status should change to Running. Click OK to close.
Verify the fix
Open a Command Prompt as Administrator (right-click Start, choose Windows Terminal Admin or Command Prompt Admin). Run:
```
sc query RpcLocator
```
You should see STATE : 4 RUNNING. Then try your original command (like net use or dir \\server\share) — it should work now.

Still failing?

If the error persists, here's what to check next:

The service won't start — Open Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc), go to Windows Logs > System. Filter by source Service Control Manager. Look for an error saying something like "The Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator service terminated with the following error: %%2147942487" — that means a dependency is missing. The RPC Locator depends on the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service. Verify that service is running (it almost always is, but check).
The service is stuck in "Stop Pending" — This is a known bug on some Windows Server 2016 builds. Run this command in an elevated prompt:
```
sc queryex RpcLocator | find /i "pid"
```
Note the PID (e.g., 1234), then run taskkill /f /pid 1234. After that, start the service manually as described above.
Antivirus or security software — Some endpoint protection tools (I've seen McAfee and CrowdStrike do this) block the Locator service from starting. Temporarily disable real-time protection, try step 5 again. If it works, add an exclusion for C:\Windows\System32\locator.exe in your AV policy.
Corrupted RPC configuration — Rare, but I've seen it twice. Run this in an elevated command prompt:
```
sfc /scannow
```
Let it finish (takes 15-30 minutes). Then run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Reboot, then try the fix from step 1 again.
Network issue — If the Locator service is running and healthy, but the error still shows up only when connecting to a specific remote server, double-check that both machines are on the same network segment or that DNS can resolve the target name. Run nslookup targetserver and confirm you get a valid IP. Also check that Windows Firewall isn't blocking RPC dynamic ports (typically ports 49152-65535).

Most people I've helped get this fixed in under 5 minutes by just starting the RPC Locator service and setting it to Automatic. That's usually the whole story. But if you hit one of these edge cases, the steps above will catch it.