Fix STATUS_LOG_POLICY_NOT_INSTALLED 0XC01A0015

Job scheduling or backup tool errors with this code? The log policy isn't loaded. Fix it by restarting the Log Policy service or rebuilding the policy store.

You're staring at 0XC01A0015 again, right?

This stupid error usually pops up when Windows' Common Log File System (CLFS) can't find a log policy that's supposed to be there. It's a pain, but I've got a fix that works 9 times out of 10.

The Quick Fix: Restart the Log Policy Service

The culprit here is almost always the Log Policy Service (LogPolicySvc) not loading properly. Here's what to do:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Don't skip this — you need elevated rights.
Run:
```
net stop LogPolicySvc
```
Wait 10 seconds, then:
```
net start LogPolicySvc
```
Check if the error's gone by running your backup or task that triggered it.

That's the 30-second fix. If it doesn't stick, move to the long-term solution.

Why This Works

CLFS uses a registry-based policy store under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LogPolicySvc\Parameters. When the service starts, it reads policies from there. If the service crashes or never loaded — maybe after a patch reboot or disk I/O hiccup — the policies aren't installed. Restarting forces a clean reload. Don't bother with a full reboot first; it's overkill and takes longer.

When Restarting Isn't Enough

Sometimes the policy store itself gets corrupted. You'll see the error persist after a restart. In that case:

Open Regedit.
Navigate to HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LogPolicySvc\Parameters.
Backup the key by exporting it.
Delete the Policies subkey (if it exists). If not, delete the entire Parameters key.

Restart the service:

net stop LogPolicySvc && net start LogPolicySvc

Windows will rebuild the policy store from defaults. This has saved my ass more than once on Server 2016 and 2019 boxes running Veeam backups that kept throwing this error.

Less Common Variations

1. Third-Party Backup Software Conflict

I've seen this with Symantec Backup Exec and older NetBackup versions. They hook into CLFS and leave orphaned policies. Uninstall the backup agent, restart LogPolicySvc, then reinstall. Skip just disabling the service — it doesn't clean the policies.

2. Corrupted CLFS Base Log Files

Rare, but possible. The base log files live in C:\Windows\System32\config\TxR. If the above steps don't work, run:

chkdsk /f C:

and reboot. Let it run. Then restart LogPolicySvc again. This fixed it once on a Server 2012 R2 box that had suffered a power loss.

3. Group Policy Blocking the Service

Check if a GPO is disabling LogPolicySvc. Run gpresult /h gp.html and look for any policy restricting service startup. If you find one, exclude the server from that policy. Don't bother editing the default domain policy — create a new GPO with a WMI filter.

Prevention

Three things keep this from coming back:

Set LogPolicySvc to Automatic start. I've caught it set to Manual on fresh builds. Run:
```
sc config LogPolicySvc start=auto
```
Monitor for service crashes. Enable Event ID 7031 for LogPolicySvc. If it stops responding, you'll know before the backup fails.
Patch regularly. Microsoft fixed a CLFS corruption bug in KB5009557 (January 2022). If you're on an older build, that could be your root cause.

That's it. Fix the service, nuke the policy store if you have to, and move on. You've got better things to do than chase this garbage.