Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator (RpcLocator) Service Defaults in Windows 7

In Windows 2003 and earlier versions of Windows, the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator service manages the RPC name service database. In Windows Vista and later versions of Windows, this service does not provide any functionality and is present for application compatibility.

Default Settings

Startup type: Manual
Display name:Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator
Service name:RpcLocator
Service type:own
Error control:normal
Object:NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService
Path:%SystemRoot%\system32\locator.exe
Registry key:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RpcLocator
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Default Behavior

Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator is a Win32 service. In Windows 7 it won't be started if the user doesn't start it. When the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator service is started, it is running as NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService in its own process of locator.exe. If Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator fails to start, Windows 7 attempts to write the failure details into Event Log. Then Windows 7 startup should proceed and the user should be notified that the RpcLocator service is not running because of the error.

Restore Default Startup Configuration of Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator

1. Run the Command Prompt as an administrator.

2. Copy the command below, paste it into the command window and press ENTER:

sc config RpcLocator start= demand

3. Close the command window and restart the computer.

The RpcLocator service is using the locator.exe file that is located in the C:\Windows\system32 directory. If the file is removed or corrupted, read this article to restore its original version from Windows 7 installation media.