How to Fix Device Association Service Endpoint Discovery Failure?

January 6, 2025

Endpoint discovery failures can be frustrating, especially when they prevent essential devices from working correctly with your Windows system. These failures can result from issues with your Bluetooth or attached hardware. When the Device Association Facility fails to communicate with an endpoint during the discovery process, addressing the problem promptly is crucial. This article will guide you through various methods to resolve this issue.

1. Restart the Device Association Service

If you’re facing problems with endpoint discovery, the first step is to restart the Device Association Service. This service is responsible for managing device associations and ensuring effective communication between connected devices and your system.

  • Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box, type services.msc, and press OK.
  • Scroll down to find Device Association Service, then double-click it.
  • In the Startup Type drop-down menu, select Manual, and then click Stop.
  • Once the service has stopped, click Start to restart it.
  • Apply the changes by clicking OK, and then restart your computer.
  • After restarting, check if the issue has been resolved.

Restarting the Device Association Service can often resolve endpoint discovery failures by resetting the service’s state and clearing any temporary errors that may have occurred.

2. Re-register the Windows Component

Endpoint discovery failures may also result from registry issues, outdated configurations, or broken dependencies. Re-registering the Windows component can reset associated system configurations and eliminate potential corruption.

  • Open PowerShell with admin rights.
  • Run the following command: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppxManifest.xml"}
  • Restart your computer to ensure all changes are applied correctly.

Re-registering system components allows the operating system to reset certain configurations, which can eliminate issues stemming from corrupted system components or older configurations that are incompatible with connected hardware.

3. Clear Device Pairing Data

Clearing device pairing data is another effective solution. This step ensures a fresh start for the pairing process by forcing devices to rediscover and establish a new, clean connection with the endpoint.

  • Press Win + I to open Settings, and click on Bluetooth and devices.
  • Navigate to the Devices section, find and click on the Bluetooth device experiencing issues.
  • Select the Remove device option, confirm the removal when prompted, and restart the devices.
  • After rebooting your computer, navigate back to Settings, and re-pair the device again.

By clearing the device pairing data, you eliminate any lingering connection issues from previous configurations. This step allows both your system and the device to start with a clean state, thus increasing the likelihood of successful pairing.

4. Remove Corrupted Registry Entries

Corrupted registry entries can lead to misconfiguration or prevent the Device Association Service from correctly discovering and establishing connections with endpoints. Removing these corrupted entries can help restore proper system functionality.

  • First, create a backup of the Registry to restore it if anything goes wrong.
  • Open the Run dialog box, type regedit to open the Registry Editor, and press OK.
  • Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DeviceAssociationService
  • Look for any suspicious or broken entries, right-click on them, and select Delete.
  • Reboot your device and check whether the issue has been resolved.

Updating or removing corrupted registry entries helps to resolve misconfigurations that could be preventing the successful discovery and association of devices, thereby ensuring smoother operation of the Device Association Service.

5. Perform a Clean Boot

If registry entries were not the issue, performing a clean boot can help determine if third-party background services cause the problem. A clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs.

  • Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box, type MSConfig, and press OK to open the System Configuration Utility.
  • Go to the General tab, select Selective Startup, and uncheck Load Startup Items while ticking Load System Services and Use Original Boot Configuration.
  • Navigate to the Services tab, tick Hide All Microsoft Services, and click Disable All.
  • In the Startup tab, click Open Task Manager, disable all unnecessary startup apps, and close Task Manager.
  • Click Apply and OK to apply the changes and reboot your computer.
  • After rebooting, check if the issue persists in the Clean Boot state. If it does, you’ll need to identify the problematic third-party service.

A clean boot isolates background services and startup programs, allowing you to identify whether any third-party software conflicts with the Device Association Service and causing the endpoint discovery failure.

6. Check USB/Bluetooth Power Management

There is a possibility that Power Management settings automatically disable USB ports or Bluetooth devices to save energy. This can disrupt their ability to connect and communicate effectively.

  • Press Win + X, select Device Manager, and locate the USB or Bluetooth device experiencing issues.
  • Click on Properties, and navigate to the Power Management tab.
  • Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, and press OK.
  • Verify if the issue is resolved.

Disabling the power-saving feature ensures that your USB and Bluetooth devices remain active and available for connection, which can prevent the disruptions that cause endpoint discovery failures.

7. Use System Restore

If all else fails, using System Restore can help revert your computer to a previous state where the endpoint discovery failure was not an issue. This step can resolve the problem by undoing recent system changes that may have caused the failure.

  • Press Win + R, type rstrui, and press OK to open System Restore.
  • Follow the prompts to choose a restore point from a date when the system and device functioned correctly.
  • Allow the process to complete, and the computer will restart.

Using System Restore can resolve conflicts and undo recent changes causing endpoint discovery failures, restoring your system to a working state.

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