What does Windows error code 1059 (ERROR_CIRCULAR_DEPENDENCY) mean?

 
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ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED ERROR_SERVICE_DOES_NOT_EXIST

ERROR_CIRCULAR_DEPENDENCY

ERROR_CIRCULAR_DEPENDENCY (1059, 0x00000423) means that the configured service dependencies contain a cycle, so Windows cannot determine a valid startup order.

Why a cycle is invalid

A service may depend on another service or on a load-order group. If Service A requires Service B, while Service B directly or indirectly requires Service A, neither service can be started first. The Service Control Manager rejects that configuration instead of waiting indefinitely.

Where to look

This error can be returned by CreateService and ChangeServiceConfig when dependencies are added or changed. Review both explicit service dependencies and group dependencies; a cycle can be indirect and involve more than two services.

Remove the unnecessary dependency or redesign the startup sequence so that each prerequisite points in one direction only. Do not solve the problem by adding delays: a dependency cycle is a configuration error, not a timing issue.


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