SSRS failing to come online.

We got an incident where SSRS reports were inaccessible. When checked SSRS was stopped. I tried starting it, it was failing to come online. In the eventvwr we see the below warnings in the systems log

The SQL Server Reporting Services (MSSQLSERVER) service failed to start due to the following error:

The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.

In “Applications log” we see..

Windows detected your registry file is still in use by other applications or services. The file will be unloaded now. The applications or services that hold your registry file may not function properly afterwards. 

DETAIL -

 15 user registry handles leaked from \Registry\User\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659:

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\My

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\CA

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\TrustedPeople

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\Disallowed

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659\Control Panel\International

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\Root

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659\Software\Policies\Microsoft\SystemCertificates

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\SmartCardRoot

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\trust

Process 4284 (\Device\HarddiskVolume4\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1758020066-803956685-1919233885-192659\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Resolution

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mariae/2012/11/12/reporting-services-service-doesnt-start-after-the-installation-of-ms12-070-security-patch/

2nd workaround: from the above link helped get SSRS online.

2nd workaround:

If the first action plan didn’t work, try disabled the certificate checking in the ReportingServicesService.exe.config file:

1. Edit the ReportingServicesService.exe.config file usually located in this folder F:\mssql2008\MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe.config
2. Add the “<generatePublisherEvidence enabled=”false”/>” within the <Runtime> tag
3. Patch the server with the KB. – In this case I didn’t have to patch it as it is already on the latest patch.