How to fix Error 13134 on Windows Server 2025 / Windows 11

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Troubleshooting Guide: SQL Server Error 13134 — “Waits Started Per Second”

Why This Error Happens

This error is typically tied to the SQL Server Extended Events or Performance Monitor subsystem reporting an abnormal spike in the Waits Started Per Second counter, which indicates that threads are accumulating wait states faster than the scheduler can resolve them. The root cause is usually resource contention — such as CPU scheduler pressure, blocked I/O operations, or lock escalation — compounded by misconfigured MAXDOP or max worker threads settings on Windows Server 2025. In some cases, this is triggered by corrupted Extended Events session files or insufficient permissions for the SQL Server service account to access performance counter registries.

Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

Step 1: Verify SQL Server Service Account Permissions

  • Open Services.msc and confirm the SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER) service is running under a valid domain or managed service account.
  • Ensure the account has “Log on as a service” rights via secpol.msc → Local Policies → User Rights Assignment.
  • Run sc qc MSSQLSERVER in an elevated Command Prompt to confirm the service configuration path is correct.

Step 2: Rebuild Performance Counter Registry

  • Open an elevated PowerShell terminal and run: lodctr /R to rebuild corrupted performance counter definitions.
  • Follow this with winmgmt /resyncperf to resync WMI performance libraries on Windows Server 2025.
  • Restart the SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER) and SQL Server Agent services afterward.

Step 3: Adjust SQL Server Scheduler and MAXDOP Settings

  • Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and connect to the instance.
  • Navigate to Server Properties → Advanced and check the current Max Degree of Parallelism (MAXDOP) value.
  • Run the following query to cap parallelism if the server has more than 8 logical cores:
  EXEC sp_configure 'max degree of parallelism', 4;
  RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE;
  • Review sys.dm_os_wait_stats for abnormal spikes using:
  SELECT TOP 10 * FROM sys.dm_os_wait_stats ORDER BY wait_time_ms DESC;

Step 4: Clear Corrupted Extended Events Sessions

  • Navigate to C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL17.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Log\ and check for .xel files exceeding normal size thresholds.
  • Drop and recreate the active Extended Events session causing the alert:
  DROP EVENT SESSION [Waits_Monitor] ON SERVER;
  • Restart the SQL Server service to clear any locked session handles.

Alternative or Verification Steps

  • Open Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe), add the counter SQLServer:Wait Statistics → Waits Started Per Second, and confirm the value stabilizes below your baseline threshold over a 10-minute sampling window.
  • If the error persists, run the SQL Server Diagnostic Tool (PSSDiag) to capture a trace and cross-reference with Windows Event Viewer under Applications and Services Logs → MSSQLSERVER for correlating disk latency or memory pressure warnings.