When attempting to add the Wireless LAN Service via Server Manager or PowerShell on Windows Server 2012 R2 DataCenter, you may encounter the frustrating error: "The request to list features available on the specified server failed." This error typically occurs after system updates or improper service shutdowns.

Before diving into solutions, verify these baseline conditions:

• Run PowerShell as Administrator
• Check if Windows Module Installer service is running (WinRM)
• Ensure you have proper permissions (Local Administrator rights)

Let's first attempt to diagnose the feature service through PowerShell. The most reliable command to test feature availability is:

Get-WindowsFeature | Where-Object {$_.InstallState -eq "Available"}

If this fails, we need to investigate the Windows Features on Demand (FOD) component. Try this alternative approach:

dism /online /get-features /format:table

From my experience supporting Windows Server environments, these solutions have proven effective:

Solution 1: Reset Feature Metadata Cache

Execute these PowerShell commands sequentially:

Stop-Service -Name WinRM -Force
Remove-Item -Path "C:\Windows\servicing\Sessions\*" -Recurse -Force
Start-Service -Name WinRM

Solution 2: Repair System Components

The nuclear option that often works when others fail:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

Once the feature listing is restored, install the Wireless LAN Service properly:

Add-WindowsFeature -Name Wireless-Networking -IncludeAllSubFeature -IncludeManagementTools

For systems where the GUI method fails, this DISM command works reliably:

dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Wireless-Networking /all

If problems persist, check these critical system logs:

Get-WinEvent -LogName "Microsoft-Windows-FeaturesOnDemand/Operational" | 
    Where-Object {$_.LevelDisplayName -eq "Error"} | 
    Format-List -Property Message,TimeCreated

For advanced diagnostics, examine the CBS (Component Based Servicing) log:

Get-Content C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log -Tail 200 -Wait | 
    Select-String -Pattern "failed","error" -Context 2

To avoid recurrence:

• Always pause Windows Updates before major configuration changes
• Maintain regular system state backups using:

wbadmin start backup -backupTarget:E: -include:C: -allCritical -quiet

---

When attempting to add the Wireless LAN Service or manage roles/features in Windows Server 2012 R2 DataCenter, you might encounter the error: "The request to list features available on the specified server failed". This occurs in both Server Manager and PowerShell (Get-WindowsFeature). The issue often arises after system updates or service corruption.

Before diving into solutions, verify these critical points:

# Check if Windows Modules Installer service is running
Get-Service -Name TrustedInstaller

# Test feature enumeration via DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management)
DISM /Online /Get-Features

Corrupted update components are a common root cause. Run these PowerShell commands as Administrator:

# Stop relevant services
Stop-Service -Name TrustedInstaller,BITS,WuAuServ -Force

# Rename SoftwareDistribution folder
Rename-Item -Path "$env:systemroot\SoftwareDistribution" -NewName "SoftwareDistribution.old" -Force

# Reset Windows Update components
$WUResetScript = @'
@echo off
net stop bits
net stop wuauserv
net stop appidsvc
net stop cryptsvc
del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat" /q
rmdir /s /q "%systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution"
rmdir /s /q "%systemroot%\system32\catroot2"
net start bits
net start wuauserv
net start appidsvc
net start cryptsvc
'@
$WUResetScript | Out-File "$env:TEMP\WUReset.cmd" -Encoding ASCII
Start-Process -FilePath "$env:TEMP\WUReset.cmd" -Wait -Verb RunAs

# Re-register DLLs
$dlls = @("wuapi.dll","wups2.dll","wuaueng.dll","wucltux.dll","muweb.dll","wups.dll")
$dlls | ForEach-Object { regsvr32.exe /s $_ }

If the issue persists, install features directly using DISM:

# For Wireless LAN Service
DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:WirelessNetworking

# For general feature management
DISM /Online /Get-Features /Format:Table | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\features.txt"

For stubborn cases, check these system components:

# Verify Component Store integrity
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

# Check event logs for related errors
Get-WinEvent -LogName "Application","System" -MaxEvents 100 | 
    Where-Object {$_.Message -like "*feature*" -or $_.Message -like "*TrustedInstaller*"} |
    Format-Table -AutoSize

To avoid recurrence:

• Maintain regular system backups
• Schedule monthly DISM health checks
• Create a PowerShell monitoring script:

# Scheduled task to verify feature services
$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "PowerShell.exe" -Argument "-NoProfile -Command "if (-not (Get-Service TrustedInstaller).Status -eq 'Running') { Start-Service TrustedInstaller }""
$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Daily -At 3am
Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "FeatureServiceMonitor" -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -RunLevel Highest