Downloaded Maps Manager Showing Red or Delayed Start in Windows Server 2016

What Is the Downloaded Maps Manager Service?

The Downloaded Maps Manager service (internal name: MapsBroker) is the Windows component that manages offline map data for the built-in Maps application. It handles downloading, updating, and caching map tiles so they are available when the device is offline.

This service is designed exclusively for consumer Windows editions (Windows 10 Home, Pro, and the tablet/hybrid form factors that ship with the Maps app). It serves no function whatsoever on Windows Server 2016 — there is no Maps application, no user consuming offline map data, and no legitimate reason for this service to run.

It appears on Server 2016 because Microsoft builds the server operating system from a shared codebase with the desktop editions. Some consumer-oriented services and features get carried across even though they have no server use case. The Windows Maps application itself is not installed on Server 2016 (it is a UWP app not available in Server editions), but the broker service that supports it is present in the service registry.

Why Does It Show Red?

In the Services console (services.msc), a service listed in red typically means it is configured to start but has failed to do so, or it is in a stopped state when the startup type suggests it should be running.

For MapsBroker on Server 2016, the scenario is:

• The service startup type is set to Automatic (Delayed Start) — which is its default.
• When Windows tries to start it after boot, the service checks for its dependencies and required components. Finding none of them present (the Maps UWP app, Windows.Maps runtime), it fails to start.
• It then remains in a Stopped state with a Delayed Start startup type, which the Services console renders with a red icon to indicate the discrepancy.

This is entirely benign. It does not consume CPU or memory in a meaningful way. It does not indicate hardware failure, malware, or a broken Windows installation. It does not cause errors in any server-role functionality. The red icon is alarming but the impact is zero.

Disabling via services.msc

The simplest fix for a single server is to disable the service through the Services console:

1. Press Win+R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll to Downloaded Maps Manager and double-click it.
3. Set Startup type to Disabled.
4. Click Stop if the service status is anything other than Stopped.
5. Click OK. The red icon will disappear on next refresh.

Disabling via PowerShell

For managing multiple servers or for scripted deployments, use PowerShell. The service name is MapsBroker.

Expected output after disabling:

To apply this across multiple servers in one go using PowerShell remoting:

You can also use sc.exe if you prefer a command that works identically in cmd.exe and older PowerShell versions:

Note the space between start= and disabled — this is required syntax for sc.exe.

Preventing It via Group Policy

For a managed environment where you want to enforce this across all servers automatically, configure the service state via Group Policy:

1. Open Group Policy Management and create or edit a GPO linked to your Servers OU.
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > System Services.
3. Scroll to Downloaded Maps Manager and double-click it.
4. Check Define this policy setting.
5. Set Select service startup mode to Disabled.
6. Click OK and link the GPO appropriately.

After gpupdate /force runs on target servers, the service will be disabled and will not be re-enabled by Windows Update or feature updates.

Alternatively, use a PowerShell-based GPO startup script or a Scheduled Task deployed via GPO if your environment standardises on scripted configuration rather than Security Settings policies.

Other Consumer Services to Review on Server 2016

The Downloaded Maps Manager is one of several consumer-oriented services that appear on Server 2016 with no purpose. If you are cleaning up a new server build, these are worth reviewing in the same way: