SQL Server Agent gives- Remote procedure call failed (0x800706be)

No need to re-install or update your SQL Server 2008 R2 instance. I got the same error and it get resolved by simply starting the MSSQLSERVER standard service.

How to start this service:

Open Administrative Tasks > Services > Select Standard services tab > start SQL Server Agent(MSSQLSERVER) service and you are good to go.

With all due respect, "Right click on configuration manager and run as administrator" is a bogus answer. I also have this problem with the following series of events: I download the Windows Azure SDK from here: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/downloads/, which installs SQL 2012 express; immediate I try to run SQL Server Configuration Manager, and the installation of SQL 2012 has broken it such that I get the "remote procedure call failed". That is true even if I "run as administrator". Microsoft says they can't reproduce this, but I've contacted them again because I've now reproduced this twice. And, if there's any doubt: un-installing SQL 2012 causes the problem to go away, and the configuration manager works again. I blogged about it here: http://dbarrowstechblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-remote-procedure-call-failed.html ; haven't solved it yet.

Solution: Install SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2, restart, open SQL Server Configuration Manager and ALL is good.

Source: Frozen bytes