DOCUMENT:Q124120 08-AUG-2001 [winnt] TITLE :Event Log Service Fails to Start Due to Event Log Corruption PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows NT PROD/VER: OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS: ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.1 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.1 - Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server, version 3.1 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.5 - Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== A dialog box describing an error with INETMIB.DLL appears. Running NET START returns error 1722, "RPC server is unavailable." Running NET VIEW returns the same error. SERVICES.EXE causes an access violation error when accessing the one of the event logs (SYSEVENT.EVT, SECEVENT.EVT, or APPEVENT.EVT) at startup. A DRWATSON.LOG is created as a result. CAUSE ===== One of the event logs is corrupted, but the Event Log service hangs before the dirty bit is set. As a result, the Event Log service does not clean itself up on reboot and will not start. WORKAROUND ========== 1. Boot MS-DOS. 2. Change directory to %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\CONFIG 3. Delete the files SYSEVENT.EVT, SECEVENT.EVT, and APPEVENT.EVT. 4. Boot Windows NT and allow the server to recreate clean event logs. RESOLUTION ========== EVENTLOG.DLL was rewritten to set the dirty bit even if the service fails. STATUS ====== Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1 and Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server version 3.5. This problem was corrected in the latest U.S. Service Pack for Windows NT version 3.5. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces): S E R V P A C K Additional query words: prodnt ====================================================================== Keywords : Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNT350search kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350search kbWinNTW310 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS310 kbWinNTAdvSerSearch kbWinNTAdvServ310 kbWinNTS350search kbWinNTS310search kbWinNT310Search kbWinNTW310Search ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2001.