DOCUMENT:Q296086 10-AUG-2001 [iis] TITLE :XCON: Error Message: The Service Did Not Respond to the Start... PRODUCT :Internet Information Server PROD/VER::3.0,3.5,4.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS: ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Internet Information Server versions 3.0, 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 4.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== When you attempt to start the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) Service in the Microsoft Management Console that is included in Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0, you may receive the following error message: The Service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion. CAUSE ===== This behavior can occur due to the inability of the SMTP Service in Internet Information Server to bind to port 25 when the service starts. Port 25 must be available to the end point mapper so that it can assign port 25 to the SMTP Service when the SMTP Service starts. RESOLUTION ========== To resolve this behavior, verify if another program installed on the server is using port 25. To do so, perform the following procedure: 1. Click Start, click Run, type "cmd" (without the quotation marks), and then click OK. 2. Right-click the blue border along the top of the C:\Winnt\System32\cmd.exe window, and then click Properties. 3. Click the Layout tab, increase the Screen Buffer Size Height from 25 to 250, click OK, and then click OK. This procedure adds a scroll bar to the DOS window. 4. Click Start, click Run, type "netstat -an" (without the quotation marks), click OK, and then all the sockets allocated by the end point mapper scrolls up the screen. 5. The sockets are displayed in ascending order under the Local Address heading. Locate the socket for port 25 under the State heading, and then verify the sockets state. If the word "listening" is displayed then another program is using port 25 and you are unable to start the SMTP Service. WORKAROUND ========== To work around this behavior, perform one of the appropriate procedures: - Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs, and then remove the program that is using port 25. -or- - Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, double-click Services, stop the service associated with the program using port 25, and then stop and restart the SMTP Service in Internet Information Server. STATUS ====== This behavior is by design. Additional query words: ====================================================================== Keywords : Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT350search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS350search kbiisSearch kbiis400 kbiis300 Version : :3.0,3.5,4.0 Issue type : kbprb ============================================================================= 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.