SBS: Service Does Not Start on Reboot with "Invalid Login Error" Message (241587)

SYMPTOMS

When you restart a Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server, you may receive the following error message:

At least one service or driver failed during system startup. Use the Event Viewer to examine the event log for details.

The following events are logged in the System log in Event Viewer:

Event ID: 7013
Source: Service Control Manager
Description: Logon attempt with the current password failed with the following error:
Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.

Event ID: 7000
Source: Service Control Manager
Description: The Microsoft Fax Server service failed to start with the following error:
The service did not start due to a logon failure

and

Event ID: 7013
Source: Service Control Manager
Description: Logon attempt with the current password failed with the following error:
Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.

Event ID: 7000
Source: Service Control Manager
Description: The Microsoft Exchange System Attendant service failed to start with the following error:
The service did not start due to a logon failure

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if the Administrator password is changed by using some method other than the Small Business Server console.

The Exchange and Fax services use the Administrator account to log on. The Small Business Server console synchronizes the password change with these services. Other password changing methods do not synchronize changes.

RESOLUTION

Use the Small Business Server console to change the password:

Start the Small Business Server console.
Click Tasks, and then click the Administrator account.
Click Change Password.
Type the password for the Administrator account.
Click to select the Prevent administrator from changing password at logon check box.
Restart the server.
Verify that the Fax and Exchange services start and that no errors are logged in Event Viewer.

NOTE: The Small Business Server console does not support updating the service account passwords for third-party applications. Use the procedure below for changing the password for third-party solutions.

If the console does not load, you must manually change the service account password for each service. To do this, follow these steps:

Load the Services utility in Control Panel.
For each service listed, highlight the service and click Startup.
Check the value under Log on as:. If the service is set to log on as the System Account, do not modify any information for that service. Click Cancel to return to the main window. If the service has the Administrator account listed under This Account:, type the new password in the dialog box next to Password, then retype the same password in Confirm Password. Click OK to return to the main dialog box. If the service is set to run under an account other than the Administrator account, change the password only if the account's password has changed.
Repeat steps 2-3 for each service listed.