Event Log Service Fails to Start Due to Event Log Corruption (124120)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
This article was previously published under Q124120

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
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:12/15/2003
Keywords:KB124120
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.