IIS 4: Error Message: "Could Not Start Option Pack Service. 0006 Handle Is Invalid" (291589)

We strongly recommend that all users upgrade to Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) version 6.0 running on Microsoft Windows Server 2003. IIS 6.0 significantly increases Web infrastructure security. For more information about IIS security-related topics, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/prodtech/IIS.mspx

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to start any of the NT Option Pack services, such as WWW, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), or Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP), you may receive the following error message:

Could not start (Service Name: WWW, FTP, SMTP, or NNTP). 0006 Handle is Invalid.

A possibly related error may occur when you attempt to use the Internet Service Manager (ISM). The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) opens, but no IIS services appear in the display.

If you create a new ISM snap-in and choose the IIS snap-in, you may receive the following error message:

The service configuration dll (w3pcfg.dll, wspcfg.dll, sockscfg.dll, etc.) failed to load correctly. The specified module could not be found.

CAUSE

This error occurs when invalid data exists in the actual service dynamic-link library (.dll) files. For example, you may receive the error if a particular version of the W3svc.dll file is found on the system and all other pertinent .dll files are a different version level.

This often occurs when services are added, but service packs are not reapplied.

RESOLUTION

In most cases, simply reapplying the latest NT service pack returns the system to all the same revision levels. However, note that if any hotfixes have been added to the system, they need to be reapplied after the service pack is applied.