XCON: Error Message: The Service Did Not Respond to the Start or Control Request in a Timely Fashion (296086)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0
  • Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
This article was previously published under Q296086

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, 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, 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.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:4/25/2005
Keywords:kbprb KB296086
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.