The Terminal Services Licensing Service Does Not Start (302427)

SYMPTOMS

When you start a Windows 2000-based domain controller, the Terminal Services Licensing service may not start, and the following events may be logged in the System log:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: TermServLicensing
Event Category: None
Event ID: 44
Description:
General database error occurred, Can't initialize ESE instance - error -1811 JET_errFileNotFound, File not found.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7024
Description:
The Terminal Services Licensing service terminated with service-specific error 31.

CAUSE

Incorrectly configured NTFS permissions for logical drives can cause problems with system services and programs. This issue can occur if an administrator modifies permissions in an attempt to strengthen the default Windows 2000 security, but does not set the proper permissions at all levels.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, grant full control on the system drive to the Everyone group. You also can reset the default NTFS permissions or compare the permissions against system defaults as outlined in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

266118 How to Restore the Default NTFS Permissions for Windows 2000

244600 Default NTFS Permissions in Windows 2000

300691 HOW TO: Set Up a Windows 2000 File System for Secure Access

301195 HOW TO: Configure Security for Files and Folders on a Network