Server service wont start. Errors in System event viewer. 1

[TooSteep]

Hello all:

I have searched past threads on problems with the Server service, but none seem to mimic my problem.

I am running XP Pro, SP3, with all updates. I am suddenly unable to share folders between systems on my LAN, nor can I browse/view the other computers on my network. When I click on 'Apply' to share a directory, it give the error "The Server service is not started".

The Server service shows up in the list of services. When I try to start the Server service using services.msc, it abends with the error:
MMC has detected an error in a snap-in.
The same thing happens if I try to start the Workstation service from within Services.

I also tried to start the 'Server' service using the command line: net start server - it says that it is starting the Server service, but it fails.

srvsvc.dll is in my system32 directory - 5.1.2600.5512
srv.sys is in system32\drivers - 5.1.2600.5725

My LAN setting properties have the following selected:
Client for Microsoft Networks
File and Printer Sharing for MS Networks
QoS Packet Scheduler
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

My Internet connection works perfectly.

The following errors in the System log show up in Event Viewer (earliest entry is at the bottom):

Application popup: : \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\srv.sys failed to load

The following boot-start or system-start driver(s) failed to load:
MRxSmb
Rdbss

The Server service terminated with the following error:
The specified driver is invalid.

The Computer Browser service depends on the Workstation service which failed to start because of the following error:
The service has returned a service-specific error code.

The Workstation service terminated with service-specific error 2250 (0x8CA).

The server service was unable to load the server driver.

Could not load RDR device driver.

Could not load Rdbss device driver.



Thanks a lot for any help.

 

[linney]

Have you tried System Restore to before the problem first occurred?

These mention a number of .dll that might need to be "registered".

Snap-in Creation Failed.
thread779-1045257

services.msc Will not open

http://www.computing.net/answers/windows-xp/servicesmsc-will-not-open/169273.html

Have you tried with a different user?

Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right-click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking. Select both boxes.

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.


If they don't work you could try repairing windows by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341/en-us

 

[TooSteep]

Brilliant! Thank you.

I have one of these:

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/slimpro-sp645f.asp

, with a 8 GB system disk and no optical drive, and I had taken these steps long ago to get a lean 1.5 GB XP install:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956324/

(Although it was bigger since SP3.)

So I can't do a System Restore, since I have turned that option off. Also, I don't have a problem loading or running services.msc - only when I try to start the Server service do I get the snap-in error.

Whenever I run ChkDsk it hangs during: CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5), so that doesn't help either.

But, on to your next suggestion, I ran the System File Checker, and it fixed my problem! Thank you. For the future reference of others, here's how I ran SFC without an optical drive, and after having moved the ServicePack files off the system drive:

I ran RegEdit and changed the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup - pointed it to a copy of an XP install disc that I made on an external USB hard drive

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ServicePackCachePath - pointed it to external drive where I moved the ServicePackCache directory

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ServicePackSourcePath - pointed it to external drive where I move the ServicePackFiles directory

Thanks a lot for your help, it really saved my bacon. The folks around here really know their stuff!

Cheers.

 

[linney]

It is nice to find something that SFC /Scannow actually fixed, there was a post about the amount of success to be gained in running SFC not so long ago, so that part is reassuring, thanks.

As to Chkdsk, the last two parts, stage 4 and 5 do take a long time to run, especially in these days were drives are enormous. The early stages display a % completed figure which returns from a high percentage to about 50% when the latter stages start. This might fool you in to thinking the program is hanging, or even going backward.

You will get a quick report and result from ChkDsk if you follow this advice that I recommend for Vista (that's another story too).

"Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right-click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking. Try it first by not checking either box (this will run it in a Read-only mode) to see if it flags any hard drive or file problems. If it does, restart it by ticking both boxes, and rerun it to allow it to attempt to fix any found problems".

 

[TooSteep]

I still am unable to get Chkdsk to finish. My drive is fairly small - 30 GB and it hangs on Stage 4 for hours without increasing its 'percentage finished' number.

I have another question about SFC that I cannot seem to find the answer to: Do you know if it is possible to run SFC against a Windows installation on a disk that is not the primary system disk?

The reason I ask, is that I have a disk that suddenly failed to boot one day (it recycles early in the boot sequence). It cannot be booted in safe mode or the last know good configuration. But I can take the disk out of the system, throw it in an external USB box and it appears that I can read it perfectly when I hook it up to a different system. So I assume it is failing to boot because of a corrupt system file(s). I'd love to run SFC against this disk, but I cannot find a way to make SFC fix the non current system installation of Windows.

Any suggestions?

Thanks a lot.

 

[G0AOZ]

Is CHKDSK hanging because of a major problem with the hard drive? Run the manufacturer's diags on it, or try running something like MHDD - the basic <F4> option will scan the disk and report slow or bad blocks.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[linney]

SFC needs to be loaded from the running operating system and can only check that operating system. Windows 7 and Vista are a little bit different to that statement but irrelevant to you.

If it has a booting problem, then the Recovery Console's FixMbr, FixBoot, or Bootcfg commands might help.

How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

A Discussion About the Bootcfg Command and Its Uses

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q291/9/80.asp