Event Log Service Fails to Start Due to Event Log Corruption

 Last reviewed: June 30, 1995
Article ID: Q124120
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5

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

KBCategory: kbtool kbbug3.10 kbfix3.50.sp2
KBSubcategory: ntutil
Additional reference words: prodnt 3.50

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Last reviewed: June 30, 1995
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