Windows NT 3.5 with SP2: Service Fails To Start

 Last reviewed: June 29, 1995
Article ID: Q130730
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.5 with Service Pack 2
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5 with Service Pack 2

SYMPTOMS

A service immediately fails when it is started. The following event is logged in the system log: 

   The <name_of_service> service failed to start with the following error:
   The system cannot find the file specified.
If you start the service by running Control Panel and choosing Services, one of the following message boxes appears:
  • Could not start the <name_of_service> service on \\<computer_name>. Error 0123: The <file_name>, <directory_name>, or <volume_label> syntax is incorrect.

    -or-

  • Could not start the <name_of_service> service on \\<computer_name>. Error 0002: The system cannot find the file specified.

These symptoms occur only if Windows NT Service Pack 2 (SP2) is installed on your computer running Windows NT 3.5.

NOTE: If the ErrorControl registry parameter for this service is set to zero, an event is not logged (because that parameter causes errors during service start to be ignored).

CAUSE

On a computer running Windows NT 3.5 with SP2 installed, the service controller does not parse the command line correctly if the command line for a service contains multiple parameters, and the service logs on under an account other than LocalSystem.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, reinstall Windows NT 3.5, but do not reinstall Service Pack 2.

NOTE: If you do this, you will lose all fixes supplied in Service Pack 2.

To resolve this problem, upgrade to Windows NT version 3.51.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.5. This problem was corrected in Windows NT version 3.51.

KBCategory: kbother kbbug3.50 kbfix3.51
KBSubcategory: ntgeneral
Additional reference words: prodnt 3.50 3.51 stops aborts event viewer

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Last reviewed: June 29, 1995
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