Hi,

I am having a problem getting the SQL agent restarted. It ran properly for about a week then stopped. SQL Server is running fine. I've used the sp_configure to change the settings for 'Agent XPs' to 1. I can see the settings changed, but when I go through either the Management Studio or Surface Area configuration it fails and resets the 'Agent XPs' value back to zero. Here's the error I get in the sqlagent.out file:

2007-09-28 10:15:37 - ! [241] Startup error: Unable to initialize error reporting system (reason: The EventLog service has not been started)
2007-09-28 10:15:37 - ? [098] SQLServerAgent terminated (normally)

I don't see an EventLog service under services that I can start.

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A.Rajesh Khanna

Hi arjkhanna,

You should find a service called "Event Log" in the Services Control Panel. You can get to it through Administrative Tools -> Services.

Hi,

Can you open cmd prompt and run this cmd?

sc query Eventlog

And share the output? E.g. I just did that on my box:

=============================

c:\>sc query Eventlog

SERVICE_NAME: Eventlog
TYPE : 20 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
STATE : 4 RUNNING
(NOT_STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, ACCEPTS_SHUTDOWN
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0

c:\>

=============================

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J Suresh Kumar
Google Hacks

Hi,

I am having the same problem. My SC Query Eventlog reads the same as yours. However, there is no service in my services list that says eventlog.

Hi,

i am not sure why you can't find 'Event Log' service in your services snapin (launched by service.msc)

But sc query showed event log service is running, seems this is an agent service issue,

__________________
J Suresh Kumar
Google Hacks

Hi ,

Just to post an update to this, This took a complete rebuid of the server to resolve. Because there was no "Event Log" service in the Services window, the Server Agent could not tell there was one running. I uninstalled and reinstalled SQL Server with no help. I then rebuilt the entire server and the agent would then run.

Hi all,

Once I saw that a user was complaining about this same problem.

His SQL Server Agent service account was a local admin account. As his domain policy was changed and it was prohibited to use local accounts to start services, his SQL Server Agent raised this error.


To solve it, he used a Domain account for his SQL Server Agent service and it started working again.

I wrote this answer as a reference in future. Because I think formatting and installing from scratch is not a decent solution.