SQL Server 2005 Agent will not start

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Home » SQL Server 2005 » SQL Server 2005 General Discussion » SQL Server 2005 Agent will not start

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SQL Server 2005 Agent will not start

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Posted Sunday, August 19, 2012 1:20 AM

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The agent service is configured to use a service account, as is SQL server itself. SQL starts just fine so I doubt it's a permissions issue. The only way I can get the agent to start is use the Local System account, which I can't do for several reasons the most important of which is replication.

When I attempt to start it in the config manager I get "The request failed or the service did not respond in a timely fashion. Consult the event log..."

Event logs tell me not much:

Timeout (60000 milliseconds) waiting for the SQL Server Agent (MSSQLSERVER) service to connect.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

except it doesn't look like it's taking 60 seconds. I timed it at about 40 seconds before it reports it failed.

There are no entries in SQLAGENT.OUT when it starts. I'm stumped. I think something is dying in the windows system before it even gets to SQL, but I don't know how to prove it, find it, or fix it. Does anyone have any ideas.

Post #1346910

Posted Monday, August 20, 2012 4:24 AM

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The password on the Agent account may have been changed

Post #1347063

Posted Monday, August 20, 2012 6:00 AM

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Information is power as they say.
Check the Windows and SQL logs in detail to see if any evidence is offered.

Have you tried assigning Service to the AUTHORITY\NetworkService account and see if starts?

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Post #1347109

John Mitchell-245523

Posted Monday, August 20, 2012 6:08 AM

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There are no entries in SQLAGENT.OUT when it starts.

Do you mean there is no file created, or that a blank file is created? Check that the location for the file exists (you may have to look in the registry to find the location) and that the SQL Server Agent service accounts has permissions on it. When you change the service account, you do use SQL Server Configuration Manager (and not the Services applet), don't you?

John

Post #1347115

Posted Monday, August 20, 2012 8:00 AM

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It's using the same username/pass as the SQL server itself which starts. Not a password issue.

Post #1347196

Posted Monday, August 20, 2012 8:03 AM

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event logs say:

Timeout (60000 milliseconds) waiting for the SQL Server Agent (MSSQLSERVER) service to connect.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

even though it doesn't attempt to start for 60 seconds (42 by my watch) and SQLAGENT.OUT isn't updated at all when I attempt to start it.

It's definitely not getting past windows. But whatever it is windows is keeping it to itself.

Post #1347198

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Posted Monday, August 20, 2012 8:05 AM

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If you create a new domain account for testing, can you use that and get it to start?

This sounds like it might be some strange permissions error, so I'm looking for another account that might reset something.

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Post #1347199

Posted Monday, August 20, 2012 8:11 AM

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File exists. It was working fine until the last reboot. However it's not updated when you attempt to run it using the network account. If I switch it to Local System it starts, but I can't run it that way. Here's a typical log for that situation:

2012-08-19 03:01:07 - ? [100] Microsoft SQLServerAgent version 9.00.5000.00 ((Unknown) unicode retail build) : Process ID 6016
2012-08-19 03:01:07 - ? [101] SQL Server servername version 9.00.5057 (0 connection limit)
2012-08-19 03:01:07 - ? [102] SQL Server ODBC driver version 9.00.5000
2012-08-19 03:01:07 - ? [103] NetLib being used by driver is DBNETLIB.DLL; Local host server is
2012-08-19 03:01:07 - ? [310] 4 processor(s) and 16381 MB RAM detected
2012-08-19 03:01:07 - ? [339] Local computer is servername running Windows NT 5.2 (3790) Service Pack 2
2012-08-19 03:01:08 - ? [432] There are 11 subsystems in the subsystems cache
2012-08-19 03:01:13 - ! [364] The Messenger service has not been started - NetSend notifications will not be sent
2012-08-19 03:01:13 - ? [129] SQLSERVERAGENT starting under Windows NT service control
2012-08-19 03:01:13 - + [396] An idle CPU condition has not been defined - OnIdle job schedules will have no effect
2012-08-19 03:01:17 - ? [131] SQLSERVERAGENT service stopping due to a stop request from a user, process, or the OS...
2012-08-19 03:01:30 - ? [098] SQLServerAgent terminated (normally)

all starts and stops, user assignment, is being performed in SCM.

Post #1347205

Posted Monday, August 20, 2012 8:13 AM

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Sorry missed the last statement. Now this is weird. "The process terminated unexpectedly." when I attempt to use Network Service.

Post #1347207

John Mitchell-245523

Posted Monday, August 20, 2012 8:20 AM

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OK, so it works under Local System, which means it can't be pointing at the wrong location. I'm still guessing that whatever service account you are using doesn't have the correct permissions on the location. Now this is strange given that you are indeed using SQL Server Configuration Manager to change service accounts. Maybe something else is overriding the permissions. Please check what permissions the service account has on the folder that SQLAGENT.OUT is in, and that there are no overriding DENYs that could be preventing access.

John

Post #1347212

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