[TodWulff]

Hi folks - I have fragged my machine a bit. I had Mercury32 (pop3/smtp server), Serv-u (ftp server0 and phone tray (caller id app) running as services (Mercury using instsrvw|srvany). It had been working good for several weeks. I went to try and install ClamAV to run as a service (it is a console application), and in messing with the command line settings related to srvany calling cmd.exe to start the 'service', I have somehow gotten the system to disallow the starting of third party "Services'.

i.e. when going into the MMC and looking at services, I see that the mercury service is set to start automagically, but is not started - I tell it to start, and it results in dialogue that indicates that it started and stopped immediately ...

I looked at the system event viewer, and there are two information entries that simply represent that it was sent the start command, and the 2nd indicated that it entered the stop state - not too helpful. I have to start the apps from the console after logging on. When doing so, Mercury (& the others) start fine.

Serv-U, when the admin application is opened from the console, shows that the daemon is stopped. I try to start it, and I get indications that the "server executable is missing". If I deselect the start as service option, and then start it from the adminsitrator, it starts just fine, and serves on port 21 as configured.

The event log is a little more descriptive regarding the serv-u service start error with an entry that reads:

"The Serv-U FTP Server service failed to start due to the following error:
Access is denied.'

...

Like I said, just a little more descriptive, but still of little help. EventID of 7000.

I have ran a full mcafee scan, and also ad-aware (both with fresh updates) - nothing.

sigverifn.exe ran with no issues nor errors reflected.

I am scratching my head as I simply do not know where to look - I have read and read on technet, to no avail. I have sysrestored to a date when things were working well, no positive effect. I have ran a system file check (sfc.exe), and it did it's thing, and no help.

My gut tells me that I either altered the permissions on a particular file in error, or deleted/corrupted a file - the problem is that I don't know where to begin to look.

Oh yea, winVNC 4.1.6 DOES start and stop fine from SCM - go figure.?.?.

Services are set to start under local system - changing that to administrator had no change.

Please help - I don't want to have to rebuild this box. Any thoughts, advice, or input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

-Tod Wulff