Post reply

SQL Agent not able to start on SQL Server 2008 Developer Edition

  • February 25, 2011 at 11:28 am

    #234279

    Dear All,

    I have SQL Server 2008 Developer Edition (64-bit) SP1 installed on a Windows Server 2008 R2 machine. For some reason, I can't get the SQL Agent service to start. When I go into the SQL Server Configuration Manager and select the properties of the Agent service and try to change the start mode from 'Disabled' to 'Manual', it comes back with the following error message after a few seconds:

    "WMI Provider Error

    The remote procedure call failed. [0x800706be]"

    Both SQL Server and SQL Agent service are set to log on as the same domain account, which we have on many other SQL servers and the SQL Server service itself is running under this account quite happily.

    I've had a look around generally at articles etc... but most of them refer to the Express Edition, which this is not. I've tried temporarily disabling the Windows Firewall, but it seems to make no difference.

    Does anyone have any ideas? This is a newly created server and the only SQL installation that has ever been on it is the one referred to above. There's nothing else SQL or otherwise that isn't working fine - just the Agent! Could it be a problem with a setting in the O/S?

    Any help would be much appreciated.

    Regards,

    Chris Stride

  • February 25, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    #1291784

    Chris Stride (2/25/2011)

    Dear All,

    I can't get the SQL Agent service to start. When I go into the SQL Server Configuration Manager and select the properties of the Agent service and try to change the start mode from 'Disabled' to 'Manual', it comes back with the following error message after a few seconds:

    "WMI Provider Error

    The remote procedure call failed. [0x800706be]"

    Is the problem that it cannot start or is the problem that the SQL Agent Service is disabled?

    Have you tried adding the Service Account to the local Admin group?

    see my post here:

    http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1065809-391-1.aspx

    If you are receiving errors related to WMI, it could be that either it cannot communicate with WMI or it's corrupted. SQL Agent needs to talk to WMI to log event viewer events.

  • February 28, 2011 at 4:13 am

    #1292221

    Thanks for your response MiguelSQL. Unfortunately adding the Service Account to the local admin group didn't work. Fails with the same error message.

    What I want to achieve is to be able to start the SQL Agent, however I need to be able to set it's Start Mode from 'Disabled' to either 'Manual' or 'Automatic' first. In trying to do that, I get error above.

  • February 28, 2011 at 4:49 am

    #1292233

    Quick update: Rather bizarrely, I've just discovered, in desperation, that I CAN change the start up mode (and hence start) the SQL Agent via Services in the Control Panel.

    Given it wouldn't allow me to do this via the SQL Configuration Manager, which is where I usually do this kind of thing, I had assumed there was no way I would have been able to do this via the Control Panel and didn't try earlier! Although it doesn't solve the issue of the error message, at least I can get on with the agent work!

  • March 25, 2011 at 4:29 am

    #1303464

    Thanks for posting that Chris. I just had that problem with the SQL 2008 32-bit Developer edition.

    It threw the same error when trying to un-disable it through SQL Server Configuration Manager, but once enabled through services.msc, it behaved normally again.

  • April 5, 2011 at 7:22 am

    #1307434

    I am having a similar issue. I have SQL 2008 R2 enterprise edition. SQL Agent will not start. The service account is the same account that I am logging into the server with. It has admin rights on both the OS and SQL instance. When trying to start the agent I gett the following error in the SQL Agent log:

    2011-04-05 09:03:42 - ! [298] SQLServer Error: 18456, Login failed for user 'DOMAIN\SERVICE_ACCOUNT'. [SQLSTATE 28000]

    2011-04-05 09:03:42 - ! [000] Unable to connect to server 'HOST\INSTANCE'; SQLServerAgent cannot start

    2011-04-05 09:03:44 - ! [298] SQLServer Error: 18456, Login failed for user 'DOMAIN\SERVICE_ACCOUNT'. [SQLSTATE 28000]

    2011-04-05 09:03:44 - ! [382] Logon to server 'HOST\INSTANCE' failed (DisableAgentXPs)

    2011-04-05 09:03:45 - ? [098] SQLServerAgent terminated (normally)

    The service account is also the same for the SQL Server Instance which starts with no issues. Additionally, I have another instance of SQL on this box with the same configuration that does not have any issues.

  • August 9, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    #1366271

    Same problem here, but I was able to change the startup type and start the agent from the services console. Thanks. 🙂

  • November 1, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    #1401887

    I had the same experience on a Windows 2008 R2 box hosting a SQL 2008 R2 64-bit standard install.

    By changing the SQLAgent start mode through Windows Services had easily rectified this problem.

    Thanks for your advice

  • February 5, 2012 at 10:35 pm

    #1442891

    faced same issue @ morning, got it resolved through services.msc :-). But whats the reason behind dis stuff where configuration manager fails to start the services but services.msc does???

  • April 28, 2012 at 12:56 am

    #1480811

    Thanks Chris, same issue, same resolution. Agent wouldn't start and threw this error whether I tried to change startup type via configuration manager or though management studio(failure not surprising as it was disabled. Through services no problems.

  • April 28, 2012 at 9:18 am

    #1480849

    Check the event log. It may give additional information as to what is happening. SSCM handles things a bit differently than the services snap-in.


    Twitter: @SQLife
    Email: sqlsalt(at)outlook(dot)com

  • October 1, 2012 at 8:45 am

    #1544010

    Hi Chris Stride , SQL ROb

    I have faced the same issue after installing the SQL Server 2008 R2 on Windows 2008 Server. I searched and struggled lot to find a remedy, finally reached your post.

    Changed the Start Up type by services.msc to "Automatic", then opened the SQL Configuration manager.

    Then, set the Logon User as a Local Service i.e (NT/Local Service). Once the changes done, the Start test becomes enabled.

    Started the SQL Server Agent and the Job's are running as scheduled.

    Thanks for the help....

    If anyone face the same problem, Just try the above steps. 🙂

    Thanks & Regards

    MJ Rajkumar
    (Man of Joy)
    Techno Geek 🙂

  • October 27, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    #1553492

    Thanks a ton Chris Stride!!

  • May 30, 2013 at 4:39 am

    #1619611

    Same here..got solution just by starting sql server agent through services.msc 🙂

  • June 13, 2013 at 6:15 am

    #1623651

    I was also facing the same issue. I changed LogOn As from "Network Service" to "Local System", and the problem got resolved.

    My Server's SQL server agent is running fine now.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply