xp_cmdshell unresponsive

• fhanlon

  SSChampion

  Points: 13131

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  November 8, 2007 at 10:27 am

  #119458

  On our test server SQL 2005 SP2 we have enable xp_cmdshell. We use this for many purposes (deleting old files, making email attachments etc) I have seen no problems here. If I execute

  xp_cmdshell 'echo hi'

  I get:

  output

  -----------

  hi

  NULL

  On our production server (which so far I haven't found any differences to test) If I execute xp_cmdshell 'echo hi'

  I get

  output

  -------

  NULL

  Likewise no other command I have tried works. I just get a NULL output. I have verified xp_cmdshell is active by executing:

  exec sp_configure 'show advanced option', '1'

  go

  RECONFIGURE

  go

  sp_configure 'xp_cmdshell', '1'

  go

  RECONFIGURE

  go

  as well as verifying xp_cmdshell is enabled in SQL Server Surface Are for Features.

  I am sure this was working a few weeks ago. Any thoughts as to why it might not be working now? I have checked the event viewer and saw nothing odd. The SQL log is odd only in that it does show up in date order. That is I see entries like:

  10/27/2007 10:00:01 PM ...

  10/27/2007 10:00:00 PM ....

  11/4/2007 11:00:00 PM ..

  11/4/2007 10:00:01 PM ....

  ...

  11/3/2007 11:03:25 PM ..

  But there are no messages indicating anything wrong with xp_cmdshell.

  On both servers SQL was installed using Localsystem as the startup account.

  I have tried on the production server creating a job where the first step is an operating system command, like echo hi and this works. If I change the job to be Transact SQL script and type xp_cmdshell 'echo hi', there is no output the same result as in SSMS.

  Has anyone seen (and corrected) this kind of behaviour?

  Francis

• sdesai

  SSC Enthusiast

  Points: 141

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  November 8, 2007 at 10:50 am

  #749586

  YOu have to switch this feature on using SSCM.

• fhanlon

  SSChampion

  Points: 13131

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  November 8, 2007 at 10:59 am

  #749589

  Thanks but as I mentioned I have switched this feature on. If I hadn't switched this on I would have got the error message:

  Msg 15281, Level 16, State 1, Procedure xp_cmdshell, Line 1

  SQL Server blocked access to procedure 'sys.xp_cmdshell' .....

  But I don't get an error message: Regardless of the command entered I get

  output

  ----------

  NULL

  Francis