SQLServerAgent Unable to Start

  • Have a problem with SQLServerAgent not restarting after changing sa password. SQLService and Agent were both loggin in under a special domain service account which is in system administrator role. Agent failed to restart only after I changed sa password and restarted the server. SQLService started up fine but Agent logs following error:

    SQLServer Error: 18456, Login failed for user 'sa'. [SQLSTATE 2800]

    This is very similar to problem identified in KB Q259710 except this is running on Win Server 2003 and Agent logs in with domain account.

    Charles

  • In the services console, you can change the run as setting to a new account... or making sure you have the right password there too??

  • I'm sorry, do you refer to the "Log on as:"?

    I changed this to Local System account but got the same error. Set back to the domain service account and reset password several times to be sure.

    2005-08-24 10:34:12 - ! [298] SQLServer Error: 18456, Login failed for user 'sa'. [SQLSTATE 28000]

    2005-08-24 10:34:12 - ! [000] Unable to connect to server '(local)'; SQLServerAgent cannot start

    2005-08-24 10:34:12 - ? [098] SQLServerAgent terminated (normally)

    The Knowledgebase article Q259710 describes this exact problem with the exact same error (above) but for Win95 systems (not my situation). The article's solution is to set sa password to blank.

  • Is sa a domain/local account (on a windows machine)??

  • No, just the run-of-the-mill SQL Server sa account.

    I even set the password back to what it was prior to the change but that has not helped.

    cjb

  • Can you try using a domain account??

  • The service account is a domain account. Nevertheless, I tried a different domain account (in sys admin role) as well as a local administrator account. Nothing works.

    cjb

  • Sorry for the insistance... I have no other idea than that.

  • That's OK; thanks for trying. I am just as puzzled.

  • In EM, choose Properties for SQL Server Agent, then Connection tab, if it is configured to Use SQL Server Authentication and sa as the SysAdmin login ID, then change the Password, OK, and start the SQL Server Agent service.

    Andy

  • Yes, thank you. That was the problem.

    I reconfigured to use Windows Authentication instead of sa. Didn't think to look for that.

    Thanks!

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