Resolved Could not start SMTP service on local computer

Hello Everyone,

For some unknown reason, I cannot start the SMTP service again, it is set on automatic to be started after boot, but it doesn't work, while trying to start it manually from "services.msc" I get a message box :

obviously C1 is 193 in hexadecimal there is no memory address given or anything else.

While trying to start it from command line, this is what I get :

Code:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>net start SMTPSVC
The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service is starting.
The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service could not be started.

A system error has occurred.

System error 193 has occurred.

*** is not a valid Win32 application.

How to solve this please, I am on Win Server 2003 R2 64-bit, All the other services involved in dependency are started, I also uninstalled IIS, as I'm running PHP on the server using Wamp, but the Mail Server role is installed, it worked well for a while, so it was working, it didn't just happen after uninstalling the webserver.

Can anyone help me solve that please ?
Thanks in advance,

Regards, Taha

 

On a 2k3 server, smtp is dependant on IIS. In fact, if you check this registry key on a 2k3 server: HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SMTPSVC you will see that inetinfo.exe is the actual program called for startup. If you have uninstalled IIS, then there would be no inetinfo.exe thus your error. You probably didn't reboot the server after IIS uninstall so the service continued functioning until the next reboot.
I believe you will have to run IIS to run MS SMTP. IIS can coexist with another web server. Just change the port it binds to.

 

You taught me a lot of stuff, where to check services path on the registry, an explanation to why it kept working, and yes in fact it happened after the reboot, what should I say .. Thanks a lot

 

np. Glad I could help.