Workstation Service will not start. Can't read network 1

[CamFam]

After recovering from a corrupted sector, I'm left with one lingering problem. (I had to reinstall SP2's version of wsock32.dll). I have a 2 computer network, one running XP Home and the other 98SE. Everything was running fine before the event, but now the XP computer cannot read its own files in Network Place nor the 98's. The 98 can read the XP's. I traced the error through the Event viewer to the following: "The Workstation service terminated with the following error: Invalid access to memory." Event ID 7023, Source: Service Control Manager. In the more info section of the same dialogue box, there is a reference to file netevent.dll if that's helpful. This is the only problem I have. The computer is accessing the net and no other errors appear in the viewer unrelated to the non-startup of the Workstation service and subsequent inability to read the network files. It seems to be just a local reading issue. Any ideas on what the problem file(s) might be? ..... A manual start of Workstation does not work either...

 

[linney]

WinXP Connectivity Issues
Lost Connectivity after Registry or Malware Cleanup
faq779-4625

You cannot access shared files and folders or browse computers in the workgroup

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=318030

Workstation Service Does Not Start

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/197157/EN-US/

http://www.eventid.net/display.asp?eventid=7023&eventno=345&source=Service Control Manager&phase=1

If they don't help you could try repairing windows by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates (no problem if you substitute them with SP2) but your files and programs will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp

 

[bcastner]

Use Recovery Console and run a chkdsk /r

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...efault.aspx?scid=kb;en-gb;307654&ln=en-gb

 

[CamFam]

Thank you for your responses. I was aware of all the references except the connectivity FAQ document. Given that I can access the internet across the network and the 98SE computer can access and read the XP's files, I'm inclined to believe its a "reading issue" and not a "communications issue". If I could get the Computer Browser service to start I think I'd be fine, but it is dependent on the Workstation Service to load first. It's possible when I replaced the Winsock32.dll, the workstation service is looking for it, for some reason, in its former location. Thats why asked what file or registry dependencies were associated with the workstation service. None are named in the Service manager, but its obviously looking for something in the damaged sector I "repaired" (the computer repaired the sector on an initial reboot). The only file I had to replace was the winsock file. Again the computer seems to be running fine except for this issue. I'm 99.9% certain it wasn't malware or a virus. I am a fanatic at scanning and monitoring for both and I found no indications of either before or after the event - just a freak occurrence. So, I'm considering a run of chkdsk tonight. Another thought, in case there is a dependency on winsock, is there another way to delete the old and add the new file where the workstation service might pick up the location of the new entry??

 

[bcastner]

See the MS KB articles at the end of faq779-4625

 

[CamFam]

Thanks! I'll review the MS docs tonight and see what I can do over the weekend. Appreciate the guidance. I'll report back......

 

[CamFam]

I want to thank all that considered and contributed to my post. After carefully considering and evaluating suggestions from a number of sources, I uncovered an obscure reference to another user encountering the exact sequence of error messages that I was receiving. The problem was traced to a corrupted wkssvc.dll, the primary workstation service file, and the solution was to simply replace the file with one of the same version. Thus, given the seemingly confined nature of my problem and the inherent time/risk involved in tackling any registry first aid or OS repair, I decided to replace the file first. Lo and behold, it worked. I'm now networking again error free - at least for the time being. Thanks again to all!! Until the next challenge......

 

[linney]

Thanks for that feedback it will help the next person who comes this way.

"I uncovered an obscure reference to another user encountering the exact sequence of error messages".

Have you got that link to post here too?

 

[CamFam]

The following link lead me to solve my problem:

http://www.mcse.ms/message537470.html

. Note that the circumstances in which I lost the wkssvc.dll file were different than that posted in the link (I lost winsock32.dll and wkssvc.dll in a "freak" corruption), but the sequence of event ID's found in the log were identical:

1) Service Control manager , Event ID 7023

The Workstation Service Terminated with the following error

2)Service Control manager , Event ID 7001

The computer browser failing because it can't see the workstation service

3)Service Control manager , Event ID 7001

The Messenger Service failing to start because it can't see the workstation
service