“StartServiceCtrlDispatcher failed (error 6)” is returned from attempting to start SQL Server Agent and “System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.” is returned when attempting to start SQL Server Agent in SQL Server Management Studio

Software, Windows Server

System Requirements:

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2008

The Problem:

It’s another instance of a new SQL Server installation on a newly installed Windows Server system that refuses to do what it is supposed to do. It seems to me that this is the rule rather than the exception, but I digress.

If you pull up a command prompt and attempt to manually start the SQL Server Agent process e.g.

"F:\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn\SQLAGENT.EXE" -i MSSQLSERVER

You will receive

StartServiceCtrlDispatcher failed (error 6)

Similarly, if you attempt to start the SQL Server Agent inside SQL Server Management Studio you will receive the ubiquitous

See the end of this message for details on invoking
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Server stack trace:
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.ObjectExplorer.FindObjectExplorerFrame()
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.ObjectExplorer.GetObjectExplorer(Boolean activateWindow)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.ObjectExplorer.ShowError(Exception e)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.Service.Start()
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink._PrivateProcessMessage(IntPtr md, Object[] args, Object server, Int32 methodPtr, Boolean fExecuteInContext, Object[]& outArgs)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.PrivateProcessMessage(RuntimeMethodHandle md, Object[] args, Object server, Int32 methodPtr, Boolean fExecuteInContext, Object[]& outArgs)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.AsyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg, IMessageSink replySink)

In addition if you check the SQL Server Logs, the current log for SQL Server Agent will be blank or will have nothing logged recently (this is important)

More Info

If you are seeing up to date events in the SQL Server Agent log, then this fix likely does not apply to your situation. If you have a blank or a stationary log file then chances are it does.

Basically, the SQL Server Agent is refusing to start because it cannot write TO the log file. Obviously it is extremely hard to have the process termination log or output that fact otherwise Microsoft would have done it already… sigh.

The Fix

It is probably either or both of:

  1. Check the error log file path for accuracy
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER\SQLServerAgent
    Reg_SZ: ErrorLogFile
  2. Check the file / folder permissions for the path stated above, the SQLAGENT.OUT file and the SQLAGENT.# files. You can either reset them so that the SQL Server Agent’s process account has Full Control access or (depending on your logging policy) delete the files and SQL Server Agent will re-create the logs at startup