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Q175937: Cannot Start More Than 100 Services

Article: Q175937
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:3.51,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kberrmsg
Last Modified: 10-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51, 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51, 4.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

The number of simultaneously running services is limited to 100 (excluding all
shared services that run under the Services.exe process, such as Alerter,
Browser, EventLog, LanmanServer, LanmanWorkstation, LMHOSTS, Messenger, and so
on).

Trying to start an additional service leads to the following error message:

  All pipe instances are busy.

NOTE: This does not apply to Microsoft Windows 2000. The MAX_INSTANCES constraint
has been removed.

CAUSE
=====

The Service Control Manager (that is, Services.exe) creates a pipe for each of
the services it starts. This pipe is used for interprocess communication between
the Service Control Manager and the process of the service. The maximum number
of pipe instances is hard-coded to 100.


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kberrmsg 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT351search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS351search
Version           : winnt:3.51,4.0
Hardware          : ALPHA x86
Issue type        : kbinfo

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