What the FRunCM???

Was having a very annoying problem with SQL Server 2000 on a development box the other day. I would stop MSSQLSERVER but when I tried to restart it, I couldn't:
C:\>net stop mssqlserver
The MSSQLSERVER service is stopping.
The MSSQLSERVER service was stopped successfully.

C:\>net start mssqlserver
The MSSQLSERVER service is starting.
The MSSQLSERVER service could not be started.

The service did not report an error.

That wasn't helpful so I turned to the Event Viewer where I found the following error events:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSSQLServer
Event Category: (8)
Event ID: 19011
Date: 7/25/2006
Time: 10:17:01 AM
User: N/A
Computer: COMPNAME
Description:
SuperSocket info: ConnectionListen(Shared-Memory (LPC)) : Error 5.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSSQLSERVER
Event Category: (2)
Event ID: 17052
Date: 7/25/2006
Time: 10:17:01 AM
User: N/A
Computer: COMPNAME
Description:
Error: 17826, Severity: 18, State: 1
Could not set up Net-Library 'SSNETLIB'.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
[info containing computer name]

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSSQLSERVER
Event Category: (2)
Event ID: 17055
Date: 7/25/2006
Time: 10:17:01 AM
User: N/A
Computer: COMPNAME
Description:
17120 :
SQL Server could not spawn FRunCM thread.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
[info containing computer name]

Probably, the first error was causing the next two. But what was really going on? Sounded like something was hanging on to some handle or resource that SQL Server wanted. In search of more info, I checked out
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\LOG\ERRORLOG which contained the following:
2006-07-25 10:17:01.38 server Microsoft SQL Server 2000 - 8.00.760 (Intel X86)

Dec 17 2002 14:22:05
Copyright (c) 1988-2003 Microsoft Corporation
Desktop Engine on Windows NT 5.1 (Build 2600: Service Pack 2)

2006-07-25 10:17:01.38 server Copyright (C) 1988-2002 Microsoft Corporation.
2006-07-25 10:17:01.38 server All rights reserved.
2006-07-25 10:17:01.38 server Server Process ID is 3640.
2006-07-25 10:17:01.38 server Logging SQL Server messages in file 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\LOG\ERRORLOG'.
2006-07-25 10:17:01.40 server SQL Server is starting at priority class 'normal'(1 CPU detected).
2006-07-25 10:17:01.40 server Performance monitor shared memory setup failed: -1
2006-07-25 10:17:01.66 server SQL Server configured for thread mode processing.
2006-07-25 10:17:01.66 server Using dynamic lock allocation. [500] Lock Blocks, [1000] Lock Owner Blocks.
2006-07-25 10:17:01.68 spid3 Starting up database 'master'.
2006-07-25 10:17:01.83 server Using 'SSNETLIB.DLL' version '8.0.766'.
2006-07-25 10:17:01.83 spid5 Starting up database 'model'.
2006-07-25 10:17:01.88 server SQL server listening on .
2006-07-25 10:17:01.88 server Error: 17826, Severity: 18, State: 1
2006-07-25 10:17:01.88 server Could not set up Net-Library 'SSNETLIB'..
2006-07-25 10:17:01.88 server Unable to load any netlibs.
2006-07-25 10:17:01.88 server SQL Server could not spawn FRunCM thread.

I'm guessing the "Performance monitor shared memory setup failed: -1" corresponded to the first message in the Event Log ("SuperSocket info: ConnectionListen(Shared-Memory (LPC)) : Error 5."), and the other two Event Log messages appear in the ERRORLOG.

This made it look like SQL Server couldn't acquire a resource (Access denied, according to the first Event Viewer message) related to shared memory used for performance monitoring. On a whim, I closed SQL Server Enterprise Manager and tried to start SQL Server again. This time, it worked.

The log details provide information that indicates that the system is running SQL Server 2000 SP3. The SQL Server 2000 SP4 Fix List doesn't include any descriptions that seem to indicate the problem is fixed in SP4, and I won't have the opportunity to apply SP4 any time soon to see so I suppose I'll just have to deal with it by closing Enterprise Manager before restarting SQL Server.

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