Set up recovery actions to take place when a service fails

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To set up recovery actions to take place when a service fails

Open Services.
In the details pane, right-click the service for which you want to set up recovery actions, and then click Properties.
On the Recovery tab, click the action that you want in First failure, Second failure, and Subsequent failures, and then click OK:
- If you click Run a Program, under Run program, type the absolute path for the specified computer. Universal Naming Convention (UNC) names are not supported. For example, type C:\scripts\handlefailure.cmd, rather than \\computername\c$\scripts\handlefailure.cmd.
- If you click Restart the Computer, click Restart Computer Options to specify how long the computer waits before restarting. You can also create a message to send to remote users before the computer restarts. This message is sent automatically, using the same mechanism as the one used by the net send command and Send Console Message.

Important

To improve performance and security in the Windows Server 2003 family, several services have been disabled by default that were previously enabled on Windows 2000. For a table that lists the default settings and provides information about how to enable these services, see Default settings for services. Note that these settings apply only to new installations, not upgrades; all previous service configurations are preserved during upgrades to the Windows Server 2003 family.

Notes

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.
To open Services, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Services.
Recovery actions are available only on computers running Windows 2000, Windows XP, or products in the Windows Server 2003 family.

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.