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ERROR_NETLOGON_NOT_STARTED
The network logon service is stopped or unavailable.
ERROR_NETLOGON_NOT_STARTED is Win32 error 1792 (0x700). Netlogon supports domain-controller discovery, machine secure channels, and domain authentication tasks. A stopped, failed, or unresponsive service can prevent network logon even when the account, password, and trust are otherwise correct. The code can appear on member computers or domain controllers, with different operational impact.
Why Netlogon may be unavailable
- the service is disabled, manually stopped, or still starting during early boot
- a required dependency such as Workstation or Server service failed
- service configuration, registry state, or executable files are damaged
- a domain controller is in recovery, update, or resource-exhaustion state
- security software or policy prevents the service from initializing or communicating
Service evidence to collect
Record machine role, Netlogon service state, startup type, process ID, exit and service-specific error, dependency states, System and Netlogon events, boot time, recent updates or policy changes, DNS configuration, and whether the service stays running after manual start. On domain controllers, capture impact on locator and authentication separately.
Diagnostic sequence
Query the Service Control Manager rather than assuming the service is stopped from the logon message alone. Inspect the earliest startup failure and its dependency chain. Confirm Workstation, Server, RPC, and networking state appropriate to the machine role, then review Netlogon-specific events.
If the service starts manually, investigate startup ordering, delayed dependencies, and boot-time failures. If it terminates again, preserve its exit code and dumps before repeated restarts. Verify system files and supported service configuration; do not copy service registry keys from another machine.
Recovery and prevention
Restore the service and dependencies to supported configuration, correct the underlying startup failure, and verify secure-channel or domain-controller function afterward. A reboot may be appropriate after service repair, but it is not a substitute for understanding recurring failure.
Health monitoring should check Netlogon on systems that require domain authentication and alert on unexpected stopped state with the first causal event. Applications should avoid immediate repeated credential prompts while 1792 persists.
Difference from no logon servers
ERROR_NO_LOGON_SERVERS means no domain controller can service the request, possibly because of network or discovery problems. Error 1792 specifically says the network logon service was not started in the relevant system path.
Example
After a configuration change, a member server boots with the Workstation dependency disabled. Domain service logons return 1792 and Netlogon remains stopped. Restoring the supported dependency and restarting services resolves authentication; resetting every service account password would not.
References
- Microsoft: System Error Codes (1700–3999)
- Microsoft: Troubleshoot Netlogon startup failures
- Microsoft: Netlogon service does not start
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