[python-win32] NT Service not re-startable after reboot

[Robert Brewer]

I have a Python service (vmpro_pager.py) which worked fine when I wrote
it a month ago. You can see the complete source code here:
http://projects.amor.org/misc/browser/vmpro_pager.py It runs an SMTP
proxy to clean up SMTP messages from a sender which is not compliant
with the SMTP spec. Today, we found out that the service was not
running, and had not been running for some time; my best guess is since
the first reboot after the service was installed.

Attempts to remove the service via "vmpro_pager.py remove" failed,
complaining that no such service was installed. After manually deleting
the appropriate registry keys, I am able to run "vmpro_pager.py install"
with no problems. However, starting the service from Windows Service
Manager fails with the message, "Windows could not start the Voicemail
Pro Email Fixup service on Local Computer. For more information, review
the System Event Log. If this is a non-Microsoft service, contact the
service vendor, and refer to service-specific error code 1." The Event
Log contains a single Error event with the Description: "The Voicemail
Pro Email Fixup service terminated with service-specific error 1." The
PYS_SERVICE_STARTED message from SvcDoRun is *not* in the Event Log.

Running the service via "vmpro_pager.py debug", however, works
perfectly.

Although I'm certainly open to answers of the type, "here's your
problem..." ;) I'd like to also where I can insert hooks to return an
error code more-meaningful than "1" in the future.
 

Robert Brewer
System Architect
Amor Ministries
fumanchu at amor.org