Any Registry or Event Viewer experts?

Question

I get the following error logged in my Event Viewer every single bootup:

The Bac1ammgl service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

I can't figure out what the Bac1ammgl service is, but it's in my registry at

HKLM/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Services/Bac1ammgl

HKLM/SYSTEM/ControlSet003/Services/Bac1ammgl

HKLM/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/Bac1ammgl

But I can't see what file it points to by the registry keys. Also, there is no clear description of what it is. The "group" is "Parallel arbitrator."

For the heck of it, I tried deleting the keys and subkeys, but Regedit wouldn't let me delete them. Does anyone know what this service is? It's not listed in Administrative Tools>Services.

Also, anyone know what these other mystery services are? Chkseapince and Vgarro. No descriptions for them, but they, too, are listed as "Parallel arbitrator" in the registry. They're listed in Admin Tools>Services, but seem to be working. I was just wondering what they might be.

Google doesn't give me any answers for these things, so I'm turning to you folks. Any help, even a pointer to another forum where someone might know, would be appreciated. I use a Dell 8400, P550 (3.4GHz HT), Win XP Pro fully updated, 2GB RAM

- BK

Message Edited by BRKennedy on 10-05-2005 10:48 PM

jmwills · Answer

If it's any consolation, you're not alone: http://www.winxptalk.com/ftopic91127.html

JersWork · Answer

I'll give it a try...

If you go to the Registry key: HKLM/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/Bac1ammgl and look at the value "ImagePath" you will find the program that is run when that service is started. There is a good chance that it points to an executable file which doesn't exist on your system. If that program does exist, then there is a fairly good chance that it is looking for another file that it can't find. I would start by looking for the program named in the "ImagePath" value though.

Denny Denham · Answer

@jmwills wrote: If it's any consolation, you're not alone: http://www.winxptalk.com/ftopic91127.html   It's no consolation. That post is from the same user--so he is alone.

RoHe · Answer

You may be able to figure them out with msconfig, but -at least for me- Spybot (free) does a better job.

Launch spybot and click Tools in lower lefthand corner to expand the list.
Click on Startup
Look in Value column for these items. The column to the right tells you the command line for that item and may tell you what application is causing the errors.

Ron

BRKennedy · Answer

Thanks, guys. You've gotten me a little further along - as Denny said, that other post is me, too, on the forum that Windows Help took me to. So, yes indeed, I'm alone! I suspect these bizzarely named services are vestiges of drivers from removed devices.

I'll try Spybot's tools... I didn't even realize it had an "advanced mode" with those tools.

Also, I'll double-check the CurrentControlSet/Services/Bac1ammgl key for the exe path. I thought I'd had checked all of the keys and subkeys for anything that looked like it might be a path to a startup file, but I may have missed that one. Assuming it's there, I'll come back here and ask for advice (delete that subkey? create a harmless file that runs but doesn't do anything? look for a copy of the file online or somewhere in my old install disks and put it back where it is looking?).

The weird thing is that in msconfig, I can't find Bac1ammgl in the list of services to be enabled/disabled. So I am unable to just set it to "manual" or "disabled," which is what I would have done.

Thanks so much for the help! I don't think the other post got any attention at all, so it is nice at least to get some feedback and pointers.

DieCast61 · Answer

Could it be the leftover from spyware? try spybot, and adaware -- then try running registry mechanic. also-- try booting into safe mode and editing the registry from there.

RoHe · Answer

Parallel arbitrator is used to determine which driver gets "possession" of the parallel port when several drivers want to claim LPT1. It's possible that a driver for a device (printer?) attached to your parallel port is responsible for those mystery services. Look in Device Manager to see if there's an ! or ? next to LPT in the ports section to make sure the port is OK.

Spybot's Tools>System Startup feature was the only way I could identify a mystery registry key that was just a blank entry in msconfig and in Add/Remove control panel. Turned out to be left over after removal of spysweeper the ISP dumped on my system without permission and caused endless problems.

Ron

jmwills · Answer

At least he' s persistent.

BRKennedy · Answer

First, let me say you guys are great. I'm glad that I at least have some people trying to help me, as opposed to my lone post in the Windows Help newsgroup.

Second, I may just give up on this and live with the recurring error in my error log. It doesn't seem to be harming anything, other than bugging the heck out of me. I spent quite a bit of time trying to track down this problem again tonight with no success, so I'm stumped. Maybe eventually I'll try booting in safe mode and editing the registry from there (deleting the Bac1ammgl keys).

Spybot doesn't list it among the startup programs (I get the same list as in MSCONFIG), it's not listed in Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Services, and Spybot, Ad-Aware, and Norton AV don't see anything wrong as far as spyware or viruses. Also, the LPT1 port looks fine in the Device Manager, and the only driver listed in the properties tab for it is parport.sys, which I think is just as it should be. Finally, the registry key value JersWork mentioned isn't in any of my Bac1ammgl keys or subkeys. I do see it in other driver keys, but it's not there at all for Bac1ammgl.

For what it is worth, here is what's in the Bac1ammgl key at HKLM/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet. The main "folder" is Bac1ammgl, and it contains the following values: (Default) = (value not set), ErrorControl = 0x00000001 (1), Group = Parallel arbitrator, Start = 0x00000003 (3), Tag = 0x00000001 (1), Type = 0x00000001 (1). It has two "subfolders," Enum and Security. Enum contains: (Default) = (value not set), Count = 0x00000000 (0), INITSTARTFAILED = 0x00000001 (1), and NextInstance = 0x00000000 (0). Security contains: (Default) = (value not set) and Security = a really long hex value I won't try to type.

That's it. The only thing that jumps out at me is the value "INITSTARTFAILED = 0x00000001 (1)" because I don't see that in any other service, and it's in all caps, like it's some sort of warning or something.

Anyway, if that registry stuff gives any clues to anyone, let me know. Otherwise, I guess I'll live with it and Google for it every now and then to see if it ever turns up on anyone else. I do have two USB printers, two monitors, and lots of other hardware connected via USB and Firewire (but nothing on the parallel port), so I suppose it could be any number of things that led to this. Thanks for listening!

RoHe · Answer

I'm surprised none of the items showed up in Spybot. You could turn off things on the Startup tab in msconfig (except antiviral, firewall, video), reboot each time and see when the errors cease. And if you're not totally discouraged, here's one more thing to try. Since you said the items are services,
click start>run
type in: services.msc
click ok

See if any of them show on this list. If they do, try setting them one at a time to disabled and see what happens.

If you decide to edit the registry, set a manual Restore Point first and also export a copy of the registry to the HD and burn it to CD before you do anything. If something unexpected happens you can use the Restore Point, and should that fail, you can still import the registry copy to recover.

Ron

Windows General

Any Registry or Event Viewer experts?

Was this post helpful?