Microsoft KB Archive/303783

= HOW TO: Start, Stop, or Pause the Microsoft SMTP Service in Windows 2000 =

PSS ID Number: 303783

Article Last Modified on 11/3/2003

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

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This article was previously published under Q303783



IN THIS TASK

 * SUMMARY
 * ** To Start, Stop, or Pause the Microsoft SMTP Service
 * Troubleshooting
 * REFERENCES



SUMMARY
This article describes how to start, stop, or pause the Microsoft SMTP Service. The Microsoft SMTP Service runs as a service on Windows 2000 Server. This service starts as soon as it has been installed. Even though there is only one Microsoft SMTP Service on a computer, it is possible to have more than one Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) virtual server. You can start, stop, or pause each virtual server independently of one another while the Microsoft SMTP Service is running.

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To Start, Stop, or Pause the Microsoft SMTP Service

 * 1) Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Component Services.
 * 2) In the console tree, click Services (local).
 * 3) In the details pane, right-click Microsoft SMTP Service, and then click Start, click Stop, or click Pause.

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Troubleshooting

 * If you have more than one SMTP virtual server, and you either pause or stop the entire Microsoft SMTP Service, all of the SMTP virtual servers are affected. When the service is stopped, you cannot use the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) tool to perform administrative functions on any SMTP virtual server.
 * The one exception to the preceding rule is that you can start a virtual server while the Microsoft SMTP Service has stopped. If you start an SMTP virtual server, you can also restart the entire Microsoft SMTP Service. This behavior in turn can start all of the other SMTP virtual servers that had been running when the Microsoft SMTP Service had been originally stopped.
 * When you start the Microsoft SMTP Service, it can accept new connections from users. When you stop the Microsoft SMTP Service, it does not accept any new connections. When you pause the Microsoft SMTP Service, every running SMTP virtual server does not accept any new connections, but these servers can continue to service the existing connections.
 * When you restart the Microsoft SMTP Service, all SMTP virtual servers that had been running when you shut down the service automatically restart. However, an SMTP virtual server that had already stopped when the service had shut down can remain stopped, even after the Microsoft SMTP Service is restarted.

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