Windows SharePoint Services Search won't stop

Question

Background: I had been asked to create a second Sharepoint application server to reprovision the one that is currently in the SharePoint Farm. I installed the os, SharePoint, and SP1. I then began the process of moving all the services on to the new server. (The central farm consists of 2 WFE and 1 App server, each on W2K8).

Problem: I had trouble with the SharePoint Configuration Wizard completing the upgrade. Believing that it was due to a problem with search I stopped both Search Services ( goodbye indexes). Afterward, I still had trouble moving them. I then decided to create a new SSP since my hours of web crawling provided evidence that this would help fix my problems. It nearly did. I got the Office SharePoint Server Search started. However Windows SharePoint Services Search is stuck in the "Stopping" status. So now what? the farm mostly works, has an indexer, but no WSS search even with a new Shared Service Provider.

Is there a way to force it stopped? I've tried psconfig, but maybe I don't have the right voodoo to kill the service completely.

I've included a stack trace from the logs that I beleive is part of the problem...

The error log stack trace:

11/05/2009 10:28:58.89  OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Database                       880i High     System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON'.     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection)     at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning(TdsParserStateObject stateObj)     at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.Run(RunBehavior runBehavior, SqlCommand cmdHandler, SqlDataReader dataStream, BulkCopySimpleResultSet bulkCopyHandler, TdsParserStateObject stateObj)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.CompleteLogin(Boolean enlistOK)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.AttemptOneLogin(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, Int64 timerExpire, SqlConnection owningObject)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalCo...  
11/05/2009 10:28:58.89  OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Database                       880k High        at Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.SqlSession.ExecuteReader(SqlCommand command, CommandBehavior behavior)     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPConfigurationDatabase.FetchId(QualifiedObjectName qName)     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPConfigurationDatabase.GetObject(String name, Guid parentId, Type type)     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPConfigurationDatabase.get_Farm()     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm.FindLocal(SPFarm& farm, Boolean& isJoined)     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm.get_Local()     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPServer.get_Local()     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPTimerStore.InitializeTimer(Int64& cacheVersion, Object& jobDefinitions, Int32& timerMode, String& serverName)     at Microsoft.Share...  
11/05/2009 10:28:58.89* OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Database                       880i High     ...nnectionTds.LoginNoFailover(String host, String newPassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnection owningObject, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, Int64 timerStart)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.OpenLoginEnlist(SqlConnection owningObject, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, String newPassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds..ctor(DbConnectionPoolIdentity identity, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, Object providerInfo, String newPassword, SqlConnection owningObject, Boolean redirectedUserInstance)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection)     at System.Data...  
11/05/2009 10:28:58.89* OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Database                       880k High     ...Point.Administration.SPNativeConfigurationProvider.InitializeTimer(Int64& cacheVersion, Object& jobDefinitions, Int32& timerMode, String& serverName)    
11/05/2009 10:28:58.89* OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Database                       880i High     ....ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreatePooledConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnectionOptions options)     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.CreateObject(DbConnection owningObject)     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.UserCreateRequest(DbConnection owningObject)     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.GetConnection(DbConnection owningObject)     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.GetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection)     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.OpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open()     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.SqlSession.OpenConnection()  
11/05/2009 10:28:58.89  OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Database                       880l High     ConnectionString: 'Data Source=servernamedb;Initial Catalog=config_database;Integrated Security=True;Enlist=False'    ConnectionState: Closed ConnectionTimeout: 15  
11/05/2009 10:28:58.89  OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Database                       880j High     SqlError: 'Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON'.'    Source: '.Net SqlClient Data Provider' Number: 18456 State: 1 Class: 14 Procedure: '' LineNumber: 65536 Server: 'servernamedb'  
11/05/2009 10:28:58.89  OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Database                       6y64 Critical SQL database login failed. Additional error information from SQL Server is included below.  Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON'.  
11/05/2009 10:28:58.89  OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Topology                       88bl Monitorable An exception occured while trying to acquire the local farm: System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON'.     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection)     at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning(TdsParserStateObject stateObj)     at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.Run(RunBehavior runBehavior, SqlCommand cmdHandler, SqlDataReader dataStream, BulkCopySimpleResultSet bulkCopyHandler, TdsParserStateObject stateObj)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.CompleteLogin(Boolean enlistOK)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.AttemptOneLogin(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, Int64 timerExpire, SqlConnec...  
11/05/2009 10:28:58.91* OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Topology                       88bl Monitorable ...tion owningObject)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.LoginNoFailover(String host, String newPassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnection owningObject, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, Int64 timerStart)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.OpenLoginEnlist(SqlConnection owningObject, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, String newPassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds..ctor(DbConnectionPoolIdentity identity, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, Object providerInfo, String newPassword, SqlConnection owningObject, Boolean redirectedUserInstance)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectio...  
11/05/2009 10:28:58.91* OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Topology                       88bl Monitorable ...nPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection)     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreatePooledConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnectionOptions options)     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.CreateObject(DbConnection owningObject)     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.UserCreateRequest(DbConnection owningObject)     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.GetConnection(DbConnection owningObject)     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.GetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection)     at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.OpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory)     at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open()     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.SqlSes...  
11/05/2009 10:28:58.91* OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Topology                       88bl Monitorable ...sion.OpenConnection()     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.SqlSession.ExecuteReader(SqlCommand command, CommandBehavior behavior)     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPConfigurationDatabase.FetchId(QualifiedObjectName qName)     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPConfigurationDatabase.GetObject(String name, Guid parentId, Type type)     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPConfigurationDatabase.get_Farm()     at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm.FindLocal(SPFarm& farm, Boolean& isJoined)  
11/05/2009 10:28:58.91  OWSTIMER.EXE (0x08FC)                    0x0A64 Windows SharePoint Services    Timer                          5utx Unexpected The timer service could not initialize its configuration, please check the configuration database.  Will retry later.

Answer 1

It looks like the service is running under the 'NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON, that can't be right?!?

To actually "kill" the process do the following:

1.Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete keys simultaneously, and then click on Task Manager. Alternatively, right click on taskbar and select Task Manager. You can also start Task Manager by manually starting “taskmgr” from Run command in Start Menu.

2.In the Windows Task Manager window, locate and select (highlight) the application or program that’s not responding. In your system is crawling and extremely slow in responding, you may also check out for services or processes that using too much CPU resources or memory resources.

3.Click on End Task.

4.A Task Manager Warning dialog saying “Terminating a process can cause undesired results including loss of data and system instability. The process will not be given the chance to save its state or data before it is terminated. Are you sure you want to terminate the process?” will appear. Confirm the process by clicking on OK or End Now.

From here

Answer 2

Here is something to try:

1. Find the SPSearch service in the W2K8 Services tab.
2. Right click the service and shut down. You might, as I did, receive an error stating that the handler is wrong. (BTW: make sure that you are logged into the server as the farm service account just to be safe)
3. Click on the Services button from here... you could have gone and managed the services directly from the management console also.
4. Goto SPSsearch>Properties>Log On tab. Make Logon as local system account.
5. Stop the service
6. Make Logon as your service account. Add the passwords
7. Start up type should be automatic. Then start the service here.
8. Go back to the Central Administration page.
9. Start the Service from here if it isn't started.

At this point you should have a working service both on the server and within the Farm Context. At least I did. Your milage may vary

Answer 3

Are you able to install sp2? Stopping the search service actually works after sp2.