"System error 2" when running net.exe?

Problems with Windows 2000 Server

[esteele]

I'm getting an error message stating "System error 2 has occured. The system cannot find the file specified."
when trying to run net.exe on a machine running Windows 2000 Server.

Does anyone know what could be wrong?

[webdude]

Are you typing this in a command prompt?

[esteele]

Yeah, I was trying to do a net start, but I keep getting that error. Does the same for net /?

[webdude]

try typing in just net.exe and see what you get.

[esteele]

Same thing.

[webdude]

Interesting. I have never heard of that. I did a quick search and cannot find anything related to this error when just typing in net.exe. All the system 2 errors I found were related to not being able to start other softwares using the net command.

ie net start mysql

if mysql is installed. Same with some exchange programs and Microsoft Sql. In the db side, it usually means a log file was deleted. Also found problems with net.exe related to the latest sp2 for XP, but nothing for Win2k.

But to not be able to just type net.exe is wierd.

Maybe someone else with a bit more knowledge can help you. There are some viruses that will rewrite the net.exe file, but if I remember correctly, the net.exe is wrapped in a bunch of gui stuff for windows and if it was not running properly, you should be seeing other problems as well.

[esteele]

I uninstalled and reinstalled the Windows updates from the past month or so and it seems to have cleared itself up. No idea what it was.

Thanks for all the help Webdude.

[webdude]

Your Wecome! :-)

[plumsauce]

numeric error codes are translated by:

net helpmsg N

the result for 2 is:

The system cannot find the file specified.