When you start the Event Viewer, the following error message may be shown.

Event Log service is unavailable. Verify that the service is running.

Any attempts to start the Event Log service results in the following error:

Windows could not start the Windows Event Log service on Local Computer.
Error 1079: The account specified for this service is different from the account specified for other services running in the same process.

As the Windows Event Log service isn’t running, starting Task Scheduler results in the following error:

Windows could not start the Task Scheduler service on Local Computer.
Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start.

This problem was reported by one of our readers via email, and it has been fixed. Service startup error 1079 occurs if the logon account for the service is incorrectly set. Usually this is resolved by fixing the service logon account (via the Log On tab in the Property sheet) via the Services MMC (services.msc)

This can’t be done in case of Windows Event Log, where the Log On tab controls remain grayed out by default.

So, we need to alter the ObjectName registry value in the following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\eventlog

Start the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to the above branch:

Double-click ObjectName value and set its data as NT AUTHORITY\LocalService {for Windows Vista & Windows 7}

Double-click ObjectName value and set its data as LocalSystem {for Windows XP}

Restart Windows.

Registry Fix

To automate the above setting, download eventlog-svc-fix.zip and run the REG file which is applicable for your Operating System. The zip file includes the REG fixes for Windows XP and Windows 7/Vista. Restart Windows after applying the fix.

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3 Comments

  1. Troy
    said this on Wednesday, July 7th 2010 11:00 am

    I have finally fixed this problem on my machine.

    I came across a fix that suggested it was caused by incorrect permissions on this folder: C:\Windows\System32\LogFiles\WMI\RtBackup

    This made sense, as one of the first things I did when I’d set up my Windows 7 installation was take control of ALL files on the hard drive…probably breaking things :P

    My fix was “deleting” this folder – I simply renamed it in case deleting it caused MORE problems. I then rebooted my PC, and voila! fixed! Windows recreated the directory for me, this time with correct permissions I assume.

    A lot of people had trouble renaming this folder due to permissions, but I didn’t have ANY troubles….probably because I’d taken ownership of it, ironically breaking it in the first place.

    Give this one a shot by renaming the above folder (\RtBackup) and rebooting. Hope it sorts your the same as mine!

  2. Dana
    said this on Sunday, March 28th 2010 4:38 am

    I have the problem described above on my Windows 7 system but when I followed the steps described to fix it, I found the registry setting for the eventlog was already set as described, but I still have the problem.

    The problems seem to be spreading, now I can’t run disk defrag or windows update. HELP

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