Thread: Process won't start in Windows

I am running PostgreSQL 8.1.5 under Windows Server 2003 Standard
edition. All has been running for weeks now, don't know if it has been
restarted since we installed. Today we installed a program, Paradox
database, which required a restart, and now the PostgreSQL Server
service won't start with the Event description that the service cannot
start by a user with administrative permsissions:

Execution of PostgreSQL by a user with administrative permissions is not
permitted.
The server must be started under an unprivileged user ID to prevent
possible system security compromises.  See the documentation for
more information on how to properly start the server.

I tried checking permissions on the data folder for the postgres user,
resetting the password, even re-created the user and reset perms on the
data and program files. Still won't start with the event error above.

What should I look for? I am used to running PostgreSQL on our BSD boxes
and have this setup for a customer.

--
Robert

Robert,
Open "Computer Management" and find the postgres service.
There should be an item saying "Run As".  You want that to be
a non-privledged account.  Typically, postgres asks you what account
to use when you install it.  Just make sure that account has not been
granted administrative rights (you can check that under Computer
Management as well)



-----Original Message-----
From: pgsql-general-owner@postgresql.org
[mailto:pgsql-general-owner@postgresql.org] On Behalf Of Robert
Fitzpatrick
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 7:04 PM
To: PostgreSQL
Subject: [GENERAL] Process won't start in Windows


I am running PostgreSQL 8.1.5 under Windows Server 2003 Standard
edition. All has been running for weeks now, don't know if it has been
restarted since we installed. Today we installed a program, Paradox
database, which required a restart, and now the PostgreSQL Server
service won't start with the Event description that the service cannot
start by a user with administrative permsissions:

Execution of PostgreSQL by a user with administrative permissions is not
permitted.
The server must be started under an unprivileged user ID to prevent
possible system security compromises.  See the documentation for
more information on how to properly start the server.

I tried checking permissions on the data folder for the postgres user,
resetting the password, even re-created the user and reset perms on the
data and program files. Still won't start with the event error above.

What should I look for? I am used to running PostgreSQL on our BSD boxes
and have this setup for a customer.

--
Robert


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That -- and make sure your "Secondary Logon" service is running. Also, to confirm, "Log On As" column in front of the pg service should mention the postgres (low privileged) user.

A. Hayee

> That -- and make sure your "Secondary Logon" service is running. Also, to confirm, "Log On As" column in front of the
pgservice should mention the postgres  
(low privileged) user.

Secondary logon service is only needed during installation. It's only used to launch initdb.

/Magnus

On Tue, 2007-01-16 at 20:00 -0600, Adam Rich wrote:
> Robert,
> Open "Computer Management" and find the postgres service.
> There should be an item saying "Run As".  You want that to be
> a non-privledged account.  Typically, postgres asks you what account
> to use when you install it.  Just make sure that account has not been
> granted administrative rights (you can check that under Computer
> Management as well)
>

Thanks, yes, I verified the services has 'postgres' as the account being
used under the Log On tab of the PostgreSQL service. But still, the
service will not start with the administrative permissions error
previously posted. Any other ideas?

--
Robert

Robert Fitzpatrick wrote:

> Thanks, yes, I verified the services has 'postgres' as the account being
> used under the Log On tab of the PostgreSQL service. But still, the
> service will not start with the administrative permissions error
> previously posted. Any other ideas?

Did you check that the "postgres" user is not part of the local
"Administrators" group?

Ray.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Raymond O'Donnell, Director of Music, Galway Cathedral, Ireland
rod@iol.ie
---------------------------------------------------------------

Raymond O'Donnell wrote:
> Robert Fitzpatrick wrote:
>
>> Thanks, yes, I verified the services has 'postgres' as the account being
>> used under the Log On tab of the PostgreSQL service. But still, the
>> service will not start with the administrative permissions error
>> previously posted. Any other ideas?
>
> Did you check that the "postgres" user is not part of the local
> "Administrators" group?

Or any other group it might have inherited admin rights from. the check
is recursive - if you have *any* admin right, no matter how many parent
groups they were inheirted form, it'll find them and refuse to run.

Regards, Dave

On Wed, 2007-01-17 at 14:13 +0000, Dave Page wrote:
> Raymond O'Donnell wrote:
> > Robert Fitzpatrick wrote:
> >
> >> Thanks, yes, I verified the services has 'postgres' as the account being
> >> used under the Log On tab of the PostgreSQL service. But still, the
> >> service will not start with the administrative permissions error
> >> previously posted. Any other ideas?
> >
> > Did you check that the "postgres" user is not part of the local
> > "Administrators" group?
>
> Or any other group it might have inherited admin rights from. the check
> is recursive - if you have *any* admin right, no matter how many parent
> groups they were inheirted form, it'll find them and refuse to run.
>

The local administrators group has the Administrator, Domain Admins for
the domain, and one other user (not postgres). The postgres user is a
Member Of only the Users group.

--
Robert