Fix for Event Log Service Startup Error 1079

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.