SFTP Server Service fails to start on 2x new clean installs

Hi Community,

We have just tried to install the SW SFTP Server on a Win10 (21H2) and Server 2016 (1607).

The installation was done as the local Administrator and are both fresh builds that have DotNet installed. (Windows\Micorosoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319), Installations completed successfully with no errors.

When opening the Application for the first time, we get an error "Cannot start service. You probably don't have enough privileges to perform the operation." which I assumed was normal as Administrator wouldn't have "log on as a service" rights by default.

Once we click 'ok' on the error we are presented with the Server Settings page so we added a user and clicked ok.

We set the Service startup to Automatic, left the Log On as Local System Account and tried to start it but we quickly get an error "Windows could not start the SolarWinds SFTP/SCP Server service on Local Computer.  Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.".

We have tried starting the service as Administrator (which automatically granted the Log on as a service right) but this gives the same error.

After quitting the app from the systray and relaunching it as administrator we still get the "You probably don't have enough privileges..." message even though we know the service right was given.

in desperation we tried running the SolarWindsSftpServer.exe directly from an elevated command prompt and received a popup shell with the following error;

Unhandled Exception: System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'SolarWinds.logging.Log' threw an exception. ---> System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'log4net, Version=2.0.12.0, Culture=Neutral, publicKeyToken=669e0ddf0bb1aa2a' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file Specified.

at SolarWinds.Logging.Log.Initialize()

at SolarWinds.Logging.Log..cctor()

--- End of inner exception stack trace ---

at SolarWinds.Logging.Log.Configure(String configFile)

at SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Program.Main(String[] args)

 

Is there someone else out there having the same trouble and does anyone have a suggestion to help resolve this?

Thanks in advance.

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  • Whilst the service starts now with the log4net.dll file in the working directory, I'm not able to authenticate to the server on an SCP session. Even running WinSCP on the same box connecting to the SCP server (I do get prompted to accept the SSH certificate and press Yes), I am running into an authentication error:

    Authentication log (see session log for details):
    Using username "test".

    Authentication failed.

    It doesn't seem to be the end of this issue...

  • Here is the log output:

    2022-09-09 10:38:58,202 [5] INFO SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.SftpService - General Unknown Started
    2022-09-09 10:38:58,218 [5] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.SftpService - OnStart() finished.
    2022-09-09 10:39:15,636 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_StateChanged User:, newstate:Connecting, oldstate:Disconnected
    2022-09-09 10:39:15,651 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_StateChanged User:, newstate:Negotiating, oldstate:Connecting
    2022-09-09 10:39:19,968 [7] INFO SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - Logon Unknown Authenticated user test from IP ::1.
    2022-09-09 10:39:19,968 [7] INFO SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - ::1 test 0 stShell C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe Allow
    2022-09-09 10:39:19,984 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_StateChanged User:test, newstate:Disconnected, oldstate:Negotiating
    2022-09-09 10:39:19,984 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_Disconnected User:test, bytesDownload:24, bytesUpload:0
    2022-09-09 10:40:29,470 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_StateChanged User:, newstate:Connecting, oldstate:Disconnected
    2022-09-09 10:40:29,501 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_StateChanged User:, newstate:Negotiating, oldstate:Connecting

  • 2022-09-09 10:38:58,202 [5] INFO SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.SftpService - General Unknown Started
    2022-09-09 10:38:58,218 [5] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.SftpService - OnStart() finished.
    2022-09-09 10:39:15,636 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_StateChanged User:, newstate:Connecting, oldstate:Disconnected
    2022-09-09 10:39:15,651 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_StateChanged User:, newstate:Negotiating, oldstate:Connecting
    2022-09-09 10:39:19,968 [7] INFO SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - Logon Unknown Authenticated user test from IP ::1.
    2022-09-09 10:39:19,968 [7] INFO SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - ::1 test 0 stShell C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe Allow
    2022-09-09 10:39:19,984 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_StateChanged User:test, newstate:Disconnected, oldstate:Negotiating
    2022-09-09 10:39:19,984 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_Disconnected User:test, bytesDownload:24, bytesUpload:0
    2022-09-09 10:40:29,470 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_StateChanged User:, newstate:Connecting, oldstate:Disconnected
    2022-09-09 10:40:29,501 [7] DEBUG SolarWinds.Sftp.Service.Listener - sshd_StateChanged User:, newstate:Negotiating, oldstate:Connecting

  • I saw the same behavior. If you're using something like WinSCP it could be that it requires a shell, and doesn't work with cmd.exe. I tested using the scp command from a linux machine and it worked.