Cant access (local) server

I folks. I have something going on with my local SQL instance. It's SQL 2000 Standard with SP3a on a W2k3 Server with SP1. It's been running fine for several months. I got brave over the weekend and broke something.

I installed the .Net Enterprise Architect and SQL Reporting Services. My SQL instance is still running, but I can't get to it through EM and SQLServerAgent won't start. When I try to start SQLServerAgent manually, it gets about halfway through the process, then shuts itself down again. I also have an MSDE instance that is not complaining at all.

I can get to the server from my applications. I can also register it in EM with the IP and get to it that way.

Here's what's in sqlagent.out:

2007-01-02 16:34:41 - ! [298] SQLServer Error: 6, Specified SQL server not found. [SQLSTATE 08001]
2007-01-02 16:34:41 - ! [298] SQLServer Error: 11004, ConnectionOpen (Connect()). [SQLSTATE 01000]
2007-01-02 16:34:41 - ! [000] Unable to connect to server '(local)'; SQLServerAgent cannot start
2007-01-02 16:34:42 - ? [098] SQLServerAgent terminated (normally)

I did confirm in the registry that the port is set to 1433. It's not blank or incorrect. I am also working with a local account that is in the administrators group. There is no AD structure at work.

Many thanks for any ideas. This one feels like a little needle in a big haystack.

EaglesYouc an't have a 2k and an msde instance both named local... one of them HAS to be a named instance. Which one is named?|||The MSDE instance is named. The SQL Server 2000 instance is local.|||what server name do you use to connect to msde?|||One question (which will lead to others..) Were the two instances (Both MSDE and SQL Server existing before all the other installs? And happily co-existing?|||Yes, the 2 instances have been happily co-existing for over a year and things have been very stable. Since it's all the SQL instances are test environment, there's quite of bit of database creation and deletion in both the SS2K and MSDE instance. I also freqently register my clients SQL servers when I'm on-site also. There is actually a third instance which is another MSDE instance. Here's a snippet of them:

(local) - SS2k WITH sp3a. Currently houses a database for Project server and several small company databases for an accounting app. This instance starts automatically. It has been in place for ever a year.

acsob- MSDE instance with several company databases for an accounting application. This instance and it's accompanying sqlserver agent start automatically. It has been in place for over year.

quickalerts - MSDE instance with an interface application to the SS2K accounting application. This instance and accompanying sqlserveragent are set to start manually and are rarely running. This instance was installed 2 weeks ago. It was running constantly during initial configuration and testing.

All these servers are test environments with very low usage. I use them to do software demos, training, and testing. There's rarely more than one user logged in to any of the servers.

Last night after I opened this thread I registered the local sql server instance using the machine IP (assigned by the DHCP server). I was able to get it using the IP address but not as (local). That brought to light another piece of possible useful info. About a month ago, I enabled the mail role on this machine so I could send mail when I'm on the road. That all worked fine with one exception. I can not send email to my own domain account. I can send email to any other domains. I can also receive email to myself that I send from my providers webmail. Not sure if this is relevant, but it's starting to feel like a dns issue somewhere.

Thanks.

Eagles|||I can now get to the the sql instance through EM. The hosts file contained the following entry:

127.0.0.1 localhost

I added this entry:

127.0.0.1 local

A network admin at a client site suggested this.

The sqlserveragent still starts and immediately shuts down.