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.NET 1.1 Windows Service won't start due to leap year

We have several backend windows services written in .NET Framework 1.1 and on December 31, 2008 around 5:00 pm (EST) we stopped these services to run year-end reports. After the reports were started, we tried to start the services, and the moment we try, it will result in the error "The service did not start in a timely manner." We've tried every possible thing that Google has come up with. Utility packages, WinDbg, GFlags, etc. etc.

Finally, we called Microsoft support around 10:30 pm (we had a premium support contract with Microsoft) and they started collecting all kinds of server data and around 12:05 (EST) services started successfully without any problems. We didn't do anything different or special to get this started. The entire team was stumped as to what was going on and equally happy to be working.

Conclusion: The Microsoft support team thinks this may be because the .NET Framework 1.1 namepsace System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase is unable to support leap years. They haven't confirmed this yet and are still following.

I will keep informed when and when I have updates with MSFT support. I had planned to start a terrible launch in 2009, but happily it ended well.

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I wonder if the bug has something to do with what causes the Zune 30GB to block on Dec 31st in leap years: it tests for day> 365 in one place and day> 366 in another and as a result, when day = 366 it passes the second test and goes to endless cycle.



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