Error "merge process could not initialize publisher XXX"

Hello All-
We have a SQL Server 2000 Merge publication with about 10 push clients
running MSDE.
There are 2 subscribers that appear to be failing when connecting to the
publisher. The publisher & distributor are on the same host. If we look
at the Replication Monitor, the 'duration' column for these 2 clients have
a very small "Duration" value, usually under 1 minute. Other clients on
the same network are up for hours or days.
We have the agent schedule to start when SQL Server starts & also to start
every 1 minute. So, it appears these 2 subscribers are continuously failing
on connect.
In order to get more info, I changed the command line parameters ( in edit
job steps) to output details. The details are at the bottom of this message.
The details say another merge agent for this replication subscriber is
already running. I'm not sure what action to take on this error.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
bruce

[5/6/2004 8:25:56 AM]BASKINGRIDGE.CDB: set nocount on declare @.dbname
sysname select @.dbname = db_name() declare @.collation nvarchar(255) select
@.collation = convert(nvarchar(255), databasepropertyex(@.dbname,
N'COLLATION')) select collationproperty(@.collation, N'CODEPAGE') as
'CodePage', collationproperty(@.collation, N'LCID') as 'LCID',
collationproperty(@.collation, N'COMPARISONSTYLE') as 'ComparisonStyle'
Percent Complete: 1
Connecting to Publisher 'BASKINGRIDGE'
The merge process could not initialize the Publisher 'BASKINGRIDGE:CDB'.
Percent Complete: 0
The merge process could not initialize the Publisher 'BASKINGRIDGE:CDB'.
Percent Complete: 0
Category:NULL
Source: Merge Replication Provider
Number: -2147198719
Message: The merge process could not initialize the Publisher
'BASKINGRIDGE:CDB'.
Percent Complete: 0
Category:COMMAND
Source: Failed Command
Number: 0
Message: {call master..sp_MScheck_agent_instance
(N'BASKINGRIDGE-CDB-CDB-BABYLON-24', 4)}
Percent Complete: 0
Category:SQLSERVER
Source: BASKINGRIDGE
Number: 21036
Message: Another merge agent for the subscription(s) is running.
Disconnecting from Publisher 'BASKINGRIDGE'
Disconnecting from Distributor 'BASKINGRIDGE'
start task manager and verify that you have one merge.exe process in taskman
for each merge agent currently running on your system. If not, try to
selectively kill the rougue merge agent, and then start the new one.
"rr" <bruceradtke@.REMOVEspamREMOVE.earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:dTqmc.59231$Nn4.13413268@.twister.nyc.rr.com.. .
> Hello All-
> We have a SQL Server 2000 Merge publication with about 10 push clients
> running MSDE.
> There are 2 subscribers that appear to be failing when connecting to the
> publisher. The publisher & distributor are on the same host. If we look
> at the Replication Monitor, the 'duration' column for these 2 clients
have
> a very small "Duration" value, usually under 1 minute. Other clients on
> the same network are up for hours or days.
> We have the agent schedule to start when SQL Server starts & also to start
> every 1 minute. So, it appears these 2 subscribers are continuously
failing
> on connect.
> In order to get more info, I changed the command line parameters ( in edit
> job steps) to output details. The details are at the bottom of this
message.
> The details say another merge agent for this replication subscriber is
> already running. I'm not sure what action to take on this error.
> Any ideas?
> Thanks,
> bruce
>
> ----
> [5/6/2004 8:25:56 AM]BASKINGRIDGE.CDB: set nocount on declare @.dbname
> sysname select @.dbname = db_name() declare @.collation nvarchar(255) select
> @.collation = convert(nvarchar(255), databasepropertyex(@.dbname,
> N'COLLATION')) select collationproperty(@.collation, N'CODEPAGE') as
> 'CodePage', collationproperty(@.collation, N'LCID') as 'LCID',
> collationproperty(@.collation, N'COMPARISONSTYLE') as 'ComparisonStyle'
> Percent Complete: 1
> Connecting to Publisher 'BASKINGRIDGE'
> The merge process could not initialize the Publisher 'BASKINGRIDGE:CDB'.
> Percent Complete: 0
> The merge process could not initialize the Publisher 'BASKINGRIDGE:CDB'.
> Percent Complete: 0
> Category:NULL
> Source: Merge Replication Provider
> Number: -2147198719
> Message: The merge process could not initialize the Publisher
> 'BASKINGRIDGE:CDB'.
> Percent Complete: 0
> Category:COMMAND
> Source: Failed Command
> Number: 0
> Message: {call master..sp_MScheck_agent_instance
> (N'BASKINGRIDGE-CDB-CDB-BABYLON-24', 4)}
> Percent Complete: 0
> Category:SQLSERVER
> Source: BASKINGRIDGE
> Number: 21036
> Message: Another merge agent for the subscription(s) is running.
> Disconnecting from Publisher 'BASKINGRIDGE'
> Disconnecting from Distributor 'BASKINGRIDGE'
>
>