I am having a problem where CmRcService is disabled on some of our PCs. However, it seems to occasionally start up.

Here's part of the CmRc log from a sample machine experiencing this problem:

<![LOG[====== Starting service CmRcService ======]LOG]!><time="12:20:25.031+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="140" file="cmrcsvcmain.cpp:162">
<![LOG[Restoring Windows hardware acceleration settings.]LOG]!><time="12:20:32.500+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="212" file="cmrcservice.cpp:365">
<![LOG[Registering Media Disconnect WMI Event was done successfully]LOG]!><time="12:20:42.203+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="212" file="sccmtcplistener.cpp:551">
<![LOG[Configuring listeners on TCP port 2701.]LOG]!><time="12:20:42.203+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="212" file="sccmtcplistener.cpp:264">
<![LOG[Unsupported IP protocol Ip v6]LOG]!><time="12:20:42.203+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="2" thread="212" file="sccmipcfg.cpp:108">
<![LOG[Binding to Ip v6 protocol success]LOG]!><time="12:20:42.203+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="212" file="sccmipcfg.cpp:53">
<![LOG[Binding to Ip v4 protocol success]LOG]!><time="12:20:42.203+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="212" file="sccmipcfg.cpp:64">
<![LOG[=== Listening for remote control requests ===]LOG]!><time="12:20:42.218+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="212" file="cmrcservice.cpp:308">
<![LOG[======> A connection has been established. (OnConnectionEstablished)]LOG]!><time="15:01:49.720+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:492">
<![LOG[Ready to start the security handshake.]LOG]!><time="15:01:49.720+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:1069">
<![LOG[=== Starting security handshake ===]LOG]!><time="15:01:49.720+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:1081">
<![LOG[=== Security handshake completed [0x10000000] ===]LOG]!><time="15:01:49.752+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:1086">
<![LOG[The user(xxxxxxxxxx) is authorized for Remote Control]LOG]!><time="15:01:49.752+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:1307">
<![LOG[Session allowed: Full Control]LOG]!><time="15:01:49.752+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:1133">
<![LOG[=== Session Info ===]LOG]!><time="15:01:49.752+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:918">
<![LOG[    Authorized viewer user: xxxxxxxxxxxx]LOG]!><time="15:01:49.752+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:930">
<![LOG[    Viewer address: xxxxxxxxxxx]LOG]!><time="15:01:49.752+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:931">
<![LOG[    Host address: xxxxxxxxxxx]LOG]!><time="15:01:49.752+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:943">
<![LOG[Connection completed (ID = 1) (OnConnectionCompleted)]LOG]!><time="15:01:50.970+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3460" file="cmrcservice.cpp:462">
<![LOG[Local user did not respond to the request to remote control their system.]LOG]!><time="15:02:23.502+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3832" file="serverarbitratorui.cpp:678">
<![LOG[The user did not approve the remote control request (OnSessionDenied)]LOG]!><time="15:02:23.502+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="5216" file="uimanager.cpp:554">
<![LOG[The connection has been terminated (ID = 1). (OnConnectionTerminated)]LOG]!><time="15:02:23.518+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3460" file="cmrcservice.cpp:587">
<![LOG[=== The remote control session has been terminated ===]LOG]!><time="15:02:24.002+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="5216" file="serverarbitratorui.cpp:1128">
<![LOG[The remote control viewer has disconnected from the session (OnViewerDisconnected)]LOG]!><time="15:02:24.002+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="5216" file="uimanager.cpp:433">
<![LOG[Remote control session lasted 162 minutes.]LOG]!><time="15:02:24.002+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="5216" file="uimanager.cpp:434">
<![LOG[======> A connection has been established. (OnConnectionEstablished)]LOG]!><time="15:02:28.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:492">
<![LOG[Ready to start the security handshake.]LOG]!><time="15:02:28.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:1069">
<![LOG[=== Starting security handshake ===]LOG]!><time="15:02:28.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:1081">
<![LOG[=== Security handshake completed [0x10000000] ===]LOG]!><time="15:02:28.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:1086">
<![LOG[The user(xxxxxxxxxxx) is authorized for Remote Control]LOG]!><time="15:02:28.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:1307">
<![LOG[Session allowed: Full Control]LOG]!><time="15:02:28.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:1133">
<![LOG[=== Session Info ===]LOG]!><time="15:02:28.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:918">
<![LOG[    Authorized viewer user: xxxxxxxxxxxx]LOG]!><time="15:02:28.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:930">
<![LOG[    Viewer address: xxxxxxxxxx]LOG]!><time="15:02:28.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:931">
<![LOG[    Host address: xxxxxxxxxxx]LOG]!><time="15:02:28.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3848" file="cmrcservice.cpp:943">
<![LOG[Connection completed (ID = 1) (OnConnectionCompleted)]LOG]!><time="15:02:28.768+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3460" file="cmrcservice.cpp:462">
<![LOG[Local user allowed the remote control session.]LOG]!><time="15:02:35.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="5384" file="serverarbitratorui.cpp:666">
<![LOG[The remote control session is allowed. (OnSessionAllowed)]LOG]!><time="15:02:35.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3416" file="uimanager.cpp:520">
<![LOG[=== A remote control session is in progress (OnViewerConnected) === ]LOG]!><time="15:02:35.346+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3416" file="uimanager.cpp:408">
<![LOG[=== A remote control session is in progress (OnViewerConnected) === ]LOG]!><time="15:04:30.021+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="908" file="uimanager.cpp:408">
<![LOG[=== A remote control session is in progress (OnViewerConnected) === ]LOG]!><time="15:10:01.982+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3172" file="uimanager.cpp:408">
<![LOG[=== A remote control session is in progress (OnViewerConnected) === ]LOG]!><time="15:15:47.299+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="2752" file="uimanager.cpp:408">
<![LOG[=== The remote control session has been terminated ===]LOG]!><time="15:23:13.701+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="2752" file="serverarbitratorui.cpp:1128">
<![LOG[The connection has been terminated (ID = 1). (OnConnectionTerminated)]LOG]!><time="15:23:13.826+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="3460" file="cmrcservice.cpp:587">
<![LOG[The remote control viewer has disconnected from the session (OnViewerDisconnected)]LOG]!><time="15:23:13.888+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="2752" file="uimanager.cpp:433">
<![LOG[Remote control session lasted 183 minutes.]LOG]!><time="15:23:13.888+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="2752" file="uimanager.cpp:434">
<![LOG[UnRegistering Media Disconnect WMI Event was done successfully]LOG]!><time="15:24:11.874+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="212" file="sccmtcplistener.cpp:586">
<![LOG[The service has stopped.]LOG]!><time="15:24:11.921+300" date="01-23-2013" component="CmRcService" context="" type="1" thread="212" file="baseservice.cpp:492">

Here's the output of "sc \\computername qc cmrcservice"

SERVICE_NAME: cmrcservice
        TYPE               : 10  WIN32_OWN_PROCESS
        START_TYPE         : 4   DISABLED
        ERROR_CONTROL      : 1   NORMAL
        BINARY_PATH_NAME   : C:\WINDOWS\CCM\RemCtrl\CmRcService.exe
        LOAD_ORDER_GROUP   :
        TAG                : 0
        DISPLAY_NAME       : Configuration Manager Remote Control
        DEPENDENCIES       :
        SERVICE_START_NAME : LocalSystem

The service is enabled on some machines, though. And even on machines that currently show disabled it seems to work occasionally. What's going on?

Now it's showing as "START_TYPE: 2 AUTO_START" on that particular machine, but still "4 DISABLED" on some other machines.

What on earth is happening?

Any help at all on this? It's driving me out of my mind.

I'm seeing some of that due to,(I think), the Windows Firewall service being disabled when the client is installed.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmanagergeneral/thread/d24c99e1-a325-481f-9dc7-779637e116f6/

"If the Windows Firewall service is disabled the remote control service will fail to install because it cannot create the firewall exception rule. "

Trying to find solution

Yes, our firewalls are disabled. Please let me know if you turn anything up. Thanks.

Yes, I know this is an old post, but Im trying to clean them up. Did you solve this problem, if so what was the solution?

Since no one has answer this post, I recommend opening  a support case with CSS as they can work with you to solve this problem.