AppPool keeps dying

We have SharePoint Portal Server 2003 installed with 2 portals running within IIS6.0. Each of the portals runs under a different application pool. All the sudden today, the app pools are throwing errors when either of the sites is hit right away. The error follows in the event log:

"Application pool '[pool name]' is being automatically disabled due to a series of failures in the process(es) serving that application pool."
&
"A process serving application pool '[pool name]' terminated unexpectedly. The process id was '3836'. The process exit code was '0xffffffff'."

The only way I can get it to work is to set the identity to the Local System (NOT a good idea obviously). I am lead to believe that this is a strictly a permission or permission-like error. The app pools were previously set to run under the Network Service... but it won't work now. I've also tried running it under certain domain accounts and that won't work as well. Can't figure out what's wrong with the permissions nor what changed overnight (we aren't aware of anything).

BTW: I don't think this is a SPS issue and therefore this is why I posted it in the IIS because it deals strictly with the application pools.

What error do you see in your browser when you hit one of the sites?

When posting entries from the Event Log, please post the Event ID, Source
and Description. Do you see any other event log entries?

What changed overnight? Who was the last person to change configurations on
the server, and what did they do?

Cheers
Ken

"AC" <anonymous DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:87C11D1E-BAD8-4CF0-B1FE-3FB48ED17960@microsoft.com...
: We have SharePoint Portal Server 2003 installed with 2 portals running
within IIS6.0. Each of the portals runs under a different application pool.
All the sudden today, the app pools are throwing errors when either of the
sites is hit right away. The error follows in the event log:
:
: "Application pool '[pool name]' is being automatically disabled due to a
series of failures in the process(es) serving that application pool."
: &
: "A process serving application pool '[pool name]' terminated unexpectedly.
The process id was '3836'. The process exit code was '0xffffffff'."
:
: The only way I can get it to work is to set the identity to the Local
System (NOT a good idea obviously). I am lead to believe that this is a
strictly a permission or permission-like error. The app pools were
previously set to run under the Network Service... but it won't work now.
I've also tried running it under certain domain accounts and that won't work
as well. Can't figure out what's wrong with the permissions nor what
changed overnight (we aren't aware of anything).
:
: BTW: I don't think this is a SPS issue and therefore this is why I posted
it in the IIS because it deals strictly with the application pools.