I am attempting to configure replication using the publishing and distribution wizard. After I select the default of setting up my server as its own distributor, I receive a message letting me know that the system account is being used and I must change it in order to properly set up replication. After clicking ok, I click the "this account option" and enter in my user name and password. I then receive an error message stating "the new service startup account name you have supplied is invalid or does not exist". I have verified that my user is part of the administrators group and the domain users group on the server. I'm trying to find out what I am missing in order to set this up. I'm running SQL Server 2000 on a Windows 2000 Server machine. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Check the services account which runs both SQL Server and SQLSERVERAGENT Account, this should be the same.

try to specify the username in the following format:

domain\user or computername\user

like: SOMESERVER\johnd