SQL Server starts normally from Windows Services screen, but shows error through SQL Server Configuration Manager. Why? I have a SQL Server 2005 instance that has worked fine for years. There have been no changes that I am aware of. Recently, I found that if I stop and then start the instance in SQL Server Configuration Manager, I get the error:

The request failed or the service did not respond in a timely fashion. Consult the event log or other applicable error logs for details

However, the service has indeed started, regardless of what the error says. If I dig through Event Viewer and the SQL Server ERRORLOG file, everything looks normal. There are no errors anywhere. In fact, if I start the service from the normal Windows Services screen (services.msc), it starts up immediately. Should I be concerned that it generates a false error through SQL Server Configuration Manager?

Also, is the Services section in SQL Server Configuration Manager just a "shell" of the full  Services screen, which is limited to SQL Server related services? Is there any reason not to stop and start SQL Server services from the full Windows Services screen?
SQL Server Configuration Manager performs additional operations that the Windows Services does not. Please check Technet SQL Server Configuration Manager particularly if you have changed the service account and/or password recently or use startup options.