are you using remote agent activation?

If not, run DCOMCNFG to determine exactly where your merge agent is running.

--
Hilary Cotter
Looking for a SQL Server replication book?
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
[quoted text, click to view]

Here is one of the publications:

-- Enabling the replication database
use master
GO

exec sp_replicationdboption @dbname = N'USICOAL', @optname = N'publish',
@value = N'true'
GO

use [USICOAL]
GO

-- Adding the transactional publication
exec sp_addpublication @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @restricted = N'false',
@sync_method = N'native', @repl_freq = N'continuous', @description =
N'Transactional publication of item data (PLU)', @status = N'active',
@allow_push = N'true', @allow_pull = N'true', @allow_anonymous = N'false',
@enabled_for_internet = N'false', @independent_agent = N'false',
@immediate_sync = N'false', @allow_sync_tran = N'false', @autogen_sync_procs
= N'false', @retention = 0, @allow_queued_tran = N'false',
@snapshot_in_defaultfolder = N'true', @compress_snapshot = N'false',
@ftp_port = 21, @ftp_login = N'anonymous', @allow_dts = N'false',
@allow_subscription_copy = N'false', @add_to_active_directory = N'false',
@logreader_job_name = N'BOS01-253-USICOAL-1'
exec sp_addpublication_snapshot @publication = N'PUB_ITEM',@frequency_type =
4, @frequency_interval = 1, @frequency_relative_interval = 1,
@frequency_recurrence_factor = 0, @frequency_subday = 8,
@frequency_subday_interval = 1, @active_start_date = 0, @active_end_date = 0,
@active_start_time_of_day = 0, @active_end_time_of_day = 235959,
@snapshot_job_name = N'BOS01-253-USICOAL-PUB_ITEM-3'
GO

exec sp_grant_publication_access @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @login = N'admin'
GO
exec sp_grant_publication_access @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @login =
N'BUILTIN\Administrators'
GO
exec sp_grant_publication_access @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @login =
N'distributor_admin'
GO
exec sp_grant_publication_access @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @login = N'sa'
GO

-- Adding the transactional articles
exec sp_addarticle @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @article =
N'ADDITIONAL_INFO', @source_owner = N'dbo', @source_object =
N'ADDITIONAL_INFO', @destination_table = N'ADDITIONAL_INFO', @type =
N'logbased', @creation_script = null, @description = null, @pre_creation_cmd
= N'drop', @schema_option = 0x00000000000000F3, @status = 16,
@vertical_partition = N'false', @ins_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSins_ADDITIONAL_INFO',
@del_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSdel_ADDITIONAL_INFO', @upd_cmd = N'MCALL
sp_MSupd_ADDITIONAL_INFO', @filter = null, @sync_object = null,
@auto_identity_range = N'false'
GO
exec sp_addarticle @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @article = N'DEPT_SELL_RULE',
@source_owner = N'dbo', @source_object = N'DEPT_SELL_RULE',
@destination_table = N'DEPT_SELL_RULE', @type = N'logbased', @creation_script
= null, @description = null, @pre_creation_cmd = N'drop', @schema_option =
0x00000000000000F3, @status = 16, @vertical_partition = N'false', @ins_cmd =
N'CALL sp_MSins_DEPT_SELL_RULE', @del_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSdel_DEPT_SELL_RULE',
@upd_cmd = N'MCALL sp_MSupd_DEPT_SELL_RULE', @filter = null, @sync_object =
null, @auto_identity_range = N'false'
GO
exec sp_addarticle @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @article = N'ITEM_GROUP',
@source_owner = N'dbo', @source_object = N'ITEM_GROUP', @destination_table =
N'ITEM_GROUP', @type = N'logbased', @creation_script = null, @description =
null, @pre_creation_cmd = N'drop', @schema_option = 0x00000000000000F3,
@status = 16, @vertical_partition = N'false', @ins_cmd = N'CALL
sp_MSins_ITEM_GROUP', @del_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSdel_ITEM_GROUP', @upd_cmd =
N'MCALL sp_MSupd_ITEM_GROUP', @filter = null, @sync_object = null,
@auto_identity_range = N'false'
GO
exec sp_addarticle @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @article =
N'ITEM_GROUP_ITEM', @source_owner = N'dbo', @source_object =
N'ITEM_GROUP_ITEM', @destination_table = N'ITEM_GROUP_ITEM', @type =
N'logbased', @creation_script = null, @description = null, @pre_creation_cmd
= N'drop', @schema_option = 0x00000000000000F3, @status = 16,
@vertical_partition = N'false', @ins_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSins_ITEM_GROUP_ITEM',
@del_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSdel_ITEM_GROUP_ITEM', @upd_cmd = N'MCALL
sp_MSupd_ITEM_GROUP_ITEM', @filter = null, @sync_object = null,
@auto_identity_range = N'false'
GO
exec sp_addarticle @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @article =
N'ITEM_GRP_ADDL_INFO', @source_owner = N'dbo', @source_object =
N'ITEM_GRP_ADDL_INFO', @destination_table = N'ITEM_GRP_ADDL_INFO', @type =
N'logbased', @creation_script = null, @description = null, @pre_creation_cmd
= N'drop', @schema_option = 0x00000000000000F3, @status = 16,
@vertical_partition = N'false', @ins_cmd = N'CALL
sp_MSins_ITEM_GRP_ADDL_INFO', @del_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSdel_ITEM_GRP_ADDL_INFO',
@upd_cmd = N'MCALL sp_MSupd_ITEM_GRP_ADDL_INFO', @filter = null, @sync_object
= null, @auto_identity_range = N'false'
GO
exec sp_addarticle @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @article = N'PLU',
@source_owner = N'dbo', @source_object = N'PLU', @destination_table = N'PLU',
@type = N'logbased', @creation_script = null, @description = null,
@pre_creation_cmd = N'drop', @schema_option = 0x00000000000000F3, @status =
16, @vertical_partition = N'false', @ins_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSins_PLU', @del_cmd
= N'CALL sp_MSdel_PLU', @upd_cmd = N'MCALL sp_MSupd_PLU', @filter = null,
@sync_object = null, @auto_identity_range = N'false'
GO
exec sp_addarticle @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @article = N'PLU_PRICE',
@source_owner = N'dbo', @source_object = N'PLU_PRICE', @destination_table =
N'PLU_PRICE', @type = N'logbased', @creation_script = null, @description =
null, @pre_creation_cmd = N'drop', @schema_option = 0x00000000000000F3,
@status = 16, @vertical_partition = N'false', @ins_cmd = N'CALL
sp_MSins_PLU_PRICE', @del_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSdel_PLU_PRICE', @upd_cmd =
N'MCALL sp_MSupd_PLU_PRICE', @filter = null, @sync_object = null,
@auto_identity_range = N'false'
GO
exec sp_addarticle @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @article =
N'POS_ID_PLU_CODE', @source_owner = N'dbo', @source_object =
N'POS_ID_PLU_CODE', @destination_table = N'POS_ID_PLU_CODE', @type =
N'logbased', @creation_script = null, @description = null, @pre_creation_cmd
= N'drop', @schema_option = 0x00000000000000F3, @status = 16,
@vertical_partition = N'false', @ins_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSins_POS_ID_PLU_CODE',
@del_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSdel_POS_ID_PLU_CODE', @upd_cmd = N'MCALL
sp_MSupd_POS_ID_PLU_CODE', @filter = null, @sync_object = null,
@auto_identity_range = N'false'
GO
exec sp_addarticle @publication = N'PUB_ITEM', @article =
N'POS_ITEM_ADDL_INFO', @source_owner = N'dbo', @source_object =
N'POS_ITEM_ADDL_INFO', @destination_table = N'POS_ITEM_ADDL_INFO', @type =
N'logbased', @creation_script = null, @description = null, @pre_creation_cmd
= N'drop', @schema_option = 0x00000000000000F3, @status = 16,
@vertical_partition = N'false', @ins_cmd = N'CALL
sp_MSins_POS_ITEM_ADDL_INFO', @del_cmd = N'CALL sp_MSdel_POS_ITEM_ADDL_INFO',
@upd_cmd = N'MCALL sp_MSupd_POS_ITEM_ADDL_INFO', @filter = null, @sync_object
= null, @auto_identity_range = N'false'
GO

script out your publication and post it here.

--
Hilary Cotter
Looking for a SQL Server replication book?
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
[quoted text, click to view]

Also check the Security tab for Microsoft SQL Server Replication Merge Agent
8.0 Properties, and verify that for the default Launch Permissions, the
everyone group has special access.

--
Hilary Cotter
Looking for a SQL Server replication book?
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
[quoted text, click to view]