sql server replication: I setup replication between two servers in SQL 2000 and was working fine until one of our DBA's in order to help another user created link server to our distributor and since then I am getting this message and can not drop the subscription or start it again
Any help appreciate

The 2 standard cases this occurs are internet replication and renamed
servers.
Possibly this is not relevant in your case but let's start with these.
Please can you check:
(a) are you using an IP address to set up replication across domains? If so
then you'll need to use an alias instead.
(b) does SELECT@@Servername return a different name to your server select
SERVERPROPERTY('ServerName').
If so then you need to run:

Use Master
go
Sp_DropServer 'Server1'
GO
Use Master
go
Sp_Addserver 'Server1', 'local'
GO
Stop and Start SQL Services

Regards,
Paul Ibison