MOSS 2007 – Search “The gatherer is shutting down” error

When try to open search setting page if you are getting fallowing error :
The gatherer is shutting down. at Microsoft.SharePoint.Portal.Search.Admin.Pages.SearchAdminPageBase.ErrorHandler(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.Portal.Search.Admin.Pages.SearchSSPAdminPageBase.OnError(EventArgs e)
at System.Web.UI.Page.HandleError(Exception e)
at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)
at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)
at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest()
at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestWithNoAssert(HttpContext context)
at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest(HttpContext context)
at ASP._layouts_searchsspsettings_aspx.ProcessRequest(HttpContext context)
at System.Web.HttpApplication.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute()
at System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously

Possibly you have a hang issue on one of your WFE server’s Office Server Search service.
1) Check your topology from Central Administration – > Servers in Farm section and define which SharePoint servers responsible for running search.
2) Connect all that machines and open services.msc and check status of Office Server Search Service.
3) If you find a service in “stopping” state open a task manager
4) kill the mssearch.exe process .after killing this process your Office Server Search service should go “stop” state.
5) Restart the service and check does your problem has been fixed.

Also restarting server can fix this problem but if you don’t want to restart you can fallow up above solution.