Bizarre MSDE Installation Issue

[ptj]

Dear All,

I'm really puzzled by this one...

I've written an installshield package that installs a VB program and MSDE. It works perfectly on my test machine (blank install Windows XP).

At the client's offices it fails on two machines but works on a third. On ALL machines it seems to install fine, and you can see MSSQL$ABC (where ABC is the instance name) running in services. However, on the two non-working machines the vb program can't talk to the database & I know there is something very funny because if I try and register the servers in enterprise manager on another machine, they do not appear.

On the third machine (and my test machine) it works fine and you can register the instance in enterprise manager.

All machines have an existing MSDE (v7) already installed as the default instance, and I am installing MSDE 2000.

Why on earth would it work sometimes and not others, especially when it is installed and running on all of them?

Thanks in advance

Phil.

 

[tlbroadbent]

Which error messages, if any, are returned by the VB program? Which net-library is used on the clients that work and the clients that don't work? Can you register the server with the Client Network Utility?

FYI: forum962, "Microsoft SQL Server: Setup and Administration," was recently added. SQL Server installation questions should be posted in that forum. If you want to get the best answer for your question read faq183-874 and faq183-3179.
Terry L. Broadbent - DBA
SQL Server Page:

http://tlbroadbent.home.attbi.com/sql/sql_articles.htm

 

[ptj]

The error returned is 'server does not exist or access denied' and I am connecting with integrated security (and the users are all administrators of their own machines).

Excuse my ignorance on the other two points - what do you mean by 'net-library' and what is the 'Client Network Utility?'.

Phil

 

[tlbroadbent]

Net-Library from SQL BOL.

A SQL Server communications component that isolates the SQL Server client software and database engine from the network APIs. The SQL Server client software and database engine send generic network requests to a Net-Library, which translates the request to the specific network commands of the protocol chosen by the user.

SQL BOL contains more info about Net-Libraries.

Client Net-Libraries and Network Protocols

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/adminsql/ad_1_client_8uwj.asp

The Client Network Utility is installed as part of SQL Server client setup. It will show which net-libraries are installed on the system, allow you to select the default net-library and create and save connections to SQL Servers.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/adminsql/ad_1_client_7v03.asp

If you want to get the best answer for your question read faq183-874 and faq183-3179.
Terry L. Broadbent - DBA
SQL Server Page:

http://tlbroadbent.home.attbi.com/sql/sql_articles.htm

 

[ptj]

Thanks for your continuing assistance. I can register the server with the client network utility and it is showing that TCP/IP and named pipes are the protocols in use.

 

[ptj]

OK....getting somewhere, but still stuck!!

Although it says that TCP/IP and Named Pipes are the protocols in use, on a computer that SQL doesn't properly work on there is a log line (in SQL errorlog) that shows that named pipes has opened, but not TCP. In contrast, on a computer that does work, both TCP & named pipes open.

So...how can I make tcp start & why does it start on some machines and not others?

(One suggestion was security settings, but I have tried reinstalling as network administrator to no avail)

Thanks

Phil