MSDE stopped connecting

[Varco]

After running MSDE without issue for many months, it will no longer connect. I have tried reinstalling it, the install progresses to where it displays the "Starting Service" message and then reports an error. The error is "Setup failed to configure the server. Refer to the server error logs and cnfgsvr.out for more information".

The only thing in the error file that caught my attention is that the system is trying to open the DB 'Master", which does not exist, nor does the data folder it is supposed to reside in.

Suggestions?

Jim Varco
jimv@varcconsulting.com

 

[SQLBill]

What happened to the Master database and the folder it was supposed to be in?

SQL Server or MSDE can not work without the Master database. That's a system database and contains almost everything needed for a user database to actually work.

-SQLBill

 

[Varco]

I did some testing and found that while I was installing MSDE, all of the appropriate filess and folders were shown as being installed. However, after the error is generated most of the folders and files under MSSQL7 vanish, including the data and binn folders.

Jim Varco
jimv@varcconsulting.com

 

[SQLBill]

Something is stopping the install and when that happens all of the actions rollback. That's why the files aren't there, the installer removed them.

You need to find out why it couldn't configure the server.

There should be more errors than it couldn't open the Master DB. But if that IS the only one, then you need to find out why the Master DB didn't install correctly.

Did you find this file: cnfgsvr.out ???

-SQLBill

 

[Varco]

SQLBill, Thanks for the help. Yes, I did find the file you referenced, here is the contents:

Starting Service ...

Connecting to Server ...

driver={sql server};server=.;UID=sa;PWD=;database=master

[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][DBNETLIB]General network error. Check your network documentation.

[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][DBNETLIB]ConnectionRead (recv()).

driver={sql server};server=.;UID=sa;PWD=;database=master

[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][DBNETLIB]General network error. Check your network documentation.

[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][DBNETLIB]ConnectionRead (recv()).

driver={sql server};server=JIMVARCO;UID=sa;PWD=;database=master

[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][Shared Memory]General network error. Check your network documentation.

[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][Shared Memory]ConnectionRead (recv()).

SQL Server configuration failed.

Jim Varco
jimv@varcconsulting.com

 

[SQLBill]

Oh what fun! and what useful error messages Microsoft provides. General Network Error indeed-tells us a WHOLE lot!

Are you trying to install this over a network? For example, is the software on a network share and you are using that?

Try copying the software to the machine you are trying to install it on and run it from that machine.

-SQLBill