SQL Server 2008 engine installed but won' t start. All others comp do!

[TheBugSlayer]

Hi guys.

I have Windows Vista Business on my laptop. I also got a default instance of SQL Server 2005, a named instance of SQL 2000 and SQL Server 2008 Express running flawlessly. Then I installed a named instance SQL Server 2008. Analysis Services, Reporting Services and everything else runs for this version. SQL Servr 2008 engine however does not allow me to connect. That is when I try from Management Studio as the service fails to start; it fails with error :


Cannot connect to LAPTOP\NAMED_2K8
Additional Information
A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: Shared Memory Provider, error -40: could not open connection to SQL Server)(Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 2)



All SQL Server 2008 are started by the Local Service account. I tried the local admin user but it did not work neither. The only 10.0 client protocol that is not enabled is VIA. Windows Firewall already had ports 1433 and 1434 opened.

Why is the SQL Server 2008 Engine the only one of that I am not able to connect to? If it' s installed with the same credentials as the others why is it not working? The Agent too is not starting neither of course. All the other versions are working. What am I missing?

Your help is very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[DrSql]

Opne up SQL Server Config Manager and verify SQL Server is running.
If NO then right click and start
If YES then your service is running and verfiy you are on the the right port. Reading your description you have multiple isnatance so they should be multiple ports for each instance. You can verify that also in config manager.
Last suggestion would be create an alias for your instance and see it works.
Good luck,


Dr.Sql
Good Luck.

 

[mrdenny]

Check the ERRORLOG file and check to see that the SQL Server is actually starting. If it is and it has errors in the log they will guide you to the problem.

Denny
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[TheBugSlayer]

Hi, thanks for your answers. For some reason this site was unable to reach me by email.

The Engine and Agent were the only services not starting. Eventually I uninstalled ALL instances of SQL Server. Then reinstalled 2008 only. It did not work. Did some research and found in BOL that Engine and Agent are the only services in 2008 that will not start under Local Service account. I created separate Windows accounts, gave them the proper rights and was able to start the aforementioned services. Changed the services' startup account to Network Servie and it' s all working fine. I removed the Windows account I had created earlier.

In trying to solve this issue I ran into a few others: unable to install because another instance of Windows Installer is already running (Windows Updates that got stuck and made me reinstall the feature), Engine and Agent services starting and stopping before getting anywhere, etc.