SQL server exams - Coco's Question of the Week #3

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Coco's Question of the Week #3

cocolocopolo

2002-08-18, 11:10 pm

Basically I use Windows 2000 (Professional Edition, with W2KSP2) with SQL in 120-day trial edition. Every runs perfect (since I installed SQL in this May), until recently (I "think") I added "IIS" (from 'Control Panel', 'Add/Remove Programs', 'Add/Remove Windows Components', then put a check on 'IIS') and also downloaded/installed
W2KSP3 (which is 124.96MB, I spent 'five' nights, more than 13 hours to download).

Now the situation is: whenever I try to open up 'Query Analyzer', or 'Enterprise Manager', or even the 'SQL Profiler', I cannot get connection to server at all.

What I did after cannot get connection to server:

First, I tried to re-installed SQL again. But in the middle of the installation, I got error that:

"Setup failed to configure the server. Refer to server error logs and
C:\WinNT\SQL\stup/log for more information.

Next, I "un-install" (from Control Panel, add/remove programs) SQL then re-install again. But still got the same error that "Setup failed to configure the server............".

Next, I un-install W2KSP3 then install W2KSP2, then un-install/re-install SQL again, but still cannot install at all.

At the present moment, I don'have SQL programs (because I cannot install SQL due to error "setup failed to configurer the server .....).

I hate to 'format' and re-install everything again and really need
advice what I shall I do now ?????

necrophantasm

2002-08-19, 10:39 am

Well, since you can't even install SQL at this point. I recommend something to do only in a last resort. Go to your start menu -> run -> type in regedit. Highlight the top of the tree hierarchy (my computer) and do a search for the words SQL. Delete all registry keys that say it, and you can hit F3 to go to the next item (to make it a little faster). Once you are done with that, reboot your machine, then go back into your old SQL install directories and wipe everything out. I haven't had to do this with SQL, but I have had to do it with Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition and other Anti-virus programs (trust me, if they don't want to install/uninstall correctly... the only way to get rid of them is to kick the legs out from underneath.. both Mcafee and Symantec toss files all over the place during an install). Also, do a search in Windows for *SQL*.*. Delete anything SQL related (in case they hid any dll files in the system root on you or something). Then reboot one more time, check services under control panel and your add/remove programs bars to make sure you successfully got rid of everything... and give the reinstall another try. It sounds like a lot of work, I know, but it won't take as long as formatting, reinstalling, and rebuilding everything from scratch. Good luck Coco!

cocolocopolo

2002-08-22, 12:05 am

Thanks necrophantasm. You are really smart.

I never think of the "Norton AntiVirus".

Anyway, I followed your advice. First remove out "Norton AntiVirus", re-start computer, then remove out SQL Server and also the registry. Re-start computer, then re-install SQL again and it is fine now.

I feel curious what W2KSP3 did to my system. In order to copy the problem again, I installed 'another' system (P3 800MHZ SECC2) and all the programs (which I installed on my first system), then tried
W2KSP3 again.

And this time, I found:

Just after extracting W2KSP3, it comes up Microsoft Agreement screen. Right after clicking "I Accept", it comes up Setup choice screen with "two" choices, first choice "Archive the file" and second choice "Don't Archive the files". If select first choice "Archive the files", it will be fine, but if seelct second choice "Don't Archive the files", the after re-starting computer, the system cannot connect to SQL Serve at all.

Anyway, you really give me a good lesson so next time I have idea to disable "AntiVirus" program before install something.

Thanks again.

necrophantasm

2002-08-22, 8:47 am

Always glad to help Coco

GiddyUpHorsey

2002-09-07, 12:31 am

Win2kSP3 gave me problems on my W2k server too. It has Exchange 2000 and SQL Server 7 on it. After installing SP3 the machine was screwed, Exchange services would fail to startup/shutdown properly, as with SQL. Logging in as Administrator had also sorts of problems too, networking was also buggered.

Was luckily able to fix it by uninstalling SP3 in safe mode.

SP3 had no problems on my workstations though, only on server.

cocolocopolo

2002-09-07, 1:25 am

Dear GiddyUpHorsey:

What do you mean you by uninstalling SP3 in "safe mode" ???

GiddyUpHorsey

2002-09-07, 2:43 am

Well...

Since SP3 buggered up the system so bad, I was unable to uninstall SP3, Add/Remove proggies would hang.

What I meant by "uninstalling SP3 in "safe mode" " was....

I started the machine up in "Safe Mode". It's an option if you press F8 when windows boots. (I'm sure you already know this) Windows loads up with a minimal amount of drivers, etc...

Thus I was able to log in, get the Add/Remove proggies window up and then finally remove SP3.

Before using Safe Mode, I thought I was faced with the daunting task of formatting the disk. I'm glad I didn't.

Btw, Necro's procedure for deleting DLLs/Registry entries is good one. It is something I've had to do time and time again in the past. Not just for uninstalling progs that didn't uninstall right but also for getting rid of spyware that sticks it's self in the "run" or "runservice" keys and so on.

cocolocopolo

2002-09-08, 11:57 pm

Thanks GiddyUpHorsey

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