Recently, after the server build was 'finished', I discovered that the SQL install was not configured to use the proper authentication method or service accounts (oops) and without mixed mode authentication enabled, windows authentication could not be used to log in to sql to fix these things. That being said, I had to uninstall SQL 2008 (standard edition) and do a reinstall to correct these issues. Time to grab some popcorn and a drink and sit back to watch that entertaining progress bar as it slowly creeps across the tiny 800x600 virtual console window.
I configured the SQL install and ran into an ambiguous error (how typical).
"This access control list is not in canonical form and therefore cannot be modified."
How quaint. Thankfully, after searching for a few minutes with our friend Google, I stumbled upon a Microsoft feedback article that seemed to contain my answer.
Here's what needs to be done.
Navigate in an explorer window to
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\
The link at the end of this post to the Microsoft feedback article says that from there you open up the "details.txt" file. I found that that folder actually contained 11 folders (from the current install and the previous install) and a file called "summary.txt". I found the right "details.txt" file in the most recently created folder.
Once you've located the right "details.txt" file, open it up in notepad (or your editor of choice) and scroll to the end of the file (it's pretty big so use the scroller bar). Near the end, you should see some text that looks similar to...
2009-05-30 18:02:40 Slp: Sco: Attempting to set directory full path
2009-05-30 18:02:40 Slp: Sco: Attempting to normalize directory path C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\COM\
2009-05-30 18:02:40 Slp: Sco: Attempting to check if directory C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\COM\ exists
2009-05-30 18:02:40 Slp: Sco: Attempting to set security descriptor for directory C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\COM\, security descriptor D:(A;OICI;FRFX;;;S-1-5-80-3263513310-3392720605-1798839546-683002060-3227631582)
2009-05-30 18:02:40 Slp: Sco: Attempting to check if directory C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\COM\ exists
2009-05-30 18:02:40 Slp: Sco: Attempting to normalize security descriptor D:(A;OICI;FRFX;;;S-1-5-80-3263513310-3392720605-1798839546-683002060-3227631582)
2009-05-30 18:02:40 Slp: Sco: Attempting to replace account with sid in security descriptor D:(A;OICI;FRFX;;;S-1-5-80-3263513310-3392720605-1798839546-683002060-3227631582)
2009-05-30 18:02:40 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be processed: D:(A;OICI;FRFX;;;S-1-5-80-3263513310-3392720605-1798839546-683002060-3227631582)
2009-05-30 18:02:40 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be returned: D:(A;OICI;FRFX;;;S-1-5-80-3263513310-3392720605-1798839546-683002060-3227631582)
2009-05-30 18:02:40 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action
The text you're looking for is the directory path listed after the text "Attempting to normalize directory path".
Open up another explorer window and navigate to (not inside) the directory that is specified after the previous quote. Right click the directory (in this case, the directory is COM within the directory 100) and select "Properties". From within the Properties window, click the "Security" tab. Windows should give you an error that says something along the lines of the permissions being out of order and might not be effective (sorry...I forgot to copy that error).
Please note right now that this is done in Windows Server 2008 and the specified buttons/tabs to click won't be the same in Server 2003 from this point.
Click "Edit" near the middle of the window. Windows should then throw up another dialog box saying that the permissions are out of order and need to be fixed. Click "Okay" and Windows will automatically fix the problem for you. Just click "Okay" in the window that comes up. Click "Okay" in the "Security" window to close it out as well.
Go back to your installer now and click "Retry" on the error window.
I had to fix two directories. The guy in the Microsoft feedback article said he had to fix five directories. That being said, this may need to be done more than once.
That about sums this up. The article I found that helped me get started fixing this can be found here:
Aaron Ball
