Unable to start SQL Browser Service

  • Hi,

    I have installed 3 SQL2008R2 Developer instances on one server, all the associated services start except the browser. The error in the event log says:

    The SQL configuration for SQL is inaccessible or invalid.

    All the googling i've done suggests changing registry keys on the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQLServer\SuperSocketNetLib\Tcp and setting enabled to 1. The enabled key is already set to 1 so i don't understand what's going on here.

    I've rebooted the server to see if that resolved the issue but it didn't. Interestingly i've setup a different server with exactly the same 3 instances for another team, and their browser service works absolutely fine?? The OS that is running on both machines is Windows Server 2008R2 Standard.

    I've even uninstalled all 3 instances, rebooted and tried putting them on again and still the browser service won't start with the above error. I've got the browser service running under the local system account at the moment so it shouldn't be a permissions issue.

    If anyone knows how to get this up and running i'd be grateful for any insight.

    Thanks,

    Simon



    MCSE: Data Platform
    MCSE: Business Intelligence
    Follow me on Twitter: @WazzTheBadger
    LinkedIn Profile: Simon Osborne

  • You could:

    1) Start the browser from the command line and capture the output. Maybe there's something useful in there.

    2) Trace the process with Sysinternals' Process Monitor and see if there's an inaccessible registry key

    Hope this helps

    Gianluca

    -- Gianluca Sartori

  • Thanks, i'll try your 2nd suggestion in a moment. In the meantime i thought you might find the attached amusing based on the first suggestion.



    MCSE: Data Platform
    MCSE: Business Intelligence
    Follow me on Twitter: @WazzTheBadger
    LinkedIn Profile: Simon Osborne

  • s_osborne2 (2/14/2012)


    Thanks, i'll try your 2nd suggestion in a moment. In the meantime i thought you might find the attached amusing based on the first suggestion.

    I mean that you could start the browser executable from the command line. It has a -c command line switch that redirects output to the command window:

    "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlbrowser.exe" -c

    -- Gianluca Sartori

  • Hi,

    Oh right, thanks. I've run that and all it said was:

    SQLBrowser: starting in console mode

    Then nothing. I even tried piping out to a text file but that didn't reveal any more information. I'll try suggestion 2 in a short while. That may give me something to go no.



    MCSE: Data Platform
    MCSE: Business Intelligence
    Follow me on Twitter: @WazzTheBadger
    LinkedIn Profile: Simon Osborne

  • Hi,

    I've fixed it thanks to that sysinternals tool thanks. There was a missing 64bit registry key.

    I uninstalled the browser service through control panel and then repaired the default instance on the machine. This time(4th tme of asking) it seems to have installed correctly, and i've got the service started.

    Thanks for your help.

    Simon



    MCSE: Data Platform
    MCSE: Business Intelligence
    Follow me on Twitter: @WazzTheBadger
    LinkedIn Profile: Simon Osborne

  • You're welcome.

    Glad I could help.

    -- Gianluca Sartori

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