You receive an "Error accessing database" error message and other error messages when you try to create a SharePoint Portal Server 2003 or a Windows SharePoint Services configuration database

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SYMPTOMS

When you install Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 or Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services with Microsoft SQL Server, and you try to create the configuration database, you receive the following error message:

Error accessing database. Verify that the database server name and the instance name (if present) are correct. Also, ensure the configuration database administration account has sufficient permissions on the server or instance and the service corresponding to your SQL Server instance is running.

When this issue occurs, the database is created but does not function. If you continue after you receive this error message, and you try to create a Portal, you receive the following error message:

Portal creation failed. Please see the portal creation log for more details.

The following error may also be recorded in the Portal log file:

10:29:54 Portal creation job exception. (status=PortalAdminJobStatusFailed) Microsoft.SharePoint.SPException: Must declare the variable '@SiteId'. (Error code: 137). ---> System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x81071717): Must declare the variable '@SiteId'. (Error code: 137).

If you are installing Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services, and you try to extend a virtual server, you receive the following error message:

Must declare the variable '@SiteId'. (Error code: 137).

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CAUSE

This issue may occur if the SQL Server is configured to use case sensitive collation. SharePoint Portal Server 2003 requires that the collation name for the database be Latin1_General_CI_AS_KS_WS. This name most closely matches the Microsoft Windows NTFS file system collation.

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use case-insensitive collation in SQL Server. The collation for SQL Server 2000 is configured when SQL Server is installed. To resolve this issue, remove, and then reinstall SQL Server with case-insensitive collation.

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MORE INFORMATION

For information about how to install SQL Server with case-insensitive collation, follow the instructions in your SQL Server documentation.

For additional information about a related issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

306492 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306492/ ) STS: Error message: Unable to prepare tables in database...

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