You receive a "Search server has failed to service the queries for consecutive 30 secs due to mismatched CatID" error message when catalog IDs are mismatched in SharePoint Portal Server 2003

Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

When your SharePoint Portal Server 2003-based computer does not propagate successfully, catalog IDs may mismatch. If catalog IDs are mismatched, search servers may be taken offline and the search capacity may be reduced. You may receive an error similar to the following:

This problem was first fixed in a hotfix that is now contained in a service pack. If you installed the latest SharePoint Portal Server 2003 service pack, you do not have to install the hotfix.

Service pack information

This problem is corrected in Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Service Pack 2.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for SharePoint Portal Server 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: After you install the service pack, follow the steps that are listed in the "More Information" section to set the Propagation Rollback Flag registry key and to enable the hotfix.

Hotfix information

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the SharePoint Portal Server 2003 post-Service Pack 1 Hotfix Package that is dated September 17, 2004. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: After you install this hotfix, follow the steps that are listed in the "More Information" section of this article to set the Propagation Rollback Flag registry key and to activate the hotfix.

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
To enable this hotfix, follow these steps:

1. Quit all open programs.
2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click to select the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\spssearch\searchservice\PropPessimisticFlag
4. After you select the key that is specified in step 3, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
5. Type Propagation Rollback Flag, and then press ENTER.
6. Right-click Propagation Rollback Flag, and then click Modify.
7. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
8. On the File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Service Pack 2.