How to troubleshoot common errors that occur when you run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard on a computer that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or SharePoint Server 2007

This article describes how to troubleshoot some common errors that occur when you run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard after you upgrade a computer that is running Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Important This article contains information that shows you how to help lower security settings or how to turn off security features on a computer. You can make these changes to work around a specific problem. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this workaround in your particular environment. If you implement this workaround, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect your system.

After you install one of the following updates or service packs on a computer that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or SharePoint Server 2007, you may have to rerun the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard (Psconfig.exe):

• Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 software update
• Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 service pack
• SharePoint Server 2007 software update
• SharePoint Server 2007 service pack

If the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard detects a problem, the wizard does not finish. Also, users who try to visit the SharePoint Web site may receive "404" errors. These errors occur until the wizard has finished successfully.

To troubleshoot this problem, obtain the following SharePoint log files:

• PSCDiagnostics_Datecode.log
  By default, this file is located in the "Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web server extensions\12\LOGS" folder.
• Upgrade.log
  By default, this file is located in the "Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web server extensions\12\LOGS" folder.

How to identify and resolve the problem

This section lists various problems that may be detected by the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard. Symptoms are listed for each problem to help you identify it.

The Web.config file is read-only

Symptoms

If the Web.config file is read-only, the Upgrade.log file will contain an error message that resembles the following:

Cause

This problem occurs when the Web.config file has been configured as read-only. This problem may also occur when a custom management program or a virus scan program locks the Web.config file.

Resolution

Make sure that everyone has write access to this file before you run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard. Also make sure that the read-only check box is not enabled in the Web.config file properties dialog box and that no other process locks the Web.config file.

ASP.NET is registered incorrectly in the Internet Information Services (IIS) metabase

Symptoms

If ASP.NET is registered incorrectly in the IIS metabase, the Upgrade.log file will contain an error message that resembles the following:
In this case, the number between "InstallAspNet" and "failed" in this message is the ID of the affected IIS Web site.

Cause

This problem occurs because ASP.NET is registered incorrectly in the IIS metabase.

Resolution

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. At the command prompt, move to the following folder:
   %windir%\Microsoft.net\framework\v2.0.50727
3. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   aspnet_regiis.exe –s W3SVC/number/ROOT
   Note number is the ID of the affected IIS Web site.

A second cause can be a timing issue in the Windows SharePoint Administration service. To address this cause, set the following registry subkey: DWORD value: SleepOnStart set to 20000 decimal

The Web Service Instance has not provisioned successfully

Symptoms

The following error message is logged in the Application log on the computer that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or SharePoint Server 2007:
Also, the Upgrade.log file contains the following error message:

Cause

This problem occurs when the initial provisioning of the Web service instance has not completed successfully. This behavior causes the upgrade process to skip the Web service instance.

Resolution

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. Locate the "Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web server extensions\12\BIN" folder.
3. At the command prompt, type the following commands, and then press ENTER after each command:
   stsadm -o provisionservice -action stop -servicetype spwebservice -servicename ""
   stsadm -o provisionservice -action start -servicetype spwebservice -servicename ""
4. After the SPWebService service is started, type the following command at the command prompt, and then press ENTER:
   psconfig -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -wait -force

The Web.config file is missing

Symptoms

The Upgrade.log file contains an error that resembles the following:

Cause

This behavior occurs when the Web.config file has been deleted or moved.

Resolution

To resolve this problem, make sure that the Web.config file is located in the Wwwroot\Wss\VirtualDirectories\xxxx folder before you run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard.

Note xxxx represents the virtual server physical location for the SharePoint Web application. In IIS, the virtual server physical location is listed next to Local path on the Home Directory tab in the virtual server properties dialog box.

The SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard does not finish successfully

Symptoms

You run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard (PSConfigui.exe) to upgrade the databases. When you do this, the wizard does not finish successfully. Also, the following error message is logged:  
This message is logged in the following log file:

Cause

This issue occurs because a lock exists on the SPFarm object. Therefore, the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard cannot update the databases.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, clear the Windows SharePoint Services configuration cache.

For more information about how to do this, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

You cannot browse a Central Administration or SharePoint website, and you receive a "Server Error" error message

Symptoms

When you try to browse a Central Administration website or a SharePoint website, you may receive the following error message:
Or, the following message is logged in the Application log:

Cause

This problem may occur when an upgrade fails to install either manually or through Windows Update. The installation failure puts the farm into an inconsistent state that must be resolved by a successful upgrade operation.

Resolution

To resolve this problem, follow these steps to run the upgrade:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. Locate the following folder:
   "%COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Shared\Web server extensions\12\BIN"
3. Open a Command Prompt window.
4. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   psconfig -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -wait -force

After upgrade finishes, make sure that the upgrade was successful.

You cannot browse a Central Administration or SharePoint website, and you receive a "HTTP 404 Not Found" error message

Symptoms

When you try to browse a Central Administration website or a SharePoint website, you may receive the following error message:Or, the following message is logged in the Application log:

Event Type: Error Event
Source: Windows SharePoint Services 3
Event Category: Topology
Event ID: 6800
Description: The database WSS_Content on ComputerName \Microsoft##SSEE is not accessible to missing Windows Internal Database signatures.

Cause

This problem may occur when you install a patch manually or through Windows Update. If another service has connected to the Windows Internal Database prior to the upgrade, SharePoint cannot make a connection, and the upgrade fails. This puts the farm into an inconsistent state that must be resolved by a successful upgrade operation.

Resolution

To resolve this problem, follow these steps to restart the SharePoint services and to complete upgrade:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. Locate the following folder:
   %COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Shared\Web server extensions\12\BIN
3. At a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   psconfig -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -wait –force
4. If the upgrade does not complete succussfully, type the following commands at the command prompt, and press ENTER after each command:
   net stop MSSQL$MICROSOFT##SSEE
   net start MSSQL$MICROSOFT##SSEE
   psconfig -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -wait -force

You cannot browse a Central Administration or SharePoint website, and you receive a "Cannot connect to the configuration database" error message

Symptoms

When you try to browse a Central Administration or SharePoint website, the following error message is logged in the Upgrade.log file on the computer that ran the upgrade for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or SharePoint Server 2007 by using the Windows Internal Database:

Also, the following error message is logged in the psconfig.log file:
Also, the following error message may be logged in the Application log:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Windows SharePoint Services 3
Event ID: 3760 Event Category: Database
Description: SQL Database 'SharePoint_Config_' on SQL Server instance 'ComputeName\Microsoft##SSEE' not found. Additional error information from SQL Server is included below. Cannot open database "SharePoint_Config_" requested by the login. The login failed.

Also, the following error message may be logged in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express:

Cause

This problem may occur when you install an update manually or through Windows Update. If another service has connected to the Windows Internal Database prior to the upgrade, SharePoint cannot make a connection, and the upgrade fails. This puts the farm into an inconsistent state that must be resolved by a successful upgrade operation.

Resolution

To resolve this problem, follow these steps to restart the SharePoint services and to complete upgrade:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. Locate the following folder:
   %COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Shared\Web server extensions\12\BIN
3. At a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   psconfig -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -wait –force
4. If the upgrade does not complete succussfully, type the following commands at the command prompt, and press ENTER after each command:
   net stop MSSQL$MICROSOFT##SSEE
   net start MSSQL$MICROSOFT##SSEE
   psconfig -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -wait -force

You are prompted for authentication on a SharePoint website

Symptoms

When you try to browse a SharePoint website, you are prompted for authentication.

Cause

Windows Server 2003 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 include a loopback check security feature that is designed to help prevent reflection attacks on your computer. Therefore, authentication fails if the FQDN or the custom host header that you use does not match the local computer name.

Resolution

1. Workaround
   
   
   There are two methods to work around this issue, use one of the following methods, as appropriate for your situation.
   
   
   
   Method 1: Specify host names (Preferred method if NTLM authentication is desired)
   
   To specify the host names that are mapped to the loopback address and can connect to Web sites on your computer, follow these steps:
   
   1.     Set the DisableStrictNameChecking registry entry to 1. For more information about how to do this, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   
   281308 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281308/)   (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281308/ (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281308/) ) Connecting to SMB share on a Windows 2000-based computer or a Windows Server 2003-based computer may not work with an alias name
   
   2.     Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
   
   3.     In Registry Editor, locate and then click the following registry key:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\MSV1_0
   
   4.     Right-click MSV1_0, point to New, and then click Multi-String Value.
   
   5.     Type BackConnectionHostNames, and then press ENTER.
   
   6.     Right-click BackConnectionHostNames, and then click Modify.
   
   7.       In the Value data box, type the host name or the host names for the sites that are on the local computer, each in a separate line, and then click OK.
   
   8.       Quit Registry Editor, and then restart the IISAdmin service. ()
   
    
   
   
   
   Method 2: Disable the loopback check (less-recommended method)
   
   The second method is to disable the loopback check by setting the DisableLoopbackCheck registry key.
   
   To set the DisableLoopbackCheck registry key, follow these steps:
   
   1.     Set the DisableStrictNameChecking registry entry to 1. For more information about how to do this, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   
   281308 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281308/)   (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281308/ (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281308/) ) Connecting to SMB share on a Windows 2000-based computer or a Windows Server 2003-based computer may not work with an alias name
   
   2.     Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
   
   3.     In Registry Editor, locate and then click the following registry key:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
   
   4.     Right-click Lsa, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
   
   5.     Type DisableLoopbackCheck, and then press ENTER.
   
   6.     Right-click DisableLoopbackCheck, and then click Modify.
   
   7.     In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.

How to force the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 upgrade by using the Psconfig.exe tool at a command prompt

Perform the upgrade by running the Psconfig.exe tool at a command prompt. For example, type the following command: