INF: Rebuilding SQL Server Entries After Reinstalling Win NT

  - Microsoft SQL Server, versions 4.2x and 6.0

SUMMARY

After you reinstall Windows NT, the registry no longer has entries for SQL Server, and if you are using integrated security, the logins need to be restored. The SQL Server Setup program has an option that will rebuild the registry entries. This is detailed below, and is documented on page 144 of the SQL Server version 4.2x "Configuration Guide."

NOTE: This is not documented in the version 6.0 product manuals.

MORE INFORMATION

To rebuild the SQL Server Registry entries, open a command prompt. The Setup program needs various DLLs to run, and the DLL directory most likely does not exist on the current path. The following commands will add the DLL directory to the path and run the Setup program to rebuild the Registry.

The options to the Setup program are case sensitive and must be typed exactly as shown, including capitalization. Also, a space must be on both sides of the equal sign (=). This example assumes that SQL Server was installed on drive C: using SQL Server version 4.2x:

   set path=C:\SQL\DLL;%PATH%
   cd \sql\binn
   setup /t RegistryRebuild = On

You now must answer the questions exactly as you did during installation. The setup program will reinsert all of the entries into the registry, but will not install or change any files.

If SQL Server was set up to use integrated security, you will need to re- add all of the users and groups by using the SQL Security Manager. You should re-add all of the groups and users that you had previously added. The SQL Security Manager will recognize that the users already exist in SQL Server, and will not modify SQL Server but will go ahead and add the necessary security entries in Windows NT.

Note that if you reinstalled Windows NT because you were changing the domain for an Advanced Server, you will need to delete and re-add the users in SQL Server because the default domain name has changed and will cause the user name mapping to fail.