SQL Server 2008 setup error: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation

Question

I'm trying to install SQL Server 2008 on a virtual machine with Windows 2008 R2.

Setup fails with the error "Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation".

Looking at the installation log, I see these details:

2009-09-29 08:24:49 SQLBrowser: sRegLocation = 'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server', regView = 'Wow6432', sSddl = '(A;CI;KR;;;[SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$ITISFIM])', bOptional = 'False'.
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Attempting to create base registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, machine 
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open registry subkey 
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open registry subkey SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Attempting to replace account with sid in security descriptor (A;CI;KR;;;[SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$ITISFIM])
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be processed:  (A;CI;KR;;;[SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$ITISFIM])
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Account name to be translated into SID: SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$ITISFIM
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Attempting to get account sid for user account SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$ITISFIM
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Attempting to get sid for user account SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$ITISFIM
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: GetSidForAccount normalized accountName SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$ITISFIM parameter to SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$ITISFIM
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Account name is translated into: S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Final security descriptor:  (A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Attempting to set security descriptor (A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Attempting to normalize security descriptor (A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Adding 'D:' DACL identifier to the input security descriptor (A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Attempting to replace account with sid in security descriptor D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be processed:  D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be returned:  D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Attempting to normalize security descriptor D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Sco: Attempting to replace account with sid in security descriptor D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be processed:  D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be returned:  D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-3278988706-2344661944-1675463508-1000)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action due to the following failure:
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: ----------------------------------------
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: 
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:     Message: 
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:         Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation.
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:     Data: 
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:       WatsonData = Microsoft SQL Server
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:       DisableRetry = true
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:     Inner exception type: System.UnauthorizedAccessException
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:         Message: 
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:                 Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation.
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:         Stack: 
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:                 at System.Security.AccessControl.Win32.GetSecurityInfo(ResourceType resourceType, String name, SafeHandle handle, AccessControlSections accessControlSections, RawSecurityDescriptor& resultSd)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:                 at System.Security.AccessControl.NativeObjectSecurity.CreateInternal(ResourceType resourceType, Boolean isContainer, String name, SafeHandle handle, AccessControlSections includeSections, Boolean createByName, ExceptionFromErrorCode exceptionFromErrorCode, Object exceptionContext)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:                 at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.SqlRegistrySecurity..ctor(ResourceType resourceType, SafeRegistryHandle handle, AccessControlSections includeSections)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:                 at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.SqlRegistrySecurity.Create(InternalRegistryKey key)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp:                 at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.InternalRegistryKey.SetSecurityDescriptor(String sddl, Boolean overwrite)
2009-09-29 08:24:49 Slp: ----------------------------------------

Any suggestions on how to fix this error?
Thanks, Paolo

Answer 1

Try this KB article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2001727

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Vidhya Sagar. Mark as Answer if it helps!

Answer 2

Hi Vidhya, thank you for your reply, but I don't think it's something related to a regional settings mismatch.

Answer 3

Have the same exact error trying to install on Win7. Been installing and reinstalling for a couple days now.
It is not a problem with regional settings.

Any other ideas?

Tim

Answer 4

Hi,

Did you run the setup.exe as administrator? Which step did it fails at?

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Answer 5

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, we ran setup.exe as administrator. We've also tried installing while logged in using the local adminstrator account. The same errors happens either way.


The error is Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation." at step SqlBrowserConfigAction_install_ConfigNonRC_Cpu32.


Tim

Answer 6

anything on this?

Answer 7

I am getting the same error too anything on this

Answer 8

Hi,

There seems to be a problem to your windows user account sid mapping, I am suggesting you create a new windows administrator user account, and then try to install SQL Server 2008.

For more information on sid on Windows operating systems see here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/243330

If the problem continues existing, please feel free to let me know.

Have a nice day,

---

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark them if they provide no help.
Welcome to the All-In-One Code Framework! If you have any feedback, please tell us.

Answer 9

The SID problem seems the most likely explanation.
In the meanwhile I have reverted the VM to a previous state, reinstalled and all went fine.

Thanks,
Paolo

Answer 10

Tim,

I feel your pain... Spent about a day and a half trying to install SQL 2008 on a new Win 7 64 box. 

Tried: Run As Admin; UAC off; Run under Vista; Enabled the Administrator account... all to no avail.

In despiration I moved the install files to the box's C: drive (they'd been on another hard drive... E:\).  That did it.  Couldn't believe it, didn't look real!  We're hypothesizing that the OS is applying certain access rights based on the physical location of the source and my E: didn't cut it.

Hope it works for you.

Regards,
Thom

Answer 11

You rock Thom!

I went through the exact same steps and only copying it locally from the dvd worked!  MS needs to fix the permissions problems in Win 7, or at least explain them so we understand them.

If you had errors during the SQL 2008 install process, you may have bad instances that will need to be removed before SP1 can be applied.  To do this, go to add/remove programs and select SLQ 2008 to uninstall.  Select remove from the first screen and then select the bad instances and remove them.  After I did this, sp 1 install correctly.

Bill

Answer 12

Well, guys.
I'm absolutely exhausted by installing SQL 2008 Developer on my W7 x 64 Ultimate. I spent about 4 days together to install it, but unable to overcome this error.
Even if:
-I created new admin user
-I copied files to c:\temp\sql2008
-I add full permissions to Everyone to registry 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server'.

Still getting "Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation".

2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: Returning DirSharedForCurrentVersion = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Shared\'.
2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: Adding to dictionary pair ['DirSharedForCurrentVersion', 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Shared\'].
2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: LocationFragment Node for registry/directory path substitution: ''.
2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: Adding to dictionary pair ['Shared90', '90\Shared\'].
2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: LocationFragment Node for registry/directory path substitution: ''.
2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: Adding to dictionary pair ['Shared', '100\Shared\'].
2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: LocationFragment Node for registry/directory path substitution: ''.
2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: Adding to dictionary pair ['ErrorDumps', 'ErrorDumps\'].
2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: StartMethod Type='SqlBrowserPrivateConfig' Method='ApplyRegCommonPermissions'.
2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: StartMethod Type='SqlBrowserPrivateConfig' Method='ApplyRegPermissions'.
2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: Registry Permission Node: ''.
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to replace property in string
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to replace property in string
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to replace property in string
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to replace property in string
2009-11-06 11:50:30 SQLBrowser: sRegLocation = 'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server', regView = 'Wow6432', sSddl = '(A;CI;KR;;;[SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$OTTML012648])', bOptional = 'False'.
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to create base registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, machine 
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open registry subkey 
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open registry subkey SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to replace account with sid in security descriptor (A;CI;KR;;;[SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$OTTML012648])
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be processed:  (A;CI;KR;;;[SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$OTTML012648])
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Account name to be translated into SID: SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$OTTML012648
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to get account sid for user account SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$OTTML012648
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to get sid for user account SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$OTTML012648
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: GetSidForAccount normalized accountName SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$OTTML012648 parameter to SQLServer2005SQLBrowserUser$OTTML012648
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Account name is translated into: S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Final security descriptor:  (A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to set security descriptor (A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to normalize security descriptor (A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Adding 'D:' DACL identifier to the input security descriptor (A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to replace account with sid in security descriptor D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be processed:  D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be returned:  D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to normalize security descriptor D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Sco: Attempting to replace account with sid in security descriptor D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be processed:  D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: ReplaceAccountWithSidInSddl -- SDDL to be returned:  D:(A;CI;KR;;;S-1-5-21-523843958-2108880671-1716404383-1045)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action due to the following failure:
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: ----------------------------------------
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: 
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:     Message: 
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:         Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation.
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:     Data: 
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:       WatsonData = Microsoft SQL Server
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:       DisableRetry = true
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:     Inner exception type: System.UnauthorizedAccessException
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:         Message: 
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:                 Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation.
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:         Stack: 
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:                 at System.Security.AccessControl.Win32.GetSecurityInfo(ResourceType resourceType, String name, SafeHandle handle, AccessControlSections accessControlSections, RawSecurityDescriptor& resultSd)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:                 at System.Security.AccessControl.NativeObjectSecurity.CreateInternal(ResourceType resourceType, Boolean isContainer, String name, SafeHandle handle, AccessControlSections includeSections, Boolean createByName, ExceptionFromErrorCode exceptionFromErrorCode, Object exceptionContext)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:                 at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.SqlRegistrySecurity..ctor(ResourceType resourceType, SafeRegistryHandle handle, AccessControlSections includeSections)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:                 at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.SqlRegistrySecurity.Create(InternalRegistryKey key)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp:                 at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.InternalRegistryKey.SetSecurityDescriptor(String sddl, Boolean overwrite)
2009-11-06 11:50:30 Slp: ----------------------------------------

Any other ideas what I can do?

Strange thing is that when I installed VS2010 Beta 2, it installed for me SQL2008 Express without any problem :-(