SQL Troubleshooting

Although NVR Installation process is simple and problem-free in most cases, there may be some cases where a customer gets SQL-related error messages during installation of NVR. This document contains the needed information for SQL troubleshooting.

There may exist several kinds of SQL errors occurring during NVR installation process.
This document will provide a simple, safe, and all-purpose solution that works for all error types.

NVR requires Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Service Pack 3 be properly installed in the computer.
There may be possible reasons causing errors:
Wrong Windows version
Windows version not updated to latest SP
Wrong SQL version
SQL 2005 not updated to SP3
SQL wrong settings or permissions
SQL is missing from the computer or has been removed
With a single procedure below, it is possible to solve the SQL problems regardless of the cause of error.

The solution is divided into six parts and each part is explained below.

Make sure that the Windows is one of the following 32-bit operating systems:
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2008
Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, Ultimate SP1
Windows XP Professional SP3
To check your windows version, Right-click on Computer, and choose Properties. In this example, windows version check was successful Windows Vista Business is a correct version, and it a 32-bit system as required. Finally, I can check the Service Pack number, it is correct too. It is also highly recommended to make sure that this computer has the latest windows updates installed.

Now that the Windows version has been checked, it is time to proceed with removing the problematic SQL from the system. Open Task Manager, and stop all the running SQL Processes. If you cannot find any running SQL processes there then skip this step.

Now, it is possible to remove existing SQL.
Open Control Panel, Programs and Features, and remove Microsoft SQL components there.
If you cannot find any SQL components there then skip this step.

After successfully removing SQL from the system, you can download the SQL server 2005 Express Edition Service Pack 3 from Microsoft website. It order to find it very fast, I recommend to google for download SQL 2005 express sp3, and then first search result you get is the correct place. You have entered the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Service Pack 3 web page. Scroll down to find the link for downloading SQL.

Choose the SQLEXPR32.EXE for downloading. You can save it to the desktop of your computer. It will look like this.

You are ready to install the SQL now. Make sure you have administrative rights on the computer to install SQL Server Express. Run the exe file you just downloaded. Accept the licensing terms and press next.

Press install.

Then press next.

You will see the SQL Server Installation Wizard. Press next.

After successful system configuration check, press Next.
You can fill your name and company and press next.

On the feature selection page, keep it as it is and press next. On the authentication mode selection page, just keep the windows authentication mode for simplicity and press next.

Here press next again, and here next again.

The system is now ready to begin with installation. Press Install. It might take several minutes until all the components are installed. Press next when done.

And close the wizard using Finish button.

Before starting with NVR server installation, it is recommended to check if SQL services are running properly. Press Start button, Programs, and open SQL Server Configuration Manager.

Open SQL Server 2005 Services. Make sure both SQL Server and SQL Server Browser are set as Automatic start mode and in Running state. If there is a stopped service, right click on it, and choose Properties. In this example, you can notice that SQL server browser is not automatic, and it is stopped, too. So, right click on SQL server browser and choose properties.

On Properties page, choose Service, then in Start Mode choose Automatic.
Press apply.

You can see that the service is now set as automatic , but it is still not running. Right click on it again, and press Start. After that, the state should show running. Now, all the SQL processes are running properly and it is time to proceed with NVR server installation.

Please refer to the document NVR Server Installation that guides you through the installation process of NVR Server.
If during NVR Server installation process you pass the following step, as shown on the image, without errors, then you had successfully completed SQL troubleshooting and your NVR server installation will be successful, too.
Note: you might be asked to choose Windows authentication at that point instead of sa account.
It is good to know that NVR 3 will contain its own database system and does not use SQL then there will be no need for SQL troubleshooting any more.