Hi

Please forgive a complete newcomer to DNN for being a bit dim, but I've been tearing out what little hair I have trying to get DNN to work. I've read through as many "getting started" articles on here as I can find, and tried all the tutorials as well, and still I'm not getting anywhere. I'd be really grateful for any help anyone can offer. I'll try to provide as much information as I can to avoid wasting people's time.

I'm running WinXP Pro on a machine which is not connected to a network (other than the Internet, obviously). I've got SQL Server 2000 installed, and both VS.NET 2002 and 2003 (so the .NET Framework has presumably been upgraded to 1.1). With that setup I have managed to get everything running successfully with an oldish version of the IBuySpy Portal, but I am keen to give DNN a try as it seems to have a some useful enhancements.

The first problem I had was that I followed the instructions for installing DNN in the Readme.txt file, but when I got to the bit about "browse to localhost/<<<my website>>>" (this not the real website name, obviously), I get the following error:

Server Error in '/<<<my website>>>' Application.
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Server cannot access application directory 'C:\<<<my path>>>'. The directory does not exist or is not accessible because of security settings.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

I looked around, and tried to set the security settings for the path I was using, but the dialog that came up when I used the "Sharing and Settings..." option in Explorer was missing the "Security" tab (i.e. the tab shown in the 403-3.htm file that comes with DNN). I hadn't done anything stupid, like logged in as a user without admin rights so I was baffled by that, and even more baffled when that particular problem went away when I moved everything around so the folder containing the DNN files was in the root of my C: drive.

However, that didn't solve things entirely as I just got a different error:

Server Error in '<<<my website>>>' Application.
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Login failed for user 'sa'. Reason: Not associated with a trusted SQL Server connection.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: Login failed for user 'sa'. Reason: Not associated with a trusted SQL Server connection.

I checked the forums again and found references to setting SQL Server to "mixed mode". Now I wasn't entirely sure what this meant, but I checked the SQL Server settings and made sure they said authentication was by SQL Server and Windows rather than just Windows. I also followed the link to the Microsoft site in another post about a similar problem, and checked the registry settings that that referred to. No joy.

Not one to give up easily, I went for the alternative option of changing the web.config file to use a Trusted Connection rather than a UID and PWD (although ultimately I want this to run in a multi-server environment). This changed the error message again to:

Server Error in '/<<<my website>>>' Application.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cannot open database requested in login '<<<my website>>>'. Login fails. Login failed for user '<<<username>>>'.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: Cannot open database requested in login 'CMAL'. Login fails. Login failed for user '<<<a username>>>'.

Looking at the IBuySpy Portal database, I noticed <<<username>>> had db_owner rights to that database, so I gave it the same rights to the new one. That solved that error, and gave me yet another new one:

Server Error in '/<<<my website>>>' Application.
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Could not find stored procedure 'GetPortalByAlias'.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: Could not find stored procedure 'GetPortalByAlias'.

So now I am stumped and have absolutely no idea what to do next. I really want to rewind a bit and get folder security issue sorted first, then I want to enable the system to connect using a defined UID and PWD rather than the Trusted Connection, and then finally I'd like to see DNN running!

Apologies again for the length (and possibly stupidity) of my post, and thanks in advance to anyone prepared to help.

Cheers

CBJ

I don?t believe you can install SQL2000 server on XP Pro. However, you can install MSDE which is free on XP. MSDE comes withVS2002. and VS2003 has the new version of MSDE which has the slammer virus dealt with by including service pack 3 in it. I think the instruction to install it is in the documentation.

Once you have installed it use the enterprise manager you installed with your SQL2000 CD to create a database called dotnetnuke. it will have no data. The process of installing SQL on XP has changed and you probably would not find much direct information on this in this forum. Have a look at SQL Server and MSDE forum and there are good pointers in how to install it properly.

Then ensure the web.config has the correct details for your database. You also need to create a virtual directory in your IIS called dotnetnuke. so when you inspect the folder in information service manager you should see all the file and right hand click desktopdefault.aspx and if you don?t have any issues you should see the page in the browser.

Let us know that you do have the MSDE installed and you can see the databases using Enterprise manager. Also let us know that you can successfully create a new database called dotnetnuke. If all done then you should be on your way to run your first DNN.

Salaro

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KnapHill, Surrey UK

Skinning & Building DotNetNuke Applications
www.salaro.com

You can install SQL Server on WinXP. It has to be the Personal Edition. "This edition is functionally equivalent to the Standard Edition, with the following exceptions:
? It includes a concurrent workload governor that limits its scalability; performance degrades when more than five Transact-SQL batches are executed concurrently.
? It can use a maximum of two processors in an SMP computer (only one processor if running Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition).
? It cannot act as a transactional replication publisher (subscriber only).


Back to the problem. Make certain that the connection string reads:

<add key="connectionString" value="Server=yourserver,port(optional);Database=YourDB;uid=sa;pwd=Yourpassword;" />

Browse the site again. If you get "Could not find stored procedure 'GetPortalByAlias'.", then rename your web.config to web.old. Browse the site again. It will error. Then rename the web.old back to web.config. Browse the site again. This should work for you...

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~Chris

Net Data Design
706Horsman.us

Sorry to disagree, but I have SQL Server 2000 happily installed and running on XP Pro. Not only that but as I said in my original post, I have the IBuySpy Portal application running on it too, so I am quite certain that it is installed correctly. I can see the database I have created in Enterprise Manager, and have adjusted it, deleted it and recreated it several times to try out different combinations of settings.

I'm afraid I have also taken all of the steps that you mention in your post, including adjusting the web.config file, and creating the virtual directory in IIS; I can see the files in the IIS service manager tool too. I have followed all of the instruction steps in the readme.txt file as closely as possible (and all the variations I've been able to find on this site), and the only step that doesn't work is the last when where the database scripts are supposed to run when I browse to the page.

Thanks anyway for your suggestions.

Sorry, the version of SQL 2000 server that I have, said on many occasions that it can not install on XPpro. It is old however, may be 3 years old, later versions from Microsoft must have changed.

I can not think of any other solution to your problem, but just to ensure that this issue is reproducible in your setup, could you please delete your version, download the DNN zip again and go through the process again.

Regards

Salar

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KnapHill, Surrey UK

Skinning & Building DotNetNuke Applications
www.salaro.com

execute all of the .sql files in the dotnetnuke database folder in SQL Server's Query Analyzer (in order) while it is connected to your DotNetNuke Database

Jeremy

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Jeremy White
Webstone, LLC
My DNN Blog

Hi again

OK, after much mucking about I have managed to get DotNetNuke to start, albeit still using a Trusted Connection instead of a database user account (for installation at least) and with the folder to which the virtual directory is mapped being in the root directory of the C: drive.

The problem turned out to be my not knowing which of the components I could and could not give names other than "DotNetNuke" during the installation process.

1. Physical Folder

The name of this doesn't appear to matter ("C:\Fred" is as good as "C:\DotNetNuke"), but I still can't work out a) why I don't have a "Security" tab on my Folder Properties form and b) why it works in some places (root of C: drive) but not in others (C:\....\My Documents).

2. Database

The name of this seems to be irrelevant as long you change the "Database=" part of the connection string in the Web.Config file to match. To install the database, it seems to require a Trusted Connection, but having completed the installation it appears to work ok with a database user account instead (I am not 100% whether this really is working).

3. Virtual Folder

This one MUST be DotNetNuke when you perform the installation, as I discovered to my cost. You can change it afterwards by changing the Portal Alias, ignoring the subsequent DotNetNuke error, and then changing the virtual folder name in IIS (in fact I simply deleted the old one and created a new one with the name I wanted).

If anyone can help me with the outstanding folder questions, or advise me on how to perform the installation without using a Trusted Connection, I'd be most grateful.

Cheers

CBJ

1. Check this link out for information on finding the hidden tab http://whoozoo.co.uk/winxpFilePerms.htm

2.You can install the database with either trusted or mixed security, what's important is that the user can create and drop objects within the database. These permissions are not granted to standard users. The convential way is to create a database e.g. cbjDB, create a user e.g. CBJ, and then make sure the user has these permissions by clicking on the database access tab of the sql server login properties, and then clicking on the database you've just created (cbjDB). Notice in the database roles box at the bottom, the user only has public rights. As the public user cannot create/drop objects, we need to add these capabilities by enabling db_owner or db_ddladmin. The reason it's worked for you before with trusted connection is likely to be that you're a local administrator, and local administrators have this db_owner rights by default.

3.You should be ok to use different folders if you edit the DotNetNuke.sln and DotNetNuke.vbproj.webinfo files to reflect where the site is to be. They are defaulted to localhost/dotnetnuke, but this can be changed.

Cathal

I f you want to use a name other than DotNetNuke in your address you can do it by creating a new virtual directory called for example "MyNewDNNSite" then alter the dotnetnuke.sln file. In the top of the file you will see

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 8.00
Project("{F184B08F-C81C-45F6-A57F-5ABD9991F28F}") = "DotNetNuke", "http://localhost/DotNetNuke/DotNetNuke.vbproj", "{79D3BA0F-F76F-4A84-AE7F-C6A01EC247F9}"
ProjectSection(ProjectDependencies) = postProject


Change this bit http://localhost/DotNetNuke/DotNetNuke.vbproj to

http://localhost/MyNewDNNSite/DotNetNuke.vbproj.

The open up the solution in VS and when you run it this is the path you will see.

Hope this helps.

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Philip Beadle (MVP, MCAD, DotNetNuke Core Team)

Thanks Cathal. Those answers help a lot.

1. I must look like a complete WinXP novice! The fact is that I never use file sharing so it had never occurred to me to switch this option on.

2. That makes a lot of sense. The only remaining question is whether it is normal for those limitations to apply to the "sa" account as well, which was the one I was using. If so then all is now clear.

3. Excellent, thanks for that, and thanks to the other poster for the additional details.

Now, on to exploring what DNN can do...

Cheers

CBJ

CBJ,
I didn't know either, until Shaun posted the question on his weblog on the dotnetnuke.com site.

the sa account is a special account that automatically maps to dbo for every database, so it should have worked. Be careful using it though, as it's a very powerful account. If your code allows a sql injection attack, then your entire server can be compromised. If you use a non-sa account that has dbo privileges, then you're going to limit the hackers activities to your database.

Cathal