SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
From: "Steve Gould" <stevedotgould(at)apawoodtodorg>
Subject: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:12:05 -0800
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
Some time ago I installed WSS 3 beta on my web server then uninstalled it as it made the server unstable.
I installed WSS 3 on my the server two days ago. It was throwing the warning message below so I ran a repair. That killed SharePoint so this morning I uninstalled and reinstalled it. It runs stable again, but throws the following error every 5 minutes:
---
Event Type: Warning
Event Source: Windows SharePoint Services 3 Search Event Category: Gatherer Event ID: 2436
Date: 1/25/2007
Time: 11:01:25 AM
User: N/A
Computer: SPIDER
Description:
The start address
<sts3://spider/contentdbid={74a1c34f-297a-4eb3-877f-b87a1e489c12}> cannot be crawled.
Context: Application 'Search index file on the search server', Catalog 'Search'
Details:
The object was not found. (0x80041201)
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
---
Of course Microsoft has no reference to this yet. The XML file 74a1c34f-297a-4eb3-877f-b87a1e489c12 does exist in "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\SharePoint\Config\8d080e97-df19-4b6e-9a7f-3a71514836e9" with todays date.
Suggestions anyone?
Steve
**************************************
From: "Bill English, MVP" <bill at mindsharp dot com>
Subject: Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:00:04 -0600
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
SPS3 = the default content source that crawls user profiles in the SSP. I suspect you didn't reinstall an SSP when you install the WSS v3 again.
--
Bill English, MVP
Mindsharp
**************************************
From: "Steve Gould"
Subject: Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:59:29 -0800
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
You lost me Bill.
SPS3 = SharePoint Portal Server???
SSP = ???
I only installed Windows SharePoint Services, not SharePoint Server.
So what am I missing?
Steve
**************************************
From: "Bill English, MVP"
Subject: Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 20:38:18 -0600
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
My bad. I misread "sts" for "sps". I would suggest that you uninstall WSS and IIS, then reinstall and try it again. The problem is that the internal MSSearch.exe engine is not able to crawl the local farm - AFAICT. So, since there is not much in the way of Search admin capabilities in WSS, a reinstall seems to be a plausable course of action.
--
Bill English, MVP
Mindsharp
**************************************
From: "Steve Gould"
Subject: Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:02:16 -0800
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
As this is on our production web server, uninstalling IIS would be a last resort. That makes me cringe at the thought. This server also runs WSUS and a Perl application so I sincerely don't want to mess with it.
I have WSS 3 beta on here as well as a failed install of WSS 3 two days ago. Actually it was doing the same thing as now. I tried a fix that broke it. The fix came from:
http://www.sharepointblogs.com/mcotw/
When I stoped the search service inside SharePoint admin and then tried to restart it I got an error that stated the database schema was incorrect and I had to install the search service elsewhere or delete the tables, etc. I have no clue how to do that. The database is the default Microsoft ##SSEE. Can I create a new one and use that instead? Or is there a way to remove all the tables, schema, etc from this database and reuse it?
**************************************
From: "Bill English, MVP"
Subject: Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2007 21:12:53 -0600
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
I don't have an answer for you, unfortunately. I would suggest calling PSS.
--
Bill English, MVP
Mindsharp
**************************************
From: "callahan" <cacallahantNOSPAMdotcomputertodorg>
Subject: Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 23:28:48 -0500
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
Man, search seems to need a little work in WSS3.
Steve, it is possible that this error is due to a problem that the search service is having accessing the databases?
To really troubleshoot this we need more data. Is this a basic install? If it is an advanced, server farm install, do your search and content access databases have access to the SQL server? Is the search database accessible from your sharepoint server (spider?)? And, is the content database for your web application using the sharepoint server you have the search service running on?
I have numerous search problems, and they have varied between installations. I once had gatherer/VSS/security issues that were all miraculously fixed by just rebooting the sharepoint server. I once had the search service stop for some reason (maybe, somehow, I accidentally stopped it), when I restarted it I had to delete the database and start again to get it to work (this is essentially by design). I also had the same thing happen on a different deployment of sharepoint, but that time I also had to "remind" the web application's content database to use the search server. I also had one bad situation search failure which amounted to the database access account (the server farm account) suddenly stopped working, removed itself from SQL, but still showed up as a farm administrator (but couldn't get an alert because it wasn't a member of the site...). That required a full rebuild of WSS at that point.
Frankly, I think you should search through these newsgroups (sharepoint general,setup_and_ administration, and wssservices) for other posts about this issue.
-callahan
**************************************
From: Ryan <Ryan discussions microsoft com>
Subject: Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 08:42:02 -0800
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
My WSS 3.0 server has been logging this same error for a while:
Event Type: Warning
Event Source: Windows SharePoint Services 3 Search Event Category: Gatherer Event ID: 2436
Date: 26/01/2007
Time: 3:45:22 AM
User: N/A
Computer: TITAN
Description:
The start address
<sts3://titan/contentdbid={3a69d37e-d8b5-449c-adbb-6112207ee3d7}> cannot be crawled.
Context: Application 'Search index file on the search server', Catalog 'Search'
Details:
The item could not be accessed on the remote server because its address has an invalid syntax. (0x80041208)
This is basically a default fresh WSS 3.0 install. WSS 3.0 is instaleld on a single server, using Active Driectory, and is not using SQL server. The search bars in the sites do function. Hope that helps somebody diagnose the issue.
If you need any more details, I'll get you what you need.
**************************************
From: "Steve Gould"
Subject: Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:13:59 -0800
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
I did a basic install. I do have a SQL 2000 server and SQL 2007 64 bit on the shelf (no 64 bit server to install it on). I could use my SQL server, but I don't really want to.
My web server is called Spider. The current server is listed as "SPIDER\Microsoft##SSEE". The database name is "WSS_Content". The database status is "Ready". The SharePoint Services Search Server is listed as "Spider".
I get the gatherer/VSS/security issues when I stop and disable the SharePoint Search service and leave the Timer service running. Stoping the timer service stops the errors. All go away when I re-enable the services, but then I get the gatherer errors.
The SQL desktop engine is used by WSUS as well as SharePoint. I thought about uninstalling it and starting from scratch. I can reinstall WSUS if I need to, but would rather pass on that if possible. Is there any way to remove the ##SSEE database so it can be reinstalled by re-installing WSS? Or can I build a new instance such as ##SSEEFF and then direct WSS to use that instead? I have no experience mucking with SQL other than on our main SQL server and then rarely and with caution as it runs our accounting software.
Steve
**************************************
From: "Steve Gould"
Subject: More info Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 23:08:51 -0800
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
Since thie server previously had WSS3 beta installed then uninstalled I figured this error could be from traces of the old DB. I uninstalled WSS again and also uninstalled Embedded SQL. I then deleted the data directory where Embedded SQL stored everything. I reinstalled WSS and the error is back, but pointing to a different BID this time.
I am positive that even though I tried to uninstall all instances of the previous WSS config something remained. I know this because I had altered the default site theme before. After installing WSS again the same theme is in place, not the default one.
Something somewhere is calling out this content page that doesn't exist. I have found it in the registry, but I don't know what it points at in real terms, sts3://spider/contentdbid...
I cannot uninstall IIS as I have too much running in IIS, so that option is out. I have done everything I can think of short of that except that I know some remnant of WSS isn't being uninstalled and has altered my new site properties.
If nobody has any answers then it's off to PSS on Monday. Since so many people are reporting this issue I'll report my results here after it gets solved.
Steve
**************************************
From: "Bill English, MVP"
Subject: Re: More info Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2007 21:16:46 -0600
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
You could try uninstalling WSS again along with the embedded SQL plus delete the registry keys in the 12.0 hive in the registry. Be sure to delete the web sites in IIS, their web application files and the binaries for both programs.
If you can delete the mssearch or microsoft search registry keys, this might help.
One other thing you can try: Start/Run/ type in "installer".
Find the WSS beta install package along with the RTM WSS install package and uninstall them from this location.
Otherwise, it is a PSS call, I'm afraid.
--
Bill English, MVP
Mindsharp
**************************************
From: "Steve Gould"
Subject: Re: More info Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:22:40 -0800
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
Thanks Bill.
I think I will take one last crack at removing all traces of WSS and reinstall. If that fails then PSS will be hearing from me :)
**************************************
From: Ryan
Subject: Re: More info Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 06:46:02 -0800
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
I followed Bill's tips to uninstall and clean the registry of sharepoint and MSEE references. This seemed to spawn additional errors after the reinstall but I'll wait to see if they are recurring. Last night the 2436 error came up in the logs again:
Event Type: Warning
Event Source: Windows SharePoint Services 3 Search Event Category: Gatherer Event ID: 2436
Date: 30/01/2007
Time: 2:25:04 AM
User: N/A
Computer: TITAN
Description:
The start address
<sts3://titan/contentdbid={42eeaff4-4d74-464d-9886-1faa2744f0f9}> cannot be crawled.
Context: Application 'Search index file on the search server', Catalog 'Search'
Details:
The item could not be accessed on the remote server because its address has an invalid syntax. (0x80041208)
Any luck with your reinstall, Steve?
**************************************
From: "Steve Gould"
Subject: Re: More info Re: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 08:43:35 -0800
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
I ran through the same uninstall steps. The same warning returned for me also. I am on the phone with PSS now, but there is a 2 1/2 hour wait time. I will post my results/repair if I am able to solve it.
Steve
**************************************
From: "Steve Gould"
Subject: Resolved: SharePoint 3 Gatherer error
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 10:53:42 -0800
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.sharepoint.general
The gatherer issue is now resolved. It was really quite simple, but undocumented.
I was a bit of my own worst enemy here. Because SharePoint is being installed on my production web server I wanted to isolate it until I could get it fully configured. By default SharePoint disables the "Default Web Site" installs itself with the IP Address of "All Unassigned". Since this server runs WSUS as well as 2 web sites and Microsoft Virtual Server, I could not allow the Default Web Site to be stopped. What I had done was to assign a statip IP address to SharePoint and then restart the Default Web Site.
The next issue is that SharePoint sets its URL as http://servername. The gatherer service runs against this name. In my case this URL isn't ShaprePoint so the gatherer couldn't find the SharePoint site and was kicking the errors. I saw this in the error messages, but I didn't put 2 and 2 together.
In my case I will need to fix the issue again later when I go live with the site since the URL will have to change. Temporarily I altered the URL to the actual IP address SharePoint is using. To change the URL mappings:
Launch SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration.
Click on Operations
Select "Alternate Access Mappings" under Global Configuration Select ShaprePoint's internal URL Edit the URL to the desired value. (in my case it was http://192.168.1.60 for now) then click OK.
That resolved it for me. It looks like you can also set additional URLs here too, internal, external, etc.
Steve
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