The SDDL string contains an invalid sid or a sid that cannot be translated

I got the below error during Sharepoint 2013 configuration in Standalone mode on a Windows Server 2012. SharePoint 2013 Installation was successful. This happened while the configuration wizard was running and I think it was on step 8, the configuration failed and I got the below error.

Configuration Failed

One or more configuration settings failed. Completed configuration settings will not be rolled back. Resolve the problem and run this configuration wizard again. The following contains detailed information about the failure:

Failed to create sample data.

An exception of type System.ArgumentException was thrown. Additional exception information: The SDDL string contains an invalid sid or sid that cannot be translated.

Parameter name: sddlForm

To diagnose the problem, review the application event log and the configuration log file located at:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\15\LOGS\PSCDiagnostics %%%%%%%%.log

How to fix this

1) Check if the account used for installing SharePoint 2013 has dbcreator and security admin permission in SQL Server.

2) Browse to "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office Servers\15.0\Data\Office Server" and find the folder that starts with Analytics_GUID.

3) Right-click -> Properties ->Sharing ->Advanced Sharing. Check the "Share this folder' check box and click on Permissions.

4) Granted full access to everyone.

5) Added WSS_ADMIN_WPG to the sharing with full access.

6) Ran the SharePoint 2013 Products Configuration Wizard again and this completed successfully.

SharePoint 2013 Pre-Requisites

Pre Requisite Installer for SharePoint 2013 installs the below components:

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5

Windows Management Framework 3.0

Application Server Role, Web Server (IIS) Role

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 Native Client

Microsoft Sync Framework Runtime v1.0 SP1 (x64)

Windows Server AppFabric

Microsoft Identity Extensions

Microsoft Information Protection and Control Client

Microsoft WCF Data Services 5.0

Cumulative Update Package 1 for Microsoft AppFabric 1.1 for Windows Server (KB2671763)

Error while installing SQL Server 2012 Enterprise edition

While installing SQL Server Enterprise edition, I came across the below error

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1 Setup

The following error has occurred:

Error while enabling Windows feature : NetFx3, Error Code : -2146498298 , Please try enabling Windows feature : NetFx3 from Windows management tools and then run setup again.

Problem

.NET Framework 3.5 is not installed on the server

Failed steps

1. Go to server Manager -> Add Roles and Features - Installed .NET Framework 3.5 - Failed

2. Downloaded .NET Framework 3.5 from internet -> Go to server Manager -> Add Roles and Features - Installed .NET Framework 3.5 - Failed

3. Ran the below command in command prompt (Run as Administrator)

dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /source:”location to file” - Failed

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool

Version: 6.2.9200.16384

Image Version: 6.2.9200.16384

Enabling feature(s)

[==========================100.0%==========================]

Error: 50

The operation is complete but NetFx3 feature was not enabled.

A required parent feature may not be enabled. You can use the /enable-feature /a

ll option to automatically enable each parent feature from the following list. I

f the parent feature(s) are already enabled, refer to the log file for further d

iagnostics.

NetFx3ServerFeatures

The DISM log file can be found at C:\Windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log

Resolution

1. Insert Windows Server 2012 CD. 

2. Open Windows PowerShell (Run as administrator)

PS C:\Windows\system32> Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework-Core -Source D:\sources\sxs

Success Restart Needed Exit Code      Feature Result

------- -------------- ---------      --------------

True    No             Success        {.NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and...

Windows feature : NetFx3, Error Code : -2146498298

How to check SQL Version

1. Open SQL Management Studio.

2. Connect to the database

3. Run the below query

Select @@version

Result

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (SP1) - 11.0.3128.0 (X64)

            Dec 28 2012 20:23:12

            Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation

            Enterprise Edition (64-bit) on Windows NT 6.2 <X64> (Build 9200: )

Clearing the Configuration Cache for SharePoint

Perform the below steps on all the servers in the farm.

1. Stop the Timer service

Start -> services.msc -> SharePoint Timer Service (SPTimerV4) -> Stop

2. Browse to %SystemDrive%\ProgramData\Microsoft\SharePoint\Config\GUID

Note: The Program Data folder is a hidden file

There could be more than 2 folders in this location.

3. Open the folder named as GUID’s with ‘-’ (dashed filename for the folder).

Example - 1f8c67d2-2cd9-4196-ab1a-d1a2daed2aa7

4. Arrange the files by Type. You would find few xml files and a file named cache.ini.

5. Delete all files except cache.ini (DO NOT DELETE THIS FILE - cache.ini)

6. Reset cache.ini (If you open this file, you will find a number like this – 3400261. Change the value in cache.ini to 1)

7. Start the Timer service

Start -> services.msc -> SharePoint Timer Service (SPTimerV4) -> Start.

8. Note: The file system cache is re-created after you perform this procedure. Make sure that you perform this procedure on all servers in the server farm.

9. Make sure that the Cache.ini file in the GUID folder now contains its previous value. For example, make sure that the value of the Cache.ini file is not 1.

10. Check in the GUID folder to make sure that the xml files are repopulating. This may take a bit of time.

How to Embed YouTube videos in SharePoint

1. Browse to the YouTube URL. In the YouTube page, look for the Share -> Embed section. Click on it.

2. Copy the content inside the Embed section to a text file. Save the file and call it as Demo.txt (in this case)

3. Upload the file (Demo.txt) to a Sharepoint document library.

4. Right click the file and select Copy Shortcut

5. Browse to the page where you want to embed the YouTube video

6. Edit the page -> Insert -> Web Part -> Media and Content -> Content Editor -> Add.

7. In the Content Editor -> Edit Web Part section -> Paste the shortcut you copied to Content Link section.

8. Test the link.

9. Click Apply -> OK. Save the Page.

Incoming e-mail settings missing on Document Library Settings

When I browsed to the document library, I could not find the Incoming email settings link.

Resolution

Central Administration -> System Settings -> Configure incoming e-mail settings-> Enable sites on this server to receive e-mail? -> Yes

Also please refer to my post here.

SharePoint 2013 Incoming Email Stuck in Drop Folder

Background

- I have a SharePoint 2013 farm with 7 servers (excluding DB)

5 App Severs and 2 Web Servers

- Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Incoming E-Mail service was already enabled on all the servers in the farm.

- From Exchange side, I had configured the 2 WFE to receive mails (let us call them WFE1 and WFE2 for now).I also installed SMTP server on both the WFE1 and WFE2.

Post on Configuring Incoming Email

Now the problem…

Mails were getting dropped on the Drop folder. But…but…..the Sharepoint list was not receiving the emails. This left me banging head against wall for few hours.

I had done this before on my SharePoint 2013 sandbox (single server farm )

I read and tried multiple of things to fix this. Finally what helped me is below.

1) I stopped the Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Incoming E-Mail service on all the servers.

 I read this article.

Key excerpts from the article

 “In SharePoint 2010, the Incoming Email service timer job had a SPJobLockType of None, which means that the job ran on all servers in the farm, given the Incoming Email service was provisioned.

In SharePoint 2013, that SPJobLockType has changed to Job, which means it only runs on a single member in the farm”

SharePoint 2010:

public SPIncomingEmailJobDefinition(string name, SPService service) : base(name, service, null, SPJobLockType.None){}

SharePoint 2013:

public SPIncomingEmailJobDefinition(string name, SPService service) : base(name, service, null, SPJobLockType.Job){}

2) Based on the above info, I started the Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Incoming E-Mail service on just one of the WFE.The mails were stuck in the drop folder,still.

3) I restarted the SharePoint Timer Service (SPTimerV4) on all the (7) server in the farm.

Voila…

All the mails that were stuck in the Drop folder started delivering now.

Resolution

The fix is enable the Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Incoming E-Mail service on only one server in the farm and restart SharePoint Timer Service on all servers in the farm

You do not have permissions to open this file on Excel Services.

Error:

You do not have permissions to open this file on Excel Services.

Make sure that the file is in an Excel Services trusted location and that you have access to the file. 

Resolution:

Excel Services requires that document libraries be set up as a trustworthy place to publish files to. Without taking this step, files saved to a library will not open in Excel Services.

Note down the URL of the library where you are storing your excel file.

Add this URL to the Trusted File Location for Excel Services in Central Administration