Issue Resolution Journey during SharePoint 2010 Installation on Windows 7

While Installing SharePoint Foundation 2010, I encountered a failed installation error and it pointed me out to go through the log files.

While having a look at the log files, I landed on a file at this location C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\Summary.txt

When I scrolled towards the end of the file, the below InnerException was displayed.

Inner exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SqlEngine.ValidationException
        Message: 
                The system database file master.mdf already exists in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\Data\MSSQL10.SHAREPOINT\MSSQL\DATA.

Towards resolving the issue, I renamed this file -> un-installed SharePoint Foundation 2010 and tried installing again. This time I hit another error quite similar to the above but with one exception, "the file name this time was master.ldf"

Inner exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SqlEngine.ValidationException
        Message: 
                The system database file master.ldf already exists in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\Data\MSSQL10.SHAREPOINT\MSSQL\DATA.

By this I understood that it would do this for all the other system databases available in this folder.

I went one folder up to ..\MSSQL and renamed the folder DATA -> un-installed SharePoint Foundation 2010 and re-installed again. Guess what ....... I was in smiles.

SharePoint created another folder called DATA and created the database and log files a-fresh again.

Quite straight forward, but worth taking a space on my blog. Hope it helps!!

Excel VB commands to Convert Numbers into Currency

In the below example we are converting a Number to Currency and we are using '$' symbol for display.


We can achieve this using alternate commands like the ones in the below example. However, the above command is a short-hand. Quite handy, ain't it?

Output after converting to INR

We can also change the currency. Suppose we were to display INR (Indian Rupees)




To learn about formatting numbers in Office Excel (the ones like #.##, #,###.00 etc. that you see in the above examples), I would recommend you to refer Excel Help and search for the topic "Create or delete a custom number format"

SharePoint 2010 Products and Configuration Wizard Error

Operating System : Windows Server 2008 R2 (all important updates installed)
Installing : SharePoint Foundation 2010 Standalone (with SQL Server 2008 Express SP1) in one box.

Steps successfully performed:

• I installed all pre-requisites using SharePointFoundation.exe
• I restarted the Server
• While running SharePoint 2010 Products and Configuration Wizard, I received the following errors

After resolving the above error I received

Here is the right approach

• Before running ShaerPoint 2010 Products and Configuration Wizard, Right-click on the folder %commonprogramfiles%\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14 click Properties from the context menu and then select the Security tab > select Edit
• On the Permissions for 14 dialog click Add… and enter Network Service in the Enter the object names to select and then click OK.
• On the Permissions for 14 dialog select Full Control under Permissions for NETWORK SERVICE and click OK twice.

The second screenshot above is faced when you don't have the Cumulative Update 2 installed for SQL Server 2008 Express. Download and Install SQL Server 2008 KB 970315 x64

Site Collection Features Not Visible - SharePoint 2010

Trying to spot "Site Collection Features" in your SharePoint Site and unable to find it? Here is how you approach it:

• Open Central Administration
• Select Application Management
• Click Change Site Collection Administrators
• Add yourself as the Administrator (Primary or Secondary)
• Get back to your Site and refresh the page.

I am sure you are good to go :)

Find out why are you not able to create a New Site using Enterprise Search Center template?

Cannot find Enterprise Search Center when creating a New Site

There could be two reasons for this:

• SharePoint Server Standard Site Collection Features is deactivated.
• Enterprise Search Center is not available under Sub sites can only use the following site templates in Page Layouts and Site Templates under Look and Feel.

Activating SharePoint Server Standard Site Collection Features

• Click Site Actions > Site Settings > Site Collection Administration > Site Collection Features (Can't find Site Collection Administration? Look here)
• Activate - SharePoint Server Standard Site Collection Features

Enterprise Search Center should be visible under Site Action > New Site. If not, keep reading :)

Provide Privilege to use Enterprise Search Center

• Click Site Actions > Site Settings > Look and Feel > Page Layouts and Site Templates and add Enterprise Search Center (All) to the right (as shown below)
• Click Ok.

Override Inherited CSS

If you've been a web designer for long, you already know that there are ways you can override your CSS. You have done it before, may be many times before, but something still isn't working. Because it didn't for me. Now I am not saying those methods are incorrect. They might just not apply to your situation, like it didn't on mine!

I had a global CSS file and was inherited on all pages on my site. My page was divided into two parts, left and main body and I had a page where in I did not want the left part. So I needed to centralize my main body. My LEFT-NAV and ARTICLE-MAIN were adjusted using margins as shown in the below CSS

Image 1 - Left Navigation and Main Article

This is my global CSS


This is the part of my page that needed adjustment

Since I was working with SharePoint, I did not have lot of flexibility in terms of designing (because it has many dependent and moving parts). So this is what I did :

Image 2 - Main Article only

I negated the margin and I could get the ARTICLE-MAIN centralized. Again this might not be the solution to your situation, but it worked for me. This might also interest you # CSS Overriding styles

SQL Server - List All Tables in Database

This can be achieved easily using the below command


Now what is xtype ?
It identifies the type of objects stored in your database. The codes mean :

• U - User Tables
• P - Stored Procedures
• V - Views
• S - System Tables

I recommend you have a look at 'Understanding SQL Server's sysobjects table' for further knowledge.