Configuration Failed – Failed to create sample data

March 25, 2013 · by dave.webb · in Installation, SharePoint 2013

I am installing SharePoint 2013 for the first time – it’s a standalone installation on a clean Windows 2012 server. SharePoint appears to have installed without incident but the Configuration Wizard has failed with the following message: “The SDDL string contains an invalid sid or a sid that cannot be translated.”

It appears to have failed to create the sample database. After rebuilding the server to try again, and spending a bit of time searching for a solution, it would appear that this is a common problem and there isn’t one solution for all. For me, it only took a few simple steps to fix by sharing a folder and setting some permissions:

1. Once the Configuration Wizard has failed browse to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office Servers\15.0\Data\Office Server

2. Right-click on the Analytics_GUID folder and choose Properties

3. On the Sharing tab click Advanced Sharing

4. Tick the box to share the folder (don’t change the share name) and click the Permissions button

5. Click Add, enter WSS_ADMIN_WPG and click OK. Grant the group Full Control and click OK

6. Click Close

I ran the Configuration Wizard again and it completed successfully

Tags: Configuration Wizard, Installation, SharePoint 2013, Windows Server 2012

49 Responses

Emma Davies · May 2, 2013 at 15:49:33 · →

Hi. I have come across this problem too but the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office Servers\15.0\Data\Office Server doesn’t exist on my server.
dave.webb · May 3, 2013 at 07:26:54 · →

Hi Emma. Assuming you are using SharePoint Foundation the folder is in C:\Program Files\Windows SharePoint Services\15.0\Data
Sefton · May 14, 2013 at 11:18:08 · →

Same problem here – your post help fix it. Thanks!
Bane · May 17, 2013 at 10:05:18 · →

HI!

I have same problem. BUT, I have installed project server on the same server, and after installation have finished sharepoint product configuration wizard is giving me “configuration failed”. I have tried your solution but without success. Just to be clear, after installing sharepoint server configuration was successful. Any other advice?
1. dave.webb · May 17, 2013 at 18:25:54 · →
  
  Hi. Does it give you any more information other than just “Configuration Failed”? What about in the log file?
Catherine · June 12, 2013 at 17:08:10 · →

Dave, if you could email me back…. I have tried looking in that folder. I have Foundation installed, so instead I’m in the Windows SharePoint Services\15.0\Data. I do not see an Analytics folder, so I have nothing to share and it’s so frustrating! Which part of Foundation creates the Analytics folder?
1. dave.webb · June 13, 2013 at 06:10:24 · →
  
  How far through the process does it get? Maybe it fails for a different reason before creating that folder. Is there anything useful in the log file?
dekochan · July 29, 2013 at 04:51:14 · →

Hi, everyone!
Perhaps…
Joining AD domain is needed.
I’ve completed the configuration wizard in this way.
Thank you.
Anser · August 13, 2013 at 09:52:07 · →

Hi,
🙂 worked for me, thanks
Shadi Hanani · September 23, 2013 at 22:25:10 · →

Thanks alot, Work for me tooo 🙂
شكرا جزيلا
Nawras · October 24, 2013 at 16:58:19 · →

Thanks, it works
david · January 29, 2014 at 14:23:20 · →

It worked ! Thank you !
Ramesh · February 19, 2014 at 04:44:14 · →

Thanks for your information. It worked !!!
michiganman1019 · March 8, 2014 at 22:25:18 · →

This solution worked for me.
kan · April 11, 2014 at 18:54:59 · →

thanks for your information. It worked !!!
Brad McLeod · April 12, 2014 at 00:51:27 · →

Thank you thank you thank you!
Thanks for your information. It worked !!!
Yeah!!!!
Adam · May 1, 2014 at 02:15:00 · →

YOU ARE THE MAN! I had the same issue and it’s fixed – thanks to google and your blog.
Samy · May 31, 2014 at 07:56:08 · →

Hi
It does’nt worked for me.
I’ve restarted the server and tried it again but the problem exist now.
Marcel · July 14, 2014 at 02:03:33 · →

This worked for me! Thanks 🙂
AQ · August 3, 2014 at 09:15:59 · →

Thanks, My problem sorted
Bruce · August 12, 2014 at 14:56:55 · →

Thank you very much. Saved me from a lot of trouble.
Dave Turner · August 13, 2014 at 12:43:55 · →

Easy fix! Thanks for posting!
Thai Le · August 20, 2014 at 01:46:58 · →

This worked for me too! Thanks
brian murphy · August 20, 2014 at 20:38:59 · →

you rule!! (i did have to search for the name when i was adding WSS_ADMIN_WPG, but it found a name, i applied the permissions and it worked)
thanks
TIRUMAL · September 28, 2014 at 03:35:26 · →

tHANKS aLOT………………….
soe · November 9, 2014 at 08:39:43 · →

Thank you so much for this post
JDN · November 14, 2014 at 22:39:09 · →

Worked for me as mentioned above finding the directory here C:\Program Files\Windows SharePoint Services\15.0\Data\Analytics_GUID because I was installing Sharepoint Foundation in standalone mode.
ganbingjie · December 20, 2014 at 11:13:49 · →

fixed my problem. thanks for sharing.
paulw · January 15, 2015 at 10:27:31 · →

Worked for me, thank you very much!
M. Ghaffar · March 3, 2015 at 05:48:07 · →

worked.. Thanks!
Davide · March 10, 2015 at 10:43:03 · →

Thank you so much! Fixed my problem! Great!
Franny · March 23, 2015 at 14:16:00 · →

Or just run the configuration wizard as an admin… that worked for me.
fgsdfgsfd · March 25, 2015 at 09:38:26 · →

The trick works for this particular issue. If you got this error, verfiy that you also got the message “The SDDL string contains…”
naren · April 2, 2015 at 18:00:07 · →

thanks bhayyyyyyya…..
Asma.E · April 11, 2015 at 22:07:44 · →

Thanks! This solution saved me!! Ouf!
atxray · April 15, 2015 at 10:10:04 · →

thanks alot
SATHEESH K · June 18, 2015 at 01:14:17 · →

Thanks dave.W . It worked for me as well
Kabeer Biaha biamlia · July 30, 2015 at 20:53:01 · →

Worked for me. Thanks for saving my day.
Afifa · August 15, 2015 at 20:35:12 · →

I have the same issue and i can’t find analytics_ folder anywhere in my server
amit · October 25, 2015 at 06:52:16 · →

Worked for me. Thanks for saving my day.
Imran · November 16, 2015 at 04:49:56 · →

Thanks Dave. My problem is resolved……
Joseph · March 1, 2016 at 13:48:43 · →

Thanks. That trick worked for me.
Kamal Little · April 9, 2016 at 13:37:23 · →

Brilliant! Thank You. Worked.
Bill Roe Jr · April 17, 2016 at 22:13:46 · →

Excellent solution! Followed the steps and worked flawlessly!
Md Mohiudeen · April 19, 2016 at 17:17:12 · →

Thanks Dave. Worked for me in standalone installation as well.
karthik · July 27, 2016 at 06:43:31 · →

Thanks a lot it worked for me… 🙂
puneet · November 9, 2016 at 06:45:31 · →

it is not working for me
Jean Michel Noel · December 14, 2016 at 04:51:15 · →

Worked like a charm. Thanks
Gowri Shastry · October 25, 2017 at 09:14:21 · →

Worked for me , thank You.

Configuration Failed – Failed to create sample data

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