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DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

Dec 26

Written by:
12/26/2008

Installing DotNetNuke has become a very easy task these days, thanks to the installation wizard. That is one of the best features in the project, as the biggest problem with most web applications is getting the installation completed. There is one problem with it though.

One of the steps in the installation shows you the status of the database scripts as they are getting executed on the database. Typically, you would see a completed database script listing as shown in the following image.

However, everyone once in a while, you'll see a listing more like the next image, where an error is just repeated over and over until you stop the website. The error is "undefined...Success".

I do not know exactly where this happens, but I have narrowed down the fix to this problem. Well, it is more of a work-around. Basically, the permissions for the entire website have not yet propogated to all of the child folders and files in your website directory. The initial file permissions check doesn't validate all files and folders, just the first level. Getting around this and having a clean and successful DNN installation is quite easy though.

Delete all of the files in the website directory.
Unzip the installation files back into the website directory.
Right click on the root folder of your website, and choose the Properties option in the context menu.
When the properties dialogue opens, choose the Security tab.
Click the Advanced button.
Check the check box to "replace permissions on child objects".

Advanced Security Settings

You will likely need to delete your database instance, and create a new one as well. I always delete the database as a rule. But if you want to be sure, check to see if any tables or stored procedures were created.

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19 comment(s) so far...

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

Hi Will,

This problem also happens (for me, anyway) when I fail to remember to set appropriate permissions on the database, and skip the verification step. Since I have the world's strangest dev database setup, I assumed it was just me and didn't log it.

Do you have a Gemini work item open? If so, I'll note this there.

By Brandon Haynes on 6/15/2009

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

I haven't been able to completely track this down yet, but I am able to correctly go through database and file verification. So, a child folder somewhere doesn't have this problem.

I have not yet entered this into Gemini. Usually, when I have this little bit of information and it is not always able to be duplicated, it gets closed. But since you have verified my findings, I feel a little better about doing this now.

By Will on 12/27/2008

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

I have placed this bug in the DotNetNuke bug tracker:
http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9034&PROJID=23

By Will on 12/27/2008

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

These all are just because of database collation guys. try Latin1_General_CI_AS as db collation for dnn database..all your headache will be gone..these problems are source just because of bad dnn documentation..cheers

By inanc on 6/15/2009

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

The collation is not the problem. I set the collation to Latin1_General_CI_AS and it made no difference in regards to this error. The inherited permissions fix had no effect on my installation. I am still getting the undefined...success and then undefined...FAILURE-

By Rockn on 9/11/2009

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

This is an error related to permissions in your file system. You need to double check your file permissions on your entire DNN folder and file collection.

By Will on 9/11/2009

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

All of my permissions are correct for the root of the web site and I am still having issues with this. I have jumped through thousands of hoops to get this to work on my Windows 2003 server with little or no luck and different advice from everyone and their brother with no luck.

By Rockn on 9/21/2009

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

Hmmm... Permissions have always been the root of the problems in my experience.

By Will on 9/21/2009

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

I have tried as suggested by will...i m trying to install version 4.09.03 and am always getting this error. I am trying to install it on my local computer in IIS and have given full control permissions to the entire files and folders in the main folder(DNN Folder too)Please help and suggest how to overcome this issue...

By Soumyo Chatterjee on 12/21/2009

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

I have to first ask, "why are you trying to install v4.09.03 at this point?" Even if you want to stay in the version 4 series of DNN, I must suggest that you move to version 4.09.05 for security and stability reasons.

By Will on 12/21/2009

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

Friends just change the DB and login.. Update the same in web.config. Its working for me after a long research.

By ven on 8/4/2010

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

Can someone please consolidate all of this thread and write up the real solution to the problem? I have lost an entire day looking for the solution to this.
Lost time is lost money. At some point, DNN will be deemed unusable by the community if a simple install cannot be achieved without serious pain.

By Mark Fresa on 8/27/2010

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

@Mark: The solution for this problem is VERY simple. Ensure your permissions are completely propogated BEFORE installing. That's it. I thought I summed this up in the post itself, but I guess it wasn't clear enough.

Honestly though, I haven't seen this error for a couple of years. And to say people won't use it is quite a polarizing statement. Actually, the opposite is happening, literally by the thousands each month. I am one of the few people that have physically demo'd various CMS's side by side, and DNN beats everyone in features and ease of install.

Just to be clear through, the installation is not perfect. We all know that. Like the other areas of the platform, you will continue to see improvements as new releases become available.

By Will on 8/27/2010

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

I had the same issues as Rockn described here. All my permissions in the file system were set correctly. In the end I even granted Full Control to Everyone and still han the "undefined...FAILURE - " when installed DNN 05.06.02.
Eventually I resolved the issue in IIS by enabling Authentication -> ASP.NET Impersonation. After enabling that option DNN has been installed like a charm

By Vladimir on 4/6/2011

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

@Vladimir:
I have not personally run into an instance where the permissions were correctly assigned for this specific error still. Normally, even with customers today, I will go into the advanced permission settings, reassign all permissions - and it will work. Impersonation is actually something that I would never assign to a public DNN site.

Also, this could be an artifact of not having Windows Authentication turned on in IIS for your site. This is mostly necessary only for IIS 5.x and 6.x.

By Will on 4/8/2011

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

I am trying to load DNN for the first time. I have downloaded the most recent version, 05.06.02. I followed the installation webinar and when I get to installation scripts in the install wizard, I get :
Installing Database - Version 05.00.00...Installing Database - Version 05.00.00...
and nothing else. There is an error on the page:

Webpage error details

User Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; Trident/4.0; SLCC2; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30729; InfoPath.2; .NET4.0C; .NET4.0E)
Timestamp: Thu, 26 May 2011 15:37:48 UTC

Message: 'dnn' is undefined
Line: 90
Char: 13
Code: 0
URI: localhost/dotnetnuke/Install/InstallWizard.aspx

Message: 'dnn' is undefined
Line: 90
Char: 13
Code: 0
URI: localhost/dotnetnuke/Install/InstallWizard.aspx

Can someone give me some advice to fix this.
Thanks,
Robert

By Robert Hill on 5/26/2011

Re: DNN Database Installation Error: Undefined...Success

@Robert: For some reason, the entire page is not loading for you. Please try starting from a brand new install, and double-check your permissions to your files and the database. Also, it would be good to verify that all of the files in the installation zip file are indeed present in your site.

By Will on 5/31/2011