MS Azure AD Connect: Installation Failure: ADSync - filename or extension too long

Question

During installation of Microsoft Azure AD Connect, the system errors out with:
"Unable to install the Synchronization Service. The filename or extension is too long."

This is on Windows Server 2012. This is the associated log record where the error occured:

[14:54:19.499] [ 14] [WARN ] ServiceControllerProvider: StartService failed to start service (ADSync), attempt (7).
Exception Data (Raw): System.InvalidOperationException: Service ADSync was not found on computer '.'. ---> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: The specified service does not exist as an installed service
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateNames()
at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_ServiceName()
at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateStatus()
at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_Status()
at Microsoft.Online.Deployment.Framework.Providers.ServiceControllerProvider.StartService(String serviceName, TimeSpan timeout, Boolean verifyStart, String[] args)
[14:54:19.499] [ 14] [ERROR] ServiceControllerProvider: StartService unable to start service (ADSync). The system event log may contain more details for this issue.
[14:54:19.500] [ 14] [ERROR] PerformConfigurationPageViewModel: Caught exception while installing synchronization service.
Exception Data (Raw): System.Exception: Unable to install the Synchronization Service. The filename or extension is too long Please see the Application and System event logs for additional details. ---> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: The filename or extension is too long
at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceInstaller.Install(IDictionary stateSaver)
at Microsoft.Online.Deployment.Framework.Providers.ServiceControllerProvider.CreateService(String serviceName, String serviceDescription, String username, String password, String assemblyPath)
at Microsoft.Azure.ActiveDirectory.Synchronization.Setup.SynchronizationServiceSetupTask.CreateBootstrapService(SyncServiceAccount syncServiceAccount)
at Microsoft.Azure.ActiveDirectory.Synchronization.Setup.SynchronizationServiceSetupTask.InstallCore(String logFilePath, String logFileSuffix)
at Microsoft.Azure.ActiveDirectory.Synchronization.Framework.ActionExecutor.ExecuteWithSetupResultsStatus(SetupAction action, String description, String logFileName, String logFileSuffix)
at Microsoft.Azure.ActiveDirectory.Synchronization.Setup.SetupBase.Install()
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at Microsoft.Azure.ActiveDirectory.Synchronization.Setup.SetupBase.ThrowSetupTaskFailureException(String exceptionFormatString, String taskName, Exception innerException)
at Microsoft.Azure.ActiveDirectory.Synchronization.Setup.SetupBase.Install()
at Microsoft.Online.Deployment.OneADWizard.Runtime.Stages.InstallSyncEngineStage.ExecuteInstallCore(ISyncEngineInstallContext syncEngineInstallContext, ProgressChangedEventHandler progressChangesEventHandler)
at Microsoft.Online.Deployment.OneADWizard.Runtime.Stages.InstallSyncEngineStage.ExecuteInstall(ISyncEngineInstallContext syncEngineInstallContext, ProgressChangedEventHandler progressChangesEventHandler)
at Microsoft.Online.Deployment.OneADWizard.UI.WizardPages.PerformConfigurationPageViewModel.ExecuteSyncEngineInstallCore(AADConnectResult& result)

I will be grateful for any insights you may be able to provide.

Answer 1

Hello @Richard McInteer ,

Thanks for reaching out.

We apologize for any inconvenience may have caused by this issue.

This is known issue with latest release of Azure AD connect specific to Windows server 2012 (not R2 or higher version) when you choose setup with "Express mode".

The workaround would be reinstalling Azure AD connect by selecting "Advance Option" with custom SyncServiceAccount which must fix the issue. However, our Product Group have already released private fix which is not publicly available yet, but if you are interested then please send an email with the subject line “Attn: Siva Kumar S” to AzCommunity@microsoft.com referencing this thread along with your Azure AD Tenant Name and Azure AD Tenant ID so that we will share private fix with you.

This fix will be included in the next public release but unfortunately we don't have ETA. Hope this helps.

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