Running SysPrep on a Virtual Machine with SQL Server Installed

This is not strictly a virtual machine tip, but a lot of people run SysPrep on virtual machines to create base images that they can redistribute, so I do hear about this a fair bit.  Normally if you run SysPrep on a virtual machine which has SQL server installed, and change the computer name in the process, SQL server will stop working (due to the name change). 

It is a little known fact is that this can be corrected easily.  The details on how to get SQL server back up and running after changing the computer name are available here: https://support.microsoft.com/kb/303774

Cheers,
Ben

Comments

• Anonymous
  November 14, 2006
  So,  "You do not have to run Setup again to reset the computer name. The preceding statement is only true if it is not a virtual server. To rename a virtual server you DO have to uninstall, and then reinstall the virtual server. " Does this mean that no matter what, dont bother with Sysprepping a VM?  Just keep the base image and always install SQL after?  There has to be a better way than this...

• Anonymous
  November 14, 2006
  So,  "You do not have to run Setup again to reset the computer name. The preceding statement is only true if it is not a virtual server. To rename a virtual server you DO have to uninstall, and then reinstall the virtual server. " Does this mean that no matter what, dont bother with Sysprepping a VM?  Just keep the base image and always install SQL after?  There has to be a better way than this...

• Anonymous
  November 14, 2006
  "Virtual Server" means a named instance of SQL in this case, not a Virtual Machine contained within Microsoft Virtual Server.

• Anonymous
  October 09, 2011
  It seems that SQL Server users would like to see this process described in detail. Please see the following thread: social.msdn.microsoft.com/.../eb41cd55-a602-4b0a-9f98-06705c32ed41 Thank you for posting about cloning SQL Server on virtual environments. Regards, Alberto

• Anonymous
  January 25, 2012
  I have deployed , linked clone images from the parent in VMWARE LAB Manager. does anyone have info on , how and which files are shared from parent template , that will efect the performance ?

• Anonymous
  June 17, 2013
  thanks Ben. When i tried doing this. it is saying "User does not have permision to perform this action.". the Sqlexpress service is running in localsystem account and I am logged in through sql management studio as a windows authentication.. your input would be appreciated.

• Anonymous
  October 22, 2014
  So if your SQL server stopped working due to the name change, exactly how are you supposed to run a query against the stopped SQL server to update the name?

• Anonymous
  October 29, 2014
  Hi, I am also facing the same issue at my end. I was able to run my VM created through image (SQL Server 2012 is installed already) with the name change and by creating new user. I am facing issues in opening SQL as newly created user is not belongs to SQL user. I am not sure how to proceed here and also I have doubt as KD that if your SQL server stopped working due to the name change, exactly how are you supposed to run a query against the stopped SQL server to update the name? Please suggest me on this.