If you installed the Full-Text Search feature, it runs as the Microsoft Search service (MSSearch) in Control Panel. If Full-Text Search is not working properly, make sure that the Full-Text Search feature was installed and is running. In SQL Server Service Manager, in the Services box, make sure the Microsoft Search option is selected. For more information, see SQL Server Books Online.
MSSearch runs in the context of the local system account. During SQL Server Setup, SQL Server adds itself to MSSearch service as an administrator. All subsequent changes to the MSSQLServer service account must be made through SQL Server Enterprise Manager. While MSSearch service is running, right-click the server, click Properties, and then click the Security tab. Under Startup Service Account, enter the appropriate account and password. If the password is incorrect or has changed, the service cannot be started until the correct password is entered. This approach ensures that any service account change gets updated in the Microsoft Search service.
Caution Do not use Services in Control Panel to change user account information. Changing user account information through Control Panel results in a mismatch of account information between the MSSQLServer and MSSearch services, and causes full-text catalog population and querying to fail.
If a mismatch of user account information between the MSSQLServer and MSSearch services occurs, verify that both the MSSQLServer and MSSearch services are running. Then, launch SQL Server Enterprise Manager. Using the Properties option and the Security tab as described earlier, change the password for the MSSQLServer service. Changing the password for the MSSQLServer service implicitly updates the account information for the MSSearch service.
If the computer running Microsoft SQL Server and Full-Text Search also has Microsoft Site Server version 3.0 installed, verify that Site Server 3.0 Service Pack 1 (SP1) is installed before uninstalling Site Server. If this service pack is not applied, Full-Text Search will not work properly after Site Server 3.0 has been uninstalled.
If your computer running Microsoft Windows NT does have a UNC path specification present in the system PATH variable or in the user PATH variable, you may experience problems with full-text indexing and Full-Text Search. First, double-check whether you have a UNC path specification in your PATH variable. To do this, issue echo %path% from the command prompt. If you have a UNC path specification, you will see one or more paths of the form \\computer_name\share_name.
The symptoms of these problems may include one or more of the following:
"Unable to load DLL <X:\Program Files\Common Files\system\ContentIndex\ontciutl.dll>. Error 5 - Access is denied."
Note X refers to the drive letter where your Program Files\Common Files directory resides on your computer.
Two possible solutions to this problem are:
Note After making any of these changes, restart your computer. SYSTEM path changes do not take effect until the computer is restarted.
If you have not attempted to repopulate your full-text catalog(s) after the addition of the UNC path specification(s) in your user or system PATH variables, you can use Full-Text Search. If you have attempted repopulation, you must rebuild your full-text catalog(s) and then repopulate them before you can issue full-text queries.