Hello T.J.

Please try the Following.

1. Uninstall the adCenter desktop.
2. Uninstall the SQL Server
3. Delete localstore:

Here are the correct steps to reinstall the Desktop tool:

1. Close the adCenter desktop Tool
2. Open the "RUN" bar from the Start Menu. If you do not have the "Run" option on their menu, there is a 'hot-key' command they can use (WINKEY+R).
3. In the "Run" bar, type in one of these 2 strings depending your operating system:
   Windows Vista: c:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Apps\
   Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Apps\
4. Once the directory loads, rename the "2.0" folder.
   example: 2.0____old

Reload the Desktop Tool. When the you launch the desktop tool, this will rebuild all of thelocal files and you will also have to download your entire account, this is similar to reformatting.

There is also the Localstores files that you can also remove, here is the locations for XP and Vista:

1. Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft
   Windows Vista: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\MAF
2. Once the directory loads, rename the "Localstore" folder.
   example: Localstore____old"

Final Step: Re install the adCenter Desktop. By doing this it will re-install everything.

If you are still not able to connect to the server:

Depending on what OS and your permissions (must be admin)

Start > Run > cmd > Press Enter

Type: net start MSSQL$ADCENTERDESKTOP

Press Enter

Hope this helps, If you would like a quicker response please contact support

MS adCenter Support

Can you clarify how to uninstall SQL server?  Is SQL server automatically installed when I install AdCenter Desktop?  There are the items in my uninstall list which say SQL in them:

MSFT SQL Server 2008

MSFT SQL Server 2008 Browser

MSFT SQL Server 2008 Management Objects

MSFT SQL Server 2008 Native Client

MSFT SQL Server 2008 Setup Support Files

MSFT SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP1 Design Tool

MSFT SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP1 English

MSFT SQL Server VSS Writer

SQL Server System CLR Types

In other words, which one of these is used by adCenter Desktop, that will be replaced when I do a reinstall?

Hello T.J.

You are correct that when you re-install the adCenter Desktop it will automatically install the SQL Server 2008 again.

Uninstall the following:

MSFT SQL Server 2008

MSFT SQL Server 2008 Browser

MSFT SQL Server 2008 Management Objects

MSFT SQL Server 2008 Native Client

MSFT SQL Server 2008 Setup Support Files

MSFT SQL Server VSS Writer

Thank you,

MS adCenter Support

Because your post is a little disjointed and somewhat confusing, I re-wrote what I think is your steps. Please verify accuracy, as I tried to follow the method above, but to no avail.

1. Uninstall the adCenter desktop from Add & Remove Programs.
2. Uninstall the SQL Server from Add & Remove Programs, including:
   1. MSFT SQL Server 2008
   2. MSFT SQL Server 2008 Browser
   3. MSFT SQL Server 2008 Management Objects
   4. MSFT SQL Server 2008 Native Client
   5. MSFT SQL Server 2008 Setup Support Files
   6. MSFT SQL Server VSS Writer
3.  Rename localstore:
   1. XP: C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\MA
   2. Vista: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\MA 
   3. Once the directory loads, rename the "Localstore" folder. Example: Localstore____old"
4.  Rename Application Data folder:
   1. Open the "RUN" bar from the Start Menu. If you do not have the "Run" option on their menu, there is a 'hot-key' command you can use (WINKEY+R).
   2. In the "Run" bar, type in one of these 2 strings depending your operating system:
   3. Vista: c:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Apps
   4. XP: C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Apps\
   5. Once the directory loads, rename the "2.0" folder. Example: 2.0____old
5. Re-install the adCenter Desktop. By doing this it will re-install everything.
6. Start adCenter Desktop Tool. When you launch the desktop tool, this will rebuild all of the local files and you will also have to log-in and download your entire account, this is similar to reformatting.

NOTE: If you are still not able to connect to the server:

1. Depending on what OS and your permissions (must be admin)
2. Start > Run > cmd > Press Enter
3. Type: net start MSSQL$ADCENTERDESKTOP
4. Press Enter

Is this accurate?

Still get the red text saying cannot log in. However, same account credentials do work on another PC just fine. I also tried using the same login credentials from a different (admin) profile on the troubled PC, and that also did not work.

What I found with the above steps is that launching the adCenter Desktop app will create a new \localstore, but will not create a new \apps\2.0 directory.

What we have done so far is to remove first the AdCenter Desktop and then all the SQL pieces, renamed the old directories and reinstalled the adCenter Desktop app, and ran the net start command (which said the service was already running). However, I have been advised that the unistall of SQL 2008 (express or otherwise) is anything but a clean uninstall, meaning that I should go in to the Registry and clean out all old references to SQL and probably adcenter as well. 

I tried to rename the localstore one more time, but that still did not work. Are there any Event Logs or registry entries that I should verify or report?

Should I contact your support team via phone or email? If so, what info should I have handy from my end user and his PC?

United States:
Telephone: (800) 518-5689 6:00am-18:00pm PST seven days a week
Easy Assist Remote desktop Assistance: (866) 783-1045
Email: https://support.adcenter.msn.com/eform.aspx?productKey=adcenterss&ct=eformts

Hello helper,

If you have gone through all the trouble shooting steps and are still unable to use the tool, Please Contact Support.

United States:
Telephone:  (800) 518-5689 6:00am-18:00pm PST
Easy Assist Remote Desktop Assistance:  (866) 783-1045
Email: https://support.adcenter.msn.com/eform.aspx?productKey=adcenterss&ct=eformts

United Kingdom:
Telephone:  0800 633 5915 08:00 – 18:00
Email: https://support.adcenter.msn.com/eform.aspx?productKey=adcenterss&ct=eformts

Canada Support:
Telephone: (800) 985-4671 6:00am-18:00pm PST
Email: https://support.adcenter.msn.com/eform.aspx?productKey=adcenterss&ct=eformts

Singapore Support:
Telephone: (800) 518-5689 9:00 am – 11:00 am SST
Email: https://support.adcenter.msn.com/eform.aspx?productKey=adcenterss&ct=eformts

Thank you,
Microsoft Advertising Support

What is 18:00pm PST? I'd be willing to bet you mean 6:00PM PST. 18:00 hrs. is military time, and accounts for AM\PM by using the 24 hr. format instead of using the 12hr. format. ;-) 

Hello helper,

You are correct. Microsoft adCenter does use 24 hour time.

18:00 PST is 6:00 PM PST.

Thank you,

Microsoft Advertising Support

I finally got a chance to try uninstalling every version of SQL on my computer and cannot get adCenter desktop to work still.  Still giving me the same errors.  I cannot get this program to work on my work computer either for a different set of bugs. 

Any other ideas?  I could load up many campaigns into adcenter if MSN had a tool that facilitated uploading keywords.