6.2 user setup skipped

hi,

during initial setup (first time launch Sitefinity project manager) database setup, somehow my Sql Server 2008 instance didn't have Named Pipes turned on so the db connection failed.
I turned it on and it seemed to run past the db setup part. But it still might have gave some errors because it skipped the screen where it asks you to put in the administrator name, email, etc.

I logged into PM using admin/admin and created a page, put a news widget on it and published the page. But when I hit edit on the News widget it throws an error:

Server Error in '/Default' Application.
Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: source
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during
the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace
for more information about the error and where it originated in the
code.
Exception Details: System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: source


Alot of other places doesn't seem setup correctly either, for example, when clicked on any link under the Content menu, the main content area is always empty (header & footer are still there). When I hit Administration -> Users|Roles|Permissions it gives this error:

Server Error in '/Default' Application.
Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: source
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: source

Is it possible to fix this without uninstalling everything, delete the Sitefinity SQL Server database, and reinstalling?

thanks,
John

Hi John,

It sounds like you are still in the very early stages of your evaluation? If that's the case, then before you do anything try creating  a new website project using the project manager - Sitefinity.exe. See below if you need info about the Project Manager.

Click the top left button that says "Create a New Project" and follow the setup wizard. Once you have it created then select "Actions" --> "Go to Administration" and you will be taking through the rest of the process of setting up a database and administrator.

If everything is working correctly now that you have pipes turned on, then you should be fine with your new project. If it doesn't, then I would try installing SQL Express 2008 R2 w/ Management Tools. Then try a new project. You can have more than one sql instance running, just give them different names and make sure to use that name later on when you are setting your DB server in the setup wizard.

Quick FYIs -

• If you don't have the project manager, or not sure where it's located, you can use the attached zip document to download it. 
• Here's some more information about using the Project Manager.
• If you are currently using MSSQL 2012, then you will not be able to downgrade an existing mdf file to 2008 later on.
• Always give your projects new names, even if you've deleted an old project. SQL or IIS seem to keep a copy in memory somewhere and this will cause confusion when your changes don't show up.