TFS2005: Windows SharePoint Services is not using the application pool identity required by Team Foundation Server (TFSWSS) for the content virtual server

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While upgrading Team Foundation Server 2005 RTM to SP1, the pre-requisite is to install hotfix: KB 919156. If a Domain move (Environment move) is done before installing the hotfix, the installation might fail with an error

Windows SharePoint Services is not using the application pool identity required by Team Foundation Server (TFSWSS) for the content virtual server. To proceed, you must exit setup and uninstall Windows SharePoint Services. Then, reinstall Windows SharePoint Services in accordance with the Team Foundation Installation Guide, and run setup again.

Cause:

As part of the domain move, the tfsservice account is changed to the account in the new domain by running a command “Tfsadminutil changeaccount” (Reference: Step 16 of https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms404883(VS.80).aspx) As a result of running the command the identity under which the TFSWSS application pool runs is changed to the Newdomain\TFSservice account format.

The hotfix installer picks the account information from the MSIproperty.ini file stored in “<sys dir>\Program files\Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server\ Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server – ENU”, the command do not change the domain information in the MSIProperty.ini. So the installation still looks for the old domain name in place of the new domain name.

Resolution:

To work around this, modify the value of “VSTF_DOMAIN” with the name of the new domain to which TFS is attached to.

1) Browse to “<sys dir>\Program files\Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server\ Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server – ENU”

2) Take a backup of MSIProperty.ini file

3) Open properties for the original MSIProperty.ini file and disable “Read-only” attribute

4) Open the file in a notepad and modify the value “VSTF_DOMAIN” to reflect the current domain.

5) Save and close the MSIProperty.ini file

Note: You have to start the installation hotfix installation all over once again, so that the installer picks up the new value from the MSIProperty.ini file.

Content by: Arunrama

Reviewed by: Lucky