sharepoint search server not installed on wss 3.0 box how do i add it?

Question

hi,

I have wss 3.0 set up and in use, but the search is not working. most of the troubleshooting starts with "open central administration, click Operations then Services On Server, then start and stop WSS Search Server".. but there is no search server listed.. only services are central admin, help search, incoming email, and web app.

any ideas?

thanks!!

Answer 1

1) You may need to start the service on a different server. At the top of the services on server page, there is a dropdown to change the currently selected server. If a server is installed as WFE only it can't host wss search. Try looking at another server

2) Do view:all and see what shows up.

Caveat: I mainly work with moss, haven't worked with wss in a while.

Answer 2

You probably need to download and install the search server. you can get it here.

Answer 3

although i voted to move to serverfault, here's my 2 cents:

use the following command in a command window (of course in the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\BIN folder):

first, trigger a (re)install of the services using:

psconfig -cmd services -install

Now start the wss search service using:

stsadm -o spsearch -action start -farmperformancelevel "PartlyReduced" -farmserviceaccount "WSSSEARCH_ACCOUNT" -farmservicepassword "WSSSEARCH_ACCOUNT_PW" -farmcontentaccessaccount "WSSCONTENT_ACCOUNT" -farmcontentaccesspassword "WSSCONTENT_ACCOUNT_PW" -indexlocation "DIRECTORYPATH_TO_INDEX" -databaseserver "DB_SERVER_NAME" -databasename "DB_NAME"

where you replace all the stuff i capitalized here with your own information.