We have done about a dozen installs of SQL2005 in labs and in production and
found that the tools work only if every component is installed on C:.  On
several production servers, we need to have the database on a large drive
other than C:, but when the "data" portion is installed on d:, the tools like
Surface Area Configuration fail.

The following popup occurs in the latter case: "Specified argument was out
of the range of valid values.  Parameter name:(System.Windows.Forms)

The Security log has the following failure audit:
Object Open:
    Object Server:    SC Manager
    Object Type:    SERVICE OBJECT
    Object Name:    ReportServer
    Handle ID:    -
    Operation ID:    {0,19352350}
    Process ID:    608
    Image File Name:    C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
    Primary User Name:    MG1-SCDW$
    Primary Domain:    SERVICE
    Primary Logon ID:    (0x0,0x3E7)
    Client User Name:    NETWORK SERVICE
    Client Domain:    NT AUTHORITY
    Client Logon ID:    (0x0,0x3E4)
    Accesses:    Query service configuration information
            Query status of service
            Query information from service

    Privileges:    -
    Restricted Sid Count:    0
    Access Mask:    0x85

Identical errors appear for these objects: MSSQLServerOLAPService, MSSQLSERVER

Jmc (J**@discussions.microsoft.com) writes:
Have you filed a bug for this on http://connect.microsoft.com? If not,
you should do it. It sounds as if it is reproducible.

There is a way to force the entire install of the root disk: you can
change the setting for ProgramFilesDir and maybe also CommonFilesDir
in the registy. I don't know if this is supported though. You will
still take a tool on the system disk for all the Installer files.
Particularly the service packs put a lot of stuff there.

SQL Server Management Studio - long names in tabs
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