Microsoft KB Archive/814401

= PRB: Error message: Cannot generate SSPI context =

Article ID: 814401

Article Last Modified on 7/26/2006

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APPLIES TO

 Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 Standard Edition, when used with:  Microsoft Windows 2000 Standard Edition

 Microsoft Windows XP Professional 

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SYMPTOMS
When you try to connect to a computer running SQL Server 7.0, you may receive an error message if all the following conditions are true:
 * Your computer is running Windows 2000.
 * You are using Windows Authentication with domain user credentials
 * There is no active network connection from the computer running SQL Server to the domain.

You may receive the following error message:

Cannot generate SSPI context



CAUSE
This problem occurs because the computer running SQL Server cannot connect to a domain controller to authenticate your user credentials.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, make sure that the computer running SQL Server is connected to the domain network and that it can communicate with the domain controller.



MORE INFORMATION
If you use domain user credentials the first time that you connect to the computer running SQL Server while the computer is connected to your domain network, you can continue to communicate with the computer running SQL Server even if that computer cannot connect to the domain controller later. You can continue to communicate because your domain user credentials have been cached. You can continue to communicate until you disconnect from the computer running SQL Server.

Verify that the domain to which the computer running SQL Server belongs and the domain user account that you use to connect to the computer are in the same forest. The domain and the account must be in the same forest for Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI) to work.

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