Set the Service Account for the Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher

This topic describes how to set the service account for the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service (MSSQLFDLauncher) by using the SQL Server Configuration Manager. The SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service is used by full-text search ssNoVersionto start the filter daemon host process, which handles full-text search filtering and word breaking. This service must be running to use full-text search.

The SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service is an instance-aware service that is associated with a specific instance of SQL Server. The SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service propagates the service account information to each filter daemon host process.

In This Section

  • Security Recommendations

  • Setting the Service Account

  • If the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher Service Does Not Start

Security Recommendations

The recommended account for the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service depends on the operating system:

  • On Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008

    For enhanced security, on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, the default account assigned to the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service is the Local Service account. SQL Server uses new security features available in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 to provide a high level of security and isolation for the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service and FDHOST process running as Local Service. Therefore, on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, we recommend that you always use the Local Service account for the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher. On these platforms, you should not configure the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service to run under any other account.

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Setting the Service Account

  1. On the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server 2012 , point to Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Configuration Manager.

  2. In SQL Server Configuration Manager, click SQL Server Services, right-click SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher (instance name), and then click Properties.

  3. Click the Log On tab of the dialog box, and then select or enter the account under which to run each process created by the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service. If you choose not to use the Local Service account, then we recommend that you specify a low-privileged local user account with User rights and permissions on the local computer.

  4. After you close the dialog box, click Restart to restart the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service.

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If the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher Service Does Not Start

If the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service does not start, one or more of the following might be the cause:

  • The password associated with the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service account has expired.

    If you use a local user account for the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service and your password expires, you need to:

    1. Set a new Windows password for the account.

    2. In SQL Server Configuration Manager, update the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service to use the new password.

  • The user account or password of the service account is incorrect.

    The SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service might attempt to log in with an incorrect user account and password. Follow the procedures above to verify that the user account for the service has not been changed.

  • The account used to log in to the service does not have privileges.

    You might be using an account that does not have login privileges on the computer where the server instance is installed. Verify that you are logging in with an account that has User rights and permissions on the local computer.

  • Another instance of the same named pipe is already running.

    The SQL Server service acts as a named pipe server for the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service client. If the named pipe was already created by another process before SQL Server starts, an error will be logged in the SQL Server error log and the Windows Event Log, and full-text search will not be available. Determine what process or application is attempting to use the same named pipe and stop the application.

  • The SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service is not configured correctly.

    The service may not be configured correctly on the local computer.

    If named pipes functionality has been disabled on the local computer, or if SQL Server has been configured to use a named pipe other than the default named pipe, the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service might not start.

  • The SQL Server service group does not have permission to start SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service.

    During the installation of SQL Server, the SQL Server service group is granted default permission to manage, query, and start the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service. If SQL Server service group permissions to the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service account have been removed after SQL Server installation, the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service will not start, and full-text search will be disabled. Make certain the SQL Server service group has permissions to the SQL Full-text Filter Daemon Launcher service account.

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See Also

Concepts

Upgrade Full-Text Search from SQL Server 2005

Other Resources

Managing Services How-to Topics (SQL Server Configuration Manager)