One of my SharePoint (small) farm, CA site home page throws error "an 
unexpected error has occured". Appending ?contents=1 shows only 3 built-in 
webparts. There is no error message in eventlog, ULS etc., All other pages in 
CA site is working fine except homepage. What could be wrong?

Thanks for any input.

Regards

J Justin


 

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Please try the below:

1. In a text editor such as Notepad, open the application-level Web.config 
file. 

2. In the Web.config file, locate the <system.web> section. 

3. Replace the <machinekey> entry in all the web.config files to: 

<machineKey validationKey="AutoGenerate,IsolateApps" 
decryptionKey="AutoGenerate,IsolateApps" validation="3DES" 
decryption="3DES"/>

Original Machine key would be 

<machineKey 
validationKey="68BEFC8A9AE23DD8DB76B952479CFCEF48B03FE750C41DD3" 
decryptionKey="BA8B66E510FD830029D9BDFC3BBD537EAB16BB0AFA9E97C1" 
validation="SHA1" 
/>

Refer http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911722
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\viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs20 
\par Please try the below:
\par 
\par 1. In a text editor such as Notepad, open the application-level Web.config file. 
\par 
\par 2. In the Web.config file, locate the <system.web> section. 
\par 
\par 3. Replace the <machinekey> entry in all the web.config files to: 
\par 
\par <machineKey validationKey="AutoGenerate,IsolateApps" 
\par decryptionKey="AutoGenerate,IsolateApps" validation="3DES" decryption="3DES"/>
\par 
\par Original Machine key would be 
\par 
\par <machineKey validationKey="68BEFC8A9AE23DD8DB76B952479CFCEF48B03FE750C41DD3" 
\par decryptionKey="BA8B66E510FD830029D9BDFC3BBD537EAB16BB0AFA9E97C1" validation="SHA1" 
\par />
\par 
\par Refer http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911722
\par }
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Hello Justin,

1. Use following method to see if FIPS is enabled on SharePoint Server:
	a) Open the Local Security Policy ( Start | All Programs | Administrative 
Tools | Local Secuity Policy )
	b) Expand Local Policies
	c) Click Security Options
	d) Right Click and choose Properties on System cryptography: Use FIPS 
compliant algorithms for encryption, hashing, and signing
	e) Set the radio button to Enabled
	f) Press OK
	g) Reset IIS ( Start | Run | type iisreset | press OK )
	h) Attempt to access the site again


2. There could be several other issues if you are not using FIPS in the 
environment. Try following in order to see the actual error message and the 
callstack due to whcih the page is not rendering. "Unexpected error" is 
just a friendly message which is displayed to end users because of security 
reasons when any critical error occurs.

Locate the web.config file for the web application in question

	Search for a tag customErrors and set its value to "Off".
			<customErrors mode="Off" />
	�
	Search for a tag CallStack and set its value to "true".
		<SafeMode MaxControls="50" CallStack="false" />

3. If you want to see the error message immediately in ULS logs then do 
following:

Run following command on the Web Front Sever being serving the site:

net stop sptrace
net start sptrace

Try to browse the Central Admin site few time

This will actually force SharePoint logging service to start writiing to a 
new log file located in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web 
server extensions\12\LOGS

Sort on modified date a take a look at the latest log file to find the 
error.

Try to find errors related to Central Admin site in the logs.

4. You can easily provision Central Administration on another Sever using 
following command:

Psconfig -cmd adminvs -provision -port <port> -windowsauthprovider 
onlyusentlm

Since Central Admin is just a team site, it can be hosted on other servefr 
if it is not working from one specific server. However at times there might 
be something wrong on the welcome page itself which resides in database in 
that case you might want to dig deeper through the callstack you get after 
performing step1.

Sunil [MSFT]

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{\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue255;}
\viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs20 Hello Justin,
\par 
\par 1. Use following method to see if FIPS is enabled on SharePoint Server:
\par \tab a) Open the Local Security Policy ( Start | All Programs | Administrative Tools | Local Secuity Policy )
\par \tab b) Expand Local Policies
\par \tab c) Click Security Options
\par \tab d) Right Click and choose Properties on System cryptography: Use FIPS compliant algorithms for encryption, hashing, and signing
\par \tab e) Set the radio button to Enabled
\par \tab f) Press OK
\par \tab g) Reset IIS ( Start | Run | type iisreset | press OK )
\par \tab h) Attempt to access the site again
\par 
\par 
\par 2. There could be several other issues if you are not using FIPS in the environment. Try following in order to see the actual error message and the callstack due to whcih the page is not rendering. "Unexpected error" is just a friendly message which is displayed to end users because of security reasons when any critical error occurs.
\par 
\par Locate the web.config file for the web application in question
\par 
\par \tab Search for a tag customErrors and set its value to "Off".
\par \tab\tab\tab <customErrors mode="\cf1\b Off\cf0\b0 " />
\par \tab\~
\par \tab Search for a tag CallStack and set its value to "true".
\par \tab\tab <SafeMode MaxControls="50" CallStack="\cf1\b false\cf0\b0 " />
\par 
\par 3. If you want to see the error message immediately in ULS logs then do following:
\par 
\par Run following command on the Web Front Sever being serving the site:
\par 
\par net stop sptrace
\par net start sptrace
\par 
\par Try to browse the Central Admin site few time
\par 
\par This will actually force SharePoint logging service to start writiing to a new log file located in C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Microsoft Shared\\web server extensions\\12\\LOGS
\par 
\par Sort on modified date a take a look at the latest log file to find the error.
\par 
\par Try to find errors related to Central Admin site in the logs.
\par 
\par 4. You can easily provision Central Administration on another Sever using following command:
\par 
\par Psconfig -cmd adminvs -provision -port <port> -windowsauthprovider onlyusentlm
\par 
\par Since Central Admin is just a team site, it can be hosted on other servefr if it is not working from one specific server. However at times there might be something wrong on the welcome page itself which resides in database in that case you might want to dig deeper through the callstack you get after performing step1.
\par 
\par Sunil [MSFT]
\par 
\par 
\par }
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