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Problem uninstalling database during ADFS v2 backout

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In a recent ADFS deployment to Windows 2008R2 we accidentally deleted the ADFS NT service account user (don't ask). Thinking it would simply be a matter of uninstalling ADFS and reinstalling we went ahead and tried. However, we hit the problem that the SQL database used by ADFS persists even after installation and EVEN after choosing to delete the database upon subsequent re-installation. The new user account with the same name therefore clashes with the old SQL login of the same name that is hanging around in the ADFS related databases, and the installation fails.

We had to do the following:

  1. Uninstall the Windows Internal Database via Server Manager
  2. Manually delete the ADFS related databases located at "c:\windows\sysmsi\ssee\mssql.2005\mssql\data"
  3. Follow the steps described at https://support.microsoft.com/kb/982813

Later.

Brad