Troubleshooting

Symptoms, causes and fixes for installation problems.

Always run Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator. Right-click and choose "Run as administrator". An administrator account alone does not give elevated privileges, and sc, net start and anything that writes to C:\Program Files\ fail with "Access is denied" without it.

Database connection

Error	Solution
"Database not configured"	Open General Settings, enter the connection details, click Test connection and Save
"Cannot connect to SQL Server"	Check the server name and instance, and that SQL Server runs. Enable TCP/IP in SQL Server Configuration Manager. Start the SQL Server Browser service for named instances
Certificate or "self-signed certificate in certificate chain" error	Leave Trust server certificate checked. A default SQL Server install uses a self-signed certificate. Uncheck it only when the server has a CA-signed certificate — see Database Connection
"Port for ... not found"	You typed the database name in the Instance field. Instance is the SQL Server instance name, such as `SQLEXPRESS`. If the SSMS title bar shows only `SERVER`, leave Instance empty
"Login failed for 'primentra_svc'"	Check the password against `setup-db-and-user.sql`. Check that Mixed Mode authentication is enabled
"Named instance not found"	SQL Server Browser is not running. Open `services.msc`, set it to Automatic, and start it

Database setup

Error	Solution
Port or connection error during setup	Enable Named Pipes and TCP/IP in SQL Server Configuration Manager, then restart SQL Server. Start SQL Server Browser for named instances
"Could not create constraint or index"	The `primentra_svc` account lacks REFERENCES permission. Run as `sysadmin`: `USE Primentra; GRANT REFERENCES ON SCHEMA::dbo TO primentra_app; GRANT CREATE SCHEMA TO primentra_app; ALTER ROLE db_ddladmin ADD MEMBER primentra_app;`
Setup script fails with a permission error	Run `setup-db-and-user.sql` as `sysadmin` first. Setup needs CREATE TABLE, ALTER, REFERENCES and CREATE PROCEDURE
Schema deployed into the wrong database	The script refuses to deploy into `master`, `tempdb`, `model` or `msdb`. Connect to the target database first: `sqlcmd -d <database>`

Windows service

Error	Solution
The service will not start after installation	Read `logs\service.err.log`. The usual cause is that the database is not configured yet — open the browser and finish the setup wizard
The service is stuck or keeps restarting	Run `scripts\repair-service.bat` as Administrator. It reinstalls the service with the correct configuration
Port already in use	The installer detects this and suggests a free port. Accept it, or change the port later with `scripts\change-port.bat 3002`

Installation and upgrade

Error	Solution
"Access is denied" or "DeleteFile failed"	A file is locked. Close `services.msc`, close any command prompt in the install folder, and exclude `C:\Program Files\Primentra\` from antivirus scanning. Last resort: `sc delete Primentra`, then run the installer again
Locked out of the admin account	Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator in the install folder and run `node scripts\recover-admin.mjs`. Type the full command including `node` — do not double-click the file. See Account Recovery

License and trial

The 60-day trial is tied to the server it started on, not to the installation. Reinstalling Primentra does not extend it. A fresh installation therefore continues — or immediately ends — a trial that was started earlier on the same machine.

Error	Solution
"License expired" or read-only mode right after a new installation	Known issue up to and including 1.2026.6.22, fixed in 1.2026.7.28. Saving the database details cleared the licence fields from the configuration file while the trial was still running. Run `Restart-Service Primentra` in an elevated PowerShell and refresh the browser. No reinstall is needed and no days are lost. To confirm first, open `http://localhost:3001/api/trial-status` on the server itself — it reports `"status":"active"` with the days left
Existing licence key rejected after upgrading	Keys are signed with Ed25519 since 1.2026.7.28, and older keys no longer validate. Request a replacement — see Licensing
"Trial expired" on a machine used before	The trial is recorded per server, so a reinstall does not start a new one. This also applies to a machine deployed from an image on which Primentra was evaluated. Send us the output of `http://localhost:3001/api/trial-status` and we will extend the trial or issue a key
Fewer trial days than expected	Days left are counted from the current system time, so a server clock set ahead makes the trial look shorter. Correct the time and the days return. Only the start date is fixed
Read-only and no key on the License tab	The trial ended. Enter a licence key under Settings › General Settings › License

Log files

All logs are in logs\ under the installation directory, by default C:\Program Files\Primentra\logs\.

File	Contents
`errorlog.txt`	Application errors — API failures, startup problems, stack traces
`service.log`	Service stdout — normal application output
`service.err.log`	Service stderr — crash details and Node.js errors
`install.log`	Installer log — a step-by-step record of the installation

You can also read errors in the application under Settings › Logs, or in Windows Event Viewer under Application, source Primentra.

Repair tools

Script	Purpose
`scripts\repair-service.bat`	Reinstalls the Windows service — fixes a stuck, paused or failing service
`scripts\change-port.bat 3002`	Changes the port Primentra listens on
`node scripts\recover-admin.mjs`	Lists users and resets passwords when you are locked out

Health & Monitoring — check the service and schema before digging into logs
Database Connection — connection fields and the test button
Licensing — trial, keys and expiry
Error Log — read the same errors inside the application
Account Recovery — regain administrator access

Health & Monitoring

Import Test Data

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