"The System Security Configuration Application Failed" Error Message When You Apply "Dedicated" Security Level to ISA Server 2000 (816958)

SYMPTOMS

When you run the Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server Security Configuration Wizard to secure your server and you select the Dedicated security level, you receive the following error message when the Security Configuration Wizard tries to configure the security configuration settings:

The system security configuration application failed. For more information, view the log file, Securewiz.log, located in the ISA Server installation folder.

CAUSE

This issue occurs if both of the following conditions are true:

You install ISA Server 2000 on a computer that is running Windows Server 2003.

-and-
The server that is running Windows Server 2003 is not joined to a domain.

When you run the ISA Server Security Configuration Wizard and select the Dedicated security level, the ISA Security Wizard runs the following command:

Secedit /configure /DB "c:\tmp\secedit\sdb11.sdb" /verbose /log "c:\tmp\secedit\1.log" /CFG "c:\tmp\secedit\inf12.tmp"

The Inf12.tmp file in this command is based on the Hisecws.inf security template. You receive the error message because the security template that is applied references a domain computer account even though the computer is not joined to a domain.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Join the Computer to a Domain

Join the computer to a domain before you run the ISA Server Security Configuration Wizard to secure the server. The security template is successfully applied because the Security Configuration Wizard can access the computer account in the domain.

Method 2: Select the "Secure" Security Level

Select the Secure security level when you run the ISA Server Security Configuration Wizard. The security template will then be applied successfully.

Important The Secure security level may not meet your security requirements for the ISA server.

MORE INFORMATION

The issue described in this article also occurs if you apply the Hisecws.inf security template to the server that is running Windows Server 2003 and ISA Server 2000.

For additional information about how to install ISA Server 2000 on a computer that is running Windows Server 2003, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/techinfo/deployment/windowsserver2003.mspx

For additional information about how to obtain the latest service pack for ISA Server 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

313139 How to Obtain the Latest Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2000 Service Pack