SQL Reporting Services 401 Error

Date Published: 09 February 2007

SQL Reporting Services 401 Error

If you just installed SQL Server Reporting Services and you are getting a 401.1 Unauthorized error when you try to go to the http://localhost/reports this post may help. I ran into this and was having a heck of a time figuring it out, since I assumed that since my Reporting Services Configuration Tool was all GREEN that I was good to go. Not so.

In my searching I eventually found this post which led me to my old friend, a KB articleI’d already found once a week ago when fighting with Reporting Services on Vista. My search also yielded this (more of the same).

I never did get RS working on Vista so tonight’s task was to get it working on a from-scratch XP Pro install. After installing XP (and IIS 5.1) and all patches I installed SQL 2005 and SQL Reporting Services, I went through the Configuration Manager and got it all green. Finally, I fired up localhost/Reports. It prompted me for a windows login. I gave it mine. Three times. Then it shows me the 401.1 error.

The fix, for me, was this registry hack from KB 896861 (and incidentally this is not yet listed on SSW’s SSRS Suggestions Page or ASPAlliance.com’s SQL-Reporting Resource):

Method 1: Disable the loopback check

Follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. In Registry Editor, locate and then click the following registry key:
3. Right-click Lsa, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type DisableLoopbackCheck, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click DisableLoopbackCheck, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
Steve Smith

About Ardalis

Software Architect

Steve is an experienced software architect and trainer, focusing on code quality and Domain-Driven Design with .NET.