Problem installing desktop SQL 7 on Windows XP

I'm trying to install SQL 7 Desktop on Windows XP. When setup gives the
'starting service' message for the second time it stalls for ~1 minute then
returns with "Cannot initialize server".

I have noticed at least 20 other members (no exagerration!) of this forum report the same issue.

Does anyone out there know what is the solution when this happens.

Your help would be very much appreciated!do it have to do with your installing it under the windows authentication or sql server authentication?|||Originally posted by lorddog
do it have to do with your installing it under the windows authentication or sql server authentication?

No.
Its fixed now!
For me the solution was to stop everything that was already running (including antivirus, firewalls - all that stuff in the bottom right corner of your screen). I suppose that the "bottom-right-corner" stuff is implemented as "services" in XP, and these items must somehow get in the way of the installer when it tries to start the SQL service. Anyway, its fixed now! Hope this helps the rest who have (and will in the future) come up against this problem.

PS: I did not have the problem on my old win 98 system (which does not do "services"), and so the installation was able to complete without this issue arising.