What operating system? Server is Win 2003, SP2, IIS6, .NET 3.5
What database platform? MS SQL 2008
What version of mojoPortal? 2.3.9.0 MSSQL, Full Trust

Steps to produce the problem, expected results, actual results:

This is a new website, not an upgrade, to answer that question about the searching, as I know from the website and from the web.config there are settings related to upgrading. This is a fresh install. Tried searching for text I knew was on multiple pages (so I knew what pages to hit and update), and got "no results". Read on the mojo site about rebuilding index to fix search oddities, so I "rebuilt the search index by deleting all files from the index folder and then doing a new search. It will detect that the index folder is empty and it will re-build the index." I noticed before deleting that the files in that location (Data\Sites\1\index) all had the original install date 7/20, but we've definitely added testing content in the weeks we've been trying this out. So I deleted the files thinking something got stuck, then hit my site and entered a search term. I got the expected "The Search Index for the site is currently being built. Please wait a few minutes and try your search again." And I did as the mojo article said - go to admin, advanced, task queue - sure enough there are two tasks running. After 1 minute (a test site with not much content), no more active tasks. Looked in task queue history and see both listed with completed date/time and 100% in progress. Go back to search box and do a search, but get the "currently being built" error, go back and see the same two tasks again running and completing. I also edited an html content module and see the same two tasks run and complete. No search results, and looking in that folder (Data\Sites\1\index) there are no files at all. (Note, 3 files were deleted to start this process: _0.cfs [10kb], segments.gen [1kb], segments_3 [1kb]). I double checked file level permissions and all good (wouldn't install mojo anyway without correct permissions, but wanted to be thorough).

Two task names:
-"mojoPortal.Business.WebHelpers.IndexWriterTask, mojoPortal.Business.WebHelpers, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null"

-"WebTaskManager"

System Logs for most recent attempt at index run:
2012-08-03 10:20:17,429 INFO (null) - (null) - (null) - mojoPortal.Business.WebHelpers.IndexHelper - Rebuilding Search index.
2012-08-03 10:20:17,445 INFO (null) - (null) - (null) - mojoPortal.Business.WebHelpers.IndexHelper - Finished indexing main features.
2012-08-03 10:20:17,445 INFO (null) - (null) - (null) - mojoPortal.Business.WebHelpers.IndexHelper - Finished indexing Forums.
2012-08-03 10:20:22,445 INFO (null) - (null) - (null) - mojoPortal.Web.WebTaskManager - deserialized WebTaskManager task
2012-08-03 10:20:22,445 INFO 10.2.1.200 - en-US - /SearchResults.aspx?q=need - mojoPortal.Web.WebTaskManager - Queued WebTaskManager on a new thread
2012-08-03 10:20:22,538 INFO (null) - (null) - (null) - mojoPortal.Business.WebHelpers.IndexWriterTask - deserialized IndexWriterTask task
2012-08-03 10:20:22,538 INFO (null) - (null) - (null) - mojoPortal.Business.WebHelpers.IndexWriterTask - Queued IndexWriterTask on a new thread
2012-08-03 10:21:12,663 INFO (null) - (null) - (null) - mojoPortal.Business.WebHelpers.IndexWriterTask - started IndexWriterTask task
2012-08-03 10:21:22,569 INFO (null) - (null) - (null) - mojoPortal.Web.WebTaskManager - started WebTaskManager task

**PS: I know the mojo article said it could take a long time on large sites - I did this all yesterday, so it could easily have run/finished overnight. Again, this is a small test site right now, so not much to index yet.

Thanks for the quick response Joe! That's exactly what I thought too. And I've reviewed the site instructions and the server file system. We're able to upload new files (like .pdf for links in html content) and see those files created on the server. I've also re-installed .zip files of individual skins and see those reflected in Data\Sites\1\skins folder. And we tested the gallery feature the other day, and those image files uploaded and created new folders and files successfully too.

So the folders are successfully writing for other functions in the website. That's why I got stumped on this. Plus, in order to do the initial site setup (setup/default.aspx) the folders had to be writable then as well - and it did create the site and initially create the search files. Weird huh...

Thanks for sticking with me. I did as you suggested, I also took it further and removed the permissions on the whole data folder and forced to replicate to child folders. Then added the permissions back, double checking in IIS App Pool for user (Network Service) to add the correct user and again replicating down to all child folders. Still no luck.

I also cleared the System Log to try and get a better look at recent lines. I also recycled the app pool and change/save web.config to force refreshing things. Then tried a search again. Noticed right after the application started line:

2012-08-03 12:54:08,386 ERROR 10.2.1.200 - en-US - /SearchResults.aspx?q=need - mojoPortal.Business.WebHelpers.IndexBuilderManager - System.Configuration.Provider.ProviderException: No IndexBuilderProvider found.
at mojoPortal.Business.WebHelpers.IndexBuilderManager.Initialize()

So there's no indexbuilderprovider found... Did something not go right on initial setup? If so, how can I rerun setup without losing my database, skin, etc but get the baseline mojoportal pieces all installed and working correctly?

That was it, thanks! I'm also the network admin, so usually when I do something new I try my best to secure it and not leave extra things available - so after install I renamed the setup folder so no one could accidentally re-run it or leave it exposed externally if any exploits were possible. I renamed the folder back to setup and the indexing ran successfully and created files successfully.

I already know about the web.config setting to disable setup, and that's in place. Will take that as good enough for keeping web users out of setup locations.

Thanks again!