Observability

Error During SolarWinds Platform Upgrade “The specified account already exists” When Installing SftpServerInstaller.msi

This article provides information about a SolarWinds Platform upgrade failure where the installer halts with the error “The specified account already exists.” The issue occurs during the installation of the SolarWinds SFTP/SCP Server component (SftpServerInstaller.msi) and results in upgrade error 1603.

First published date

11/26/2025 8:55 PM

Last published date

12/1/2025 6:07 PM

Overview

During an upgrade of the SolarWinds Platform (for example to version 2025.4.x), the installer may fail with the following message:

 

 

Reviewing the installer logs (found under:

C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\Installer\<timestamp>\AdministrationService.Client.log) shows entries similar to:

 

YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS,SSS [ThreadID] INFO  ... Installing C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Installers\Observability-<version>-SftpServerInstaller.msi
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS,SSS [ThreadID] ERROR ... Exception while installing SubInstallers\SftpServerInstaller.msi
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS,SSS [ThreadID] ERROR ... MsiMessage: The specified account already exists.
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS,SSS [ThreadID] ERROR ... Installer Exception. Error Code: 1603

 

This is the only fatal error in the chain, and it causes the platform upgrade to terminate.

 

The failure happens during the creation of the SFTP/SCP Server service account . If the account already exists in Windows, the MSI refuses to continue and stops with Error 1603, which is standard Windows Installer behavior.

Product section

Hybrid Cloud Observability

Cause

This issue occurs when the SolarWinds SFTP/SCP Server installer detects that the required local service account already exists on the server.

 

Because the MSI’s CreateUser action cannot create an already-existing account, the installer stops with:

“The specified account already exists.”

Resolution

Resolution Option 1 - Cleanly Uninstall SolarWinds SCP/SFTP Server

  1. Open Control Panel → Programs and Features.
  2. Locate SolarWinds SCP Server or SolarWinds SFTP/SCP Server.
  3. Uninstall the component.
  4. After uninstall completes, re-run the SolarWinds Platform Installer and proceed with the upgrade.

 

If uninstallation fails or the component is not listed, use the official Microsoft troubleshooter to forcibly remove the product.

 

Resolution Option 2 - Remove SCP/SFTP Server Using Microsoft Uninstall Tool

  1. Download Microsoft’s “Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter” from:
    https://support.microsoft.com/topic/fix-problems-that-block-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed-cca7d1b6-65a9-3d98-426b-e9f927e1eb4d 
  2. Run the tool and select Uninstall.
  3. Choose SolarWinds SCP Server or SolarWinds SFTP/SCP Server from the list.
  4. Allow the tool to complete cleanup of the remnants.
  5. Re-run the SolarWinds Platform Upgrade.

 

Successfully removing the old SCP/SFTP Server installation and associated service account will allow the installer to create the required service account during this step. This resolves the specific failure related to “The specified account already exists” error.