MOF syntax error occurred while installing 2008 SQL server Express on Vista Ultimate

Question

I have tried cleaning, then installing 2008 SQL server Express on Vista Ultimate 3 times and spent hours on this. I have installed regular SQL server on 2003 server with no issues many times, but I have huge issues with 2008 SQL server Express. I keep getting the proceeding errors.
Any ideas?
Configuration file:            C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20081202_010008\ConfigurationFile.ini
Detailed results:
  Feature:                       Database Engine Services
  Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
  MSI status:                    Passed
  Configuration status:          Failed: see details below
  Configuration error code:      0x0A2FBD17@1211@1
  Configuration error description: A MOF syntax error occurred.
  Configuration log:             C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20081202_010008\Detail.txt
  Feature:                       SQL Client Connectivity SDK
  Status:                        Passed
  MSI status:                    Passed
  Configuration status:          Passed
  Feature:                       SQL Server Replication
  Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
  MSI status:                    Passed
  Configuration status:          Failed: see details below
  Configuration error code:      0x0A2FBD17@1211@1
  Configuration error description: A MOF syntax error occurred.
  Configuration log:             C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20081202_010008\Detail.txt
  Feature:                       Management Tools - Basic
  Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
  MSI status:                    Passed
  Configuration status:          Failed: see details below
  Configuration error code:      0x0A2FBD17@1211@1
  Configuration error description: A MOF syntax error occurred.
  Configuration log:             C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20081202_010008\Detail.txt
Rules with failures:
Global rules:
Scenario specific rules:
Rules report file:               C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20081202_010008\SystemConfigurationCheck_Report.htm

Answer 1

Similar error (not SQL Express but Enterprise) on my network reveals the following issue (still prevalent after removing and re-adding the machine to the network):
The kerberos client received a KRB_AP_ERR_MODIFIED error from the server host/machinename.domainname.local. The target name used was cifs/MACHINENAME. This indicates that the password used to encrypt the kerberos service ticket is different than that on the target server. Commonly, this is due to identically named machine accounts in the target realm (DOMAINNAME.LOCAL), and the client realm. Please contact your system administrator.
ALSO: The session setup from the computer MACHINENAME failed to authenticate. The name(s) of the account(s) referenced in the security database is MACHINENAME$. The following error occurred: Access is denied.
This default instance (Ent SQL 2008 on Ent Server 64 bit 2003 R2 SP2) failed with the MOF error using a service account to install SQL 2008.  Repair does not work.   "The SQL Server feature 'SQL_Engine_Core_Inst' is not in a supported state for repair, as it was never successfully configured. Only features from successful installations can be repaired. To continue, remove the specified SQL Server feature."
I expected to have more luck with the information here:  http://mark.michaelis.net/Blog/CategoryView.aspx?category=.Net but wound up with result seen in my next post.
Of note, tried the removal of leftover registry entries after a failed install as in link above, also removed sql folders prior to re-install. Error is the same and rather than list entire log here, there is a portion available below but as is evident, there is a permission error in the registry which verifies what mark michaelis has pointed out:
"Sco: Compile operation for mof file \etcls.mof.transformed failed. Exit code 3" "Configuration action failed for feature SQL_Engine_Core_Inst during timing ConfigNonRC and scenario ConfigNonRC." "A MOF syntax error occurred." "Configuration action failed for feature SQL_Engine_Core_Inst during timing ConfigNonRC and scenario ConfigNonRC." Here is more: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.WmiProvider.InstallMof() 2009-03-31 10:51:19 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SqlEngine.EtwSetup.Install(String strInstanceName, Guid guidInstance, String strPath) 2009-03-31 10:51:19 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SqlEngine.SqlEngineSetupPrivate.SetupETW(EffectiveProperties properties) 2009-03-31 10:51:19 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SqlEngine.SqlEngineSetupPrivate.Install_ConfigNonRC_Prepare(EffectiveProperties properties) 2009-03-31 10:51:19 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SqlEngine.SqlEngineSetupPrivate.Install(ConfigActionTiming timing, Dictionary`2 actionData, PublicConfigurationBase spcb) 2009-03-31 10:51:19 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SqlConfigBase.SqlFeatureConfigBase.Execute(ConfigActionScenario scenario, ConfigActionTiming timing, Dictionary`2 actionData, PublicConfigurationBase spcbCurrent) 2009-03-31 10:51:19 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SqlConfigBase.SlpConfigAction.ExecuteAction(String actionId) 2009-03-31 10:51:19 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SqlConfigBase.SlpConfigAction.Execute(String actionId, TextWriter errorStream) 2009-03-31 10:51:19 Slp: Exception: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException. 2009-03-31 10:51:19 Slp: Source: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco. 2009-03-31 10:51:19 Slp: Message: A MOF syntax error occurred.. 2009-03-31 10:51:20 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server to file E:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20090331_102539\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_Microsoft SQL Server.reg_ 2009-03-31 10:51:20 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall to file E:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20090331_102539\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_Windows_CurrentVersion_Uninstall.reg_ 2009-03-31 10:51:20 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer to file E:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20090331_102539\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_MSSQLServer.reg_ 2009-03-31 10:51:20 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server to file E:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20090331_102539\Registry_SOFTWARE_Wow6432Node_Microsoft_Microsoft SQL Server.reg_ 2009-03-31 10:51:20 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall to file E:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20090331_102539\Registry_SOFTWARE_Wow6432Node_Microsoft_Windows_CurrentVersion_Uninstall.reg_ 2009-03-31 10:51:20 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key
(And so on - cannot read or write the registry key)...