Getting prompted enter username and password when trying to get into the SSP area

1. Symptom –

–>You are trying to access your shared services page URL https://sharepoint/ssp/admin, but it prompts for password thrice and if the password is supplied for the system account you get IIS error

“HTTP Error 401.1 – Unauthorized: Access is denied due to invalid credentials.”

–>You are unable to get into the SharedServices1 site

2. Cause –>Security setting in Windows Server 2003
3. Resolution –> went to registry

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

–>Create a DWORD Key “DisableLoopbackCheck” and modified the value to 1

–>Performed IISRESET

–>Browsed the SharedServices site and it opened successfully

4. More Information –

You receive error 401.1 when you browse a Web site that uses Integrated Authentication and is hosted on IIS 5.1 or IIS 6

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896861