Windows SharePoint Services 3 Search | Gatherer | Event ID: 2436 | Access is denied. Check that the Default Content Access Account has access to this content, or add a crawl rule to crawl this content. (0×80041205)

Error message: The start address <sts3://<YOUR_URL>/contentdbid={THE_SITE_GUID}> cannot be crawled.
Context: Application ‘Search index file on the search server’, Catalog ‘Search’
Details: Access is denied. Check that the Default Content Access Account has access to this content,
or add a crawl rule to crawl this content.(0×80041205)

Solution: Extend your site. Swap URL for for Default zone and Intranet zone. This make it possible for the search account to crawl your site content using an alternative URL with Integrated Windows Authentication.

A. Open Central Administration Site ->Application Management -> Create or Extend Web Application -> Extend an Existing Web Application.

1. Select your site. (The site the has problem with search)
2. In IIS Web Site select ‘Create a new IIS Website’
3. Enter an unique port number.
4. Enter a hostheader if desired.
5. Select NTLM as Authentication Provider.
6. In Load Balanced URL select ‘Intranet’ Zone. Click on OK.

B. In Central Administration -> Application Management -> Authentication Providers.

1. You will see the Default Zone and the Intranet Zone where we extended the new site.
2. Click on Default zone; make sure that only Basic Authentiation is selected. Click on OK.
3. Click on Intranet zone; make sure that Windows Integrated is selected. Click on OK.

C. Open IIS console -> Web Sites.

1. Go to the properties of your site. (The site the has problem with search)  -> Directory Security
2. Click Edit in Authentication and access control.
3. You should see only ‘Basic Authentication’ selected.
4. In Default Domain type \ (backslash)
5. Click on OK. Click on OK.

D. Open Central Administration -> Operations -> Alternate Access Mappings -> Select the Main Web Application.

1. You will see two zones having the URL’s specified. In default zone your primary URL. In Intranet zone the URL and port number of the extended site.
2. We have to now swap these two zone URL’s putting the Default URL in the Intranet zone and vice versa.
5. In Windows, hit Start/Run. Enter IISRESET + Enter.

6. Check the Eventviewer and verify that we should NOT get the event id 2436 gatherer which is a warning. This warning will come after every five minutes or whatever the indexing interval you have choosen.

Michael Folin
Systems Engineer
michael@folin.com