Exception: System.InvalidOperationException: There was an error encrypting or decrypting credentials

Question

i removed server from existing farm from central administratin _admin/FarmServers.aspx Servers in farm page, and after in exsting WFE servers and when i join the server to existing farm i get below error

Task configdb has failed with an unknown exception ---- 9 ERR Exception: System.InvalidOperationException: There was an error encrypting or decrypting credentials. Either a credential update is currently being performed, or you must update the farm account credentials on this server before you can perform this task. at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPEncryptedString.CheckCredentialLock() at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPManagedAccount.Deploy(SPApplicationPool applicationPool) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPWebServiceInstance.Provision()
at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm.Join() at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.ConfigurationDatabaseTask.CreateOrConnectConfigDb() at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.ConfigurationDatabaseTask.Run() at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.TaskThread.ExecuteTask() Entering function Common.BuildExceptionMessage

I clered the configuration cache in all servers and run the again updatefarm credential command and after got the below error in event viewer Application Server Administration job failed for service instance Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceInstance ().

Reason: There was an error encrypting or decrypting credentials. Either a credential update is currently being performed, or you must update the farm account credentials on this server before you can perform this task.

Technical Support Details: System.InvalidOperationException: There was an error encrypting or decrypting credentials. Either a credential update is currently being performed, or you must update the farm account credentials on this server before you can perform this task. at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceInstance.Synchronize() at Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.ApplicationServerJob.ProvisionLocalSharedServiceInstances(Boolean isAdministrationServiceJob

Answer 1

To fix the above problem do the following:

1. Go to SharePoint Server which host the Central administration
2. Go to run and then open Services.msc

3. Restart these services:
   *SharePoint 2010 Administration.
   *SharePoint 2010 Timer.

4. Then go to new server and re-run the configuration wizard again

5. configured successfully.

Note:You have to Login to the new server by Farm service account who has the following permissions:

1. Domain user account and not domain admin user.

2. This user Belong to the following SQL Roles

   Public
   Securityadmin
   Dbcreator
   

3. Belong to Local administrators group of SharePoint servers

Source & more information

Answer 2

Looks like removal of server did not complete successfully. As per my experience, if you remove a server from central admin, it will not disconnect the server from farm.

"If a server is no longer available, or if uninstalling SharePoint Server 2016 from Control Panel is not possible, you can remove the SharePoint server from the farm by using the SharePoint Central Administration website."

You should use PSCofnig wizard to remove the server from Farm or use the powershell to disconnect the server from farm or uninstall the SharePoint from control panel.

Removing a server from a SharePoint farm