Changing Computer Name

This is from Technet article Q195759:
"This error message appears if you have renamed the Windows computer on which you installed SQL Server 7.0. SQL Server 7.0 uses the Windows computer name internally; if you change the Windows computer name, SQLServer detects a different name and generates the error message.

NOTE : Your data has not been corrupted or damaged in any way.

To resolve this error and start SQL Server again, do either of the following:

1) Run SQL Server 7.0 Setup from the original product CD. Doing so will not reinstall SQL Server or any components; however, it will update SQL Server 7.0 internally to reflect the new Windows computer name. You also need to update SQL Server's internal servername by running the following two stored procedures:

sp_dropserver
go
sp_addserver , local
go
If SQL Server is configured to listen on either the Multiprotocol or NWLink IPX/SPX network libraries, you'll need to remove them, and then add them back using the SQL Server Network Utility.

2) Change the Windows computer name back to the original name it had when you first installed SQL Server 7.0."

So, there is a procedure to "fix" SQL 7 after you rename the machine. Now, inregards to this procedure, there is an additional Technet article,
Q303774, which you should read also. Here is the URL for it:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q303774
(please remove any spaces)
There was a problem with the rename procedure listed in step 1 above in the SQL Server Online, but the example has the fix. The article just lists the fix.

Hope this makes sense and helps you out.

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