Android, Google: "Can't establish a reliable connection to the server"

Draft, ver. 1.0

127.201.26.224 android.clients.google.com mtalk.google.com

If you cannot add another Google account, getting errors:
Can't establish a reliable connection to the server
, or if synchronization of the existing Google services fails with:
Sync is currently experiencing problems
then your /etc/hosts file may be playing up.

Quite often this hosts file is created by an ad-blocking application, e.g. AdFree.

Despite this recommendation, it is not only this entry:
(see above)
that is playing up. In fact, I could not find it in my hosts file. I did not waste time experimenting which of these URLs is the right (wrong) one, so I just deleted the whole hosts file.

Here's how:
1. Run ES Explorer
2. Go to the root folder (/) and mount the system as Read/Write (now available in the Tools section, Root Explorer: ON)
3. Rename the /etc/hosts file to /etc/hosts.bak
4. Reboot (important).
5. Check if the hosts file is realy gone.
6. Try creating a new Google account again.

If that fails too, try toggling the connection between WiFi and Cellular. If all fails, try to restore the system from your restore point.

Windows Search service - Access is denied error

 If you suddenly cannot search through your emails or other items in Windows, then check the following :

A. Windows Search Service.
Type  MMC.EXE, Add the Services snap-in, scroll down to the relevant entry:





Check:
1. Is the service running, or just starting and stopping?
2. Is it set as Automatic (delayed) start?
3. Is it run by the Local System account?




B. Event Log
Add the Event Log snap-in



If you get: The Windows Search service terminated with the following error:  Access is denied, then this may have happened:

The folders with index files under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\ have wrong security permissions. In my case the Local Service account entry was missing.


To add the missing permissions for the Local Service, right click the ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data folder, select Properties, Security, Advanced, Change Permissions, Add


Type: Local into the text field and press Check Names. The Local Service account should be filled in as in above.

Press OK to go back. Now you need to allow this account to modify the folder's content. Press Edit to bring up the Permissions Entry for Data window:

Select the Replace all child object permissions ... checkbox, to propagate the new permissions to the subfolders.

Click OK, making sure that no further errors crop up. If you can't modify the permissions, check if you are the owner of the folder (the Owner tab) and modify accordingly.

Now check if the Windows Indexing Service has fully started and its effects are as they should be, e.g. in Outlook: