Replication errors we have encountered
SQL Server Replication requires the actual Server name
This is can arise in our dev and test environment when trying to configure replication on a cloned server. The problem is that the servername becomes unregistered at some point in the process.

To check whether this is the problem run

SELECT @@SERVERNAME
This should be the name of the SQL Server Instance e.g. MSSQLSERVER\PROD1

Resolution:
Run the following SQL

-- This first bit will not be needed if @@SERVERNAME IS NULL
Use Master
go
Sp_DropServer '[wrongname]'
GO

-- This is the important bit
Use Master
go
Sp_Addserver 'MSSQLSERVER\PROD1', 'local'
GO
Then restart the SQL Services

Profile not valid
Troubleshooting Database Mail: Profile not valid

Caused due to DDL Trigger on stored procedures on the Hub database which attempts to send a notification email if it is triggered.

Resolution: ensure that the database mail profile specified in the DDL trigger exists on the server and works.

INSERT failed because the following SET options have incorrect settings: 'ANSI_PADDING'. Verify that SET options are correct for use with indexed views and/or indexes on computed columns and/or query notifications and/or xml data type methods. (Source: MSSQLServer, Error number: 1934)
Caused due to DDL Trigger on stored procedures on the Hub database - only affected one publication for some reason.

Resolution: only way round this found so far is to drop the DDL trigger on stored procedures.

Server: Msg 14117, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_dropdistributiondb, Line 39 'Distribution' is not configured as a distribution database
MSSQL_ENG014117

Related stuff
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Msg 20581, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_MSrepl_check_server, Line 22
Cannot drop server 'repl_distributor' because it is used as a Distributor in replication.

Run the following:

EXEC master.dbo.sp_serveroption @server=N'MSSQLSERVER\DEV1', @optname=N'dist', @optvalue=N'false'
GO
Could not execute 'sp_replcmds'
Error messages:
The process could not execute 'sp_replcmds' on 'GP10'. (Source: MSSQL_REPL, Error number: MSSQL_REPL20011)
Get help: http://help/MSSQL_REPL20011
Cannot execute as the database principal because the principal "dbo" does not exist, this type of principal cannot be impersonated, or you do not have permission. (Source: MSSQLServer, Error number: 15517)
Get help: http://help/15517

etc.

Run the following on the database being published:

ALTER AUTHORIZATION ON DATABASE::Hub_staging to sql_deploy
Where 'sql_deploy' is the database owner

Error: The process could not execute 'sp_repldone/sp_replcounters' on 'GP10'. (Source: MSSQL_REPL, Error number: MSSQL_REPL20011)
Run the following job on the publication server.

sp_replrestart

The subscription(s) have been marked inactive and must be reinitialized. NoSync subscriptions will need to be dropped and recreated. (Source: MSSQLServer, Error number: 21074)
Run the following script on the publisher database:


EXEC sp_reinitsubscription @publication =  'Pub Master.Product', @subscriber = 'MSSQLSERVER'


Cannot delete the publication because there is a subscription
I had a problem where there was no subscrition to the publication and i still could not delete it. The distributor database was stopping the deletion, i managed to delete it and recreate it in the end but to delete it i used this command to ignore the distributor

exec sp_droppublication @publication = N'Pub uvwProduct',@ignore_distributor = 1
Unable to shrink transaction log
Run the following:

SELECT name, log_reuse_wait_desc
FROM sys.databases
If log_resuse_wait_desc says REPLICATION then there could be some problems with replication not being marked as done so run the following:

EXEC sp_repldone @xactid = NULL, @xact_segno = NULL, @numtrans = 0,     @time = 0, @reset = 1