sqlmaint.exe failed. [SQLSTATE 42000] (Error 22029)

We still have an SQL 2000 production server from a third party supplier. The backups failed for several days and looking on serveral blogs I found that some had disk space issues.

I did not have a disk space issue BUT a consultant from the third party had restricted the rights of the DATA folder to administrators only !

so if you run into this error :

1. check that you have sufficient disk space
2. check the data folder security :)