It appears it's best to make the change via the SQL Configuration Manager. According to some articles

the SQL utility ensures the account is updated in the required registry keys...

Thanks for all the assistance. Finally found the solution. The problem lied with the registration of the

Service Principle Name ( SPN ) for the SQL server instance...

I've looked at both the SQL Logs and Event logs in Windows. It keeps indicating a failure to

logon the user account "AD\comcss". Once again, the account has local...

It is enabled under the server properties. I've done some additional troubleshooting with the help of Symantec and noticed that a SQL account connects just fine. Created a...

To answer both replies i've disabled the windows firewall on both boxes. This was my first guess.

The error message reads....

[font="Arial Black"]"Cannot connect to Microsoft SQL Server COM-COMSQL. On...