Published reports to SQL Reporting Server fails with Error "The report server cannot decrypt the symmetric key used to access sensitive or encrypted data in a report server database" (4289886)

When publishing a report to SQL Reporting Services in Change Auditor the Internet Explorer page shows the following error:

 

"The report server cannot decrypt the symmetric key used to access sensitive or encrypted data in a report server database"

The Report Server service uses the symmetric key to access the encrypted data in a report server database. This symmetric key is encrypted by using an asymmetric public key that corresponds to the computer and the user account that is used to run the Report Server service. When you change the user account that is used to run the Report Server service, the report server cannot use the asymmetric public key to decrypt the symmetric key. Therefore, the Report Server service cannot use the symmetric key to access the data from the report server database.

 

This issue could happen if the service start-up account has changed, Microsoft has a KB on this issue, however the SQL logs should be checked to confirm.