A long time ago, but not in a galaxy too far away…actually, just in Redmond, WA,… there was A NEW HOPE for easier PowerPivot for SharePoint installations! 
So hats off to the Analysis Services product team for building an easier PowerPivot for SharePoint installation by providing us with the “New Server” installation choice. Yet, even with the easier installation steps, it is important to make sure you do the steps in the right order and have the correct prerequisites installed to make it a smooth installation experience.
During the CTP (Community Technology Preview) process, a number of us had got together to create the PowerPivot for SharePoint installation guides. We had created a set of draft copies that were available at http://powerpivotgeek.com/server-installation/single-server-install/. Ultimately, a great installation guide is also found in the How to: Install PowerPivot for SharePoint on a New SharePoint Server.
But there is always the ask to create a guide with pictures and/or video – which I have to admit makes things a lot easier to read and install at the same time. Because of this, there are two new very useful tools to help out:
1) PowerPivot for SharePoint: Single Server Installation Guide – This guide contains the installation steps plus plenty of screenshots to help make the install steps a little easier.
2) PowerPivot for SharePoint: Single Server Installation Video – This video is created by the illustrious PowerPivotGeek – i.e. Dave Wickert. Informing and enjoyable at the same time!
Hope this makes your PowerPivot for SharePoint Single Server Installation more enjoyable!….or at least less painful, eh?!
Enjoy…or not 
Denny Lee 
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Hi,
Firstly, I found the guide very helpful and easy to follow, thank you. 🙂
I do have a couple of questions about paragraph 2.g where it says
“To simplify the installation, use the same account you specified in Step 2e. Due to a known bug, if you select a different account you receive an error when the data refresh attempts to access the stored credentials”
Q1. Do you know if this bug has been fixed yet ?
Q2. Is this workaround just to get through the installation process and the accounts selected can be changed afterwards or is it a permanent thing and the Server Farm Account must always be the same as the SQL service accounts for power pivot to work ?
In my circumstances I need to use my own account for the Server Farm Account (I think) as I’m setting up a dev environment but I am also expected to follow my organisations best practice and use the same accounts that have been set-up for service account use on our main sql servers.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Hi Alan,
This bug has not been fixed yet but we are planning to fix it in the next version. The reason for this is because of the security rights associated with being able to access the credentials for data refresh.
HTH!
Denny