Resetting search index error

I was trying to reset the search index on my dev box and the following error message comes up while doing so:

The application is unable to accept further updates because the last attempt to persist the state failed.

Checking the event logs show up following messages:

Unable to Reset search application 'Shared Services'. Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.DatabaseException: Unable to persist changes to the search application object due to a previous error persisting changes. See event log for more information on the cause. Only read operations are possible until the issue is resolved. ---> System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80040DBA): The application is unable to accept further updates because the last attempt to persist the state failed. See the event log for more details. at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.MSSITLB.IGatherApplication2.ValidateVersionForWrite(Int32 lLastVersion, Int32& plVersionOut) at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchApi.WriteAndReturnVersion(CodeToRun`1... .. remoteCode, VoidCodeToRun localCode, Int32 versionIn) --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchApi.WriteAndReturnVersion(CodeToRun`1 remoteCode, VoidCodeToRun localCode, Int32 versionIn) at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchApi.ResetApp(Int32 versionIn) at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchApi.ResetApp()

To fix it, I tried the following steps:

• Operations -> Services on server -> Office Sharepoint Server Search - > stop
• Started the service again
• SSP site -> search settings
• Here you need to associate the SSP with the search database
• Once its done, go back to the search settings page and wait for sometime for the indexer to complete its job (probably 2-3 minutes)
• Now the search index can be reset.