How do I fix an SQL Server issue

Question

How do I fix an SQL Server issue

Kevin Johnson 0

I recently transferred from one computer to another and forgot that one of the programs needed installed from scratch or it caused issues and would not open the program even after re-installation. The issue I am having involves SQL server. Windows cannot fond 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn\SqlLocalDB.exe' how do I clear or reset the sql back to factory setting so as to allow the software to install what it needs? I am running Windows 11 Pro OS build 26200.7462

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Answer recommended by moderator

Erland Sommarskog 137.5K MVP Volunteer Moderator

I think the easiest is to install SQL Server LocalDB separately. The version you need is very old, from 2012, but you can find it here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-sg/download/details.aspx?id=50003 When you click the Download button, you will get a number of alternatives. You only want the first entry on the list.

Important! Before you run the installation, review this article, which discusses a known issue where the way Windows 11 report disk-sector sizes can cause SQL Server not to start. As this article is a bit technical, here is the first thing you should do: Open a command-line with Run as Administrator:

fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo C:

The output will have a couple of numbers to the right. None of these numbers must exceed 4095. If they do, apply the registry update described in the article and reboot.

Once you have install SQL Server LocalDB, you can try installing your other software.

Note: As I mentioned, this is a very old version of SQL Server. Presumably, there is a newer version of the software you are using, which is using a newer version of SQL Server LocalDB. But, yes, that is, upgrading to a new version probably comes with a price tag.

touch the water 0 Reputation points

2026-01-16T23:05:52.12+00:00

is there an easier way ? we bought this new computer with windows 11 because they won't support windows 10 anymnore. and I can't get any support of repairing my sql files. very frustrating that the new software doesn't provide repair software for this . I have tried the above steps and that didn't work.
Erland Sommarskog 137.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-17T10:03:15.9633333+00:00
If there is an easier way? Maybe, but please keep in mind that I have no knowledge about the software that is using SQL Server. Nor do I have access to your machine. So I will have to do some guesswork and hope that it works out.

But let's see if we can do some troubleshooting. As an initial investigation, can you open a command prompt with Run as Administrator and run

fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo C:

and share the output?

To open a Command Prompt, you would need to open the Start Menu and then select Windows Tools. Then right-click Command Prompt in the window that comes up and select Run as Administrator.

(To make things more difficult, I am normally not running the Windows 11 Start Menu, but I have lost of customisations, so my instructions may not be accurate.)
Shruti Dhruv 875 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-21T09:08:15.6966667+00:00

Hi Kevin,

I hope you had a chance to review the information shared, and I hope this information has been helpful! If you still have questions, feel free to reach out so that we can assist you.

Thank You for reaching out on Microsoft Q&A Forum
Shruti

2 additional answers

Your answer

touch the water 0 Reputation points

2026-01-16T23:05:52.12+00:00

is there an easier way ? we bought this new computer with windows 11 because they won't support windows 10 anymnore. and I can't get any support of repairing my sql files. very frustrating that the new software doesn't provide repair software for this . I have tried the above steps and that didn't work.
Erland Sommarskog 137.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-17T10:03:15.9633333+00:00

If there is an easier way? Maybe, but please keep in mind that I have no knowledge about the software that is using SQL Server. Nor do I have access to your machine. So I will have to do some guesswork and hope that it works out.

But let's see if we can do some troubleshooting. As an initial investigation, can you open a command prompt with Run as Administrator and run

fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo C:

and share the output?

To open a Command Prompt, you would need to open the Start Menu and then select Windows Tools. Then right-click Command Prompt in the window that comes up and select Run as Administrator.

(To make things more difficult, I am normally not running the Windows 11 Start Menu, but I have lost of customisations, so my instructions may not be accurate.)
Shruti Dhruv 875 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-21T09:08:15.6966667+00:00

Hi Kevin,

I hope you had a chance to review the information shared, and I hope this information has been helpful! If you still have questions, feel free to reach out so that we can assist you.

Thank You for reaching out on Microsoft Q&A Forum
Shruti

Answer 1

If SQL Server can’t find C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn\SqlLocalDB.exe, it usually means SQL Server LocalDB wasn’t installed correctly or the specific LocalDB version your app expects isn’t present. One easy fix is to install or repair SQL Server LocalDB, you can do this from Control Panel --> Programs and Features by repairing the SQL Server installation, or by installing LocalDB separately from the SQL Server download page. In some Windows 11 cases, you may also need to check a disk‑sector size issue before LocalDB will start correctly. After installing the correct LocalDB version and ensuring SqlLocalDB.exe exists in the Tools\Binn folder, your software should install and start normally.

Answer 2

To resolve the issue with SQL Server not finding the SqlLocalDB.exe file, you can try the following steps:

Repair the SQL Server Installation: You can repair your SQL Server installation to restore any missing or corrupted files. This can be done through the Control Panel:
- Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features.
- Find your SQL Server installation in the list, right-click it, and select Repair.
Reinstall SQL Server: If repairing does not work, you may need to uninstall SQL Server completely and then reinstall it. Make sure to back up any necessary databases before doing this.
- Uninstall SQL Server from Control Panel > Programs and Features.
- After uninstallation, restart your computer and then install SQL Server again from the original installation media.
Check Installation Folder: Ensure that the SqlLocalDB.exe file is indeed missing from the specified path. If it is missing, the repair or reinstallation should restore it.
Check for Updates: Make sure that your SQL Server installation is up to date. Sometimes, issues can arise from outdated software.
LocalDB Specific Commands: If you are specifically using LocalDB, you can also try running the following command in Command Prompt (as Administrator) to see if it helps:
```
   sqllocaldb create "v11.0"
   sqllocaldb start "v11.0"
```
This will create and start a new LocalDB instance.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may need to consult the SQL Server installation documentation or seek further assistance based on the specific error messages you encounter.

References: