I am unable to install MS SQL 2019/2022 express/evaluation/Developer on my system.

Without seeing the log files, it is difficult to help. However, a common problem when installing SQL Server on Windows 11 is that Windows 11 for certain drives may report a sector size that SQL Server chokes on. Be sure to read this article for a workaround for that problem. Also, this article can help you to tell if you had this problem from the beginning.

But if you have trying many times and performed random cleanup in between, you may have messed up the machine even more. Some people who have been in this predicament have reported success after having followed the instructions in this article: https://www.sql-easy.com/learn/how-to-uninstall-sql-server/ But I don't think that article covers the situation where the installer cache is in disorder.

An alternative is to install SQL Server in a container with Docker or create a virtual machine and install SQL Server on the VM.

Follow these steps to systematically troubleshoot the failed SQL Server 2019/2022 Express/Evaluation/Developer installation on Windows 11 Pro when the Database Engine will not install.

1. Verify installation media

• Error 1639 and random failures across attempts often indicate damaged or corrupted installation media.
• Download fresh media from the official SQL Server download locations only (Express, Developer, Evaluation) as described in the installation media section.
• Avoid using previously extracted or modified .wim/.iso files.
• Copy the setup files locally to a simple path (for example, C:\SQLSetup) before running Setup.

2. Avoid problematic installation paths

• Do not run setup from:
  • A Remote Desktop local drive redirection (RDC “local resource”).
  • A removable USB that may disconnect.
• Recommended locations for media:
  • Local drive on the machine where SQL Server is being installed.
  • A stable network share or an ISO mounted directly to the VM/host.

3. Run setup cleanly from command prompt (optional but useful)

• Open an elevated Command Prompt (Run as administrator).
• Run setup with basic parameters to reduce variables, for example:
  • setup.exe /Q /ACTION=Install /FEATURES=SQL,Tools /INSTANCENAME=MSSQLSERVER
• Use /INDICATEPROGRESS if console logging is needed.
• Ensure no pending reboot exists on the OS before starting setup (if there is, reboot first).

4. Check for media or source corruption errors If setup fails with messages like:

• “The system cannot open the device or file specified.”
• “The cabinet file 'Sql.cab' required for this installation is corrupt and cannot be used.”
• “Error 2337” or “Network error occurred while attempting to read from the file.”

Then the likely causes are:

• Damaged installation media.
• Corrupted installation source.

Resolution:

• Re-download the SQL Server setup from the official source.
• Verify the download completes successfully (no network interruptions).
• Do not modify the downloaded ISO or CAB files.

5. Use setup logs to isolate the failing feature Since the Database Engine is not installing and errors vary (including 1639), use the general troubleshooting methodology:
6. After a failed run, on the failure screen select Details (if using UI setup).
7. Go to %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\nnn\Setup Bootstrap\Log.
8. Open Summary.txt and look under Product features discovered to see which feature reports failure (for example, sql_engine_core_inst).
9. Open the subfolder named like yyyyMMdd_HHmmss that matches the failure time.
10. In that folder, open the feature-specific log (for example, sql_engine_core_inst_Cpu64_1.log) and Details.txt.
11. Search for Failed to find the exact error and component that is blocking the Database Engine.

This will tell whether the failure is due to:

• Media corruption.
• OS prerequisites.
• Permissions.
• Disk/sector issues.

6. Check for disk sector size issues (Windows 11) On some Windows 11 systems, SQL Server fails to start during setup with errors like “Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed” because of incompatible disk sector sizes (for example, 4Kn/512e drives reporting a physical sector size SQL Server cannot handle).

If the setup error or SQL error log mentions misaligned or 256-sector reads:

• Follow the guidance in the OS 4KB disk sector size troubleshooting article referenced in the context to apply the appropriate workaround (for example, using the ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes registry setting for affected NVMe devices).
• After applying the workaround and rebooting, rerun SQL Server setup.

7. Avoid optional components that require external downloads If the installer stalls or fails when trying to download external packages (for example, Machine Learning Services R/Python):

• Rerun setup and on the Feature Selection screen do not select Machine Learning Services and Language Extensions (R/Python).
• Install only core features first (Database Engine, SSMS, etc.).
• Add ML features later if needed, after manually obtaining required packages.

8. If installation still fails

• Use the latest SQL Server version that is supported on Windows 11 and ensure the OS has all current updates.
• Re-check that all SQL Server folders were removed only after uninstalling via Programs and Features; deleting folders or registry entries alone can leave the system in an inconsistent state.
• Use the logs as described above to identify the exact blocking error and then address that specific cause.

References:

• SQL Server installation errors
• SQL Server installation guide
• Troubleshoot common SQL Server Cumulative Update installation issues
• Install, configure, or uninstall SQL Server on Windows from the command prompt
• how fix the error that occurs when I try to install SQL Server 2019 - Microsoft Q&A
• SQL Server installation fails with error 0x851A001A after removing old instances - Microsoft Q&A
• what to do when i cant install sql server 2019 developer - Microsoft Q&A
• Not able to install SQL Server - Microsoft Q&A
• SQL Server Express 2022 software installation issuse - Microsoft Q&A