install issue on sql server any version on my new laptop

Question

I need live chat schedule so that I can show what is the problem. The SQL server giving issue whole installing as my laptop is brand new with windows 11, op 64-bit, intel core ultra 5 with intel ARC graphics. every time try to install SQL server it gives me error "waiting for database engine handle failed". please schedule live chat.

Answer 1

Hi @shweta singh,

Thanks for sharing the exact error code.

Regarding live chat. Unfortunately, live or screen-sharing support cannot be scheduled through the community forum. However, you can share screenshots or the setup logs here and we’ll help you step-by-step until it’s fixed.

About your error: “Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed” (Exit code: -2061893606)

This usually happens when SQL Server Setup cannot start the SQL Engine during installation. On Windows 11 and new Intel Ultra laptops, the most common causes are:

1.      Check that “Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8” is turned OFF

This setting often breaks SQL Server installation on new laptops.

1. Open Settings - Time & Language - Administrative language settings
2. Click Change system locale
3. Uncheck the box “Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 for worldwide language support”
4. Restart your laptop
5. Re-run the SQL Server installer

This alone fixes this exact error for many users.

2. Clean up the failed installation and reinstall

If a previous installation attempt failed, corrupted SQL services can block the next attempt.

1. Go to Add/Remove Programs - uninstall: SQL Server (all instances) -- SQL Server Browser -- SQL Server Setup Support Files
2. Delete folders:
   C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server
   C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server
3. Reboot
4. Run setup.exe as Administrator
5. Install SQL Server 2019 or 2022 (older versions fail on Win 11)
6. If it still fails, please share the setup log

It will be here: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\150\Setup Bootstrap\Log<latest>\summary.txt

This will show the exact component that is failing so we can guide you further.

Optional Microsoft Support Ticket

If you prefer official one-to-one support, you can open a free support ticket here: https://support.serviceshub.microsoft.com/supportforbusiness/create

Thanks,
Akhil.

Answer 2

The message Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed is a generic error that means that SQL Server did not start when Setup wanted to run configuration steps. To understand why it did not start, you need to look in the SQL Server errorlog, which you find in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\LOG\ERRORLOG. Note that the component MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER is for a default instance of SQL 2022. If you are trying to install an older version or a named instance, this component will have a different name.

If you see a message about 256 misaligned reads, you are running into a known issue where Windows 11 for some disk drives reports a sector size that SQL Server does not cope with. Microsoft has published an article with workarounds for the problem.

If you don't see the message about misaligned reads, feel free to upload the errorlog here, so we can look at it. You will need to rename to ERRORLOG.txt for the forum software to accept it.