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Please follow the steps I provided here. After following the steps outlined on the Web page to manually uninstall SQL Server, please restart your computer and try to install SQL Server again.
Hope this helps.
I need to cleanly uninstall Sql Server so I can perform a clean install
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Patrick Cowden
20
Reputation points
Summary_Main_20230915_175914.txt
Thank you for your time.
To be clear, this issue is with my personal home computer; my production computer's installation is fine. I used my home SQL Server installation for studying purposes only, and I'd very much like to use it for study purposes again.
I uninstalled SQL Server with the intent to re-install.
Unfortunately, I do not recall the error that I ran into when trying to re-install, but the error prompted me to follow some online advice and I deleted the following keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MSSQLServer
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSSQLServer
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server
Now, on trying to install, I get several errors, many involving missing keys. My ultimate goal is to get back up and running at home for studying purposes. I am willing to add whatever keys I need to, one-by-one, if possible. Or if I could perform a true clean uninstall to the point where a new fresh installation would not be expecting any particular registry keys, all the better.
Attached is the log file that the failed installation referred me to.
Thank You,
Patrick
SQL Server | Other
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Anonymous2023-09-20T07:43:37.0866667+00:00 Has your issue been resolved? Please checking in to see if the below suggestions helped. If this answers your query, do click
Accept AnswerandUp-Votefor the same. And, if you have any further query do let us know.Best regards,
Aniya
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2 answers
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Alberto Morillo 34,676 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator2023-09-16T03:10:34.9033333+00:00 -
Patrick Cowden 20 Reputation points
2023-09-16T20:36:31.84+00:00 Summary_Main_20230916_130200.txt
Thanks Alberto,
I had tried most of those steps before.
A couple new things I did based on that link:
I deleted all the sub-keys referencing SQL Server from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
I deleted all the keys referencing SQL Server from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
After reboot, I tried to install using the installer's Basic setting. Installation hung for along time here:
and I got the attached error log. Basically, the log says the Sql Server Database Engine does not exist as an installed service.
I went to a MS documentation page that told me:
"The following features are installed when you select SQL Server Database Engine on the Components to Install page of the SQL Server Installation Wizard:"
- Database Engine
- etc
This Developer Edition does not have a wizard per se.
With nothing left to lose, I ran through two more installation attempts.
The next try gave an error about a remote server not responding, and the last try gave an error that installation could not find the database startup handle, which was the error I was getting yesterday when this started.
Thanks again,
Patrick
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Anonymous
2023-09-18T06:38:59.85+00:00 The database startup handle not found is a general error. Perhaps you can find more detailed information in the error log.
Viewing the SQL Server Error Log
Best regards,
Aniya