SQL Server not starting

Question

hello, my sql server has not been starting. i am using the express version and it is installed on my laptop for development purposes(university). my error log is as follows:

2023-11-21 18:27:11.66 spid20s A new instance of the full-text filter daemon host process has been successfully started.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.68 Server Common language runtime (CLR) functionality initialized using CLR version v4.0.30319 from C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.69 spid9s Starting up database 'msdb'.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.69 spid14s Starting up database 'mssqlsystemresource'.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.69 spid9s Error: 17204, Severity: 16, State: 1.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.69 spid9s FCB::Open failed: Could not open file d:\dbs\sh\s19s\0924_133725\cmd\2\obj\x64retail\sql\mkmastr\databases\mkmastr.proj\MSDBData.mdf for file number 1. OS error: 3(The system cannot find the path specified.).

2023-11-21 18:27:11.69 spid9s Error: 5120, Severity: 16, State: 101.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.69 spid9s Unable to open the physical file "d:\dbs\sh\s19s\0924_133725\cmd\2\obj\x64retail\sql\mkmastr\databases\mkmastr.proj\MSDBData.mdf". Operating system error 3: "3(The system cannot find the path specified.)".

2023-11-21 18:27:11.69 spid9s Error: 17207, Severity: 16, State: 1.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.69 spid9s FileMgr::StartLogFiles: Operating system error 2(The system cannot find the file specified.) occurred while creating or opening file 'd:\dbs\sh\s19s\0924_133725\cmd\2\obj\x64retail\sql\mkmastr\databases\mkmastr.proj\MSDBLog.ldf'. Diagnose and correct the operating system error, and retry the operation.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.69 spid9s File activation failure. The physical file name "d:\dbs\sh\s19s\0924_133725\cmd\2\obj\x64retail\sql\mkmastr\databases\mkmastr.proj\MSDBLog.ldf" may be incorrect.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.70 spid14s The resource database build version is 15.00.2000. This is an informational message only. No user action is required.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.71 spid14s Starting up database 'model'.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.71 spid14s Error: 17204, Severity: 16, State: 1.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.71 spid14s FCB::Open failed: Could not open file d:\dbs\sh\s19s\0924_133725\cmd\2\obj\x64retail\sql\mkmastr\databases\mkmastr.proj\model.mdf for file number 1. OS error: 3(The system cannot find the path specified.).

2023-11-21 18:27:11.71 spid14s Error: 5120, Severity: 16, State: 101.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.71 spid14s Unable to open the physical file "d:\dbs\sh\s19s\0924_133725\cmd\2\obj\x64retail\sql\mkmastr\databases\mkmastr.proj\model.mdf". Operating system error 3: "3(The system cannot find the path specified.)".

2023-11-21 18:27:11.71 spid14s Error: 17207, Severity: 16, State: 1.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.71 spid14s FileMgr::StartLogFiles: Operating system error 2(The system cannot find the file specified.) occurred while creating or opening file 'd:\dbs\sh\s19s\0924_133725\cmd\2\obj\x64retail\sql\mkmastr\databases\mkmastr.proj\modellog.ldf'. Diagnose and correct the operating system error, and retry the operation.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.71 spid14s File activation failure. The physical file name "d:\dbs\sh\s19s\0924_133725\cmd\2\obj\x64retail\sql\mkmastr\databases\mkmastr.proj\modellog.ldf" may be incorrect.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.71 spid14s Error: 945, Severity: 14, State: 2.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.71 spid14s Database 'model' cannot be opened due to inaccessible files or insufficient memory or disk space. See the SQL Server errorlog for details.

2023-11-21 18:27:11.71 spid14s SQL Trace was stopped due to server shutdown. Trace ID = '1'. This is an informational message only; no user action is required.

grateful if anyone could help!

Answer 1

Hi @Adrien Alassoo

Database 'model' cannot be opened due to inaccessible files or insufficient memory or disk space. See the SQL Server errorlog for details.

The database could not be accessed because files or other resources are missing.

Check the error log for additional information about memory, disk space, or permission failure. Confirm the location of the .mdf and .ndf files for the affected database and confirm that the account used by the Database Engine has permission to access those files. After correcting the problem, restart the database by using ALTER DATABASE to set it ONLINE.

Best regards,

Cosmog Hong

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Answer 2

Hi Adrien,

Welcome to the Q&A Forum; this is a great place to get support, answers, and tips.

Thank you for posting your question; I'll be more than glad to help you out.

There is some information missing to answer your question in its entirety.

What exactly have you used to install your SQL Server?

It is not a standard SQL Server installation, as those paths are not default and look really strange for "just a SQL Server" development environment.

To your problem... SQL Server can't start appropriately because it can't find those files on the given paths.

Check those locations if those files exist; otherwise, check if these paths exist... repair/change those paths in the SQL Services to their correct location.

This documentation might help you solve your problem
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/databases/move-system-databases?view=sql-server-ver16&redirectedfrom=MSDN

I hope my answer is helpful to you,

Your

Bjoern Peters

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