How Can I Resolve SQL Server 2022 Installation Issues on Windows 11?

Question

How Can I Resolve SQL Server 2022 Installation Issues on Windows 11?

Qhamani Twaku 20

I’m struggling to install SQL Server 2022 on my Lenovo laptop running Windows 11. Despite following the installation steps and meeting system requirements, the process either fails to complete or doesn’t configure correctly.

Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

Verified my system meets SQL Server 2022 requirements.
Made sure Windows 11 is fully updated.
Attempted multiple installations (basic and advanced modes).
Tried uninstalling and reinstalling SQL Server with fresh downloads.

Error shown: Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed. Check the SQL server error log for potential causes.

LiHongMSFT-4306 31,571 Reputation points

2025-01-02T01:36:37.0666667+00:00

Hi @Qhamani Twaku

Please post the error logs (Summary.txt file & Detail.txt file).

View and Read SQL Server Setup Log Files - SQL Server | Microsoft Learn

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LiHongMSFT-4306 31,571 Reputation points

2025-01-02T01:36:37.0666667+00:00

Hi @Qhamani Twaku

Please post the error logs (Summary.txt file & Detail.txt file).

View and Read SQL Server Setup Log Files - SQL Server | Microsoft Learn

Answer 1

Erland Sommarskog 121.9K MVP Volunteer Moderator

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 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.

Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-02T08:58:16.89+00:00

SQLServer_ERRORLOG_2025-01-02T09.38.44.txt
@Erland Sommarskog Here is the error log file what should I do next cause I have been trying suggestions that were posted on stack overflow about this, but it has not helped so I back to square one.
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-02T09:00:11.0366667+00:00

SQLServer_ERRORLOG_2025-01-02T09.38.44.txt
Erland Sommarskog 121.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-01-02T22:00:05.8433333+00:00

Indeed:

2025-01-02 09:38:33.65 spid14s There have been 256 misaligned log IOs which required falling back to synchronous IO. The current IO is on file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL16.SQLEXPRESS06\MSSQL\Template Data\master.mdf.

See the article I linked to.
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-02T23:44:17.2333333+00:00

I don't think I understand fully but I will read article again and see if I find anything to fix this.
I have been tackling this problem for months now and most of the solutions given in that article I have already tried, and they have failed.
I can give you remote access because it could be that i am not a tech wiz possibly leading to me overlooking some stuff.
LiHongMSFT-4306 31,571 Reputation points

2025-01-03T01:42:44.4066667+00:00

Hi @Qhamani Twaku

I can give you remote access because it could be that i am not a tech wiz possibly leading to me overlooking some stuff.

If you are searching for remote access, it is suggested to open a ticket to Microsoft support and the engineers will help to resolve the issue.
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-03T07:34:17.4833333+00:00

That's the thing they haven't been able to help even after that I was given this link(https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/customer-service-phone-numbers-c0389ade-5640-e588-8b0e-28de8afeb3f2#ID0EBBD=signinorgid) and when calling this number I end up talking to some AI robot that isn't able to assist at all.
LiHongMSFT-4306 31,571 Reputation points

2025-01-03T07:38:16.8633333+00:00

Try this link: Services Hub (microsoft.com)
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-03T10:48:36.84+00:00

Yeah its not working out does this mean I won't be able to create databases for my school projects?

Does anyone know of a alternative to sql server maybe I can convience my Professesor to let me use that instead?
Erland Sommarskog 121.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-01-03T19:46:46.74+00:00
Opening a support case for SQL Server as a private person is not likely to work out. Even less to an affordable amount of money.

It seems that quite many people have been able to follow that article and been able to install SQL Server successfully despite having this disc-sector problem.

The good news is you still come as far as getting that error. Many who come here have probably run into that error originally, but not understanding the error they have uninstalled and cleaned up manually, and thereby messed up their machine, so the setup now fails on something else.

If you open a command prompt as Administrator and run

fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo C:

What does it say?

As for alternatives to SQL Server, the first two that comes to mind are Postgres and MySQL. And for that matter there is also SQLite.
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-04T07:46:34.5533333+00:00

Okay thank you I will take a look at postgres.
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-04T15:12:58.3+00:00

Installed this on to find out lecturer return email saying he won't allow it plus postgres databse does not connect to vs
Erland Sommarskog 121.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-01-04T15:15:08.6766667+00:00

Seems like you have to keep on with SQL Server then! So what does the fsutil command above return?
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-04T15:16:26.4166667+00:00

Now it says this.
Erland Sommarskog 121.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-01-04T15:18:16.03+00:00

You need to run as Administrator. Right-click the shortcut and select "Run as administrator" from the context menu.
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-04T15:22:10.5266667+00:00

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26100.2605]

(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\System32>C:fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo C:

LogicalBytesPerSector : 512

PhysicalBytesPerSectorForAtomicity : 4096

PhysicalBytesPerSectorForPerformance : 16384

FileSystemEffectivePhysicalBytesPerSectorForAtomicity : 4096

Device Alignment : Aligned (0x000)

Partition alignment on device : Aligned (0x000)

No Seek Penalty

Trim Supported

Not DAX capable

Not Thinly-Provisioned

C:\Windows\System32>
Erland Sommarskog 121.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-01-04T15:35:20.53+00:00
PhysicalBytesPerSectorForPerformance : 16384

That doesn't work.

In the same window run:

REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\stornvme\Parameters\Device" /v "ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes" /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d "* 4095" /f

Verify that the output from fsutil, and that no value exceeds 4096. Then try the installation again.

Permit me some comments here. On the one hand, Microsoft's story is awfully bad here, and I really wish they could do something better. At a bare minimum they could make a check for this condition in the Setup wizard and block you from proceeding. And point you to the article with instructions.

But on the other... I realise that you are a young person with little experience. But apparently since you are installing SQL Server for school/university, you aim at a career in the computing world. And in the world of computing, it is an essential skill to read and understand documentation. So while that article may have been a little advanced for you, it is still an important exercise.
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-04T15:50:39.4033333+00:00

C:\Windows\System32>REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\stornvme\Parameters\Device" /v "ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes" /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d "* 4095" /f

The operation completed successfully.

C:\Windows\System32

I ran it and did the again but still showing value of 16384

C:\Windows\System32>fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo C:

LogicalBytesPerSector : 512

PhysicalBytesPerSectorForAtomicity : 4096

PhysicalBytesPerSectorForPerformance : 16384

FileSystemEffectivePhysicalBytesPerSectorForAtomicity : 4096

Device Alignment : Aligned (0x000)

Partition alignment on device : Aligned (0x000)

No Seek Penalty

Trim Supported

Not DAX capable

Not Thinly-Provisioned

C:\Windows\System32>
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-04T15:57:07.97+00:00

Restarted my computer and it now shows this....

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26100.2605]

(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\System32>fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo C:

LogicalBytesPerSector : 512

PhysicalBytesPerSectorForAtomicity : 4096

PhysicalBytesPerSectorForPerformance : 4096

FileSystemEffectivePhysicalBytesPerSectorForAtomicity : 4096

Device Alignment : Aligned (0x000)

Partition alignment on device : Aligned (0x000)

No Seek Penalty

Trim Supported

Not DAX capable

Not Thinly-Provisioned

C:\Windows\System32>

Does this mean it worked?
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-04T16:49:41.4233333+00:00

Installed succesfully thank you.

Also about what you said how do you think i can improve my comprehension of documents like this?
Erland Sommarskog 121.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-01-04T16:59:30.65+00:00

Great to hear that you were eventually able to install SQL Server successfully! Hope you will enjoy it and learn a lot in your class!

Sorry, I forgot to mention the need to reboot.

Also about what you said how do you think i can improve my comprehension of documents like this?

Never give up!

It reminds me that once when I was student, I spent an evening of reading a page or two in the book we had for first two math courses, where the author presented the proof for some formula. This book was (in)famous for its terseness, and it was known under the nickname "The telegramme". It took me hours, but eventually the penny dropped.

And this can often be the case with technical documentation. Sometimes you may have to and google some detail in the article, because the author assumes that you have some prior knowledge, which you for one reason or another do not have.
Qhamani Twaku 20 Reputation points

2025-01-05T19:26:03.4+00:00

Thank you for you help and advice i will follow through on it!

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How Can I Resolve SQL Server 2022 Installation Issues on Windows 11?

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