SQL Server Database Engine
Core component of SQL Server for storing, processing, and securing data
I found a thread online that it was the 3 accounts(see attached), that I needed to change them to a windows account and it worked.
Installing SQL Server 2017, on a Windows Server 2019 standard, inside a Hyper V Windows VM.
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Gordon Aleksin
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It only happens on a Hyper V VM. I have installed SQL on hundreds of servers, with no issues.
Also tried Windows Server 2016 / 2022 and SQL Server 2019 / 2022. And I have full rights to the server.
SQL Server Database Engine
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Erland Sommarskog 134.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator2025-09-23T20:39:51.3466667+00:00 The error message about not finding the startup handle means that SQL Server did not start when Setup wanted to run a configuration step. The SQL Server errorlog can give a clue of why it did not start. Assuming a default installation, you find the errorlog in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL14.MSSQLSERVER\LOG\ERRORLOG, but depending on the options you selected when you ran Setup, the log file may be elsewhere.
Feel free to attach it here. You will need to rename it to ERRORLOG.txt for the forum software to accept it.
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Gordon Aleksin 0 Reputation points
2025-09-24T12:15:26.2033333+00:00 Thank you for your response. Much appreciated. I have never had this issue before, installing SQL, hundreds of installs, but the first in a VM environment. I found a thread online that it was the 3 accounts(see attached), that I needed to change them to a windows account and it worked.
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Erland Sommarskog 134.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2025-09-24T20:58:58.93+00:00 This has nothing to do with a VM; I run with such accounts on my VMs without issues. You did not share the errorlog, so I cannot say for sure. But a common reason for SQL Server not starting is that it is not able to create a self-signed certificate, and the root cause for this is that the default user profile is corrupted. (And thus, the user profiles for these newly created accounts are also corrupted, since they are copied from the default profile.)
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AI answer
2025-09-23T12:57:02.52+00:00 It sounds like you are experiencing issues with installing SQL Server 2017 on a Windows Server 2019 Standard VM within Hyper-V. Since you mentioned that this problem only occurs in a Hyper-V environment and you have already tried different versions of SQL Server and Windows Server, it might be useful to ensure that your Hyper-V settings are correctly configured.
Microsoft supports deploying SQL Server on virtualization technologies, including Hyper-V. Make sure that your Hyper-V setup meets the necessary requirements for SQL Server installations. Additionally, check if there are any specific configurations or updates needed for the Windows Server 2019 environment that could affect the SQL Server installation.
If the issue persists, consider checking the SQL Server installation logs for any specific error messages that could provide more insight into the problem.
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