Error upgrading from SQL Server 2017 Express to 2019 Standard

Question

Hi

I tried to upgrade an instance of SQL Server last night from 2017 Express to 2019 Standard on a server running Windows Server 2016 and at the end of the process, there was a number of error messages meaning the instance didn't actually get upgraded. When I check the Summary file I keep getting references to the below error:

Component name: Machine Learning Services and Language Extensions
Component error code: 87
Error description: The parameter is incorrect.
Error help link: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=15.0.2000.5&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9

Unfortunately, the link that Microsoft provides only brings you to the Microsoft home page......lol

Basically, the same error is repeated for each feature that an install was attempted for:

Detailed results:
Feature: Full-Text and Semantic Extractions for Search
Status: Failed
Reason for failure: An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
Next Step: The upgrade process for SQL Server failed. To continue the upgrade process, use the following information to resolve the error. Next, uninstall SQL Server by using this command line: setup /q /action=uninstall /instanceid=SQLEXPRESS /features=FULLTEXT,SQL_INST_MPY,SQL_INST_MR,ADVANCEDANALYTICS,SQLENGINE,REPLICATION. Then, run SQL Server Setup again.
Component name: Machine Learning Services and Language Extensions
Component error code: 87
Error description: The parameter is incorrect.
Error help link: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=15.0.2000.5&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9

Feature: Python
Status: Failed
Reason for failure: An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
Next Step: The upgrade process for SQL Server failed. To continue the upgrade process, use the following information to resolve the error. Next, uninstall SQL Server by using this command line: setup /q /action=uninstall /instanceid=SQLEXPRESS /features=FULLTEXT,SQL_INST_MPY,SQL_INST_MR,ADVANCEDANALYTICS,SQLENGINE,REPLICATION. Then, run SQL Server Setup again.
Component name: Machine Learning Services and Language Extensions
Component error code: 87
Error description: The parameter is incorrect.
Error help link: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=15.0.2000.5&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9

Feature: R
Status: Failed
Reason for failure: An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
Next Step: The upgrade process for SQL Server failed. To continue the upgrade process, use the following information to resolve the error. Next, uninstall SQL Server by using this command line: setup /q /action=uninstall /instanceid=SQLEXPRESS /features=FULLTEXT,SQL_INST_MPY,SQL_INST_MR,ADVANCEDANALYTICS,SQLENGINE,REPLICATION. Then, run SQL Server Setup again.
Component name: Machine Learning Services and Language Extensions
Component error code: 87
Error description: The parameter is incorrect.
Error help link: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=15.0.2000.5&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9

Feature: Machine Learning Services and Language Extensions
Status: Failed
Reason for failure: An error occurred during the setup process of the feature.
Next Step: The upgrade process for SQL Server failed. To continue the upgrade process, use the following information to resolve the error. Next, uninstall SQL Server by using this command line: setup /q /action=uninstall /instanceid=SQLEXPRESS /features=FULLTEXT,SQL_INST_MPY,SQL_INST_MR,ADVANCEDANALYTICS,SQLENGINE,REPLICATION. Then, run SQL Server Setup again.
Component name: Machine Learning Services and Language Extensions
Component error code: 87
Error description: The parameter is incorrect.
Error help link: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=15.0.2000.5&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9

Feature: Database Engine Services
Status: Failed
Reason for failure: An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
Next Step: The upgrade process for SQL Server failed. To continue the upgrade process, use the following information to resolve the error. Next, uninstall SQL Server by using this command line: setup /q /action=uninstall /instanceid=SQLEXPRESS /features=FULLTEXT,SQL_INST_MPY,SQL_INST_MR,ADVANCEDANALYTICS,SQLENGINE,REPLICATION. Then, run SQL Server Setup again.
Component name: Machine Learning Services and Language Extensions
Component error code: 87
Error description: The parameter is incorrect.
Error help link: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=15.0.2000.5&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9

Feature: SQL Server Replication
Status: Failed
Reason for failure: An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
Next Step: The upgrade process for SQL Server failed. To continue the upgrade process, use the following information to resolve the error. Next, uninstall SQL Server by using this command line: setup /q /action=uninstall /instanceid=SQLEXPRESS /features=FULLTEXT,SQL_INST_MPY,SQL_INST_MR,ADVANCEDANALYTICS,SQLENGINE,REPLICATION. Then, run SQL Server Setup again.
Component name: Machine Learning Services and Language Extensions
Component error code: 87
Error description: The parameter is incorrect.
Error help link: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=15.0.2000.5&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9&EvtType=0xDBB00D2A%400x294A9FD9

Now, when I try to run the installer a second time after a reboot I keep getting a message when I get to the section where it asks to select features, it won't let me continue as it says there are no features to install. However when I run a 'select @@version' query on the instance, it still shows as 2017 Express - the 2019 upgrader installer appears to think that the 2019 instance has already been installed which is not correct.

Has anyone any advice on how to correct this?

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

The first exception I find in the log is this:

(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Connection string: Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=master;Integrated Security=True;Pooling=False;Connect Timeout=300;Application Name=SqlSetup
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Sco: Connection error code from SqlException is : 18470
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action due to the following failure:
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: ----------------------------------------
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp:
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Message:
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Login failed for user 'CRAIGIES\adm.lakeland'. Reason: The account is disabled.
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: HResult : 0x84bb0001
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: FacilityCode : 1211 (4bb)
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: ErrorCode : 1 (0001)
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Data:
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: DisableRetry = true
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Inner exception type: System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Message:
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Login failed for user 'CRAIGIES\adm.lakeland'. Reason: The account is disabled.
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: HResult : 0x80131904
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Data:
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: HelpLink.ProdName = Microsoft SQL Server
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: HelpLink.EvtSrc = MSSQLServer
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: HelpLink.EvtID = 18470
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: HelpLink.BaseHelpUrl = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: HelpLink.LinkId = 20476
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: Stack:
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: at
...
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:18 Slp: ----------------------------------------
(19) 2021-10-18 17:42:28 Slp: User has chosen to cancel this action

To me, it seems that you were prompted at some point, but opted to skip some step and continue, but I could be wrong.

Do you recall anything about this login being disabled.

There are a few more login errors in the log. Then we come to the part where we get "The parameter is incorrect":

(01) 2021-10-18 18:02:17 SQLEngine: Installing on a domain controller that supports Service SID. Using Service SID.
(01) 2021-10-18 18:02:17 Slp: Sco: Attempting to set service sid type for service MSSQLLaunchpad$SQLEXPRESS, serivce sid type SERVICE_SID_TYPE_UNRESTRICTED
(01) 2021-10-18 18:02:17 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open SC Manager
(01) 2021-10-18 18:02:17 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open service handle for service MSSQLLaunchpad$SQLEXPRESS
(01) 2021-10-18 18:02:17 Slp: Sco: Attempting to close service handle for service MSSQLLaunchpad$SQLEXPRESS
(01) 2021-10-18 18:02:17 Slp: Sco: Attempting to close SC Manager
(01) 2021-10-18 18:02:17 Slp: Sco: Attempting to get account from sid S-1-5-80
(01) 2021-10-18 18:02:17 Slp: Sco: Attempting to get account sid for user account NT SERVICE\MSSQLLaunchpad$SQLEXPRESS
(01) 2021-10-18 18:02:17 Slp: Sco: Attempting to get sid for user account NT SERVICE\MSSQLLaunchpad$SQLEXPRESS
(01) 2021-10-18 18:02:17 Slp: Configuration action failed for feature AdvancedAnalytics during timing ConfigNonRC and scenario ConfigNonRC.
(01) 2021-10-18 18:02:17 Slp: The parameter is incorrect.

Do I interpret the log correctly that you are running this on a domain controller? It has always been a bad idea to run SQL Server on a domain controller. So if you are on a domain controller, rather than upgrading the instance, it may be better to find a different machine. That would also save you from trying to clean up this half-way upgrade.