Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed during setup

[JR]

Trying to install SQL 2008 (no SP) on a 64 bit Win7 machine and get the
subject error. Everything I've found researching this error refers to this
happening during an upgrade from SQL 2005. In my case this is not an
upgrade. The machine has never had SQL on it before.

[Erland Sommarskog]

Interesting. There was another poster who had this problem a few weeks back,
and who was eventually able to resolve it by installing a different edition.
He, too, was attempting to install on Win7 64-bit.

Which edition of SQL Server are you trying to install? 32-bit or 64-bit SQL
Server?

Which edition of Windows 7 do you have?

Can you find the file
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Log\ERRORLOG
and attach the file, or post the contents here?

Note that if you tried to install a named instance, you should replace
MSSQLSERVER in the path with the instance name.

--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, esq...@sommarskog.se

Links for SQL Server Books Online:
SQL 2008: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/cc514207.aspx
SQL 2005: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/bb895970.aspx
SQL 2000: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/previousversions/books.mspx

[JR]

It's Windows 7 Pro 64 bit. The SQL is 2008 Workgroup edition. 64 bit SQL
is being installed.

I'll be on the machine later and see if I can snag the log.

"Erland Sommarskog" <esq...@sommarskog.se> wrote in message
news:Xns9DC4E58E9...@127.0.0.1...

[JR]

I should add that the things I've read on this speak of giving the network
service account full control on the protect folder. Not sure where this
resides on Win7, but I'm wondering if this is necessary since I'm not
starting any SQL services under the network services account. I set
everything to start under local system.

"JR" <a...@spam.never> wrote in message
news:eXrjJK1M...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Here's the logs

>
>
> "Erland Sommarskog" <esq...@sommarskog.se> wrote in message
> news:Xns9DC4E58E9...@127.0.0.1...

[JR]

Just tried to install SQL 2008 R2 Express and got the same error.

"JR" <a...@spam.never> wrote in message

news:Ob14vc2M...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

[Erland Sommarskog]

JR (a...@spam.never) writes:
> I should add that the things I've read on this speak of giving the network
> service account full control on the protect folder. Not sure where this
> resides on Win7, but I'm wondering if this is necessary since I'm not
> starting any SQL services under the network services account. I set
> everything to start under local system.

Thanks for the followup message, or else I would never have seen the
logs! (The news server I use, filters attachments since it's a text-
only service. But I were able get hold of the logs from Microsoft's
newsserver.)

The error in the SQL Server errorlog is "An error occurred during
encryption." Why you would get this error, I don't know. But I doubt
that it has anything to do with folder permissions. (But I don't know
what the "protect folder" is; is some new feature in Win7?)

LocalSystem is not a good choice for other reasons, so maybe you could
try using a domain account instead? That is create a user and use this
for the service account.

In any case, I would like you to submit a bug on
http://connect.microsoft.com/sqlserver/feedback.html about the issue,
so Microsoft can address this in future versions of Setup. They may also
be able to help you with what is wrong. When you submit the bug
report, you should include the logs from
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log".
There is one directory per installation attempt. I believe there is a
cab file that have it all. You should also add the SQL Server error
log that you posted.

And, oh, check the Windows event log. Maybe there are some errors related to
encryption.

[JR]

In the end I just didn't have time to jack around with it so did a reinstall
of Windows 7 and SQL installed without issue except for another minor error.
Don't recall what it was at the moment, but just restarted the install and
it went through fine. Didn't have any problems though with the original
install issue.

As to running under local system, the app we use with SQL won't operate
correctly unless the services, or at minimum the the Full Text service is
running under local system so I just run them all that way and have had no
issues with doing it. Would like to know what your opposition is to local
system though for future reference. Always open to suggestions.

"Erland Sommarskog" <esq...@sommarskog.se> wrote in message

news:Xns9DCADB87F...@127.0.0.1...

[Erland Sommarskog]

JR (a...@spam.never) writes:
> As to running under local system, the app we use with SQL won't operate
> correctly unless the services, or at minimum the the Full Text service is
> running under local system so I just run them all that way and have had no
> issues with doing it. Would like to know what your opposition is to local
> system though for future reference. Always open to suggestions.

For one thing it is a high-privilege account, so if you have an
intruder coming in throgh SQL injection, and xp_cmdshell is open, he
can have his fun.

But my main opposition is that people often run into problem with
LocalSystem: you cannot use network shares, communication with linked
servers etc are more difficult.

It sounds funny that the application requires the FullText Service
to run under LocalSystem. I don't remember exactly what the FullText
service does these days, but it does a lot less in SQL 2008, since
fulltext is now a first-class citizen in SQL Server.