I am trying to install MS SQL SERVER 2022 in my Windows 11 hp laptop. Getting this error Unable to install SQL Server (setup.exe). Exit code (Decimal): -2147467259Error description: The system cannot find the path specified i tried express installation , developer mode both with custom and basic methods also. But still getting this error. I also tried to install in disc partition (D drive), but getting the same error every time. I am attaching detail.txt form log. Detail.txt Please look into it and assist accordingly.

First things first: what hardware do you have? If you have an ARM processor, beware that SQL Server does not support ARM. The rest of the answer assumes that you have a regular x64 processor. My belief is that this is an error that occurs mainly in the situation when a user tried to install SQL Server and it failed with some error. The user might have tried some random cleanup and made renewed attempts. Because the cleanup was incomplete, Setup now fails with another error than it did originally. Could this apply to you? Or did this happen on the first attempt? (If it does apply to you, don't feel bad. I think it is quite a natural path to take.) Here is a link to an article that can help you to clean up properly: https://www.sql-easy.com/learn/how-to-uninstall-sql-server/ . I have not tried it myself, but I learnt about it from a user who was in a similar situation as yours, and who was able to install SQL Server successfully after following the article. Be sure to read the article Troubleshoot errors related to system disk sector size greater than 4 KB before you try again. It discusses a known issue where Windows 11 reports a disk-sector size that SQL Server chokes on. This could be the cause for your original failure. Check out this article, and if needed apply the workarounds it proposes. If you make a new attempt after cleanup, and it still fails, please share the logs directly, without taking further action.

Hi @ Ashutosh Kumar Yadav , Check, do you have admin access and try with administrator access for the system and folder permission. SQL Server 2022: Hardware and software requirements

SQL Server 2022 installation error- Cannot find the path specified

Accepted answer

Erland Sommarskog 114.6K Reputation points MVP

2024-12-02T22:37:55.2066667+00:00

First things first: what hardware do you have? If you have an ARM processor, beware that SQL Server does not support ARM. The rest of the answer assumes that you have a regular x64 processor.

My belief is that this is an error that occurs mainly in the situation when a user tried to install SQL Server and it failed with some error. The user might have tried some random cleanup and made renewed attempts. Because the cleanup was incomplete, Setup now fails with another error than it did originally.

Could this apply to you? Or did this happen on the first attempt? (If it does apply to you, don't feel bad. I think it is quite a natural path to take.)

Here is a link to an article that can help you to clean up properly: https://www.sql-easy.com/learn/how-to-uninstall-sql-server/. I have not tried it myself, but I learnt about it from a user who was in a similar situation as yours, and who was able to install SQL Server successfully after following the article.

Be sure to read the article Troubleshoot errors related to system disk sector size greater than 4 KB before you try again. It discusses a known issue where Windows 11 reports a disk-sector size that SQL Server chokes on. This could be the cause for your original failure. Check out this article, and if needed apply the workarounds it proposes.

If you make a new attempt after cleanup, and it still fails, please share the logs directly, without taking further action.
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Ashutosh Kumar Yadav 20 Reputation points

2024-12-03T21:11:03.02+00:00

Thankyou for such detailed guidance,
Yes my laptop is 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor.

My original error was I think "odbc driver 17 missing" something like that, so once I downloaded from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/odbc/download-odbc-driver-for-sql-server?view=sql-server-ver16 .

After installing the driver I again started installing the SQL server , but this time all of them had the same error "Cannot find the path specified".
The steps mentioned in https://www.sql-easy.com/learn/how-to-uninstall-sql-server/ was for already installed SQL server.
I tried to install multiple times but none were successful. So i tried cleaning through whatever steps were relevant.

I have deleted,

SQL server files form

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server

cleared the registry as directed.

deleted all programs from control pannel/ programs and features, any program having SQL server in its name I deleted them

in "services.msc" I saw multiple

SQL server analysis services (MSSQLSERVER)

SQL server analysis services (MSSQLSERVER1)

SQL server analysis services (MSSQLSERVER2022)

these were the instance names I used during the custom installation in developer mode SQL server 2022 installation.

SQL server integration services 16

SQL server integration services CEIP 16 services

SQL server integration services scale out worker 16

etc

I disabled all of them in the end.

Regarding the attached link in the end https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/sql/database-engine/database-file-operations/troubleshoot-os-4kb-disk-sector-size?WT.mc_id=DP-MVP-5440

I checked in the terminal:
C:\Windows\System32>fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo D:

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

and I think my device is compatible, can you check if it's possible?

After all this work and thorough cleanup, I hope my device is ready to install the SQL server 2022 from https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/sql-server/sql-server-downloads

I want to make sure that I am completely on the right track to install this time, I don't want to get into cleanup fuss again.

Should I now start installing the SQL server 2022 ?

Erland Sommarskog 114.6K Reputation points MVP

2024-12-03T21:27:19.57+00:00

and I think my device is compatible, can you check if it's possible?

No it is not. That value for 16384 is too big for SQL Server. You will need to apply that registry edit, described in the article.

After that, try again. And good luck! After you starting messing up the machine with installs, uninstalls, manual cleanup etc, it can be difficult to come back on track.

Ashutosh Kumar Yadav 20 Reputation points

2024-12-14T08:47:25.73+00:00

Thankyou @Erland Sommarskog for your supprort,

I did the following things as suggested in the link you provided https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/sql/database-engine/database-file-operations/troubleshoot-os-4kb-disk-sector-size?WT.mc_id=DP-MVP-5440

I navigated to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\stornvme\Parameters\Device
and then did,
On the Edit menu, point to New, and then select Multi-String value. Name it ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes. Modify the new value, type in * 4095. Select OK and close the Registry editor. but when I checked from admin cmd using:
fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo c:
it still showed the same PhysicalBytesPerSectorForPerformance : 16384 so I deleted it from rt click select delete.

Restarted the device and this time I used admn cmd prompt.
as directed in the link , I ran :
REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\stornvme\Parameters\Device" /v "ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes" /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d "* 4095" /f

then checked:
C:\Windows\System32>REG QUERY "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\stornvme\Parameters\Device" /v "ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\stornvme\Parameters\Device

ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes REG_MULTI_SZ * 4095

finally I also checked using prev method:

fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo c:

this time I am getting this

Now finally I think my device is ready. I will be proceeding towards re-download and install SQL server 2022. but before that,
Please also do tell me what to check anything you know which is important as it is very hectic to reclean and prepare the device for re-install.

Thankyou for your support.

Ashutosh Kumar Yadav 20 Reputation points

2024-12-15T16:49:01.7433333+00:00

Could you please respond @Erland Sommarskog

Erland Sommarskog 114.6K Reputation points MVP

2024-12-15T17:08:15.4233333+00:00

Sorry, for some reason, I did not get a notification for your reply yesterday.

Unfortunately, I cannot say anything more than just give it a try now! It is not that I'm sitting all day and repair broken SQL Server installs. Rather, the little I know about the topic is through helping other people who run into problems. My success rate is so-so.

But your disk sector size looks good!

Ashutosh Kumar Yadav 20 Reputation points

2024-12-18T06:21:04.13+00:00

Thankyou for your help @Erland Sommarskog , could you still help if possible?

I just tried to install now the path found is not an error instead this is the error showing.

I am attaching the detail.txt below.
Detail.txt

Could you please check.

What I did to install:

gone to chrome and searched SQL server 2022, opened ms link and downloaded the installer of express package.

clicked on install accepted and the T&C. But I canceled the installation before clicking on install, I did because of the suggestion of downloading as an Admin.

I opened the download section and rt-clicked on package and selected open as Admin

selected basic clicked on accept and then download.

After getting download it was installing the packages and this error showed.
THANKYOU.

Erland Sommarskog 114.6K Reputation points MVP

2024-12-18T22:11:30.5533333+00:00

I found:

(01) 2024-12-18 11:38:00 Slp: Sco: File 'C:\SQL2022\Express_ENU\x64\setup\x64\sql_engine_core_inst.msi' does not exist

Unfortunately, I don't know a solution to this error. I suspect that this an error that occurs after installing, cleaing up, reinstalling etc and things get messed up. It could be the installer cache.

Rather than trying to bring your machine back to shape, I think a better idea is to explore the world of virtual machines. That is create a VM and install SQL Server on the VM. Granted, if you have never worked with AGs before, there is a learning curve. But the flip side of is that is a technology that is useful to master in its own right.
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