I cant install SQL server express version

Question

When running a basic installation i get "unable to install SQL server:
exit code (decimal) - 2068052377 error description: invalid command line argument

HEre is the summary.txt file:
Overall summary:

Final result: Failed: see details below

Exit code (Decimal): -2068052377

Start time: 2025-02-03 11:11:54

End time: 2025-02-03 11:12:17

Requested action: Install

Setup completed with required actions for features.

Troubleshooting information for those features:

Next step for SQLEngine: Use the following information to resolve the error, and then try the setup process again.

Machine Properties:

Machine name: LIGE2SEKUNDER

Machine processor count: 16

OS version: Microsoft Windows 11 Home (10.0.26100)

OS service pack:

OS region: United States

OS language: dansk (Danmark)

OS architecture: x64

Process architecture: 64 Bit

OS clustered: No

Product features discovered:

Product Instance Instance ID Feature Language Edition Version Clustered Configured

SQL Server 2022 MSSQLSERVER MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER Database Engine Services 1033 Express Edition 16.0.1000.6 No Yes

SQL Server 2022 MSSQLSERVER MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER SQL Server Replication 1033 Express Edition 16.0.1000.6 No Yes

SQL Server 2022 MSSQLSERVER MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER Full-Text and Semantic Extractions for Search 1033 Express Edition 16.0.1000.6 No Yes

SQL Server 2022 MSSQLSERVER MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER Machine Learning Services and Language Extensions 1033 Express Edition 16.0.1000.6 No Yes

SQL Server 2022 MSSQLSERVER1 MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER1 Database Engine Services 1033 Express Edition 16.0.1000.6 No Yes

SQL Server 2022 MSSQLSERVER1 MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER1 SQL Server Replication 1033 Express Edition 16.0.1000.6 No Yes

SQL Server 2022 MSSQLSERVER1 MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER1 Full-Text and Semantic Extractions for Search 1033 Express Edition 16.0.1000.6 No Yes

SQL Server 2022 MSSQLSERVER1 MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER1 Machine Learning Services and Language Extensions 1033 Express Edition 16.0.1000.6 No Yes

Package properties:

Description: Microsoft SQL Server 2022

ProductName: SQL Server 2022

Type: RTM

Version: 16

SPLevel: 0

Installation location: C:\SQL2022\Express_ENU\x64\setup\

Installation edition: Express

Product Update Status:

User selected not to include product updates.

Notice: Please read Microsoft SQL Server Software License Terms at aka.ms/useterms.

User Input Settings:

ACTION: Install

ADDCURRENTUSERASSQLADMIN: true

AGTSVCACCOUNT: NT AUTHORITY\NETVÆRKSTJENESTE

AGTSVCPASSWORD: *****

AGTSVCSTARTUPTYPE: Disabled

ASBACKUPDIR: Backup

ASCOLLATION: Latin1_General_CI_AS

ASCONFIGDIR: Config

ASDATADIR: Data

ASLOGDIR: Log

ASPROVIDERMSOLAP: 1

ASSERVERMODE: TABULAR

ASSVCACCOUNT: <empty>

ASSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

ASSVCSTARTUPTYPE: Automatic

ASSYSADMINACCOUNTS: <empty>

ASTELSVCACCT: <empty>

ASTELSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

ASTELSVCSTARTUPTYPE: 0

ASTEMPDIR: Temp

AZUREARCPROXYSERVER: <empty>

AZUREBILLEDEDITION:

AZUREREGION: <empty>

AZURERESOURCEGROUP: <empty>

AZURESERVICEPRINCIPAL: <empty>

AZURESERVICEPRINCIPALSECRET: <empty>

AZURESUBSCRIPTIONID: <empty>

AZURETENANTID: <empty>

BROWSERSVCSTARTUPTYPE: Disabled

CONFIGURATIONFILE: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\160\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20250203_111154\ConfigurationFile.ini

ENABLERANU: true

ENU: true

EXTSVCACCOUNT: <empty>

EXTSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

FEATURES: SQLENGINE

FILESTREAMLEVEL: 0

FILESTREAMSHARENAME: <empty>

FTSVCACCOUNT: <empty>

FTSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

HELP: false

IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS: true

IACKNOWLEDGEENTCALLIMITS: false

INDICATEPROGRESS: true

INSTALLSHAREDDIR: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\

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

INSTALLSQLDATADIR: <empty>

INSTANCEDIR: C:\SQL

INSTANCEID: SQLEXPRESS

INSTANCENAME: SQLEXPRESS

ISMASTERSVCACCOUNT: NT AUTHORITY\Network Service

ISMASTERSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

ISMASTERSVCPORT: 8391

ISMASTERSVCSSLCERTCN: <empty>

ISMASTERSVCSTARTUPTYPE: Automatic

ISMASTERSVCTHUMBPRINT: <empty>

ISSVCACCOUNT: NT AUTHORITY\Network Service

ISSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

ISSVCSTARTUPTYPE: Automatic

ISTELSVCACCT: <empty>

ISTELSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

ISTELSVCSTARTUPTYPE: 0

ISWORKERSVCACCOUNT: NT AUTHORITY\Network Service

ISWORKERSVCCERT: <empty>

ISWORKERSVCMASTER: <empty>

ISWORKERSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

ISWORKERSVCSTARTUPTYPE: Automatic

NPENABLED: 0

PBDMSSVCACCOUNT: <empty>

PBDMSSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

PBDMSSVCSTARTUPTYPE: 0

PBENGSVCACCOUNT: <empty>

PBENGSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

PBENGSVCSTARTUPTYPE: 0

PBPORTRANGE: <empty>

PID: *****

PRODUCTCOVEREDBYSA: false

QUIET: true

QUIETSIMPLE: false

ROLE: AllFeatures_WithDefaults

SAPWD: <empty>

SECURITYMODE: <empty>

SQLBACKUPDIR: <empty>

SQLCOLLATION: Danish_Norwegian_CI_AS

SQLMAXDOP: 0

SQLMAXMEMORY: 2147483647

SQLMINMEMORY: 0

SQLSVCACCOUNT: NT Service\MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS

SQLSVCINSTANTFILEINIT: true

SQLSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

SQLSVCSTARTUPTYPE: Automatic

SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS: LIGE2SEKUNDER\omid1

SQLTELSVCACCT: NT Service\SQLTELEMETRY$SQLEXPRESS

SQLTELSVCPASSWORD: <empty>

SQLTELSVCSTARTUPTYPE: Automatic

SQLTEMPDBDIR: <empty>

SQLTEMPDBFILECOUNT: 1

SQLTEMPDBFILEGROWTH: 64

SQLTEMPDBFILESIZE: 8

SQLTEMPDBLOGDIR: <empty>

SQLTEMPDBLOGFILEGROWTH: 64

SQLTEMPDBLOGFILESIZE: 8

SQLUSERDBDIR: <empty>

SQLUSERDBLOGDIR: <empty>

SUPPRESSPAIDEDITIONNOTICE: false

SUPPRESSPRIVACYSTATEMENTNOTICE: false

TCPENABLED: 0

UIMODE: AutoAdvance

UpdateEnabled: false

UpdateSource: MU

USEMICROSOFTUPDATE: false

USESQLRECOMMENDEDMEMORYLIMITS: false

Configuration file: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\160\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20250203_111154\ConfigurationFile.ini

Detailed results:

Feature: Database Engine Services

Status: Failed

Reason for failure: An error occurred during the setup process of the feature.

Next Step: Use the following information to resolve the error, and then try the setup process again.

Component name: SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features

Component error code: 1639

Component log file: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\160\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20250203_111154\sql_engine_core_inst_Cpu64_1.log

Error description: Invalid command line argument. Consult the Windows Installer SDK for detailed command line help.

Error help link: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=16.0.1000.6&EvtType=sql_engine_core_inst.msi%400x162A16FE%400x1639

Rules with failures or warnings:

Rules report file: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\160\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20250203_111154\SystemConfigurationCheck_Report.htm

Answer 1

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.

If you are on Windows 11, 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, you find log files in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\nnn\Setup Bootstrap\Log with one folder per attempt. (nnn is a three-digit number that depends on the version of SQL Server you are trying to install). The files of most interest are summary.txt, detail.txt and any file with ERRORLOG in the name. (The latter only appears if Setup came as far as trying to start SQL Server). Feel free to attach these to the thread here.

Answer 2

Hi @Omid Zahidi，

Try to repair a Failed SQL Server Installation

From your summary.txt, please check the component log file to see if the specified instance has been installed

Component log file: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\160\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20250203_111154\sql_engine_core_inst_Cpu64_1.log

According to this thread, it may help you: https://blog.sqlauthority.com/2019/07/30/sql-server-2019-installation-failure-invalid-command-line-argument-consult-the-windows-installer-sdk-for-detailed-command-line-help/

If the situation is true, please try to the command from command prompt:

Copy

msiexec /x {specified instance}  

Regards，

Zoe Hui

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If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.