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Event ID 33566 and SQL Server doesn't start after you enable encryption

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Applies to:   SQL Server

Symptoms

In Microsoft SQL Server Configuration Manager, you provision a server-side certificate and enable the encryption. However, the SQL Server service doesn't start, and you receive the following error message:

Windows could not start the SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER) on Local Computer. For more information, review the System Event Log.
If this is a non-Microsoft service, contact the service vendor, and refer to service-specific error code 13.

Resolution

  1. Check the Application log and verify that you see two event entries that resemble the following:

    Log Name:      Application  
Source:        MSSQLSERVER  
Date:          <Datetime>
Event ID:      33556  
Task Category: Server  
Level:         Error  
Keywords:      Classic  
User:          N/A  
Computer:      <Server name> 
Description:  
Invalid character in the thumbprint [Cert Hash(sha1) " \<Cert Hash number"].
Please provide a certificate with a valid thumbprint.

    Note

    This error typically indicates that the certificate isn't provisioned through Configuration Manager. It's provisioned by manually copying the thumbprint value into the following registry key:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL15.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQLServer\SuperSocketNetLib\Certificate

    This error occurs if invalid characters are copied into the registry value.

  2. To resolve this issue, use one of the following methods.

    Method 1: Provision the certificate by using SQL Server Configuration Manager

    1. Remove the thumb print value manually from the following registry subkey:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL15.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQLServer\SuperSocketNetLib\Certificate

    2. Use Configuration Manager to reprovision the certificate.

    3. Restart the SQL Server service.

    Method 2: Fix invalid characters in Thumbprint value

    1. Select Start > Run, enter mmc, and then open Certificate Snap-in in the MMC console.

    2. Right-click the certificate, and copy the Thumbprint value into a text file. Make sure that no spaces exist before and after the thumbprint value.

    3. Remove the Thumbprint value manually from the following registry subkey:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL15.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQLServer\SuperSocketNetLib\Certificate

    4. Manually paste the new value, or retype the value that you got from the text file.

    5. Restart the SQL Server service.